Returning Red

#1[i]: Austin Cooper.

"Uh, Ryder please--"

I begged as I looked at my desk.

"Please what?" 

He was murdering my pages.

"Can you not--" 

He tugged my blazer and leaned down to my face. I stopped talking, almost too shocked to register. 

"We're at work," I said in a small whisper. 

"I would love to watch you lose control someday." He whispered. I broke our stare off and watched my paperweight with those small stars inside them. 

He leaned in again. "You will forget about Steinem, I'll do it, okay? You'll join your parents for lunch after the board meeting and then we'll have a romantic dinner tonight." 

I didn't have time to grasp all the words because he shut my thoughts by placing his lips on mine. I waited for two seconds and eventually I gave up and started to kiss him back. We've only been dating for three months now, that's what I tell myself every time I question why kissing him doesn't spark anything inside me. His hands went behind my neck and slowly onto my high bun. My lips mechanically move but I feel nothing. I don't have the heart to tell him that and I really do want to give this a chance. I have to. I held his dark blue blazer and suddenly the door opened--

"Oh uh, sorry, my bad. I s-should have knocked--" 

"What is it, Nora?" Ryder asked still looking at me and facing his back to her. I peeped from him to see her standing there holding a phone. 

She covered the bottom end with another hand and she peeped to look at me. 

"I managed to get Mr. West on the phone. He's on the other line." She said looking at me and my eyebrows shot up. 

My mouth became a big circle and I was completely surprised and impressed. But Ryder leaned back away and sighed closing his eyes. I saw him scratch his forehead and I smiled more. 

"What? Oh my god, Nora. You are fabulous." I stood up from my chair, put my glasses back on, and went around the table to her. 

"Come on, Nora, really?" Ryder whined behind me but I was adjusting my blazer. "There was a reason why I didn't fix them up." 

"What?" I roared at him. 

"I can explain--"

"You better," I shot back and pulled the phone. I mouthed 'Good Job' to Nora and she smiled fixing her glasses. I went out of the door as I adjusted my own glasses.

"Mr. West, afternoon, this is Isabella Cosmo," I said through the phone as I went outside to the lounge. 

"Afternoon Isabella, to what do I owe this beautiful pleasuro?" his old ruffly voice said on the other line. 

"I wanted to meet you in person but due to unavoidable circumstances I couldn't fix up a meeting with you, my sincere apologies." I sighed looking down from the twelfth floor.

I saw hundreds of small bodies working and moving around on the floors below me. 

"No issues dear, I'm leaving for Texas right now. My daughter just got engaged. Maybe we can do it after I come back? That'll be in a week?" He said and I frowned. 

No not a week. I cannot hold it up for a week. The edition launches today and I so badly wanted to make the cover with Steinem for Spring--

I had no choice. This was a complete waste. 

"Uh, yeah sure. No issues. Er--Congratulations." I sighed. 

"Thank you. I'll see you in a week. Tell Lisa and Matt I said hello. Bye." He said all happily.