The Replacement
The First Step
Harry's POV
"Hey Jessica!"
"How are you feeling, Jessica?"
Wait, what she's back? She wasn't supposed to come back to work, especially after what happened yesterday. And then I saw her walking towards her table in a pale trench coat over an off-white dress with a belt buckled across her waist and she wore a pair of white oxford shoes, making her look extremely angel-like with her light blonde hair. I've noticed how she effortlessly put on an outfit that is appropriate for the office but at the same time display her personal style. Her face always glowing even without much make up on it. I smiled, just watching her put down her red bag on the table and removing her coat before placing it over her chair. She did her usual routine: Sit down, check if there were any calls missed, take out the organiser from the drawer and flipped to today's schedule, run her index finger down the page, her head moving slightly following her finger and then she gets up.
That's the cue for me to look away. Always.
"Good morning, Harry," she greeted as she knocked on my door, a habit that remained despite the number of times I told her that she didn't need to do that. "What happened to greeting back?"
I didn't noticed that I only looked at her without saying a word. "I'm sorry. Good morning, Jessica. Why are you back at work?"
"I'm feeling better," she smiled, tapping her nose with her index finger. "Anyway, there were quite a number of things Kristine missed out while I was away so I'm glad I'm back."
I watched her look down at the organizer and squinted her eyes and she run through the schedule. How adorable.
"Yesterday you missed a few meetings. With Mr Wilson from Royals Trading and Mr and Mrs Jones from the winery. I will give them a call later to apologise and rearrange, do you prefer to have them at the end of this week or should I move them to next week?" Her eyes were still on the organiser and a pen in her hand, waiting for my answer so she could jot it down. When she realised I didn't say anything, her eyes shifted upwards towards me. "Harry?"
I was puzzled by her behaviour. It seemed like nothing happened yesterday. As if she wasn't in so much pain. As if she didn't find out about what Leah and Jacob did. Or the fact that her savings account has completely depleted. The trip to the police station. Or the fact that something happened between us. The kiss.
"Oh...the kiss," I thought as I looked at her soft lips that were shimmering from the light lip gloss she had on, making them look even more enticing.
"You know if now is not the right time to speak to you, I'll go back to my table. Call me when you're ready," she said, turning her back towards me.
"No, Jessica. Wait. I'm sorry," I apologised but she was already making her way towards the pantry to make herself a cup of tea as she normally would.
-
Jessica's POV
"Good morning, Jessica," Ron greeted me as I entered the pantry.
"Good morning, Ron," I replied as I opened the cupboard to grab the box of tea bags.
"Feeling better?" he asked as he stirred his cup of coffee. "You look better."
"Yes, thank you, Ron. I feel better," I stated with a smile.
He continued stirring his coffee without saying a word and the awkward silence was making me feel uncomfortable.
"So, how's it going for you-" I broke the silence only to be interrupted.
"You know I was wondering if you...and I could, you know, go out...sometime. For...um...coffee? Or well, tea, if you like," he stuttered.
Before I could answer him, Harry walked in, leaning on the door. "Ron, I would like to speak to Jessica. In private."
Without hesitation, Ron nodded and grabbed his cup and made his way out of the pantry, glancing nervously at Harry when he passed him.
"Would you like me to make you a cup of tea, Harry?" I asked as I tore the packet of sugar.
"No thank you, Jess," he murmured as he closed the pantry door and locking it. "Can we talk for a minute?"
-
Harry's POV
"So, how's it going for you-" Jessica asked.
"You know I was wondering if you...and I could, you know, go out...sometime. For...um...coffee? Or well, tea, if you like," Ron stuttered.
Did Ron just seriously try to ask Jessica out? Despite the fact that she's my secretary? How daring.
I cleared my throat and leaned against the door. "Ron, I would like to speak to Jessica. In private."
I made sure I looked at him and made it clear that I heard the entire conversation between him and Jessica. He glanced nervously at me, almost apologetically.
"Would you like me to make you a cup of tea, Harry?" Jessica asked as she tore the packet of sugar. I could tell that she was trying her best to not comment on whatever that just happened.
"No thank you, Jess," I murmured as he closed the pantry door and locking it. "Can we talk for a minute?"
"Yea, what is it?" she asked as she leaned against the counter and taking a few sips of her tea.
"How are you feeling?" I managed to asked though I had so many things to ask and tell her. How is it that she could pretend as if nothing happened? My question wasn't really asking about her health. I was actually asking about how she felt about...well, us.
"I told you, Harry, I feel better. Don't worry," she said, frowning. "Did you receive any updates from the police?" Ah, so she remembers.
"No, I'm sure they will call either of us sometime today. Anyway, Jess, I actually wanted to ask you about-"
"Yesterday?" she cut in as if she read my mind. "Harry, I was a wreck, I wasn't thinking and you saw me at my vulnerable state. I understand how you felt seeing me like that and I'm glad you were there for me."
"Jess, what are you talking about?"
"The kiss. Isn't that what you were thinking about?"
"Yes. But you got it all wrong, Jess."
"No. You got it all wrong, Harry. After I rambled about how pathetic I was, feeling replaced all the time, I understand that you wanted to make me feel better about myself. And that made you say things you didn't mean."
"No. I mean yes, it made me say what I said but I meant it, Jessica. I meant every word."
"I have to get back to my table..." she mumbled as she washed the cup at the sink.
I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her waist, hugging her from the back and placed my chin on her shoulder, breathing in her skin. "Please, believe me, Jess."
She tried squirming out of my grip but I didn't allow it. She shut her eyes and whispered, "I hated who you were, Harry. How is this even possible?"
I lifted my head and flipped her around to face me. I cupped her delicate face with my hands and pressed my nose gently against hers. "I've changed, Jessica. You changed me. And it's for the better. I know it. It is possible, Jessica. We will take it slowly, alright? I promise. But you will have to take the first step."
"First step?" she asked softly.
"Yes, the first step and that is to show or at least tell me that you want this as much as I want it. Please?"
She looked down at my collar, smiling. She took her hands up to my tie and tightened them with a pull. "I want it as much as I want you to make sure you put on your tie properly."
We let out a slight laugh and then she shifted her hands from my collar upwards and placed them at the back of my neck. "You have got to stop staring at me in the morning, every time I come by my table, Harry."
I widened my eyes. She knew?
"Um, hello, is anybody in there? Come on, I need to make my tea!" I heard Greg shouting from outside.
"Come on, we wouldn't want to make him cranky," Jessica laughed.
-
"Oh, it's you Harry," Greg mumbled when Harry opened the door. "Oh! And Jessica."
Jessica pressed her dress down and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Greg, I'm sorry but I think I took the last tea bag. Perhaps coffee?" She smiled.
Harry shook his head and began walking towards his office, knowing well that another Greg-Jessica rivalry was about to begin.
"Hey Jessica!"
"How are you feeling, Jessica?"
Wait, what she's back? She wasn't supposed to come back to work, especially after what happened yesterday. And then I saw her walking towards her table in a pale trench coat over an off-white dress with a belt buckled across her waist and she wore a pair of white oxford shoes, making her look extremely angel-like with her light blonde hair. I've noticed how she effortlessly put on an outfit that is appropriate for the office but at the same time display her personal style. Her face always glowing even without much make up on it. I smiled, just watching her put down her red bag on the table and removing her coat before placing it over her chair. She did her usual routine: Sit down, check if there were any calls missed, take out the organiser from the drawer and flipped to today's schedule, run her index finger down the page, her head moving slightly following her finger and then she gets up.
That's the cue for me to look away. Always.
"Good morning, Harry," she greeted as she knocked on my door, a habit that remained despite the number of times I told her that she didn't need to do that. "What happened to greeting back?"
I didn't noticed that I only looked at her without saying a word. "I'm sorry. Good morning, Jessica. Why are you back at work?"
"I'm feeling better," she smiled, tapping her nose with her index finger. "Anyway, there were quite a number of things Kristine missed out while I was away so I'm glad I'm back."
I watched her look down at the organizer and squinted her eyes and she run through the schedule. How adorable.
"Yesterday you missed a few meetings. With Mr Wilson from Royals Trading and Mr and Mrs Jones from the winery. I will give them a call later to apologise and rearrange, do you prefer to have them at the end of this week or should I move them to next week?" Her eyes were still on the organiser and a pen in her hand, waiting for my answer so she could jot it down. When she realised I didn't say anything, her eyes shifted upwards towards me. "Harry?"
I was puzzled by her behaviour. It seemed like nothing happened yesterday. As if she wasn't in so much pain. As if she didn't find out about what Leah and Jacob did. Or the fact that her savings account has completely depleted. The trip to the police station. Or the fact that something happened between us. The kiss.
"Oh...the kiss," I thought as I looked at her soft lips that were shimmering from the light lip gloss she had on, making them look even more enticing.
"You know if now is not the right time to speak to you, I'll go back to my table. Call me when you're ready," she said, turning her back towards me.
"No, Jessica. Wait. I'm sorry," I apologised but she was already making her way towards the pantry to make herself a cup of tea as she normally would.
-
Jessica's POV
"Good morning, Jessica," Ron greeted me as I entered the pantry.
"Good morning, Ron," I replied as I opened the cupboard to grab the box of tea bags.
"Feeling better?" he asked as he stirred his cup of coffee. "You look better."
"Yes, thank you, Ron. I feel better," I stated with a smile.
He continued stirring his coffee without saying a word and the awkward silence was making me feel uncomfortable.
"So, how's it going for you-" I broke the silence only to be interrupted.
"You know I was wondering if you...and I could, you know, go out...sometime. For...um...coffee? Or well, tea, if you like," he stuttered.
Before I could answer him, Harry walked in, leaning on the door. "Ron, I would like to speak to Jessica. In private."
Without hesitation, Ron nodded and grabbed his cup and made his way out of the pantry, glancing nervously at Harry when he passed him.
"Would you like me to make you a cup of tea, Harry?" I asked as I tore the packet of sugar.
"No thank you, Jess," he murmured as he closed the pantry door and locking it. "Can we talk for a minute?"
-
Harry's POV
"So, how's it going for you-" Jessica asked.
"You know I was wondering if you...and I could, you know, go out...sometime. For...um...coffee? Or well, tea, if you like," Ron stuttered.
Did Ron just seriously try to ask Jessica out? Despite the fact that she's my secretary? How daring.
I cleared my throat and leaned against the door. "Ron, I would like to speak to Jessica. In private."
I made sure I looked at him and made it clear that I heard the entire conversation between him and Jessica. He glanced nervously at me, almost apologetically.
"Would you like me to make you a cup of tea, Harry?" Jessica asked as she tore the packet of sugar. I could tell that she was trying her best to not comment on whatever that just happened.
"No thank you, Jess," I murmured as he closed the pantry door and locking it. "Can we talk for a minute?"
"Yea, what is it?" she asked as she leaned against the counter and taking a few sips of her tea.
"How are you feeling?" I managed to asked though I had so many things to ask and tell her. How is it that she could pretend as if nothing happened? My question wasn't really asking about her health. I was actually asking about how she felt about...well, us.
"I told you, Harry, I feel better. Don't worry," she said, frowning. "Did you receive any updates from the police?" Ah, so she remembers.
"No, I'm sure they will call either of us sometime today. Anyway, Jess, I actually wanted to ask you about-"
"Yesterday?" she cut in as if she read my mind. "Harry, I was a wreck, I wasn't thinking and you saw me at my vulnerable state. I understand how you felt seeing me like that and I'm glad you were there for me."
"Jess, what are you talking about?"
"The kiss. Isn't that what you were thinking about?"
"Yes. But you got it all wrong, Jess."
"No. You got it all wrong, Harry. After I rambled about how pathetic I was, feeling replaced all the time, I understand that you wanted to make me feel better about myself. And that made you say things you didn't mean."
"No. I mean yes, it made me say what I said but I meant it, Jessica. I meant every word."
"I have to get back to my table..." she mumbled as she washed the cup at the sink.
I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her waist, hugging her from the back and placed my chin on her shoulder, breathing in her skin. "Please, believe me, Jess."
She tried squirming out of my grip but I didn't allow it. She shut her eyes and whispered, "I hated who you were, Harry. How is this even possible?"
I lifted my head and flipped her around to face me. I cupped her delicate face with my hands and pressed my nose gently against hers. "I've changed, Jessica. You changed me. And it's for the better. I know it. It is possible, Jessica. We will take it slowly, alright? I promise. But you will have to take the first step."
"First step?" she asked softly.
"Yes, the first step and that is to show or at least tell me that you want this as much as I want it. Please?"
She looked down at my collar, smiling. She took her hands up to my tie and tightened them with a pull. "I want it as much as I want you to make sure you put on your tie properly."
We let out a slight laugh and then she shifted her hands from my collar upwards and placed them at the back of my neck. "You have got to stop staring at me in the morning, every time I come by my table, Harry."
I widened my eyes. She knew?
"Um, hello, is anybody in there? Come on, I need to make my tea!" I heard Greg shouting from outside.
"Come on, we wouldn't want to make him cranky," Jessica laughed.
-
"Oh, it's you Harry," Greg mumbled when Harry opened the door. "Oh! And Jessica."
Jessica pressed her dress down and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Greg, I'm sorry but I think I took the last tea bag. Perhaps coffee?" She smiled.
Harry shook his head and began walking towards his office, knowing well that another Greg-Jessica rivalry was about to begin.
12/11/13