Chapter Five

Jayden's POV

I couldn't believe my luck. Elsie had not only forgiven me but had also given me a chance to prove myself again. I had messed up big time, but she had seen something in me that made her take a chance on me.

As I walked into the office the next day, I felt a sense of purpose that I had not felt in a long time. I was determined to make things right and work my hardest to show Elsie that I was worthy of her trust and respect.

I approached my desk and found a small note waiting for me. It was from Elsie, and it read, "Welcome back. Remember, one mistake is forgivable, but two is not. Keep up the good work."

I smiled to myself and got down to work. The day flew by, and before I knew it, it was time to leave. I packed up my things and headed out the door.

As I stepped out of the building, I saw Elsie standing outside, talking on the phone. She looked up and saw me, and for a moment, our eyes met. She smiled and nodded, then turned back to her conversation.

I walked towards my car, feeling happy and content. I had a new sense of purpose and drive, and I was determined to make things work with Elsie.

Suddenly, I heard someone call my name. I turned around and saw a familiar face. It was my ex-girlfriend, the one who had caused so much trouble at work.

"Jayden!" she exclaimed, running up to me. "I've been trying to get in touch with you. Can we talk?"

I sighed, feeling a sense of dread. "What do you want, Sarah?"

"I miss you," she said, putting a hand on my arm. "I miss us. Can we try again?"

I shook my head. "No, Sarah. It's over. We're over. I've moved on."

"But Jayden," she protested, "I love you. You know that."

"I don't love you anymore, Sarah," I said firmly. "I'm with someone else now."

"Who?" she demanded, looking around. "That bitch Elsie? You're with her now?"

I felt a flash of anger. "Don't talk about her like that. Elsie is my boss, and she's a great person. I respect her."

Sarah sneered. "Oh, please. You're just with her because she's powerful and successful. You're just using her."

"That's not true," I said, feeling defensive. "Elsie and I have a great working relationship, and there's nothing between us."

Sarah laughed bitterly. "Right. Keep telling yourself that, Jayden. But you'll come crawling back to me eventually. You always do."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, feeling angry and hurt. Why couldn't she just leave me alone and let me move on with my life? And why did she have to insult Elsie like that?

I took a deep breath and got into my car, trying to shake off the encounter. I knew that I had made the right decision by breaking up with Sarah, and I was grateful to have Elsie in my life.

As I drove home, I thought about how lucky I was to have a boss like Elsie. She was tough and demanding, but she was also fair and understanding. I knew that I had a lot to learn from her, and I was determined to make her proud.

I smiled to myself as I pulled into my driveway. It was good to be back on track again, and I knew that I had Elsie to thank for it.

As the days went by, Jayden and I became closer. He was a hard worker and had a great attitude, always going above and beyond what was expected of him. It was clear to me that he had a passion for architecture and I respected that. I began to see him less as an employee and more as a person.

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Jayden's POV

The next few weeks were challenging, to say the least. Elsie had set high standards for me, and I was determined to meet them. I spent long hours at the office, poring over plans and designs, making sure every detail was perfect. Elsie was tough but fair, and I found myself growing more and more attached to her. I respected her intelligence and her drive, and I was grateful for the opportunity she had given me.

One evening, after a particularly grueling day at work, I found myself sitting alone in my apartment, staring at my phone. I had Elsie's number, but I wasn't sure if I should text her or not. Part of me wanted to reach out and thank her for everything she had done for me, but another part of me was afraid of being too forward.

After several minutes of internal debate, I finally mustered up the courage to send her a message.

"Hello Ms Beckman, it's Jayden. Just wanted to say thanks again for giving me another chance. I really appreciate it."

It took awhile before I got a response.

"You're welcome, Jayden. You've been doing great work, and I'm glad to have you back on the team."

I smiled to myself, feeling a sense of warmth and gratitude wash over me. It wasn't often that I had someone in my life who believed in me like Elsie did.

Then now I asked myself the reason why I always call her with her first name. She's my boss and I had to respect her although calling her with only her first name feels divine on the tip of my tongue, I couldn't risk calling her that I front of her because I wouldn't know how she was going to take that . I never wish to be fired either as I already had been before. All the best I was very happy she responds to my every texts.

Over the next few weeks, I found myself texting her more and more often. We would talk about work, but we also talked about other things, like our favorite books and movies. I started to realize that there was more to Elsie than just her tough exterior. She was funny and charming, with a wicked sense of humor.

As the days went by, I found myself falling deeper and deeper under her spell. I tried to deny it at first, telling myself that it was just a crush, but I knew deep down that it was more than that. I was in love with Elsie Beckman, my boss and mentor.

But I didn't know how to tell her. I was afraid that if I confessed my feelings, it would ruin everything. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if she thought I was being inappropriate?

As I sat at my desk, staring at the computer screen, my mind racing with these thoughts, I heard a knock on my office door. It was Elsie.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure ma'am, I'm all ears?" I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

She walked over to my desk and leaned against it, crossing her arms over her chest. "I wanted to talk to you about something," she said, looking at me intently.

"Umm..what is it please?" I asked, feeling a knot form in my stomach. Already, her closeness to me was doing a lot of weird stuffs to me.

"I've been thinking a lot lately about something I can't fathom and pinpoint. "Ok so let's say forget I said that now because I don't understand myself," she said, her voice low and measured. "And I realized that I've been a bit distant. I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate everything you've done, because I do. You're a valuable member of this team, and I couldn't have done it without you."

I nodded, feeling relieved and grateful.

"But I also want you to know that I have a strict policy against dating employees," she continued, her eyes fixed on mine. "I don't want any conflicts of interest or awkwardness in the workplace. So I hope you understand that nothing can happen between us."

My heart sank as I listened to her words. I knew she was right, of course, but it still hurt to hear her say it.

"I understand," I said, forcing a smile but deep down I was getting hurt. "Thanks for being honest with me."

She nodded and turned to leave. I was left with a heavy heart like someone had pulled an arrow to hit my heart.

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Elsie's POV

One day, while we were discussing a new project, Jayden opened up to me about his background. He told me about his struggles growing up in a low-income neighborhood and how he had to work hard to get to where he was now. I was impressed by his determination and work ethic.

I realized that my initial perception of him as a bad boy was wrong. He was just a guy who had to work hard for everything he had, and I respected that. I saw a different side of him that I hadn't seen before and it made me appreciate him even more.

Despite our growing connection, I knew that I had to keep my feelings in check. I couldn't risk anything jeopardizing my company and its reputation. But it was hard to ignore the chemistry between us, the way he made me laugh, and the way he seemed to understand me on a level that no one else did.

As we wrapped up our meeting, I gave him a nod of approval. "Good work, Jayden. Keep it up."

"Thanks, Elsie" he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"It's Ms Beckman to you Mr Reynolds," I said raising a questioning to him and I saw his cheeks turn shades of red.

"Um ...my apologies Ms Beckman," he said then smirk which I was mesmerized. He has a set of light dimples appearing on the sides of his cheeks whenever he smirked, smiled on even when talking, of which I found cute

As he left my office, I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my chest. I tried to push it away, but the feeling lingered. I knew I had to be careful, but I couldn't deny that I was crushing on Jayden, the very person I had sworn not to fall for.