#19 A new... friend

The next day, Sophie managed to persuade me to wear something flirtier than my usual professional clothes since I had a date with Owen. Thankfully, my morning nausea was better; throwing up every morning for two weeks in a row wasn't very pleasant.
The morning at the office was like any other, and the time passed by before I even knew it. It was almost time for my date, and I didn't want to make Owen wait. I freshened up my makeup and grabbed my coat and handbag, closing my office door behind me.
"Where are you going, Miss Russell?" Sebastian's voice startled me.
I turned around to look at him before uttering a plain, "Out."
"Out? We have a meeting in less than two hours, and I want the reports ready by then," he said, barely containing his annoyance.
"Yes, they're ready. I've sent the refined version on your email and made copies for all the attendees," I replied calmly.
"And what about the spreadsheets I asked you to double-check?" he required once again.
"I checked them and forwarded them to the Human Resources Department. The Tech Team also wants a meeting with you, sir."
"And when were you supposed to tell me that?" Sebastian hissed.
"I already arranged the meeting in a convenient hour for both you and Mr. Hudson. I have sent all the details on your email and updated your business calendar," I replied with a fake sweet smile on my lips.
Sebastian looked at me, his face flushed red, not from embarrassment but anger. He wanted to find a reason to keep me there, but I had done all the paperwork he gave me, leaving no loose ends.
"Is anything else I can do for you, sir?" I asked since he hadn't uttered a single word.
"No, I suppose that'd be all," he grumbled.
I just nodded, a satisfied smile plastered on my lips, and turned on my heels to walk away from him. Nickolas had given me the password for the elevator, so I could now use it without stopping on every other floor…
It was three minutes after one when I reached the building's entrance. Owen stood out thanks to his ginger hair and tall structure. His hair was combed in perfection, and he was now clean shaved. The light blue shirt and the jeans the doctor was wearing gave him a more casual look. He waved at me once he saw me, and I quickened my pace to reach him.
"Hello! I'm sorry for being late," I said, giving him a warm smile.
"It's okay. I just arrived, too. Ye're bonnie!" Owen said, his cheeks taking the same color as his hair.
I looked at him with a frown, perplexed as to what he meant. "I'm Evelyn; I think I told you my name yesterday…"
The man burst into laughs, catching the attention of a few passersby. Did I say something that funny?
"I know that, Evelyn. Bonnie means beautiful in my dialect. I meant to say that you're beautiful," the man explained in between his laughs.
It was my turn to blush uncontrollably. I didn't know the meaning of that Scottish word. "Oh, I'm sorry, I had no idea…" I muttered, totally ashamed by the whole situation.
"No, it's okay. Sometimes, I forget that Americans don't understand Scottish English," the man said as we started to walk side by side.
"I really like your accent, though."
"Thanks, Evelyn," Owen chuckled.
"So, where are you from? Edinburg?"
"That's right. I came here to do my residency."
"You're still a resident then? That's why you were at the hospital yesterday?"
"No, I finished my residency, but my teacher and mentor offered me a permanent job in the hospital. I couldn't refuse it, so I decided to stay for a few more years," Owen replied.
"That's great. You must be really good at your job."
"Well, I love my job, so that's why I think I'm good at it."
I nodded, stopping outside of a small restaurant.
"I'm sorry, we can't go anywhere fancier, but I really need to head back to work in less than an hour," I said apologetically.
"It's okay, Evelyn. I really like this place," the ginger head man answered with a grin, opening the door for me.
A waiter showed us to an empty table for two people. The restaurant was almost full, considering the hour we chose to come. The vintage decoration and the slow jazz music made this place the perfect escape from New York's busy lifestyle.
"So, you're working for the Leclair Corp., right?" Owen asked me once we had settled and ordered our food.
"Yes, I'm Mr. Leclair's secretary for the past couple of months."
"Leclair, as in Sebastian Leclair? The sexy, billionaire playboy?" Owen asked in awe.
"The one and only," I sighed.
"What's wrong? Aren't you satisfied with the job?"
"Oh, no, the job suits me perfectly, and it's well-paid, too. The thing is, Sebastian is more like a cold-hearted billionaire. I guess all the rumors about him being ruthless and heartless are pretty much true," I shrugged.
"Money doesn't buy manners, nor happiness, Evelyn," Owen chuckled.
"You have a point there…"
"How did you end up working for him, anyway?"
"His old secretary retired, and I attended an interview for the job. To be honest, I didn't really know that I'd have to work for him. I only figured it out after I got accepted for the job," I said, chuckling a bit.
"Yeah, opportunities like these come once in a lifetime. I'm sure it's not that bad, though…"
"That's true! I like the job, and besides, I made a new friend, who happens to be my Boss' little brother."
"I suppose the little brother is nothing like Sebastian," Owen joked.
"Nickolas is amazing, and he's dating my best friend. Well, if I ever decide to quit my job, I should be a matchmaker…" I giggled.
Owen laughed again, and I couldn't help but admire how genuine his reactions were. He wasn't pretending to be someone else, not holding his emotions and thoughts to himself. He seemed relaxed and not afraid to be his real self…
"So, why did you decide to become a doctor?" I asked once our food arrived.
"Both my parents are doctors, so it was like a dead-end for me. Of course, they gave me the option to choose, but I couldn't imagine myself doing something different…"
"And why did you come here to the US?"
"Oh, I'm a love immigrant… Or at least, I used to be," Owen shrugged.
"Do you feel like sharing the story?" I asked once again, curiously.
The man laughed bitterly. "There's really not much to tell. She was American, we studied together. When we graduated, she had to move back, and I was very crazy in love to let her go. We came here, and I really believed she was the one. Until I caught her with her ex on our bed having sex…"
"Damn, that's terrible. I'm sorry," I said with a frown.
"It was actually liberating because I rediscovered myself all over again…"
"Still, I don't think you deserve to be treated like this," I replied, my heart aching a bit for him.
"This conversation must be done over whiskey or at least something that contains alcohol…" Owen snickered.
He changed the subject, explaining to me about Scotch traditions, and he told me how many words they have for someone who's drunk. I laughed a lot, but at the same time, I couldn't stop comparing Owen with Sebastian. I couldn't stop reminiscing about the candle dinner we had at the beach, the time we ate under the full moon on the yacht, the nights we dined in small taverns back in Greece.
"Evelyn, are you okay?" Owen's voice brought me back to reality.
"Yes, I'm sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. What were you saying?" I muttered apologetically, blushing a bit.
"I asked if you enjoyed the food, but I can tell that you're anxious about your job…"
"Yes, my Boss is quirky, so we probably should go in a few minutes," I muttered, glancing at my wristwatch.
"I understand. Besides, I should go back to the hospital, too. But I'd like to go out with you again…" Owen said, his cheeks turning red once again.
"I'd like that, too…" I replied with a big grin plastered on my lips.
"Then maybe we can arrange a normal date, without having to worry about our jobs, shifts, and paperwork…" he trailed off.
"Sounds perfect," I chuckled.
We exchanged phone numbers, and then Owen paid for our lunch. The doctor wanted to walk me back to the Leclair's office building, and he insisted on escorting me up to my office. I was a bit hesitant because of the security, but no one seemed to care about Owen's presence since he was with me.
"This place screams money and power," Owen whispered to me once we were into the elevator.
"It's just a fancy building with well-dressed, and maybe a bit snob, employees," I muttered with an eye roll.
Thanks to the password, we reached our level in no time, and we headed back to my office. The corridors were still empty, and the silence around me made my high heels resonate through the quiet place.
"This is my office," I announced once we stepped into my private working space.
"It's cute. I don't think the ruthless billionaire helped with the décor," Owen chuckled, looking at the details I had added to the office.
"Nope, that was all me…"
"Evelyn, I don't want to be intrusive, but the other day in the hospital, you seemed really upset. Is everything okay?" Owen inquired after a few moments of silence.
"I'm not going to die. However, it's a big story, I'd rather tell you when we meet again..."
"I look forward to it, then…" Owen muttered, closing the small distance between us.
He slowly lifted his hand and caressed my cheek. I let his warmth comfort me for that small moment. Yet, my traitorous heart wished for someone else to be touching and kissing me…
I was about to say something when my eyes fell on a figure standing at my office's doorstep. Sebastian was there, and at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to give him a taste of his own medicine.
Without another thought, I closed my eyes, wrapped my arms around Owen's neck, and placed a soft kiss on his lips…

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A.N. Thanks for reading!! Remember to drop a comment if you enjoy reading the story; it will encourage me to keep writing!!