Falling Into You (Geek to Chic)

by Brinks, Nikki

  Roni set forth to explain to her sister how her genius mind had ended their date and led Roni to accidently sexting Derek, three times. Now it was her sister’s turn to laugh uncontrollably. Which of course propelled Roni into laughter telling her sister about all of her mishaps with Derek. Which of course turned the laughter into tears. She missed him and it had only been a matter of hours.

  Roni told her sister what happened at the gala. It was so random, so out of the blue for Derek to behave like that. They had been doing so well right up until he went to the bathroom. “I don’t know what happened. He came back from lying to me about going to the bathroom with his phone, which he had promised to leave at home. Maybe he had a phone call from someone who shook him up or maybe an old girlfriend called and he wanted to end the evening in her bed. I have no idea.” She sunk down on the couch.

  “Well, I can crash his internal computer system for you. That would teach him.” Bree smiled.

  Roni laughed and shook her head. That is when she heard her phone go off. “I better get that, I need to text Izzy and let her know I am here.”

  Her body protested as she walked the small distance to her purse she had dropped by the front door. Exhaustion is taking hold. She pulled the phone from her bag and punched in her access code. 45 text messages waited for her! She took a deep breath and opened the texts. It looked as though Derek had spent the time since her disappearance from the gala texting her and apparently drinking, heavily. She quickly read the texts, they became less and less coherent as they went on. Some made no sense at all.

  The only information, or rather emotion, she was about to gain from his babbling text was sorrow and despair. Two emotions she held in common with the man she thought she loved. Scratch that, she knew she loved him. Loved him in a way she had never loved another man. He brought out her nurturing side. He accepted her endless amount of mishaps with a smile. Through working for him she figured out how good she was with numbers and was hired by Alex to be more than an assistant.

  Now all of that was gone. She collapsed onto the floor. Now what was she going to do? She had no boyfriend and no job. Her life was a complete wreck.

  She needed a plan. She couldn't stay with her sister forever. Eventually she would have to go back and face what came. First thing tomorrow she would start the task of once again submitting her resume. This time, however, she was going for better positions. Positions that would challenge her.

  Coming out of her thoughts, she realized she needed to text Izzy still.

  Roni: Made it to Bree’s. Not sure when I am coming home.

  Izzy: Take your time honey. How are you holding up?

  Roni: I am a mess, but I will survive.

  Izzy: You should know Geek Boy came by looking for you. He was desperate to apologize, I have never seen him that much of a mess.

  Roni: I don’t know what to do with that information.

  Izzy: I just wanted to let you know. He did come after you, I think he knows he fucked up.

  Roni: Thanks, I will see you in a few days.

  She pulled herself off the floor. Looking at her sister. “I’m going to bed for the next century.” Her sister mumbled good night and Roni dragged herself into the guest room. Phone still in hand.

  Once she was tucked in bed, she decided, against better judgment to read through all of Derek’s babbling texts again.

  Derek: Please let me explain?

  Derek: I know I fucked up, but you mean everything to me. Let me fix this.

  Derek: you me

  Derek: Need you

  Derek: I suck

  Derek: Love

  It was that last text that made her heart squeeze. Maybe he did love her, or maybe he was drunk and didn't know what he was typing. Either way the one word brought fresh tears to her eyes. Hugging her phone, she fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Derek had sent a text to Roni every day for four days. He even tried to call her a few times. He hadn’t heard a word from her. Not even a ‘fuck off’ text.

  He had spent the last four days either drinking or working. What is that smell? Oh, that’s right, me. Drinking and working had left little time for things like shaving, showering or sleeping. He knew he looked like hell, but he really didn’t give a shit. He only cared what one person thought of him and she was most likely never going to talk to him again.

  Derek placed his head on his desk. He needed to do something to show her he cared. Something to prove to her that he had been listening to her. He banged his head on his desk. He had no idea how to get Roni back.

  “Wow dude, what the fuck smells?” He looked up to see Alex holding his nose. Phin, Collin and Gavin walk in behind him. He groaned and put his head back down on his desk. He was not in the mood for these assholes.

  “I think that smell is our CEO. Maybe we need to get him a stripper or something to get over this girl.” Phin laughed out. Derek lifted his hand and gave him the finger. “Fine we can get me a stripper.”

  “Go away!” Derek mumbled. They were going to want to clean him up and take him bar hoping in an attempt to get him laid. Like getting laid by some random girl was going to help repair his broken heart. He rubbed the pain in his chest.

  Since he hadn’t heard footsteps, he assumed the jerks hadn’t left. He lifted his head to see all three men standing, hands in pockets, worried looks on their faces. None of them spoke, they simply stared at him. He must look worse than he thought if these three didn’t have a smart ass comment.

  Alex cleared his throat. “So I spoke with Izzy this morning.”

  “Was she trying to run you over with her car or did you sneak into her house to smother her with a pillow when you spoke to her?” Derek questioned heavily with sarcasm.

  “Ha ha douche bag. I called to see if she had spoken with Roni. Of course she told me to go fuck myself in a few very creative ways.” Alex smiled. “Anyway, she wouldn’t tell me when Roni was coming back or where she was but she did tell me that she is just as miserable as you are. Though I hope she has managed to shower. I think it is a good sign that she is miserable too. Maybe once she gets back you two can sit down and talk this out. Or maybe that big brain of yours can come up with a huge romantic gesture to win her back.”

  “I hate hearing she is miserable. I did that to her. I am such an asshole.” Derek puts his head back on his desk.

  “Ok then I guess we will leave. Oh, by the way Jemma called me. She couldn’t seem to get hold of you. She is bringing her mom back to Colorado for care and will be back to work today. In fact, she should be here any minute. Thought you would want to know.”

  Finally, Derek heard three sets of footsteps retreating from his office. He sat up and scrubbed his hands down his face. Maybe Alex was right, maybe it meant something that Roni was also miserable. Though he hated the thought of her being unhappy. Especially since he was the one who had been the person to bring on that pain. He banged his head on the desk again.

  He sighed, lifted his head and went to work. Derek worked for some time. Attempting to numb his emotions with the detached rhythm of code writing. Outside of his office, he heard a woman’s voice. Maybe it was Roni. He ran to his door, flung it open and found Jemma speaking quietly to Alex. His face fell with pure painful disappointment.

  Jemma turned to him, she already sad face dropped further when she caught sight of him. “Mr. Callaway… I mean Derek what on Earth happened to you?” She rushed to his side, placing her hand on his forehead. Checking him for a fever. She had always tried to care for him. “You don’t feel warm. I am calling the doctor anyway.”

  She tried to step around him to get to the phone on her desk. Instead of allowing her to make the call he pulled him into a hug. “Forget about me, how are you? How is your mom?” Even if Roni was gone forever, he was going to continue to be less like an asshole cyborg.

  Jemma pushed away from him, looking at him like he had gone mad. She looked back at Alex for an explanation. He simply shrugged. “My mother i
s resting well at the hospital here. I wanted her close and she has no reason to be in Indiana. I have movers, packing her house and a realtor putting it on the market. If… I mean when she comes home from the hospital, we will get her a place here. Thank you for asking. Now why don’t I run to your place and grab you clean clothes to change into? Ok?” The last words were spoken as though she was talking to an overly tired child.

  “Jemma, I am so glad to hear your mom is here. If you need me to use my influence at the hospital to get her any care please let me know. In fact, there is a wing of that hospital with his last name on it.” Derek nodded toward Alex and smiled his first real smile in several days.

  “Yep, that’s true, so don’t hesitate to ask if we need to call in a favor or two.” Alex winked at her. “Well, I am off to go over more numbers with Phin. I will bring him by later to meet you, Jemma. Oh, and if you could get this filthy bastard to shower my nose would owe you one.”

  Jemma waved to Alex and turned her focus back to Derek. When she placed her hands on her curvy hips and tilted her head, he knew he was in trouble. That was the look she got when he was late to a meeting or blowing off an important phone call so he could focus on his code.

  “Now I know I have been gone for some time. I also know that several changes have taken place since I left. We will get to all the new personnel and the apparent new dress code once you explain to me why the most brilliant CEO I have ever met is a smelly half-drunk mess?” She pushed her wire rimmed glasses up his nose and continued to pin him with a concerned look.

  Jemma had changed in her time away. She had become more vocal. Less afraid. Maybe that is what happens when one has to make many difficult decisions for their parent. He shook off his inner rumblings about his assistant’s apparent new attitude. “I am not half drunk. I stopped drinking hours ago.” She gave him a look that told him she wasn’t buying it.

  “Well, at least shower, for the sake of your coworkers. Is your temporary assistant here?” She asked looking around. “I need to have her brief me on what needs to be done before we let her go.”

  His face dropped when she mentions his temporary assistant. His mind returning to Roni. “Oh, so that’s what this is all about. So how bad did you crash and burn?”

  “Who said I crashed and burned? Maybe she crashed and burned with me.” He had no idea why he was being so defensive with Jemma’s assumption, after all it was correct.

  “I know you crashed and burned because of the mess you are right now.” She waved her hand up and down gesturing at his entire body. “You are always the man with the plan so I assume you have one to get the girl back. Because if she can do this to you, she must be something special.”

  He nodded. Even though he had no idea what he was going to do to get his girl back. “I guess my plan starts with a shower. I’m heading home.”

  ***

  Roni came out of the guest room in her sister’s house still dressed in her pajamas at two in the afternoon. If she was being honest the only reason she came out of the room at all was because she ran out of chocolate. She rounded the corner towards the kitchen when she heard her sister on the phone.

  “No Izzy, she’s not ok. She has been listening to Linkin Park none stop. Which, as you know is not a good sign. What did Alex say about Derek?”

  Roni’s heart contracted at the mention of his name. She wished she could hear the other side of the conversation to know how he was doing. Based on the hundreds of texts she had received from him he wasn't doing well at all.

  “What does completely falling apart mean? Why is Alex so worried if he is still able to work?” There was another pause in the conversation. “Oh, I see. Yeah, I think she mentioned going home tomorrow. I will call you later and let you know what she plans on doing about Geek Boy. Bye.”

  Roni scurried off so she wouldn't be caught eavesdropping. She wonders based on the conversation just how bad Derek was doing. Part of her wanted to run to him, to ease his pain. The other part of her wanted to wrack him to cause him more pain.

  Either way she needed to get herself together. She looked down at her pajamas. They had chocolate and ice creams stains on them. Her hair felt crunchy and frizzy. She didn't even want to look in a mirror. She knew she would see a pitiful tear streaked woman with dark circles under her eyes staring back at her. Definitely time to pull it together and head home to face the music. She was a grown woman and the pity party had to end.

  Pulling fresh clothes from her bag she headed to the bathroom to shower, shave and get ready to head home.

  45 minutes later she stood at her sister’s front door small bag in hand. “You know you don’t have to go if you’re not ready to face reality quite yet?” Bree whispered in her ear as she gave her a goodbye hug.

  She squeezed her sister and broke off the hug. “I know, but I need to make some decisions and if I stay here I fear I will just live in my pajamas, eat crap food all day and end up on one of those shows where people are so big they can’t leave their own homes.” She smiled weakly.

  Bree laughed. “Ok, well I hate to lose the revenue I would gain from charging people to see my 1,000 pound sister but I understand. Call me when you get home, or on the road, or if you need me to come to Denver and help you hide the body.”

  She hugged her sister again, kissed her cheek and headed home to face her messed up life.

  Chapter Twenty – Eight

  Roni paced the house, unsure what to do with herself, or how to expel her nervous energy. Izzy told her to go for a run to clear her head, so she did. Instead of burning off her energy and leveling her out like a run usually did, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Her emotions and mind were going in every direction. She had little control over the crying fits that came out of nowhere.

  During her run around Wash Park, she saw a man with the same phone cover Derek had and fell to pieces. Several runners stopped to check if she was ok thinks that she was injured. She was mortified. She did manage to gain control and complete her run.

  After her run she scrubbed the house from top to bottom. Even cleaning the baseboards and hand scrubbing the floors. She had nothing left to do but walk in circles around the house and think about the one man she was trying desperately not think about.

  She missed him. Even looked forward to his texts. Though most of them broke her heart. Part of her still wanted to run to him. But she didn’t know if her heart could take it if he really thought she was the manipulative gold digger he implied she was. Sighing, picked up the duster and started to dust the house, for the third time. When she was about to do the floors again the doorbell rang. Roni wasn’t expecting anyone.

  She wandered to the door and peeked out the peephole. A short woman with copious curves and big breasts, dressed in Capris and a cute knit top, stood on the other side of the door. She had her hair pinned back in a tight bun and wire rimmed glasses. Roni had no clue who she was but figured she looked harmless enough. She opened the door with a smile on her face to welcome the woman. “Hi, can I help you?”

  The woman, looked her up and down and smiled big. Pushing her glasses back up her nose the woman asked, “Are you Roni?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  The woman thrust out her hand in greeting. “I’m Jemma Perkins. Derek’s assistant. I wanted to thank you for helping out while I was away.”

  Roni stood stunned for a moment before she accepted the woman’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you finally. Please come in. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “No thank you. I only have a moment or two before I need to head back to the office.” Her gaze wandered over Roni’s home. Her hands wrung together. Roni quickly picked up that the woman was nervous. And for the first time she also notices a small gift the woman had brought in. Alarm bells went off. Of course she was here on Derek’s behalf, and not to simply thank her. Not that Roni had expected any less.

  “Would you at least like to have a seat and we can talk for a few minutes.” Without waiting for an answer Roni
walked into the living room. She took a seat in the chair furthest away from the couch.

  “Yes, thank you. You did a wonderful job filling in. I can’t believe you were able to get him to stop attending some meetings. I approached him about not attending every meeting about a year ago. I am lucky I still have my head after that meeting.” She laughed.

  Roni smiled and laughed a little knowing the exact tone Derek probably used with her. “I bet that was quite the battle. I didn’t really give him a choice. Since I controlled his schedule, I simply didn’t add the meetings. It took him a few days to catch on.” The laughter left her, and the agony in her chest returned. “So… um… …did you need me to go over anything I did?”

  Jemma leaned over, which, given her small size was a stretch, and squeezed the Roni’s hand. “I’m sorry Roni. I know I am one of the last people you wanted to see at your door.”

  “No Jemma, really I’m fine. Actually, I’m glad you stopped by. Hold one a second.” Roni went into her kitchen to grab her work bag. Back in the living room, she handed Jemma the iPad that belonged to the company. “Can you take this back to Derek for me? I was going to have a courier or Izzy take it, but since you’re here.” She shrugged.

  “Sorry I am under instructions not to take that back from you. Derek said for you to keep it. He also wants you to have this.” Jemma handed her the gift bag. Roni shook her head and refused to take the bag. Jemma put it on the coffee table. “I came to deliver that gift from Derek and to tell you what a change I see in him. He seems human, approachable. He even gave up the suits and it lets everyone wear casual clothes. Well, unless some general or senator is scheduled to be in the building, then it is back to the monkey suits for the men and pantyhose and heels for us women. He even redecorated, or should I say decorated his office. All of the positive changes going on with him are because of you.”

  Roni swallowed hard. She felt happy that his staff was finally getting to see the man she knew. At the same time she was, she wasn’t there to witness it for herself. “That is wonderful to hear.”