Sleeping With The CEO
Chapter 256: Better Than The Rest

Chapter 256: Better Than The Rest

As the years had gone by, and Emily had realized that her sleeping problems were not going away. She had cut down on her human interaction, especially the intimate kind.

But at the end of the day, she was still just a human being. A woman who craved love and affection. A physical and emotional bond with another human being. Someone with whom she could close her eyes for a bit, and pretend like they were going somewhere together.

Like they would get to know each other. Realise that they were meant to be. Get married, get a house, have kids, raise those children together.

But then reality would set in.

Ultimately, after a few dates, when the men realized that the relationship was not progressing like they wanted it to, things would end. But before the inevitable end, Emily had begun to see a pattern. Something so repetitive that she had come to expect it with every new relationship that she got into.

The first dates had come to mean exclusive restaurants with overpriced food. The meals barely qualifying as anything worth writing home about. With Emily herself usually stuck in a dress that not only managed to make it difficult for her to breathe. But also limited her range of motion. All the while having to contend with the fact that she was wearing heels, her least favorite form of shoes. Then to make matters worse

Emily would not just be having to put up with the horrible food, and the discomfort from what she was wearing.

No, just having those as her only problems during a date would have been a blessing. But on top of all of those discomforts, there was often the biggest one, her actual date.

Emily did not like to think of herself as a difficult person. Or as someone who was very judgmental or too uptight. But she had come to learn that just because she did not like to be thought of in such a negative light.

It did not mean that she could not be judgmental and uptight, when the situation required it. Especially when she was faced with a date from hell.

When it came to the judgmental bit, Emily had once gone out on a blind date with a guy. He of course, had been trying to impress her with his knowledge of food.

Bragging about all of the different places around the world that he had visited. The different cuisines that he had tried and how they held up against one another. Anyway, halfway through his talk about the wonders of Italy. The man had started to show off about a tomato sauce. Telling her that he had actually made some for himself two days prior. Then he had made the mistake of smiling at Emily. His teeth showing, and she had noticed what was very clearly a red tomato peel stuck on one of his teeth.

When Emily had asked him exactly when the last time he had had his homemade sauce had been, he had not hesitated to tell her that he’d eaten it all two days back when he had made it. Emily had not even bothered to tell him why she was leaving. She had simply picked up her purse and made her way to the door. There was nothing to say to somebody who clearly thought nothing of not brushing their teeth for two days in a row.

On the uptight bit, Emily’d had one memorable date who had come out with the fact that he enjoyed the racier side of intimacy on their third date.

Normally it would have been something for Emily to file to the back of her mind and think about later. But that particular man had been very insistent, and he had wanted Emily to know that he was being very serious. A point that he proven by ripping his shirt open right in the middle of dinner to show her his nipple rings.

To his credit, the rings had looked to be high quality and the piercings had clearly been done by a professional. But even so, Emily had once again had to walk out of that one.

There had been many other misses after those two, and Emily had just taken it to be the way dates went. Extremely awkward or very, very embarrassing. From politicians to business owners and high ranking members of society, even just a few ordinary joes here and there.

Emily had been on different dates with different men. And even with the few that she had liked enough to have more dates with. Things had always started to get bland and boring after a while. She and her dates running out of interesting topics to talk about.

In a way, it had scarred her.

A different sort of trauma haunting her. Even if she had not been willing to acknowledge it. Emily was so used to her dates not going well. That when Derek had told her that he was taking her out for the first time. A part of her had been ready for it all to fall apart.

Emily knew the types of places that Derek liked to take ladies out on dates. Sometimes she had even been the one to book the table, or get the tickets to wherever it was that he was taking the person who was his current interest.

She knew how Derek moved when he liked somebody.

Once, he had booked an entire mall for a girlfriend who loved shopping. But for the most part he too was predictable. Expensive restaurant with a menu so costly the prices were not listed. A gorgeous view somewhere. Maybe even with some fireworks thrown in for good measure.

Had Derek chosen to go that route with her. Emily would not have been surprised. And not just in terms of the venue, but with everything else. After all, the two of them had eaten together a lot of times. If he had taken her to a run-of-the-mill restaurant.

Emily was certain that she would have had trouble differentiating how sharing a meal with him as a PA, and sharing a meal with him as his girlfriend was different. But she had to admit Derek had completely blown her mind.

He had not gone for the old standby that had become the norm when it came to going on first dates. Instead, it seemed as though he had actually sat down and thought. Picking a location based on what Emily would like. No one had ever done that for her before. In fact, she had never let anyone close enough for them to know about her love of handmade crafts.

As Emily pulled Derek from stall to stall, she could not help the bounce in her step. It was all so exciting!

Every place they visited there was something going on, a master of their craft hard at work.

One tent had a jeweler who was turning pieces of wire into literal works of art. Bracelets, necklaces, rings, anklets coming alive beneath his practiced hands.

In another stall there was a woman working a potter’s wheel like it was an extension of herself. Her hands shaping pots, cups, plates with an ease that should have been illegal. There were even people making kites and not the regular pieces where one just made ordinary shapes.

They were making intricate designs. Dragons, eagles, giant koi, all of them crafted and then flown on the spot. The slight wind of the day pushing them higher and higher into the sky.

Emily even got a chance to watch other embroidering enthusiasts at work. It was absolutely amazing, and though she was enjoying herself. Emily had just begun to worry that Derek was merely humouring her when they came to a stand where the old man and woman there.

They were making miniature versions of everything using just plain wire. Derek fell so in love with a miniature wire airplane that could actually move around on its own, that he was grinning from ear to ear. But Emily had to force him to buy it, when he tried to act like he did not want it.

"This is a date for both of us. You should be enjoying it too," She told him when he tried to refuse, saying that he was a grown man. No sooner had Derek bought his own trinket. Speakers blared off in the distance.

"Join the paint ball war. Win yourself a basket of yarn," A cheery voice said, If they wanted, they could buy their own yarn.

Still, she looked up at Derek and found him looking at her. A war and a prize. How could they resist? Plus, looking around, the majority of the attendants of the fair were getting on in the years. This would be child’s play.