DRAMA NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 63 : Secret Crush
"Here's to our new beautiful manager. Let's drink tonight until we drop! Let the party started! Cheers!" The eldest, but the most gregarious manager proposed a toast with a prolonged resounding voice. "Cheers!" Resonating voices were heard in the room followed by an invigorating party sound.
After 3 months, she did party again. At this time, Arabella was happily laughing and Bill didn't come across her mind. Being with the new good people made her feel satisfied with her process of moving on. "Hey guys, let's make a game. Director Zimmer are you in?" Lizzy with tipsy voice and cheeks flushed. She was a typical shy girl, but with the help of the alcohol, she said it aggressively. "Hmm... As long as everyone agrees to it, then count me in." William said in wearing his cute playful expression.
All the managers expressions were stunned. Their director had never been present to any parties like the one they have now. He only showed up in major parties like the company's anniversary. The fact that he was the one who organized the welcome party for Arabella and seeing them came in together made them think that Arabella had an internal connection with the Director and with that, they couldn't afford to offend her.
"Ms. Jones, are you in?" The tipsy Lizzy asked Arabella.
"Sure. Let's play." Arabella already drank a couple of vodka glasses and she had felt game for everything.
"Okay then. Let's gather together." Lizzy started the game. "Since it's your party Ms. Jones, please hold this bottle." Lizzy then gave her the empty bottle of champagne. "You have to spin the bottle in the center and you can ask one question to whom the bottle points when it halt spinning. Then that person would do the same." Lizzy ended her explanation excitedly.
"What about if the person didn't want to answer the question?" Someone from the group asked.
"Come on guys! Remind me why we are here again? To have fun! So, don't be such a kill joy." Lizzy blurted out. "Well, if you choose to be such a pussy, then you have to do our punishment." Lizzy added naughtily with a blink in her eye. One couldn't imagine Lizzy's face when she's sobered and remembered herself tonight.
Right after Lizzy's explanation, the real game started. Arabella with the bottle on her hand spun it on the center of big round table.
Everyone was holding their breath until the bottle had stopped. The atmosphere got more intensely thrilled when the bottle had pointed to Director Zimmer. Arabella hadn't expected the outcome from the her spun. William frowned in disbelief that of all people who gathered around, he was the first chosen by the bottle, but, he let go with a playful smile.
"Woahhh!" The crowd shouted in excitement. Their handsome director had never been opened with his life in the company. They only knew him a little through hearsays.
Before asking her question to William, Arabella took a shot of liquor from her glass. She actually didn't know what to ask, but she had something on her mind that she was curious about.
"Okay. So, here's your question. Director Zimmer, are you in a relationship right now?" Arabella also with the help of the alcohol uttered. As handsome as him, she knew all his staff wanted to know the answer directly from the horse's mouth.
Hearing Arabella's direct questions, William folded his arms in front of him and held his chin like he was thinking to answer or not while his gaze fixated to Arabella. He knew everyone was all waiting for his answer that made him purposely took his time in not a hurried way to give them more suspense.
"Director Zimmer?” Arabella raised her two hands pointing him and slightly tilted her head on the side to follow-up his answer.
"Okay, sorry for the suspense." William slightly laughed a little. "I don't have a girlfriend and I am not into any romantic relationship right now." He added calmly and raised his head to look at Arabella with a smile on his face.
After hearing William's answer, some lady managers giggled and others couldn't help to clap their hands in excitement. They had felt some hope for chance flirting with their undeniably handsome director. Arabella smiled seeing he co-worker's reactions. She was satisfied and felt her curiosity had been answered.
Now it was Director William Zimmer turned to spin the bottle. Unexpectedly, it pointed to Arabella. Everyone was dumbfounded. As if the bottle were playing only the two of them. Since Arabella was a new face her co-workers were also excited to hear something from her.
On the other hand, William was satisfied that the bottle had cooperated with him. Targeting Arabella was merely his intention.
"I think the table had turned." William smiled at Arabella, who almost spewed out her drinks from her mouth due to her unexpected turn.
"Okay. I'm ready for your question." She quickly wiped the sides of her mouth with a white tissue and prepared to answer his question.
"Hmm... Since you were curious about my romance. Let me ask you then the same question. Do you happen to have a boyfriend?" William smiled to his cutest, but he's expecting Arabella's answer would be t his advantage.
"I don't have a boyfriend." Without further ado, Arabella instantly answered. All eyes of men landed on her after hearing her answer. They couldn't believe such a beautiful as she, was single. They felt suddenly excited to work with her in the same company.
All words uttered by Arabella were like music to William's ears. His smiled was not leaving his face.
The night got deeper and their game still continued. Many got punished and got drunk. Then they decided to spin the bottle for the last round. It was Lizzy's turn to spin the bottle. The drunk Lizzy stood up and spun the bottle. For the last round, everyone was still excited. Then the bottle pointed to Director Zimmer again. Everyone stopped and all eyes and ears to him. Holding their breathes, the room became quiet and full exhilaration.
"Director Zimmer, if you have to choose between the people inside this room to kiss. Who would that be?" Lizzy with a crazy smile asked, dropping the formalities while she giggled.
William smiled, but he was speechless. His eyes looked at them one by one in the circle, spotting for someone as they were all waiting for him to spit out who was the lucky girl in the room who could go home like winning a major prize. Then his eyes stopped at the middle in front of him. The answer was clear in his mind, his secret crush from the elevator, but he was not that drunk to shout it out to everyone.
"Do you still love your job, Lizzy?" With a deep, serious voice, William asked Lizzy and the latter got instantly sober. Everyone was flustered and they all felt very sorry for Lizzy. The Director got angry with the game now all their jobs were at stake.
"Come on! I'm just joking. I am afraid I cannot answer that. So, I will take the drink as the punishment." After hearing William, all heaved a sigh of relief, then they gave him a drink and he finished it in one go. All were already drunk and others were dancing madly on the dance floor like there's no tomorrow, leaving Arabella and William on the sofa.
"Do you have fun?" William asked Arabella, who was silent and just observing her co-workers dancing on the dance floor.
"Yeah. I have so much fun." Arabella answered and turned to look at William's face. Instinctively, she needed to move closer to him and leaned her head a little so he could hear her since the music was too loud.
"Why you don't have a boyfriend? You are very beautiful." William asked out of nowhere.
Hearing him made Arabella flattered. His unexpected question caught her empty handed. She was not prepared to answer such question. How could she say that's she didn't have a boyfriend but she's married?
"Hmm... It's complicated. Maybe I am not just ready yet." She blurted out with not so much of thinking.
"When are you ready then?" William 's voice became serious. His red thin lips were very near at her ear as he was whispering and his warm breath enveloped her earlobe. Arabella instantly blushed and was instantly out of words to answer his direct question, fortunately, the drunk Lizzy went to them in a zigzag and immediately collapsed in front. Lizzy was knocked-out. Arabella then stood up to help her, but William stopped her and got Lizzy up first. He then ordered others to help some arrangement for Lizzy to go home safely.
"Okay... I... am going... home.. now." After the party, outside the bar, Arabella bid her goodbye at William then she started to walk in zigzag to a different direction. It was too obvious that she was just forced to compose herself not be embarrassed in front of their director but she felt her legs had become soft. In the next second, she tripped out and was about to fall, but a strong body caught her behind blocking her from falling.
"Watch out!" Good thing, William was fast or else her fall would be a critical and a painful one. Then he pushed her a little to put back on her balance, but Arabella was very unstable.
"Oopsie! I'm... sorry." Then she tried to gather her very sturdy composure, but the more she tried the more her knees became weaker.
William walked behind her with an inch distance to support her. He was just observing her while he smiled at her eagerness to control herself not to stumble, but every second, she did and without him behind, she would probably crack her head on the concrete ground.
"Come on. That's enough now. I will take you home." William put an end to her struggle. He quickly lifted her up and put her down inside the car. In her drunkenness, when she felt the soft seat, she instantly collapsed to sleep.
The next morning, Arabella woke up inside a stranger's room. She then remembered how she got there. All she could think of was William sent her home, but that room was not hers. Her eyes wandered into the room, it seemed that she was in a guest room. Her clothes were intact as last night so she felt relieved. Could it be she was in William's house? Running from the embarrassment that would cost her, she quickly grabbed her bag and strode outside the room planning to leave immediately, but she bumped into William who just woke up and had gotten out of his room.
"Oopsie! Good morning Director Zimmer." Arabella then froze, but managed to let go of an awkward smile. What caught her eye in her awkward position, William was in his pajamas and hair covering his forehead prevailing his handsome teenager look too different from his honorable director aura in the office whose hair was always stiff and clean.
"Hangover?" William smiled at her.
"I am just fine. Thank you for last night and good bye." She said in a hurry. How could she end up sleeping in a man's house? She hated herself for not controlling and made herself wasted.
"Breakfast?" He asked.
Arabella, who was about to turn her back got froze again and faced him.
"Please don't bother Director Zimmer. I'm really fine and Thanks again." Arabella said while her awkward smile was not leaving her face. How could she disturb him again? All she wanted to do was to get out of his house right away, but when she was about to turn around, she lost her balance again and directly shoved her body to William. He caught her in time and instinctively, he gripped her on her waist while Arabella clung her arms to his neck.
"William my son, is she the one?" They both froze upon hearing the vigorous voice that came out for the opening of the door. Then, they fixed their selves in panic.
"What happened to calling before coming?" William frowned and smiled at her grandmother who appeared in front of them and caught them in such awkwardness.
"Is this your new girlfriend now? You are so beautiful my dear, come!" Instead of replying William, Dr. Zimmer stretched her arms to embrace the newly met girl. She was more excited to see William with another girl. Finally, it's been 3 years she hadn't seen him with another woman since the day his beloved girlfriend left him for another man.
"So, is she the one? Are you the one?" Dr. Zimmer had no sign of stopping until she could hear the answer.
"Yes! She's the one."