Shonee’s POV
“What the hell is going on here?” Vincent’s stern voice rang out as he walked in.
Michael and I exchanged a look. Though mine was completely filled with alarm, Michael’s was more…carefree.
“Ok, calm down, boss.” He put his hands up in mock surrender. “Nothing is going on. Shonee here, accidentally spilled some juice on her shirt and I was just helping her clean it up, see?” He held up the used tissue.
Disbelief covered every inch of Vincent’s face, but he didn’t utter a word. Instead, his hard gaze flickered to me. “What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you ditched your job as a nanny to come flirt with him!”
A bud of anger immediately blossomed inside me. “For your information,” I poked him hard in the chest like he wasn’t my boss. “I didn’t even want to come here to begin with, but your fiancée insisted that I should!”
Then the door creaked open.
Speak of the devil…
“Vincent!” Avril walked in. “Good, you got my messages. Now we can pick up from where Michael and Shonee left off.”
“Actually, Shonee is leaving.” Without warning, Vincent rudely grabbed my arm. “She shouldn’t be here. She should be at home with Mirasol.”
“Oh lighten up, Vincent.” Avril rolled her eyes. “Gerta is taking care of her. Besides, I thought we could use Shonee’s assistance since she knows us so well.”
“I think Shonee has done enough. She needs to head home now.” With a firm grip on my arm, Vincent steered us towards the exit.
“Whoa, whoa,” Avril jumped in front of us. “Where do you think you’re going? You just got here; you can’t leave.”
Vincent frowned. “I’m not leaving, I’m just seeing her off at the car.”
“She has two working eyes and limbs. I think she can find the car on her own.” When she finished, Avril pried me out of Vincent’s hold and ushered me towards the door, slamming it shut the moment I stepped out.
Momentarily confused by how fast everything had happened, I turned around, only to find Avril’s secretary and some guests watching me out of sheer curiosity.
Sucking in a deep breath, I carried myself over to the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor. The moment it arrived, I hopped in, happy to finally be shielded from all the prying eyes. I leaned against the elevator wall and released a sigh.
Honestly…this situation with Vincent wasn’t making my life any easier. In fact, it almost made me regret not taking Jordin’s advice. However, part of me didn’t regret it at all. The way Vincent got so jealous when he walked in on me and Michael. If there was anything his actions proved, it was that Vincent had feelings for me and the thought both unnerved and excited me.
The elevator door pinged open, and I walked out into the lobby, hoping the flush on my face wasn’t noticeable. A cool afternoon breeze greeted me as I stepped out of ‘Avril’s Fragrances.’ I looked around, wondering where Vincent had left his car until it pulled up in front of me.
Dean, one of Vincent’s drivers, smiled at me as he stepped out and opened the door for me. “Ms. Coleman?”
“Thank you.” Beaming, I slipped into the vehicle, ready to head home, have a warm bath and attend to Mirasol.
*****
The next day
9:48 am.
I was currently in bed, casually scrolling through Instagram.
I should be with Avril, sending out invitations and putting on last-minute touches for the engagement party. But luckily, thanks to my top-notch acting skills, I’d managed to put Jordin’s act-sick advice into full motion. Now everyone, including Avril, was convinced that I was having a serious case of period cramps.
Mirasol also had a scheduled playdate with Abbie, one of her friends from the fair, so she wasn’t at home. I basically had the entire day to myself.
Feeling a bit hungry, I decided to head downstairs to find something to eat. I’d deliberately skipped out on breakfast to show Avril how ‘severe’ my cramps were. But now that she was gone, I pushed my feet into my bedroom slippers, grabbed my robe and stepped out of my room.
The house was mostly quiet except for the roaring sounds of the lawn mower being used in the garden nearby.
“Gerta?’ I called out as I reached the dining room, hoping to find leftovers of whatever was served for breakfast.
Finding the table empty, I trudged over to the kitchen and soon froze at the sight of Vincent sitting at the island table with his back facing me.
What the heck is he doing here? Shouldn’t he be at work?
Unaware, Vincent drank from the mug beside him and continued staring at his laptop.
Since he hadn’t noticed me, I quietly pivoted on my heel, prepared to retreat to my bedroom.
“So, we’re avoiding each other now?”
Crap. My shoulders fell. Turning around, I met his ardent gaze.
“No,” I mumbled as I moved closer, trying to hide my embarrassment. “I was just…I was just looking for Gerta.”
“She’s gone grocery shopping,” Vincent said before picking up his mug again.
“Oh ok.” My fingers rapped against the kitchen island. “Shouldn’t you be at work? Or at your fiancée’s place, finishing up on those engagement plans?”
Ignoring my question, he set the mug down; jaw set firm. “Why the fuck were you helping Avril with the engagement plans yesterday? And why did Michael have his hands all over you?”
I suddenly felt a surge of frustration, not just at Vincent's accusatory tone but also at the fact that I couldn't fully decipher his feelings. It was like he had flipped a switch, making him a completely different person.
“Like I said yesterday, Vincent,” I began in a sultry tone “Your fiancée forced me to come! She wouldn’t take no for an answer. And Michael? Michael was just being helpful with the juice spill. There's absolutely nothing going on between us!”
Vincent scoffed, his eyes narrowing. “You expect me to believe that? After the way he was flirting with you the night of my birthday dinner?”
“Oh, you mean the same night you kissed me and said I was-”
He quickly clapped a hand over my mouth, and I didn’t hesitate to bite the inside of his palm, causing him to yelp and pull his hand back.
Vincent shot me a dangerous glare and I gave him an equally threatening scowl.
“I don’t know what the fuck is going on with you, but you can’t mess with my feelings like that!” I snapped. “First you tell me that we can’t do this, then the following night, you kiss me like I’m the only person that matters to you! I am not a puppet, Vincent! You can’t keep pulling me in different directions whenever it suits you.”
Vincent's expression shifted from anger to something akin to regret, but he remained silent.
“I might not have made this clear when we were at the fair…” I swallowed, knowing that what I was about to say would change everything. “But the fact that I kissed you, should tell you that you’re not just some random boss to me. I really like and care about you, Vincent.” My voice softened, and I could see a mix of emotions in his eyes at my admission.
Vincent took a step closer, his gaze intense. “Shonee, I—”
“Helloo.” Before he could finish, oblivious Gerta walked into the kitchen with bags filled with groceries.
Panicking, I quickly pushed past Vincent and retreated to the safety of my room. I didn't want anyone to catch a hint of what had transpired between us.
Locking the door, I sank onto my bed, feeling my heart pound a million times per minute.
Oh God! What have I just done?
Confessing my feelings in the middle of this chaotic situation was probably the worst thing I could have done, but the words had spilt out before I could stop them. But it was also probably for the best. Now that Vincent knew how I felt, maybe he’d stop messing with me.