Do I Make You Nervous?

CHAPTER 12… DO I MAKE YOU NERVOUS?

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Jazmine was starting to grow tired and weary. It had already been four long hours into the meeting, yet, it did not seem like it was ending anytime soon. As a testament of her hunger, she could already hear angels singing in her tummy and she lost focus on the meeting.

Her attention had been stolen by the large table in a corner of the room where different kinds of snacks and drinks sat. It was as if she could hear the snacks calling out her name.

Austin who was sitting beside her had noticed her absent mindedness a few times and he chuckled over it in his mind. He looked over at his daughter who was sitting besides Jazmine. She too had been yawning constantly and he was sure she was hungry.

Without a word to his assistant or his daughter, he stood up from his seat and walked away.

Jazmine saw when Austin left his seat, but she didn't see when he left the room. She yawned and turned to look at the man who had been speaking for over an hour.

Didn't he get tired? Was he -a robot?

She sighed inaudibly and rubbed Alicia's blonde hair.

"Are you tired?"

Alicia nodded sadly.

"And sleepy"

Jazmine shifted in her seat and helped the child place her head on her thigh.

"Here, lay here for a while."

Alicia smiled and laid her head on Jazmine's legs. She closed her eyes as Jazmine stroked her hair tenderly.

Outside, Austin went to a lady by the side and whispered something into her ear. A few minutes later, he walked back to his seat with a tray of snacks and drinks in his hand. He placed them on the table before them and sat down.

When he turned, he was met with Jazmine's and Alicia's wide eyes. He smiled and pushed the tray before them.

Jazmine gave one long glance at the tray before looking at Austin. Her mouth watered at the mere sight of a perfectly rounded donut that had been drizzled with honey.

"You two should have some. Don't fall unconscious on my account," he muttered as if he did not care, but in truth, he did.

Alexander, who had been sitting right beside Alicia, stretched his hand and was about to reach for a doughnut when someone slapped his hand.

He looked up with a frown to meet Austin's fiery eyes. He was just about to complain when Austin's lips moved.

"Don't you dare," Austin mouthed to him before turning back to the meeting.

Jazmine smiled and handed a sugar coated donut to Alicia who happily received it before picking one for herself. Just when she would place it in her mouth, she heard a lady's voice besides Austin's ear.

"Sir, please tell your wife and child that it isn't lunchtime yet."

The lady's whisper was just loud enough for all four of them at the table to hear.

Austin turned to face the woman without any expression on his face.

"My wife and child did not interrupt you or the meeting in any way."

His voice was loud enough for the whole room to hear too, causing the lady to return to her seat in embarrassment.

Seeing that the woman had left, Jazmine and Alicia continued to eat their snacks. For all they cared, the meeting could go on for four more hours, they would not care.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the speaker finally said, gathering his files and preparing to leave. "I apologize for taking your time. Please, enjoy your lunch. The meeting would progress in two hours."

There were loud sounds of sighs as everyone rushed to the banquet table.

Jazmine turned to her side but Alexander was gone. Just when did he leave there?

She looked at Austin and pushed the tray towards him.

"You should try some," Jazmine urged, her mouth still full as she spoke.

Austin smiled inwardly, finding it amusing.

"It's very delicious," she added.

Austin shook his head.

"Thank you, Miss Roosevelt. I will have some coffee. You and Alicia can finish up so we can return to the room."

Jazmine shrugged and picked up her donut. She took a bite from it since he had rejected it. Besides her, Alicia was full and could barely even breathe.

Austin looked between the both of them and shook his head.

"Alicia, you seem to be warming up to miss Roosevelt, right?" He questioned.

The little girl smiled and nodded. She wrapped her hands around Jazmine's neck and said, "I like her. Very much."

Jazmine cooed softly and pecked the child's cheek.

"Thank you, darling. You are so adorable."

Austin looked at them and said nothing. He waited for a few minutes after Jazmine was done but Alexander didn't return, so they stood up and were about to leave when Alicia caught a glimpse of Alexander in the corner of a room.

He was sitting across a blonde lady as they ate from their respective plates. Alicia notified Jazmine and Austin who turned to look at him.

Jazmine smiled warmly at him but Austin shook his head.

"Idiot," he mumbled.

Jazmine turned to him but did not ask. She followed him silently, carrying Alicia as they entered the elevator.

When they got to the penthouse, she helped Alicia change her dress. In a few minutes, the child had slept off and Jazmine returned to the living room.

Austin laid down on a couch. It didn't seem like he was sleeping but his eyes were closed. Without a word to him, Jazmine entered the kitchen. She decided to quickly put together a plate of noodles for him since he had not taken anything at the meeting.

When she was done, she placed it on the table before going to where he laid. Jazmine tapped him gently, her hand quivering as she touched his arm.

"Sir," her voice was low and soft. Austin opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Yes, Miss Roosevelt?"

"I made you some noodles since you've had nothing for lunch."

Austin sat up. He looked at his assistant in silence for a while before nodding and standing up and moving to the table. The aroma of the food wafting through his nostrils made him realize just how hungry he had been.

Jazmine sat on the couch and chatted with Rhea as she waited for Austin to finish eating so that she would clean the dishes.

She had been so immersed in her phone that she didn't know when Austin finished eating and even cleared the dishes. He had only taken a seat across from her when she stood up, wanting to go and clear the table but Austin told her he had done them.

Without anything said, she sat across him and kept her gaze to the ground. Austin noticed her nervousness and stood up. He walked to the table at the side and sat down before beckoning on her to come.

"These files, sir," Jazmine pointed out with a raised brow at the files on the table. They were the same files she had worked on on her second day of work. She would recognize them anywhere because their covers were custom made by the company where her father used to work.

"How are they here?"

Austin looked at her.

"I brought them along. We will be needing a number of them, maybe."

Jazmine nodded.

She was thinking she didn't do the job properly and that he was going to make her go over them again.

"Take a seat," he muttered, staring intently at her like she was some piece of fancy sweet.

Jazmine nodded and politely sat down. She was so aware of his gaze that she almost tripped on her own ten toes.

A moment of silence passed and no one said a word. Jazmine slowly brought her brown eyes to meet his face. A smile was at the end of his lips, causing Jazmine to swallow from the nervousness.

Suddenly, she was worried about what she was wearing. Or was it sweat since she hadn't changed out of the dress she wore to the meeting? Her nerves contracted and she gripped the edge of her knees so tight, her knuckles started to whiten.

"Do I make you nervous, Miss Roosevelt?" Austin raised a brow, deepening his gaze on her.

Jazmine gulped and looked into his eyes. She shook her head but even she didn't believe it. Neither did he.

Austin chuckled. He got out of his seat and walked around the table, coming to stand before her.

"Y- you don't make me nervous, sir," Jazmine stuttered and he just raised a brow. "I'm just…"

Austin stretched a hand and took Jazmine's in it. He pulled her up to her feet with one jerk.

Jazmine's breath hitched now that she was standing closer to him. She could literally feel his warm breath over her skin and it tickled.

Austin moved close, so close, she could feel his hair touch her skin, sending shivering chills down her spine. The smell of his cologne-a mixture of sandalwood and lilies, mixed with sweat-passed her nose and Jazmine involuntarily leaned in for more.

It should have been irritating but it wasn't. Instead, it was captivating.

Manly…