Page 97 of Insufferable Boss

"I don't want to think too much about the question because then I won't rest until I find the appropriate answer."

"Alright," he succumbed and held me even tighter, and this time around, I held no qualms whatsoever about completely going into him.

The views were gorgeous, the company immaculate, and for this moment, I allowed myself to completely dream. That there were no concerns about anything, that we weren't fired or kicked out of the company. It all just seemed far away or at least so small as I took in the vast and expansive horizon.

"I think it's our maturity," he said, and I was brought back to earth to listen to him. His answer made me smile.

"Really? You think so?"

"Don't you?" he asked, and I beamed.

"I don't think I can completely vouch for myself being mature. I mean, sometimes I am, and sometimes I most definitely am not."

"Again, I agree with you," he said with a sigh, and I laughed out loud again. Then I turned around to face him.

"Agreeing with me seems to come awfully easy these days."

"Right," he said.

"Sure, it's not because our relationship is new, and the butterflies are running rampant?”

"We've never really disagreed before," he pointed out. "It’s just that both of us have very strong personalities, like predators sizing each other in the wild. Turns out when the defenses are somewhat down, we can coexist. Intimately."

I held onto him, resting against his strength. However, as always, my desire to completely give in to him was blocked. This was the time that I needed to be with him, to see clearly and to get to know each other without any deadlines. But as I thought of the little one growing within me with every second that passed, my heart grew heavier.

45

Lena

Dinner was at Ulus 29, situated atop a hill, offering an incredibly stunning view of the Bosphorus Strait and the two bridges connecting the European and Asian shorelines. At first, it had been almost difficult to get a table on the terrace, but after a massive tip paid in advance, we eventually found one. It was in a secluded corner, away from the bustle of the center, which was very much appreciated, and thus we were able to focus even more on each other. Not that it would have been difficult, given that his attention on me was unparalleled. I was so impressed by his attentiveness that at some point, I had to wonder whether he knew about the fact that I was pregnant.

"Are you really okay with being away from the company?" I asked, just as our bottle of wine was delivered. He took a long sip before answering me, and then his attention shifted to his phone.

"I would probably not be if I had brought my actual phone," he said, and I looked at him in surprise.

"Really?"

However, I couldn't help but panic.

"What if something goes really wrong?"

"Then Matthias knows how to reach me, but only in extreme cases of emergency, like a fire or complete annihilation."

I smiled.

"He's the only one that has it, right?"

"Yeah," he replied, and I noticed that he quickly added my number to his phone.

A few seconds later, his call began to come in, and I smiled. I picked it up, wondering what to save his number as, but in the end, I couldn't make up my mind since he was in close proximity with me and would be for a little while longer. So, I just used his name and shut the phone.

Our dinner was served course after course, and I took my time with each, relishing how it felt to just eat without any looming deadlines or schedules. It truly felt like I had never been on a vacation before, and I had to attribute it to being with him. Seeing him so relaxed made me feel as though everything was handled, and I was able to fully dive in.

There were a lot of first-time dishes for me, mostly because he recommended them, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I avoided the wine as subtly as possible and stuck to water and thankfully he didn’t seem to notice. We had dishes like Rockefeller oysters, grilled lamb, liver, crispy duck spring roll, ricotta ravioli del plin, beef fillet tartare, and the list went on. And by the end of it, the reasonable option to cap off the evening was to go for a walk.

We went down to the beach, and although we didn't hold each other's hands, our sides brushed so closely against each other that we were practically bumping into each other time and again.

However, we didn't stop and pull away, and the silence we basked in as we took in the rolling waves and horizon was wonderful. I spotted a few campfires along the way and reminisced about my younger days with him, and then we stopped at a bar. After ordering cocktails with me going for a non-alcoholic option, we took our seats on the stools as he told me a bit more about his family, especially what it was like growing up with a sister that was quite a bit older than him.

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