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Veronica felt like she was on cloud nine, but at the same time, the worry about what it might mean crept up to overwhelm her.
Veronica looked around after they parted, seeing if there was anyone there. The last thing she wanted was a scandal on one of her first days on the job. She knew her responsibility, and she knew that she couldn’t let these feelings overtake that.
"Just got to keep focused on the results," Veronica muttered.
For Veronica, that prize kept forming into Annalise. She couldn’t believe Annalise still felt the same way about her. She was surprised that Annalise didn’t bother to find some guy to settle down with, and it would just end at that.
It would be easier, that’s for sure.
A need for her began to form within Veronica’s mind, but she wouldn’t pursue it yet. The first thing she needed to do was get a hold on her job, and make sure that things didn’t go to complete shit.
When Veronica went home, she did some work, looking at her phone every so often to see if Annalise texted. It was so distracting to have that around, but Veronica did value her responses.
The next day, Veronica felt a pull toward Annalise. She kept her eyes on Annalise whenever they were around one another.
“I can’t spend my time worrying about her,” Veronica told herself.
As much as she wanted to, Veronica knew that her job was to run the company, and that’s what she would do. She wouldn’t let herself get sucked into a romance. Especially not a romance that could end both of their careers.
Veronica went to the first meeting of the day, which was with a partner she knew from a previous company. As the two of them sat down, Veronica brought the papers out.
“All right, so these are the papers that discuss the terms of the merger. We sent you a copy by email, but it’s the physical copy that you’ll sign,” Veronica explained.
He looked it over, seeing the contents of it, and then looked back at Veronica.
"Sounds good to me. I did a once-over at it, but I didn't get a chance to look into it fully. It seems like when we do, we'll be able to invest in shared capital, and grow both of our companies. It was something I did discuss with Bob. He seemed interested, but he was wary," the other person said.
“I know, David. He was like that. I remember when I worked with Bob when I was in your position that he would do the same thing. But, we’re here now, and I’m the one in charge. If we do this, we’ll bring our companies to new heights,” she explained.
“That’s true,” David said. “I’m interested in this partnership.”
They signed the contract, and he extended his hand.
“I’m excited to work with you,” he told Veronica.
“Thanks.”
“By the way, if you’re free tomorrow, I’d love to get dinner,” David said.
Veronica looked at him and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm busy, and I don't date business partners," she explained.
“I see. Well, you’re a woman with a lot of drive, more than most men out there,” he said with a wink.
He walked away, and Veronica shook her head.
"Yeah, I have the drive," she said.
Veronica knew that her drive was an inherent part of her life, but at the same time, she also wondered if she could keep up this pace.
Veronica’s thoughts kept dancing over to Annalise. She wanted to go out and celebrate the merger, but she didn’t want to have Annalise get the wrong idea. They could celebrate later. For now, Veronica had a company to take care of.
Over the next three weeks, that was all Veronica did. She worked, said a few words to Annalise, and then went back to her business. It was easier that way. She didn’t want to get her feelings involved in it, and not only that, she didn’t want others in the office to suspect anything.
So why did she feel so crappy? It bothered her, that was for sure. When Veronica sat alone in her office, a feeling of dread hit her, making her stomach lurch with anxiety.
“Fuck,” she said.
Veronica didn't want to worry about what it might mean for two of them. She knew that Annalise looked at her with annoyance every so often whenever she would offer plans. Veronica would have to say, "Sorry, I'm busy."
She wasn’t that busy. Veronica used that time to go home, plan her day, and not think about Annalise.
“Why do I feel like crap though?” she asked herself.
Her body ached to see Annalise again, outside of the office. That kiss played over and over again in her mind. Veronica wanted a relationship, but she also knew that if the business world not only found out that she was gay, but that she was dating a coworker, it could mean a shit storm.
While many women did have positions in business, Veronica was always working toward her goal of being in power, and she never knew how to balance work and play. The idea of it worried her, and she feared she might lose it all if she sacrificed one over the other.
But her heart kept asking for more.
Maybe, just maybe, she could get away with getting involved if they did it secretively. She didn’t want Annalise to get hit with any problems either. If she did, it could mean curtains for her job here, or working anywhere else. They would both be screwed, and while people did accept gay people in society, it didn’t mean that she would still have her position of power.
“I worked too hard to give it all up,” Veronica said.
Maybe laying off the feelings was the best thing. The last thing she wanted was for either of them to get hurt. Veronica knew that she would keep it up until one of them said something.