"Are you leaving for somewhere, Ms.?" Gerald asked, even when he's aware of the answer to his question. He tried to hide his emotion from his voice, his hard gaze was fixated on the man opposite him.
Ciara smiled warmly before replying. "Yes..."She stated simply. "I'm spending my lunch break with Damien, he wants us to have lunch together."
Her reply hit him hard on his guts, his gaze was still on Damien as he clenched his fist tightly beside him. He's always around her, taking heron business and coffee dates and now, he feels like it better if they have lunch together?
Damien seems to notice his unfriendly stare, his brows creased tightly. "Why are you staring at me with such a look in your eyes?" He asked, frowning his face. "Is there something on my face?"
Gerald was quick to dissolve his hard stare before Ciara could notice what's going on. He let out a dry chuckle, reducing the supposed growing tension in the air.
"Of course not..."Gerald shook his head negatively in response and quickly stared away. "There is nothing on your face, Mr. Vizio."
Damien wasn't completely convinced by Gerald's response, but he decided to let it go for now.
"I was thinking maybe I got something on my face." He said, turning his attention back to Ciara. "Can we go now?" He asked, hoping to move on from the awkward moment.
Ciara smiled in relief that Damien hadn't pressed the matterfurther. "Sure, we can proceed." She uttered simply in response.
"Very wellthen, I'll go_"
Gerald cut him off abruptly, butting in his words. "Can I have the keys, Mr. Vizio?" He requested politely, which wasn't his way. "I'll drive you and Ms. Ciara to your destination."
Damien was a bit taken aback by Gerald's sudden request, but he recovered quickly. "Of course, Gerald." He said, reaching into his pocket forthe keys. "I appreciate your kind offer."
Gerald only forced out a dry smile as Damien handed the keys to him and took them with a nod of thanks. "We'll be ready to go in a few minutes." He turned to Ciara, a small smile on his face. "Let's get going, shall we?"
Ciara stood up and walked towards the door, Damien following close behind her. As they walked out of the office, Gerald shut the door behind them.
When they got to Damien's car, he hesitated, hoping Gerald would do thejob of opening the door on their behalf. Gerald got the message, which provoked him more, but he did not retaliate, instead, he opened the door as expected and patiently waited for them to hop in before closing it.
The drive to the restaurant was one that annoyed Gerald greatly as he kept staring into the rear mirror at regular interval. His blood boiled. His teeth were gritted against one another and his fist clenched tightly around the steering like it should turn dust under his tight grip.
Every time Gerald glanced in the rearview mirror, Damien's face was the first thing he saw. Damien seemed perfectly at ease, chatting with Ciara about anything and everything. He seemed completely unaware of Gerald's growing frustration, and it only made the situation worse.
Gerald's hands tightened on the steering wheel, and he had to force himself to relax. He couldn't afford to get into an accident while he was driving his boss and his boss's guest. He took a deep breath and forced himself to focus on the road.
As they pulled into the restaurant parking lot, Gerald finally let out a sigh of relief. He had made it without incident, and now he could go back to seething in private. He parked the car and got out, walking around to open the passenger door for Ciara and Damien.
Ciara stepped out of the car, a warm smile on her face. "Thank you, Gerald, for the ride." She cited simply. Damien followed suit, giving Gerald a nod of thanks as well. Gerald nodded back, his expression stony.
As they walked into the restaurant, Gerald hung back a few steps, not wanting to intrude on their conversation. Damien and Ciara were seated at a table in the corner of the restaurant, away from the hustle and bustle of the other diners.
"So, what would you like to eat for lunch?" He asked, a wide and charming smile on his face.
She picked up the menu and began to check out the options. "There are so many delicious sounding dishes on the menu." She said, turning her gaze back to Damien. "What do you recommend?"
Damien stared at the menu with him for a couple of seconds before he finally settled for one. "I guess this one will be very much okay, Cee." He said, and the waitress took their orders afterward.
Gerald stood a few feet away, watching them from a distance. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could see their body language and facial expressions. They seemed relaxed and comfortable with each other, and that only served to further frustrate him.
He hated Damien and despised his presence greatly. He loathed that he's trying so hard to make himself comfortable around Ciara and wanting Ciara to feel the same with his presence too.
Damien might have known Ciara for quite a lot of time, but he, Gerald, was the one who stood by her side when things got tough for her!
He did everything he could to win her heart and her trust, putting himself on the line if required! He was her comfort zone -the only one she was able to rely on when she lost trust in others.
But what did he do for her? What was Damien's contribution to her happiness, in comforting her or being there for her? What was his impact in assisting and helping her make the right decision when she felt lost?
Gerald was fuming as he thought about all the ways he had supported Ciara overthe years. He had been there for her through thick and thin, through good times and bad. He had always been the one she turned to when she needed someone to lean on, and now here was Damien, waltzing in and stealing her affection like it was nothing.
But on the other hand, Gerald blamed himself greatly; all fingers pointed gravely at him. Whatever happened, he knew was his fault -if he ever loses Ciara to another man, it was the result of his foolishness!
He blamed himself for not being able to voice out his feelings for her when he got the chance to do so. Instead, he was busy waiting forthe right time, which it's visible that it would never come. Ever again!
He couldn't stand the thought of Damien taking his place in Ciara's life. He had to do something to stop it from happening, but what?
He glanced at the pair, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan. The more he thought about coming up with a plan -the more he realized he had lost the battle before the fight started.
He knows how grave of a man he is; his way of resolving and supposedly claiming what was might only lead to hurting Damien in the end.
He breathed in as he stares at them from where he sat -even though he resented Damien, he can do little or nothing to him.
Not only that, but he sees how reserved Ciara always is whenever he is around. Seeing her happy was always his priority -hurting Damien might hurt her too.
At the moment, he can only leave things and let it be as it is. Soon, he will find his own way of reclaiming what was rightfully his!