Page 46 of Irresistible

Chapter 22

Several hours passed, and Scarlet tried once more to get lost in her work. She expected Richard to get back to her sooner than this. All she had to cling to was the idea that he might be waiting until everyone went home to get back to her. After all, he was a consummate professional, and it would instantly become fodder for gossip if he called her into his office in the middle of the work day.

Jim came out of his office and asked to speak with Scarlet. With everything going on, Scarlet forgot that she was still leaving him hanging. She was in a much better place to speak with him now.

"Is there any news? I know I said I wouldn't pry until you were ready to talk about it. But I'm worried about you."

"Not really. We talked a couple of times. I want to be with him, Jim. But I can't do that unless he can demonstrate that he really wants to be with me. It's not fair to either of us, and it could have disastrous consequences if it goes wrong.”

"So how were those conversations left?"

"I told him just that. I explained my concerns and left him to decide. I told him that I really wanted him to think about it. I need him to take the time to evaluate if this is something he really wants to go forward with. Basically, I told him that he's stuck with me for a while if he chooses to take things to the next level. Yes, it's clingy. Yes, it's kind of crazy. But given where we are, those are the terms I needed him to abide by."

"That seems perfectly reasonable to me. You sound a lot better than you did before. Do you feel any better about this?"

Scarlet had to stop and think about that for a second. Her feelings regarding Richard had swung from extreme anxiety and uncertainty to immense intimacy and caring. It's difficult to find a center when things are changing so frequently.

"I feel somewhat at piece with it," Scarlet replied slowly. "I'm not sure that there's anything I can do at this point. I've been agonizing over it in one form or another basically since Richard got here. Now that the ball is in his court, there's not much more I can do about it. I've made my case, I've aired my concerns, and I'm going to be okay with whatever he decides."

"Are you going to be okay with it? Like you said, you've been obsessed with this guy ever since he got here. Is that obsession really going to just go away? I want my friend back at some point."

"I'll be okay. I'm not saying I'll be perfectly back to normal immediately. But I'll get there in any event. You'll get your friend back soon, I promise. Either way, I'm going to feel much better whenever Richard makes his decision."

Jim stood up from his desk and came around to give Scarlet a hug. Even though Scarlet had processed most of this on her own, she was humbled by the support system she had. Jim had essentially stuck his neck out in encouraging her to even pursue a relationship with Richard. He had incredibly legitimate concerns about both of their jobs, but he set that to the side so his friend could be happy. The enormity of that sacrifice was not lost on her.

"Thanks for being there for me," she said with a smile as she released the hug. "I know you're always in my corner."

"And I always will be."

Scarlet left Jim's office and went back to work. The rest of the day passed without issue, and five p.m. came quicker than Scarlet thought it would.

"Aren't you going to leave, Scarlet? It's five o'clock," Jim asked, reemerging from his office.

"Yeah, I probably should," she replied.

As she packed up her papers and prepared to shut her laptop for the day, an email flashed across the screen. It was from Richard.

"Hang out until everyone's gone."

That was it. There was only one line in the email, and nothing more.

"Uh, actually, I'm going to hang out for a minute. I realized that I'm not going to remember where I left off if I stop now. I'm in the middle of a kind of difficult part of this project," Scarlet lied.

Jim knew she was lying, but he figured it had something to do with Richard, so he did not press the issue further. The two said good night, and Jim went on his way. Once she was sure that everyone was gone, Scarlet retreated back to Richard's office.

"That was slick. I was just about to take my stuff and leave for the day. You really do have an impeccable sense of timing."

It was at that moment that Scarlet saw a large table set up against the wall on the other side of the spacious office. The large, oak rectangle held two sets of silverware, two covered plates, and two napkins. In the center stood a large bouquet of roses and two long, white candles that had already been lit. Scarlet's jaw dropped.

"How...how did you get this set up without anyone knowing?"

"It's like you always say. I'm a very powerful man."

He gestured to the table and followed her over, pulling her seat out so she could sit down. As always, he was the consummate gentleman. He took his own seat opposite her and stared deeply into her eyes over the roses. Of course, he made sure that the roses and candles were short enough that they could actually see each other. He had nothing if not an impeccable eye for detail.

"So, I take it you've come to a decision?" Scarlet asked playfully.

"Haha. You definitely know how to read the room."