Entangled To The CEO

Rainer’s [POV]

Tasha held up one hand and cut off her assistant.

“A coffee would be nice. Berger, make sure you get those forms back to HR as soon as possible. Rainer, nice to see you again.”

“Don’t you mean strange?” I asked. “As in, what is he doing just showing up at my office in the middle of a busy day?” Before Tasha could protest, I caught her by the arm and steered her back into her office.

Shutting the door behind me did little to block the curious eyes all around the office, but I knew pulling the curtains would look terrible. Instead, I tried to stand casually at the same time as guarding the door.

I didn’t want Tasha to leave until I had a chance to talk with her. “What do you want, Rainer?” Tasha asked. She crossed her arms and the entire office could tell she had no patience left for me at all.

“I just, I just can’t stop thinking about you.” The truth blurted out on a wave of panic. “And I’m wondering if you managed to get me out of your system because I could use a few pointers on how to do the same.” Tasha’s face almost cracked a rueful smile.

“You came all the way here just to remind me of that? Rainer, I’m starting to worry that you have nothing else going on in your life.”

“Ouch,” I said. “Still, I’m here confessing to you that you are all I think about. How am I supposed to stop that?” Tasha glanced at her fishbowl office and then moved around to sit behind her desk.

I watched as she carefully folded her hands together before she looked up to answer me.

“I think the best thing is to move forward. Don’t you?”

“I am moving forward. Work is going great for me, by the way. I mean, I can see that you’ve moved on to bigger and better things, but I want you to know that your little experiment didn’t work for me. I can’t get you out of my system.” Tasha gave a frustrated growl at the same time her pleasant smile never faltered.

“For God’s sake, Rainer, you know there is more to relationships than just sex. Right?” I caught the back of one of her visitor chairs before I fell over.

“Relationship?” She scowled.

“See? Even the word makes you act all funny. That’s because all we had was sex. And that’s over. And since we never had and never will have a relationship, this conversation is over.” I crossed my arms and refused to leave.

“So, what’s the difference? What would make a relationship out of this mess?” I asked. Tasha leaned back in her desk chair and gritted her teeth.

“I’m busy here, Rainer. You came to my workplace. Figure out what relationships are on your own time.”

“Relationships include lots of time together, seeing the person in different venues, and getting to know what they are like outside the office. Remember the community garden? Your neighborhood? And picnics lunches? We had some good times, Tasha.” I leaned both hands on her desk and met her skeptical eyes.

“That was work.”

“Fine, would you like to head over to our community garden and have a picnic lunch?” I asked. Tasha stood up and tugged her tailored suit coat down.

“Rai ner, I’m working. And if you can’t accept the fact that my career is more important than your impromptu idea for a picnic, then you need to leave right now.”

“And what would I have to do to stay?” I asked. She marched to her door but paused before she opened it.

“Here’s something you probably don’t know about relationships: you have to support the other person. So, you either support my career in full and the time I need to dedicate to it, or you leave me alone.” I strolled right up to Tasha and smiled.

“So, we’re not just friends then?” Tasha laughed despite herself, but then she pulled open her glass office door and ushered me out. ”

There’s no ‘we.'” “But there could be,” I said. Even as she shut the glass door in my face, I had hope. The hint of pink on her cheeks and the way she chewed back a smile made me think my trip to her office hadn’t been a total disaster.

I headed through the rows of cubicles, reviewing the entire visit in my head. Running into Otto had started things off so well. Even he thought Tasha and I made a great team. Seeing Berger had been a shock and I could easily blame him for throwing me off my game.

The truth, though, was that the surge of jealousy I felt had knocked me back.

When Berger talked about seeking out Tasha, I felt every fiber in my body shouting that she should be with me.

Then Tasha talked about relationships. Sure, it was supposed to just be a way to shut me up, but it gave me hope. Maybe there was something I could give Tasha.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

I was so elated by that possibility that I didn’t see Stan until I almost ran him over. My former boss stood his ground even though I stopped a scant four inches from him.

“Mr. Eastman, it’s great to see you again,” I said. Stan looked at my offered hand and pursed his lips. “A word, Rainer?”

“In your office?” I hesitated because I didn’t want to push my luck with Tasha. He looked up and down the glass-walled offices and shook his head.

“In here is fine.” I followed Stan toward the elevator lobby. It turned out that the only room in Tasha’s bright office that didn’t have glass walls was the copy room. Stan shut the door firmly behind us.

“Whoa, wait. I respect you a lot, Stan, I really do, but I’m not in the market for one of your mentoring lectures right now,” I said. Stan surprised me with a laugh.

“I’m not going to lecture you, Rainer. I was going to congratulate you on your persistence.” I shook his hand but had no idea what he was talking about.

“My persistence? I’m not looking for a job. Is that why you think I’m here?”

“No, son, that’s not why I think you’re here. Do you even know why you’re here?” Stan asked. “Networking?” Stan chuckled again.

“You know, you remind me an awful lot of me at your age. Incorrigible. Loud-mouthed. Charming. Clueless about everything but how to spin business in your favor.”

“I am not loud-mouthed,” I said. Then I remembered how Tasha overheard me and I cringed.

“All right. So, we’re a lot alike. How is this not turning into a mentoring lecture?”

“Think of it more like a rescue mission,” Stan said. “I saw your conversation with Tasha. The whole office did.” I crossed my arms.

“I don’t need rescuing. Or are you talking about rescuing Tasha from me? Am I so terrible?” “Ellison Ramsey didn’t seem to think so,” Stan said. “I was not ever, nor will I be, engaged to Ellison Ramsey,” I said loudly.

“I haven’t dated or been out with anyone since.” Stan raised his eyebrows. “Since?” “Since working at Hyperion,” I finished.

“Son, everyone at Hyperion, and now everyone here, can tell that you can’t and won’t leave Tasha alone.” Stan gave me a comforting chuck on the shoulder.

“Now, what I want to know is what you’re going to do about that?” I frowned at the older man, annoyed that he saw right through me, and was amused by what he saw. “So, you want to give me relationship advice?” “God, no,” Stan said.

“I’ve been divorced more times than you’ve ever seen Tasha. All I’m trying to do is to tell you not to give up.” “Tasha all but told me to give up,” I said. Stan sighed.

“Of course she did. Tasha’s got a lot of territory to defend. Her career means a lot to her and anyone wanting a relationship is going to have to come to terms with that. And, she’s been hurt before, so her relationships are high risk. You got to make it worth her while.”

“I can’t bribe someone into falling in love with me.” The word ‘love’ seemed to fill the small copy room. “Tell you what.” Stan rummaged in his suit coat pocket.

“The first thing you can do is admit just how much you love Tasha.” “And what’s the second thing?” I asked. Stan handed me a black envelope with silver piping.

“You can come to my retirement party. A very exclusive get-together if I do say so myself.”

“So, you are retiring and letting Tasha take over?” I whistled a low note of appreciation.

“That’s huge. And that’s going to be one hell of a party.”

“Good,” Stan said. “It’s settled. You’ll come to my retirement party, have the time of your life, and when the time is right, you’ll tell Tasha exactly how you feel.” I leaned against the copier to keep from falling to the floor. “I’m going to do what now?”

“You have to show Tasha that you are all in. Make a big scene, let everyone know.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“And what if she hates the public scene? What if she hates me?” “You’re never going to know unless you do it,” Stan said.

“You make it sound so easy.” I opened the door to the copy room and glanced around cautiously. The last thing I needed was for Tasha to see me sneaking meetings with her mentor.

“I’ll come to your party, but I’m not making any promises.”

“Seriously, Rainer, you should listen to an old man. Besides,” Stan followed me out into the elevator lobby, “my lavish retirement party will be a much better backdrop than some restaurant. I think it might inspire you.”

He clapped me on the back and walked away before I could ask him what exactly he thought I would need the perfect backdrop for.