Sleeping With The CEO -
Chapter 118: Of Mice And...
Chapter 118: Of Mice And...
The best laid plans of mice and men, or was it the best laid schemes of mice and men. Or was it the plots of minds and the plans of men? Emily had no idea how the saying actually went, but she knew, with all of her heart, that it absolutely applied to the situation that she was in, when it came to Derek Haven.
That evening she had come into work with a plan. A great plan at that. One that would finally give her closure. She was going to confront Derek Haven. Emily was going to ask him why it was that he had not thought her worthy of finding employment elsewhere? And she would not let him go until he had given her an answer that was satisfactory. Then maybe, just maybe, depending on what he would say, Emily might be able to forgive him.
And for the first few hours at work. Emily had been able to hang on to the notion that by the time sunrise came the following day, she would have her answers. She had gone about her duties, wiping tables, mopping, sweeping, and taking the orders from the customers over to the cook, and then serving them once they were done. Dealing with various personalities as she had done so.
She had gritted her teeth and dealt with a detective who had insisted on calling her sweet buns every chance he got. A light in his eyes like they were sharing some sort of joke. Emily would have loved to know what he thought they were joking about. But she’d had the idea that if she knew, she would not have spent the night at the diner. Instead she would have been in a holding cell. Arrested for beating a police officer over the head with her shoe.
After the officers had left she’d had only a few minutes to cool off, and get things in order before the hurricane that was miss Beth had come through.
"...Oh Emily, sugar, you would not believe the day I’ve had. First that old hag from next door had the gall to tell me that my plants looked like they were dying! Can you believe her?! She wishes she had a rooftop garden as luscious as mine. Then Mr Hendrix told me that my Binky’s barking was keeping him awake all night. Binky, is a lady she only barks because the smell of tobacco coming from his side is so overwhelming. A man of his age still smoking 30 cigarettes a day, imagine!" Emily had no idea who any of those people were but that had never stopped miss Beth before.
Somehow the story about Mr Hendrix and his 30-year-day habit had turned into Emily being told about all the gossip that was going on at miss Beth’s book club. Apparently Paloma’s daughter Teresa was pregnant. But Paloma had somehow got it into her head that Teresa was only sick, and her stomach being bloated was just a symptom. Never mind that Teresa looked ready to pop. Emily had then been informed that such wilful blindness was because Paloma spent too much time in other people’s business and not her own. From there the story had gone to how Laura’s son had a gambling addiction and had recently sold all of her furniture to place a bet.
As always, Emily had been shocked by the stories. Before meeting miss Beth, she had thought that little old ladies led boring lives. As it turned out, they saw more drama and action than Emily could ever hope to see.
By the time miss Beth had left Emily’d had a treasure trove of information about people that she had never met. Information that was of no use to her whatsoever. But now that she had it, it was stuck in her head until her brain decided to forget it.
Shortly after the departure of a still chatty miss Beth. Emily had noticed that it was getting closer to sunrise but there was still no sign of Derek. She had served a few more customers. All the while keeping an eye out, looking up each time the door bell jingled expecting it to be him. But it never was, and by the time five AM rolled around, she had realized that he was not coming back. She had been so certain that he would be back because that was the routine that she had come to associate with him. That he somehow always managed to make it to the diner.
But once again he had pulled a Derek Haven, and changed the rules. It was just like when he had decided to change her quitting into something else. Telling people that she was away on leave . Emily had just decided to confront him, and he, like someone with a supernatural power that allowed him to see into the future, had decided not to come in.
Disappearing on her when she least expected it.
Emily had felt like the biggest idiot on Earth. She’d had all of the time that Derek had been coming in to confront him. To get a clear understanding of why he had lied about her quitting and she had wasted it. Too busy worrying about him. Nursing him back to health with food. Doing her best to make sure that his suit no longer looked like it was about to fall off. She had been so focused on getting the exhaustion in his eyes to disappear, she had not been ready for him to disappear.
And now he had vanished and Emily had no idea if he would ever come back.
She could call him, but she doubted that he would answer her call. Afterall if he had wanted to talk to her, he could have come directly to her. Even so, she was tempted to call him and say "We need to talk," But she had stopped herself. That was something couples having a spat said. And as she had expected, Emily’s shift had come and gone with no sign of Derek.
And as she had stepped out of the diner and into the streets. She had tried not to dwell on him not showing, but she had been unable to stop herself. So focused on the thoughts of Derek. Emily had not noticed the real Derek Haven passing her by on his way to the diner. Neither of them aware of their missed connection.
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