Chapter 3 - wrong impressions

Melanie sat at her desk, nervously fiddling with a paper-clip until it was shaped like a heart and tossed it next to her mousepad. A pile of paper neatly stacked next to her keyboard, reminded her of the heap of work waiting for her to be done. Instead, she stared at the little watch next to the weather display in the right lower corner of her screen. It was already past nine and Wesley had not yet shown up.
Since their feast in his office, they both had been so busy, that they had not have found the time to talk in private. After that, the weekend had separated them, leaving Melanie to almost constantly worry about how Wesley has taken her almost confession. And whether she could deal with his reaction, one way or the other.
Finally, a pair of legs approached the frosted glass making her heart race inside her chest. Disappointment washed over her, when Malcolm entered the reception area, leaning casually on her desk. What the hell could he want from her?
»Mel. I have seen, that neither Giles nor Wesley have clocked in yet. Figured you could need some company.«
Mel? »I am sorry Malcolm, but I really have a lot to do.«
He looked at the little pile of heart-shaped paper-clips next to her mouse pad. »You know, if your current old man is giving you a hart time, I know how to treat a lady. And I remember, that we had great chemistry at the last Christmas party before the pandemic. You remember, right?«
Suddenly, Melanie realised what this was about. She had heard rumours that Malcolm had ended things with his instagrammer girlfriend. Ashamed she remembered the Christmas party in question. It really had been fun, though not with Malcolm, but more in general. Ruefully she thought about the one or two drinks she had had too much and how she had ended up dancing rather unreservedly with Malcolm.
This had been followed by him consistently trying to convince her to go out with her, until Wesley at one time made very clear, that he expected Malcolm to leave her alone if he didn’t have something work related to discuss with her.
Wesley. As if her thoughts had somehow materialized, Wesley suddenly hovered in the doorframe. Melanie could see the disappointment in his eyes catching her and Malcolm seemingly whispering to each other intimately. Rather bluntly she spoke out the first thing that came to her mind. »Where have you been?«
Malcolm rose and turned slowly towards Wesley, who looked at her with arched brows. To make it worse, Malcolm seemed to have been working out as of late, his toned body building a strong contract to Wesley’s bulkier frame, his gain starting to show even when he wore his suit jacket.
Wesley nodded in her direction. »Good morning to you too, Melanie.«
In the meanwhile, Malcolm made a spectacle of taking off his sweater, exhibiting strings of muscle on his upper arm. Melanie observed how Malcolm’s intentions didn’t evade Wesley. He couldn’t possibly think, there was anything between her and Malcolm? That she could prefer the simple-minded self-centred gym robot over him with his wit warm heart and newly acquired soft curves?
»Wesley ...«
He cut her short. »Were there any calls? I realize I am late for a meeting. I will not be back for lunch.«
With that he disappeared in his office without giving her another look.
»That was cold. However, it seems you are free for lunch now. I almost thought the two of you were a thing, as often as you had lunch with him lately. I will pick you up at 12:15.«
Before she could protest, Malcolm was out of the door. Melanie cursed, wiping the paper-clips into the bin next to her desk. How could everything go wrong like that?

When Melanie returned to her desk after what must have been the shortest lunch break, she had taken in the last few weeks, she found two notes on her desk.
Giles, as always, had picked the time when no one was in the office to appear and disappear again leaving new tasks for her. However, the second note was from Wesley. Apparently, the files she had sent to the solicitor weeks ago had been lost on the way. Disappointed, she started to call after the messenger service.
Only later, when she stared at her screen blindly, she noticed an envelope of finer stationery leaning against the black plastic base of her display. The envelope was sealed with her name written on it in Wesley’s handwriting. Melanie took a deep breath before tearing it open.
Dear Melanie, I guess, now is the moment for me to step back. This is all very embarrassing for me and I would appreciate it deeply, if you could not mention my inappropriate behaviour and loss of control ever again. With the highest respect and hope that things can go back to normal, Wesley.
Melanie rose agitatedly and before she could stop herself, she stood in Wesley’s office without having taken the time to knock. He looked up at her from some paperwork.
»Can I help you?«
He couldn’t just pretend there had been nothing between them, could he?
»I called the messenger service. They will investigate where the papers got lost and of course reimburse us by delivering the next few orders for free. I also prepared the documents a second time. If you would be so kind as to sign, I can send them today.« Did she really say that? Was that how they would act around each other from now on? Colleagues again?
»Very good.«
Only now, Melanie’s eyes fell on the meeting table next to the window. A huge pizza box and a small plastic container, presumably for tiramisu were stacked neatly in one of the corners.
Wesley cleared his throat. »Here you are.« He extended the paperwork towards her. When their eyes met, Melanie could see the embarrassment he had written of in his letter. »Wesley ...«
»Please don’t.«
The hurt in his boyish blue eyes made her fall silent instantly. Without another word, Melanie withdrew, feeling a lump building up in her throat.

The next few days were awful. For the first time in weeks, Melanie took the full amount of home office time, they were allowed to. Now, too late of course, her doubts about wanting to take the next step with Wesley evaporated. If only she had said something sooner. If only she had insisted on talking to him about her feelings, instead of being squeamish.
When she did work in the office, Wesley acted all friendly but business-like which was almost worse as if he would have acted awkwardly towards her, because it made Melanie feel, as if the time they had spent enjoying each other’s company had never happened at all.
However, after she endured her initial meltdown, Melanie started to notice signs that Wesley didn’t seem to have regained his self-control when it came to food. There was rarely a day, when the cleaning woman came out of his office in the morning without a full bin containing cookie wrappers, food containers or pizza boxes. Moreover, at the few occasions, when Wesley couldn’t avoid to call her in his office or add her to a meeting, she couldn’t, but realize how the waistband of even his newly bought suits cut between the flab of his belly. Melanie however, felt more attracted to him the chubbier he became.
And she missed Wesley terribly. Only now, she realized how much she had shared with him, especially in the preceding few weeks, but also during the time of their forced home office. Wesley however remained adamant about not wanting to talk to her about what he had perceived to be her, flirting with Malcolm. She could still see the hurt in his eyes, when he saw her with fit, toned Malcolm, showing off his muscles, after she had encouraged Wesley to slowly fatten up.
Melanie even wrote a letter explaining her feelings, but couldn’t muster the courage to actually give it to him. Slowly, it seemed as if she had no choice than to accept that she and Wesley weren’t meant to be.