Chapter 55 Follow Her
"Your German is amazing, and you speak French and Japanese too. Everyone saw how great you were with the clients yesterday. Staying in the purchasing department as an assistant is such a waste of your talent."
"No, I like working in the purchasing department."
"Alison, I heard you're going on a free trip to Paris. Is that true?"
"No, I haven't decided yet. I'm still thinking about it."
"A trip to Paris is such a great opportunity. It would be a shame to turn it down. Plus, Jack will be there too. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance..."
The elevator doors suddenly opened, and a tall figure stepped in. It was Jack. The woman immediately fell silent upon his arrival.
"Morning," Jack greeted Alison casually, as if they were old friends.
"Morning," Alison replied, surprised to see him again so soon. She instinctively placed a hand over her chest, realizing that her heart always raced whenever she saw him.
And there he was, standing right in front of her.
If she had known Jack would be taking this elevator, she would have hidden in the corner from the start.
But now, she was stuck, awkwardly standing in front of him, inhaling his scent, feeling a wave of nervousness wash over her.
At first, the elevator was silent. No one spoke, likely because of him. He used to be with YD, though it was said he hadn't been around for a while.
But today, not only was he here, he was here early, like he was clocking in for work.
Jack broke the silence, "Miss Fairchild, have you decided about the trip to Paris?"
"I..." She hesitated, unsure of how to respond.
He misinterpreted her hesitation as agreement, "So, you're going?"
"No... no, I can't leave my kids, so I don't want to go."
"My brother can find someone to look after your kids. That's not a reason." There were other people in the elevator, but they continued their back-and-forth.
"I really can't go." She noticed the elevator was about to stop at the next floor and decided to make her escape, regardless of where it was.
"If you don't go, I won't go either." He winked, looking nonchalant, not caring if others misunderstood.
He was really pushing it with this joke.
'Ding,' the elevator doors opened.
People started to exit, and Jack had to step aside.
Seeing her chance, Alison slipped out with the crowd.
"Hey..." Jack called out, not expecting Alison to run, and so quickly. He reached out, but his hand got caught in the closing elevator doors, causing the elevator to stop.
Everyone in the elevator stared at his trapped hand. It must have hurt.
Without flinching, he quickly pressed the open button with his free hand, slipped out of the elevator, and chased after Alison.
He didn't know why, but he didn't want to let this little woman go. Her expressions when facing him were too interesting, and he found himself enjoying her nervousness.
Alison heard Jack grunt, then silence. She assumed he continued up to the top floor to see the CEO, Aidan.
Finally free, she felt a wave of relief.
Alison turned and headed for the stairwell.
Judging by the floor, she was only three floors away from the purchasing department. She had time, so she decided to take the stairs, fearing Jack might pop up again if she took the elevator.
Step by step, she climbed the stairs, still flustered from her encounter with Jack. He always left her at a loss.
Jack moved like a ghost, his footsteps nearly silent.
His eyes were fixed on Alison's back, which looked so lonely that he couldn't help but want to catch up to her. But why he wanted to, he neither understood nor cared to.
For some reason, he didn't dislike Alison.
But her face, it looked so much like someone he remembered.
He quietly followed her, but she didn't notice, continuing her slow climb.
He didn't know which floor she was heading to or which department she worked in. Her uniform suggested the purchasing department, but she also spoke foreign languages and had handled clients at a press conference.
Jack shook his head. He had been away from YD for too long and was out of the loop.
Her back was captivating, her short hair gently swaying as she moved.
A strange sense of familiarity washed over him, and before he knew it, he reached out and grabbed her slender, fair arm.
She jolted as if shocked, letting out a startled cry, "Ah..."
But before she could finish, Jack covered her mouth, "Hey, do you want people to laugh at us for taking the stairs?"
"No... no..." Hearing his voice and smelling his familiar cologne, she started to stammer. She thought she had escaped him, but here he was, right beside her, holding her arm...
Jack watched Alison's reaction with interest. She looked like a frightened rabbit facing a big bad wolf, staring at him in panic.
He could even hear her heartbeat. Was she afraid of his touch?
"Don't be scared. I just want your answer. I want you to come to Paris with me." For some reason, the thought of going to Paris with her made the trip seem much more exciting. The unpleasantness from last night with Emily had long vanished.
She coughed lightly, her heart still racing.
"Still don't want to go?"
She nodded, too nervous to speak.
"If you can't leave your precious kids, bring them along." He smiled at her, thinking he didn't look like a big bad wolf now. She had no reason to be so afraid. But her hand and body were still trembling slightly.
This suggestion made Alison even more flustered. If Sophia and Ethan went, it would be even harder to handle. "No... no."
"You're really difficult. This won't work, that won't work. I'm not a bad guy. Do you have to avoid me like this?" He felt his male pride was wounded.
"No... it's not like that." She continued to stammer, her mind racing for a solution, but the more she thought, the more tangled it became, like a knotted ball of yarn.
"Alison, you're blushing." He listened to her weak explanation, watching her face slowly turn red. He couldn't help but lift his hand, his fingertips gently touching her cheek. Her skin was so smooth, just like the softness he remembered...
Alison's heart seemed to stop. She stared at him blankly, letting his fingers trace gentle lines on her face, leaving a trail of tenderness.