Isabel walked into the Blackwell Company with her bag hanging to her chest but the atmosphere felt different. She noticed the stares and whispers directed to her. The interns nudged each other when she walked past.
"That's her." one of them said while they looked at Isabel and giggled. Isabel inhaled sharply while pretending she didn't notice anything. She walked into the elevator and two employees inside immediately went silent. She stepped out on the top of the floor and heard someone whisper again.
"Is that her?" "I heard he carried her." "No, I heard they were exes and had a drunken reunion."
Isabel froze as she heard them. "No,no,no,no. Not this,anything but this." She closed her eyes as she inhaled for patience.
Then someone said, "I heard she spent the night at his place."
"What?!" Isabel shouted while whipping around and just then the hallway erupted with silence as everyone scattered like mice.
Isabel stomped toward Sebastian's office, ready to break the door off its hinges.As she reached,she barged in and saw Sebastian bent in work and he didn't look up at her.
"You're late, Ms.Reeves."He said with a calm voice.
"THERE ARE RUMORS ABOUT US!" Isabel exploded.
"You shouldn't be at work,"Sebastian said with his voice low. "You should be at home resting,like I told you."
"Sebastian! That's not what I'm saying."Isabel yelled.
"Oh,what were you saying?"Sebastian asked while looking up at her.
"Seriously? Mr.Blackwell, there are RUMORS about US." Isabel said.
"Yeah,I know."
"And you did nothing?"
"It's not my job to manage gossip."
"Sebastian! They think we're DATING or exes who probably had a drunken reunion."
"I'm aware."Sebastian said while blinking slowly.
"And you have nothing to say about it? Isabel said while staring at him.
"Don't worry, it'll soon fade." He said while leaning back on his seat.
"No,it won't."
"If we ignore it, it'll fade."
"Oh God,I hate you." Isabel blurted out as she threw her hands up. "You're the most frustrating, emotionless…."
"Ms.Reeves,"Sebastian cut in.
"No, don't Ms.Reeves me!" Sebastian exhaled and then stood up,walked around the desk and stopped in front of her.
"Do you want me to announce that I…what? Saved you? Carried you? Brought you home and you slept in my house? Would that help or make it worse?" Sebastian said as Isabel opened her mouth and then closed it because….he wasn't wrong. If he clarified the rumor, it'll explode more.
"I just want this to stop." She muttered.
Sebastian studied her for a moment. "Fine, I'll handle it."
"Handle it? You're going to fix the rumours?" Isabel asked while pressing her forehead.
"No,I'll redirect it."
"Redirect? What does that even mean?" Isabel asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Work,Ms.Reeves, we're going to work right now so take a seat." Sebastian said as he went back to his seat.
Isabel glared at him and she took a seat. "I hate you," she muttered.
"And I heard that."Sebastian replied as he looked up to her.
"Sebastian, people are already talking…."
"Let them. Rumors don't change work and Ms.Reeves, back to work."
Isabel glared at him as he opened the architectural files and the blueprints glowed under the warm office lights.He stood up and moved beside her,close enough that she felt his warmth.
"We're going to finish these revisions today."
"It might take hours." Isabel said.
"I know, maybe even all day,"he said.
"It might take all night."She said while staring at him.
"Then we stay the whole night or are you tired? He asked.
"No, I'm not."Isabel lied while avoiding looking him in the eye.
"Good,I thought so."He muttered as they went back to work.
Hours passed as they still bent into work. Isabel had already forgotten the rumors as work was the only thing that clouded her mind at the moment.At 8:47 PM, Isabel dropped her pen. "Ooww!"
"What happened?"Sebastian asked as he looked up sharply.
"My hands are cramped." She said while groaning. He walked over before she could protest and took her hand gently while flipping her palm upward. His thumb brushed her palm as he massaged the muscles lightly.
"You overworked it."
"I'm fine." She whispered.
"You say that too much."Sebastian said as their eyes locked. Isabel removed her hand quickly.
"I'm fine, we should continue." He nodded as he returned back to his desk but every few minutes,he glanced at her without Isabel noticing.
At 10:13 PM,the office light dimmed automatically and went into night mode.
"We should stop." Isabel said as she exhaled.
"We're close to finishing the structure outline,"he said. "One more hour."
"Sebastian….." Isabel called as she gave him a tired look.
"You can sleep on the couch if you need to,"he said quietly.
"No,one more hour you said.I will stay awake, let's continue." She said as they continued with work.
By 10:50 PM, Isabel's eyes were burning and her handwriting began to tilt sideways on the page. Sebastian noticed her but didn't say anything but gave out only a tiny smile. He closed the laptop and stood up. "We're taking a break,"Sebastian said.
"What…No…We're almost…." Isabel said as she blinked up at him.
"You're exhausted."
"I'm…."
"If you say 'I'm fine',then I'm ending the partnership."Sebastian cut in as Isabel snapped her mouth shut immediately.
"Thought so,"he said while smirking.
Before Isabel could argue,he walked to the phone on the wall and pressed a button.
"Order the usual,for two."
"The usual?" Isabel asked as she frowned but he didn't answer.
Ten minutes later,a delivery team rolled in a tray piled with food:steamy dumplings, noodles, grilled chicken,a variety of sauces and even tea.
Isabel's jaw dropped. "You eat like this every night?"
"No, only when I forget to go home." He sat across from her and casually opened a container.
"Which is….how often?"
"More often that I'd like." He said while looking up at her.
Isabel didn't push further instead a fork, scooped up a piece of chicken then took a bite and let out a low moan. Sebastian froze as he looked up to her.
"That wasn't….I didn't…. ignore that."Isabel stammered as a light embarrassment filled her face.
"Eat." Sebastian said as his lip twitched, giving a small hint of a smile.
After they were done eating,they worked for another hour
and by 11:59 PM, Isabel quietly slumped over the blueprints while trying hard to stay awake. Her head bobbed once…. twice…. and then she just gave up. She wandered to the office couch,sat for 'just one second',and….OUT.