Look at Me

Rachel was relieved. She has been working for HS Group for a little over a week now. She spent most of her working hours going to the sites and do some physical work. Her job on the site includes dividing the land into properties, finding week spots on the ground and such. All of which she found easy to do since she loved doing them. In addition to those, she actually get to be away from possible encounter with Viktor.

Finding a babysitter was easy. Her Mom was retired and really loved the children so she volunteered to babysit them everytime Rachel is away.

Throughout her hours in the office, where she was filing and interpreting data, she had been uneasy. Viktor had tried to come to the surveying department for her. He tried to make a play on her. He was making inappropriate comments and innuendos. She hated that sometimes she'd blush because of it.

However, he hadn't really make any push for her past. Or at least she doesn't know if he's onto her or not. He hadn't really asked her specifically about last 4 years where a lot had happen and she had their children. Her children is safe for now. As long as she plays it cool, he wouldn't find anything suspicious about her.

What is he finds out now? That's her biggest fear. He would take them. She wouldn't let him take Oscar and Alice away from her but what if he went to court and demand full custody? He had billions and she had one job, which she could easily lose since the boss is the opponent. If the court ask her what she could give her children, she would not have anything to say. Viktor, on the other hand, could give them everything money could possibly buy.

She would not let that happen. All she had to do was make less interaction with him. It was impossible because he's the one after her in the first place.

It was a usual wednesday morning. She was working in her cubicle working on some data. There some some murmurs and a slight commotion in the office. People are trying to be composed and rushing to their respective cubicles. This could only mean one thing. Viktor is here again for her. She wonders what the other employees are thinking about them

"Hello ba-.. Rachel." He almost said babe in front of the whole department. He looked at her and was satisfied. She was looking extra attractive today. She was getting under his skin.

"Uh Mr.Spielberg. What brings you here today?"

"I am here to escort you to my office. Let's go."

"May I ask why? I am busy at the moment." She said irritated.

"This is about work. Don't defy me." Sometimes she wonder if he treats her like an employee or a slave. "Let's go, you don't need anything to bring." he continued. He always talked with superiority. He was ruthless in doing business that's why he has been called Viktor "the Viking" Spielberg on many occasions.

She did as she told and followed him to his office. They were now away from other people so she can retort to calling him by his first name now. He took his seat behind the desk and she took hers across from him.

"Now what do you want from me, Viktor?"

"Calm down, babe. I just needed to talk to you."

"Please don't call me that. I stopped being you 'babe' years ago." He gave her a smirk but she continued. "Don't you have anything better to do? More important things... "

"What do you mean?"

"I meant don't you have some deals to close and important things like that."

"You are important, Rachel. That's why I'm here with you." She blushed. She actually blushed! She should not let him get into her. She fought her emotions.

"That was obvious from four years ago." She said sarcastically,

"Yes, four years ago... that brings me to why you are here with me today. I beleive we need to have a long overdue talk." his tone changed in a blink of an eye. Just like that, he was calm, serious and furious from vibrant, light and fun.

Nope. Why did he have to do this?

"We're over now, Viktor. There's nothing to talk about. We're done!" She had to fight back.

"From the tone in your voice, you are making it sound like it's my fault that we're done. That we're over. Do I have to remind you that you are the one who walked away four years ago. Did you forget already?"

She was speechless.

"That's exactly what I wanted you talk to you about. Why the hell did you leave me? Why did you leave me hanging? Heck, you did not even say a word!" He was furious and that was obvious from the glare in his eyes. "You did not even say a single goodbye! You did not even tell me you are moving!"

"I had my reasons Viktor!" She was desperately trying to hold back her tears.

"It was fun for you, isn't it? Leaving me like that."

"Please, Viktor! Don't turn it on to me! It's not my fault that I felt like I have to be away from you! You are blaming me but you are the one who had always treated me like I am nothing to you. i am just a fling to you! You were only with me to have fun." She was just getting started. "You always find every single opportunity to remind me that."

"So? We're a fling. We're having fun. It's not like it's a secret! You knew about it, we talked about it and I explained everything to you. I was clear about my expectations! You knew about it, Rachel. I don't understand why you were upset!"

She knew that the main reason why she left was because of her pregnancy and their children. However, she also knew she could not tell him that. That's the last thing she'd ever say to him. She must keep them a secret to him no matter what if she still wanted to be their mother.

"Well I wanted something more. I didn't want just a fling anymore. I wanted something serious. When I asked you about it, you turned me down and acted like it was not a serious topic!"

"I didn't want a serious relationship back then. So you figured you will just walk out the door and leave me with nothing?"

"I had my reasons, Viktor!"

"I understand that you wanted a serious relationship back then, but did you really have to leave like that? You could have at least talked to me about it. You could have at least told me you are not interested anymore, I would have let you go, Rachel."

Now that she's thinking about it, she was starting to see thing in his perspective. Perspective. Still, she would stand her ground.

Viktor continued his speech. "You left without me knowing where you would go. I didn't even know if you'd come back."

"Why did you even care? I was not even your real girlfriend. You're probably happy you could find a new one."

Viktor slapped the desk in front of him. He leaned over making his face a few inches away from Rachel's. He could almost kiss her.

"Look at me. Look at my eyes. I cared for you, Rachel. You may be just a fling and we may had been just fooling around but I really did care for you. I still do."

That was something. She didn't know what to say.

"Yeah, I was mad because I cared for you.'

Rachel was not having tears bubble in her brown eyes. She must not let weakness show, especially in front of him. She could not be anywhere near him at the moment. She stood up and quickly fled the room all the while trying to stop the tears. After she left the room, she quickly bee lined to the women's bathroom, which was, luckily for her, just down the hall.

Fortunately, since this is the floor where the corporate people are, there are less people here. There was no people in the hall at the time.

She could not go back to her floor yet. she was sure she looked like a mess and she could not afford her office mates to think anything has happened. she forced herself to be composed and calm. she wiped the tears away and tried to look as normal as possible.

Meanwhile, in Viktor's office, he was stunned by the series of events that just happened. She was crying and the worst thing for him is a woman crying, especially in front of him. It made him feel like a monster. Maybe he was, he thought to himself. Guilt ate him.

Maybe, after all, it was really his fault. He really did care for Rachel and was happy every time he's with her. So why did she turn her down? He was stupid, that's why. Maybe he really did push her to her limits.

He should have tried harder on finding her. He should have tried harder asking her friends, even her family in finding her. He should not have let her go. That was his biggest mistake and he was now regretting it. they could have been still together all this time being happy and creating memories together. Damn.

It took Rachel several minutes until she was fully better. She just hoped her eyes' redness would not scream she had been crying. She stopped crying but just moments ago. She headed back to her cubicle and everyone did not pay attention to her and were minding their own business, which was good for her.

"What happened?!" Sherry, her office mate and fellow surveyor, said. Over her little working for HS Group, she managed to create genuine friendships but by far the closest friend she had was with Sherry who was lively and enthusiastic.

"Nothing." She tried to flash a fake smile and she failed big time.

"Uhhhh-hmmmm". Sherry knew something was up.

"Really."

"Getting close with the boss?"

"Uh... nope."

"Oh come , it's fine, Rachel. He's hot! You can admit it to me" She said cheerfully.

If Rachel was considered young for this job, Sherry was even younger. She was fresh off college. "Aren't you a little too young to be checking out an older man. Oh not to mention he's your boss." Is Rachel feeling some irritation... and jealousy?

"Yeah, but I don't care. He's hot, and rich. Come on Rachel, let loose!"

"Whatever."

"Besides, he'd already set his eyes on you. He always come to you in your office and you were just in his office minutes ago. What did you even do there?

"I told you, nothing...."

"Did y'all had some fun?" Sherry winked meaning she meant something else entirely.

Oh Sherry doesn't know half of it.