"Christmas is All Around"
Chapter 6
Wednesday afternoon, December 21.
-
"Just who do you have to screw in this place to get some service," David remarked jokingly, getting quite a rise out of the other members of the meeting.
Choosing that moment to enter, Clementine backed into the room with a cart of drinks for the meeting. The laughter subsided and turned into a casual snickers and suggestive smiles. David, however, looked thoroughly embarrassed.
She looked around at the group, and then down at her shirtfront to be sure nothing was dribbling down it. Positive she was OK, she made her way around the table handing out refreshments and such. When she came to David, they paused staring at one another for a moment.
"Water," she said, setting down the glass over on the table.
For a brief moment, he caught the familiar scent of vanilla emanating from her. It suited her well. As she was leaving, he could have sworn she lingered in the doorway only to cast one last glance his way before disappearing out the door.
"Right, where were we?" he said, then going about continuing on with the meeting.
"Fuck, that was beyond pathetic!" Clementine muttered angrily to herself. She wheeled the cart back to the kitchen, making her way to some other part of the building to amuse herself until she was called upon again. "And just what as so funny?" she went on. Coincidentally, she was passing by David's office when she heard the phone ringing.
It being partly her job, she went on in and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Is David in?"
"Not at the moment, Karen, he's in a meeting. But I can tell him you called once he's out."
"Is that you, Clem?"
"Depends. Who wants to know?"
There was a pause on Karen's end, mostly likely due to some eye rolling and shaking of the head.
"Have you told him yet?" she asked. It was now Clementine's turn for a pause, but hers was the tongue-tied type.
"No," she admitted.
"You bugger, why not?" Karen demanded.
"Like I said to you a moment ago, he's in a meeting."
"All right, all right. Tell him once he gets back to the office, promise me?"
Clementine paused again.
"Are you still there?" Karen said to be sure.
"Yes, I am. But I've got to go now. Important business you understand," Clementine answered, also now going about ending the conversation.
"Oh, no you don't."
"I'll tell David you called, I promise. Ta, Karen!"
And with that, Clementine hung up the phone. Letting out a sigh, she leaned over the desk and shut her eyes briefly as a habit of relieving herself of stress.
Fucking hell! she cursed mentally, bringing her fist down firmly upon the desk. "Why?" she questioned aloud.
Unknown to her for the time being, David was standing right outside the door and was watching her. He felt particularly bad for peeping in at her like this, but he could also see it wouldn't be very wise to go in. She didn't look exactly friendly right then.
What's she so upset about? he wondered to himself.
But now, for perhaps the first time since she'd started working there, he actually fully noticed her features: the way her long auburn hair fell down her shoulders and back, how the muscles in her arms tensed up, and even the silly way she scrunched up her nose when she didn't like something (which she as doing at the moment). He then decided he best go on in, before somebody outside noticed his continual gawking.
"Clementine," he said to her cautiously, keeping a safe distance just in case she might lash out with a fist or two. He causally, yet unknowingly, shut the door behind him.
"Yes, sir?" she straightened her posture, inhaling and exhaling a breath before turning around to face him.
In an instant, she found herself unable to take her eyes from his gaze. Her unintentionally harsh browns now becoming soft as she continued to stare right into his china blues. She felt like a fucking prat for behaving this way, as she suspected were his thoughts of her as well. But that couldn't have been farther from the truth.
"Is– everything all right?" he asked, taking her silence as a sign that he was in the clear to move closer to her. He'd been inwardly hoping he'd be able to.
She nodded in answer, forcefully managing to tear away from his mesmerizing stare. She hadn't wanted to, not at all, but she couldn't risk looking like a bloody sphinx in front of him. That was the last thing she needed. She then quietly started walking away, making sure her eyes remained focused downward so she wouldn't be tempted by those charming eyes again. But she paused before she reached the doorway, slowly turning back towards him. She caved and lifted her head to look into his eyes once more. It was like he was the drug, and she the pathetic addict. He then came over to standing before her, almost looking her right in the eyes. She almost equaled his height.
My God… she's beautiful, he thought fondly, unconsciously leaning forward in closing the gap between them. Although, he couldn't help but notice the sadness in her face. He wondered what could possibly make a girl like this look unhappy.
He stopped himself, almost within three inches from her face. Something in the back of his mind was preventing him. And that something was most likely Natalie. But they weren't together or anything of the sort, they'd merely been coworkers.
His thoughts were then cut short by the new presence now pressing against his lips. It was Clementine, shattering any remaining thoughts of Natalie, or anything else for that matter. His eyes fluttered shut, his hands reaching forward and gently taking hold of her shoulders. Right then, nothing mattered but the two of them and the moment they were now sharing.
I can't believe I did it! her mind sparked anxiously. Fucking bloody hell, what've I gotten myself into? she wondered frantically.
Just then, the door swung open. Luckily they'd been standing in the right place, for the door opened so it hid them from the entering secretary's view.
"Prime Minister?" she called into the room. This immediately awoke David and Clementine from their trance, forcing them apart and quickly compose themselves. They waited quietly behind the door until the secretary gave up and shut the door again to go in search of David elsewhere.
He turned stared back at Clementine, as if he were about to say something. But she beat him to it.
"I best be getting back to work. They'll be wondering where I'd gotten off to," she spoke softly, still a tad dazed from their kiss. She started to walk out, but paused as she set one foot out past the threshold. "And Karen called. She wanted to talk to you," and with that, she hurriedly departed and practically jogged down the left hall.
David stumbled backward till he hit his desk, then leaned back against that. He heart was still beating rapidly. It was amazing. He was acting like a teenage schoolboy who'd just gotten his very first kiss. He could still feel her lips pressed to his, the warm sensation refusing to diminish. He then came into a realization, something he couldn't help but give off a goofy smile about.
"I think I'm actually in love with her…" he said, positively stupefied by this newly discovered bona fide fact. "I'm in love."
Author's Note : I don't think there's a lot to be said that hasn't already been said, do you? …… thought not. Anywho, I'm very pleased with how this chapter turned out. As a cute side note, I was listening to the Love Actually soundtrack while writing this. "Glasgow Love Theme" by Craig Armstrong, to be exact! - that's such a pretty song. 3 Okie-day, on with the normal routine: Read/Review/Flame (optional). Cheers! :D
