He was the last person I wanted to see
Dora's pov
For years, I had lived for everyone but myself. I had given, sacrificed, and lost pieces of myself along the way. But why couldn’t I do the same for me? Why couldn’t I choose myself for once?
Sienna’s voice broke through my thoughts. "So, here’s the plan. After work, we’re hitting the salon, then going shopping. We’re getting you back to the Dora you were meant to be!"
Douglas crossed his arms. "And I’m driving. No arguments."
I smiled at them, my best friends, my lifelines. By the end of the day, we stepped into the elevator, laughter filling the small space as Sienna and I walked ahead, Douglas following behind. And that’s when it happened. Sitting in his car, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white, was Austin. His eyes locked onto Douglas. He didn't look at me. Not even once. But something about the way his jaw clenched, the way his hands flexed on the wheel, sent a shiver down my spine. And then, of course…
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes, Dora!"
"No, Sienna, I am NOT cutting my long hair short!"
Ah, yes, Sienna was at it again. She looked at me and said, “Look at you! You have such lovely brown, wavy hair, but what’s the point if you always keep it in a low ponytail? Let them cut it a little above your waist. Come on, it’ll look great!” I didn’t want to, but Sienna kept arguing, and eventually, I gave in. Fine, I thought, let’s do it.
Then came the dresses. Sienna said,
“Oh God, Dora, we’re not doing this again. When I say try the dresses, just try them!” I rolled my eyes. “Are you crazy? I’m not wearing pencil skirts to the office. What will I tell Dadda? You know how conservative he is about clothes.” But Sienna didn’t give up. “Fine, at least try these shirts and formal pants. They’re not revealing or hideous like your old rags.” She was losing patience, and I could tell she was making a mental note never to go shopping with me again. Douglas was there too, just watching everything. He seemed to be enjoying the situation, but he didn’t say much. He knew better than to upset Sienna when she was this close to snapping. While I was trying on the clothes, I overheard Sienna telling Douglas,
“When I told her to bring out her inner badass, I didn’t think she’d take it so seriously. I didn’t know she could be this stubborn.” Douglas chuckled, but he stopped when Sienna glared at him.
Then came the shoes. Sienna begged, “Dora, for God’s sake, don’t make me beg you. Just buy the shoes I picked!” She had chosen a 6-inch black stiletto, 4-inch beige pumps, and 5-inch white sandals. I wanted something shorter, but after one pleading look from Douglas and Sienna’s exhausted face, I gave in. “Fine,” I said, “but I’m not buying that red lipstick.” Sienna muttered, “Such an ass.”
The next day, I walked into the office, and my colleagues gasped when they saw me. When Sienna saw me, her expression changed from shock to a smirk. I was wearing black formal pants, a pastel green short-sleeve shirt, and the black stilettos Sienna had picked. My hair was styled, and I had on nude makeup. Sienna squealed, “Oh my God, that’s my badass bitch!”
Meanwhile, I heard later that Austin was in his office, staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. There was a knock on the door, and Douglas walked in. Austin couldn’t help but assess him, Douglas was tall, muscular, with deep green eyes and a sharp jawline. He looked like he came from a wealthy family, with his aura and great dress sense. No wonder I’m with him, Austin probably thought.
“Mr. David, please take a seat,” Austin said. I wasn’t there, but I can imagine how tense it must have been. Douglas knew about Austin, of course, he’d seen his picture in my old wallet once, by accident. But they’d never actually met or spoken before.
“Since when are you working with the company?” Austin asked, his tone casual but probing.
“More than a year…” Douglas replied coldly. He wasn’t stupid, he knew something was up the moment Nathan told him Austin wanted to see him.
“Don’t be so formal; call me Austin,” Austin said, trying to sound friendly.
“Sure. Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?” Douglas asked, cutting straight to the point.
“Not really. I’ve heard a lot about you from Nathan. I just wanted to meet you personally,” Austin said. I can only imagine the tension in that room.
“I hope I didn’t disappoint you, Austin,” Douglas said, stressing his name.
“Not for a bit,” Austin replied. But I know Austin, he wasn’t just making small talk. He’d been curious about Douglas ever since he saw him picking me up the other day.
“I won’t keep you. You can carry on,” Austin said, leaning forward to type on his laptop. Douglas stood up and was almost out the door when Austin suddenly asked, “Do you know anyone named Dora?”
I can picture Douglas’s cold smile as he turned and said, “I’m sure who I’m acquainted with isn’t the company’s concern. Good day, Austin.” And with that, he left.
Austin must’ve been kicking himself for asking that question. He probably thought Douglas knew something, and maybe he did.
Meanwhile, back at my desk, I could feel everyone staring at me. I looked up, and sure enough, half the office was sneaking glances. I guess they were shocked. The Dora they knew a year ago was the girl who wore clothes one size too big, always had her hair in a ponytail, and never wore makeup or accessories. Sienna had gotten me the job, and while I was great at my work, I barely talked to anyone unless it was about work.
But today? Today was different. I was wearing fitted formal pants, a pastel green shirt, and those black stilettos Sienna had forced me to buy. My hair was styled, and I had on just enough makeup to look polished. I even laughed out loud during a conversation, which probably shocked everyone more than the outfit.
When I turned to Sienna for answers, she just winked at me. I rolled my eyes, but I could hear her unspoken words: You look like a bomb.
“Let’s go for coffee,” I said to Sienna, desperate to escape the stares. I was getting uncomfortable being the center of attention all day.
As we walked to the coffee machine, I complained, “Why are they staring at me like they’ve never seen me before?”
Sienna smirked. “Because, frankly, my dear, they’ve never seen you look this hot before.” And then, bold as ever, she smacked my butt.
I gasped, completely mortified. “You… wait!” I hissed, chasing after her. But in my hurry, and in those stupid high heels, I lost my balance as I turned a corner. My eyes shut tight, bracing for the impact of hitting the floor and the burn of hot coffee spilling all over me.
But it never came. Instead, I felt a strong arm catch me, and a familiar scent of cologne hit me. My heart stopped. Before I could even process what was happening, I heard my name.
“Dora.”
I opened my eyes, and there he was. Austin. The last person I was ready to face at that moment.
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