Chapter 23

“What” I yelled and looked around to see if anyone was staring at me. I went closer to Oliver and in a lower voice I repeated “What” 
“I thought you knew.” 
“No I didn’t. Did you tell anybody?” I stared at Oliver. 
“What” he stood up “I would never do that.” 
“Well last time I checked, the only people that knows about me and Shawn in this building are three, two of which are standing in this office.” 
“I swear Princi, I didn’t tell anyone.” He swore over and over again. 
Then I remembered, the day Shawn and I were talking about the dinner party Ron King had invited us to, we heard the office door open and close. Someone must have heard us that day. 
“Oh my God” I said to Oliver “It is that bitch Lucy Chaw.” 
“What”, asked Oliver? 
“Think about it” I started to put the puzzle together “That day Shawn and I were talking about going to the party together, someone heard us.” 
“You don’t know that, that could have been anyone.” he interrupted me. 
“Ya but at that time, everyone knows not to disturb Shawn at. Plus she is the only one that always goes into his office without knocking.” While I was convincing Oliver that it was Lucy Chaw that blabbed about me and Shawn, she walked in. 
“Princi” she said looking at me and then she turned to Oliver and in a cold tone she said “Larry”. 
She looked back at me and said “I just wanted to congratulate you on becoming the office slut. You know, I honestly thought that you got your job because you were actually good at it, but now it is clear why you got it.” 
“What is that supposed to mean?” I angrily asked. 
She leaned in “Oh, you know what it means.” she walked away. But then she stopped, turned around, looked at me in a straight face and said “Oh, little tip, next time you decide to have a secret relationship; don’t do it in the one room that I work in.” 
My jaw dropped as I turned around to Oliver. He also has a shock on his face. He looked at me and said “Did she just call me Larry?” 
“I told you that it was her.” I screamed at him. 
“I can’t believe she thinks my name is Larry.” he couldn’t get it out of his head. 
“That doesn’t matter Oliver, I am done for.” I yelled again. 
“You see” he said “Oliver and Larry are very different names.” 
“Oh my God” I yelled at Oliver and ran to Shawns’ office. I barged in without knocking. Luckily, no one was there with him. After I saw him I immediately started to talk while throwing my hands in the air. 
“Did you know?” He looked at me all confused and asked what it was about. 
“Lucy Chaw told everybody about you and me. Everybody knows that we are dating.” 
He didn’t look shocked or worried at all. 
“So…” he asked with a calm tone. 
“So” I repeater what he said in a higher voice out of disbelief for his lack of reaction for the situation. 
He stood up, walked closer to me and said “So what if people know, I don’t care…” I interrupted him “How can you not care?” 
He took my hands in to his and said “People would have known sooner or later, what could go wrong from them finding out now?” 
“Ya but what about all the stuff we talked about, about my job and you being my boss?” I asked. 
“Well” he said in a playful tone “How about I promote you above me and you can be my boss?” he smiled. 
“Come on be serious” 
“It doesn’t have to matter. At work, our relationship is nothing but professional. And plus you are the greatest manager this company has ever hired, nobody can every say anything about this.” he made me feel better. 
With a slight smile on my face I said “Well, I am the best manager. But don’t say that in front of Oliver.” We both laughed. 
Lunch hour we met outside and had our lunch. While we were walking back I remembered “Oh, I almost forgot” I said to him very excited “Tomorrow night, I am singing on the open mic I told you about and you are invited.” 
“Oh, so am I finally going to see you sing.” 
“Yes you are.” 
“I can’t wait.” He said and pulled me closer to him. 
“It’s at 8:00” I told him the time and the exact location of the coffee house. 
I went over to the coffee house early to prepare. I called Shawn to remind him the time and the place and he said he will not forget. But Shawn didn’t come. I kept calling him over and over again but he did not pick up. After a while he called and said that he would be a little late and he asked me to wait for him a bit. So I asked if I could go on a little late and they said sure. But Shawn didn’t come at all. So I left and went home without singing. In the middle of the night my phone rang. Luckily I wasn’t asleep. I woke up, flipped my phone over and saw the name. It was ‘Sea blue eyes’. I picked up and in a sore voice I said hello. 
He answered in a song. He sang a small part of the verse ‘I just called to say I love you. By Stevie Wonders’ 
In a lovely voice he sang “I just called to say that I love you.” 
But it didn’t light me up. I -still in a sore tone- said “You mean you called to say I am sorry.” 
“Yes” he said “I am sorry. It’s just that I had a lot of work that needed to be done right away.” 
“I get it but couldn’t you have at least called and told me that. I waited for you for like an hour…” 
“I am sorry, really I am.” 
“Whatever” I was still upset. 
“Why don’t I make it up to you.” he said. 
With that cold tone still in my voice I said “How” 
“I will take you on the most romantic dinner you have ever been to on Friday.” 
“What’s on Friday?” I asked getting a little excited. 
“Valentine’s day” he said it in a way of shock that I didn’t know it was Valentine’s Day. 
“Oh” I said “I totally forgot.” 
“Well be prepared to be romantically amazed.” he said in an excited voice. As usual I went to MCs’ house to pick a nice dress for a romantic dinner. MC hasn’t been in such a great place because of her parents. They have become very serious with each other and they don’t seem to want to be apart from each other. Mrs. C even told me that their love has flourished like it has never before, even more than the first time they started going out. 
But MC is still unhappy about it. She has been trying anything she can do to pull her mom out of this relationship. But no matter how she was feeling, she was still there to help me out. We picked a black dress with full sleeves and slightly above my knees. She tried to convince me to wear hills but I refused. I don’t know why but I felt too weak to drag myself on punishing shoes. So I wore normal black everyday shoes with high black socks just above my ankles. I word my hair down and had a little hand bag that was of course borrowed from MC. 
I arrived at the restaurant at the time he told me. Unlike other times, he didn’t come to pick me up. He just sent me the name and place of the restaurant. He arrived a bit late. He had made a reservation, so we had no problem getting a table in this crowded restaurant. He pulled the chair out for me, we ordered dinner, he had wine and I had red juice to match the occasion. But before our dinner was even served; Shawn’s phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and stared at it. Whoever it was, that call made him stressed. He hesitated but then picked it up. “Hello” he said to the person in the phone. He looked at me as he listens to that person speak for like a minute. He then turned a little bit to the side and whispered “I am sorry but I can’t come right now.” He once again stared at me as he listens to that person. This time he didn’t turn or whisper his answer. In a firm tone he said “I will be right there.” He hangs up the phone and returns it to his pocket. 
He again started to be hesitant to talk. I knew what he was about to say but I still hoped he wouldn’t say it. He looks away for a while, but I was fixed on his eyes wishing for him to not say it. “Look Princi, that was a very urgent call and I have to go.” he said it. 
I didn’t know what to think or to say so I stayed silent. I just looked at him without changing any expression on my face or any movement on my body. He looked like he was waiting an answer from me but I couldn’t provide one. He started talking again “I know I promised a romantic dinner but I really have to go.” I still gave no answer because I was busy freezing. So he reached out for my hand and said “Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.” 
I pulled my hand away from his “No, I am actually really hungry so I am going to stay and eat.” just as I said that the food we ordered arrived. “Don’t be like that, come on let me take you home.” he said it like it was my fault that he has to go. 
“Shawn” I tried to look like I was not disappointed “I am not leaving until I eat my dinner. You can go.”