Eric smiled back.
"Thanks, Beauty. I sincerely appreciate your help," Eric said, his smile widening as he caught her gaze. "I've been struggling to get the hang of things around here, and you've made it so much easier... You're as beautiful as your heart. Thank you."
Beauty chuckled softly, waving off the compliment, her cheeks flushed.
"No problem, Eric. I'm happy to help."
As she spoke, she unconsciously brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, and Eric's eyes flickered to the movement, admiring the small, graceful gesture.
Bruno saw it too, and something in him snapped.
The way Eric was looking at her... like she was more than just a helpful co-worker... made Bruno feel like he was going to explode. She hadn't even looked at Bruno today, but here she was, smiling and laughing with Eric like nothing was wrong.
He had to turn the monitor off totally, and rushed to get a chill glass of water from the water dispenser.
"Maybe I should respect her choices, she doesn't belong to me, why can't my heart just get it and stop hurting."
He groaned and rubbed his temple.
Beauty handed the files back to Eric, their fingers brushing for a moment as she did so.
Eric gave her a small smile afterward.
"I would like to come back again, I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."
"Not at all, I will be glad to help."
Beauty replied shyly.
"Alright, see ya."
He flashed his incredible white teeth and walked away heading to his office.
Beauty admired the brown skinned newbie.
He looks like a soft-spoken respectful gentleman and the only man who has treated her like a person apart from Mr. Bruno.
That made her steal a quick glance at Bruno's office. She sighed deeply. I wonder if he ever thinks of me at all. Jessie is really lucky.
Few minutes later, Jessie arrived at the office with her usual grand entrance, practically bouncing through the door.
She dramatically announced.
"Jessie in the building!" like a wild cat prowling through the jungle, drawing a few chuckles and eye rolls from her beloved colleagues and haters.
Jessie won't care less about what others think of her anyway.
She loved the attention, and it was typical for her to announce her arrival with a flourish.
Without wasting time, Jessie made a beeline straight for Beauty's desk.
"Girl!"
She exclaimed, plopping down on the edge of Beauty's desk with the energy of someone ready to spill juicy secrets.
She was grinning ear to ear, clearly eager to share the tea with her best friend.
She had dressed to kill as always flaunting the tiny waist like a doll.
Beauty looked up from her work, giving Jessie a weak smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, trying as much as possible to cover up the jealousy in her.
"Hey," Beauty mumbled, trying to sound normal, but the slight tremble in her voice gave her away.
She avoided Jessie's gaze, her hands fidgeting with a pen on her desk.
Jessie noticed something was off immediately. Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Jessie leaned in closer, studying her friend's face.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Wait... Are you avoiding me?"
Jessie asked, her voice dropping a little as she crossed her arms. "What's going on? Are you sick or something?"
She asked genuinely with concern.
"I'm fine," Beauty lied, her voice too quiet to be convincing. She fiddled with the pen on her desk, her hands shaky. "Just a lot of work."
"Then why can't you even look me in the eye, Beauty? You are definitely avoiding me."
Jessie replied in disappointment.
"I'm not avoiding you," Beauty quickly lied, her fingers tightening around the pen as if it were a lifeline.
She looked up and forced another smile, but Jessie could see right through it and wasn't buying it.
She studied Beauty's face for a moment, then stood up, grabbing her friend by the hand.
"Uh-uh, I know you better than that," Jessie shook her head dramatically, standing up. "You are definitely avoiding me. Spill it, Beauty. What's going on?"
When Beauty didn't respond, Jessie grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her chair, dragging her toward the restroom with a determined look.
"Okay, we're having a private talk now. Shall we?"
"Jessie, please. I don't want to...."
Beauty tried to resist, but Jessie's grip was strong.
"Nope. We're doing this," Jessie cut her off, and before she knew it, they were in the restroom.
Jessie locked the door behind them, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she leaned against the sink, waiting for an explanation.
"Talk," Jessie ordered, her voice serious for once, though her eyes still sparkled with curiosity.
"What's wrong with you? Did I do anything wrong?"