Chapter 12
-Jianna-
I opened my eyes in a sweat. "JAMES!" I yelled.
"What the fuck was that?" I gasped. I looked around and tried to see where I was. I wanted to make sure I was not in any cell or prison or anything. After I had gathered my bearings, I tried to think logically. I figured it was just a dream. An incredibly realistic dream but a dream nonetheless.
I looked at the time. 2:30 AM. Dammit! I crawled into bed and tried to go back to sleep. My mind wandered as I lay there, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I knew that my dream was significant somehow.
As I lay there, my mind began to drift back to that dream. I remembered the way James looked at me, the way his eyes bore into mine, the pain in his voice, the way he said my name. I fell asleep feeling uneasy, worried that I would get transported back to that cell.
I woke up the next day feeling groggy and restless. It was like a heavy weight had settled over my shoulders and I couldn't shake it off. But it was my first day and I did not want to come into the office looking like I just partied the whole night so I took a long hot shower and made an effort on my makeup and my outfit. I wore a white blouse and skirt with black heels and a blazer. I made sure my hair was neatly styled and away from my face. A few strands fell and I struggled to get them in check but after a while, I gave up. I grabbed my bag and left my apartment, heading towards the office.
When I walked down the busy streets of New York, I couldn't help but feel like someone was watching me, following me. I brushed it off as paranoia from my dream last night and continued walking, but the feeling only grew stronger. When I got closer to the office I shook it off and when I arrived at the office, I quickly went to my desk and tried to focus on my work so the strange feeling of fear and paranoia quickly dissipated. But as my day progressed, I couldn't get James out of my head.
Sebastian wasn't in today. He was at some conference in Colorado, so I spent my day doing training modules and HR videos. It's mindless work but it's keeping me occupied.
My phone buzzed around 10:30 and when I checked to see who it was. It's from Sebastian.
*"How's the first day gorgeous? Sorry, I'm not there to properly initiate you into the corporate world. ;) Thinking of you. S"*
I smiled at that message and responded.
*"It's been good. Just doing some first-day stuff. See you when you get back, boss? J"*
I looked at my initial and the memory of the dream came back. **"I'm coming back for you J! I promise! I'll come back for you"** I shook the memory off my mind and went back to watching the videos.
It didn't even take 10 seconds when my phone buzzed again. That was fast.
*"Hopefully they're not overworking you. It would be a shame to be on the boss's girlfriend's bad side. See you when I get back. S"*
"Ms. Spencer, how are you doing with those training modules." it was Morgan peeking over the cubicle wall I was in.
"Oh. Good Morning Ms. Greene. Yes. It's going well. Just a lot to remember." I said putting away my phone.
"I always hated those modules." she chuckled. "I'm glad you're being optimistic. Has Sebastian gotten in touch with you yet?" eyeing the phone that I just put away.
"Oh. Umm. Yes, he has. He just wanted to make sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing." I answered.
"Good. Well, let me know if you need anything. And Morgan. Please." she said as she walked away.
She's so nice!
My phone buzzed again and I smiled. I'm enjoying the somewhat engaging conversation with Sebastian. I took my phone out of my bag expecting to have a text from Sebastian, but instead, it was an unknown number.
*"Meet me at Central Park at 6 PM. Come alone." *
My heart started racing as I read the message again. Who could this be? And why were they asking me to meet them alone in a secluded area? I tried calling the number,
**"The number you dialed has a voicemail box that is currently not set up yet. Please try your call again later. Goodbye."**
*Click
What the hell! I didn't know what to do. I read the message again. Who could this be?
I debated on telling Sebastian, I debated on calling the police but ultimately, I decided against it. I didn't want to worry him or cause unnecessary panic. Instead, I made a mental note to be cautious and to keep my wits about me.
As the day went on, I found it hard to concentrate on my work. Every time my phone buzzed, I would jump, hoping it was a message from Sebastian, but also dreading the possibility of it being from an unknown number. I tried to focus on finishing my training modules, but my mind kept wandering back to the message.
"Ready for lunch?" someone said behind me. It made me jump. I quickly turned around. It was Ashley.
"I'm sorry what?" I asked quickly. Trying to cover up the fact that I'm anxious.
"It's 12:30. Lunchtime," she said brightly.
"Oh. Right. Sorry. Just got too engrossed in these modules." I said nervously.
Ashley chuckled. "Those boring-ass things? I don't envy you. I hated doing those." she rolled her eyes. "Now come on. It's my treat." she paused. "Well, it's Mr. Cross's treat. He told me to take you to lunch and see if you need dinner too." she stopped and tilted her head to the side. "You really did a number on him. He's... different." her eyes glazed over then snapped out of it. "Well, what are you doing? Let's go! I have to meet my wife for lunch too so I hope you don't mind that she tagged along."
"The more the merrier!" I exclaimed.