Chapter 7 Why are you avoiding me

The day felt long for Belle, she yawned as she stood up from her seat.

" ma'am, can I leave now?" Belle's secretary, Fiona, said as she walked into Belle's office.

" Yeah sure, you shouldn't have stayed this long. It's almost nine in the night." Belle said and Fiona just smiled.

" I wanted to help you so that the documents are all cleared by tomorrow. See, we've finished all of them and that means, you can take that trip to Dubai to meet our investors tomorrow." Fiona said.

" Thank you, that was very thoughtful of you." Belle said smiling at her.

" You're welcome, the faster we close this deal the closer we are to finish the pending project." Fiona said.

" Yeah, you're right, it's good to know that we are writing on the same page. Now you're dismissed, Fiona. Book me a flight to Dubai tomorrow evening and also check on my hotel reservation. Business class for two, I'm leaving with my assistant." Belle I formed and Fiona was already noting down the details.

" Okay ma'am, have a good night. Also, Mr Rainer has been waiting for you outside, I thought you should know." Fiona said with a smile.

Belle sighed and shook her head as Fiona was leaving. She remembers passing down information to let Herman know that he could leave without her but he still stayed behind. Belle aligned her stuff and walked out of her office. She locked it and headed out to the parking, indeed Herman was still there, infarct he had sat at the front of the car with the door open, some music was playing with a low volume.

" I told you to leave earlier, why are you still here?" Belle asked as she approached him.

" I was waiting for you so that I could drive you home." Herman informed.

" But I didn't want you to do that. I can drive home by myself." Belle said with a straight face.

" I know, I just wondered what else I could do if not working that is why I chose to wait for you instead." Herman said and he was very honest with that.

" Don't you have a life outside work? Other men would go to the gym or something, or even go on a date, you can't just stay at a parking lot waiting for your boss to finish working so that you drive her home. I don't need a personal chauffeur, and I already made that clear, didn't I?" Belle asked him.

" I know you said so but I chose not to listen because I love what I'm doing. I don't need to go on a date because I don't have a girlfriend and I don't need to go to the gym after work because I have that scheduled at another time. Also, you're not my boss after work, so take this as a friendly gesture." Herman said and belled just shook her head.

" Okay fine, now that you consider me as your friend, I'd like to treat you for dinner today, let's eat out." Belle suggested and Herman agreed immediately.

" Okay! I wouldn't miss to spend time with you, even for just a second." Herman admitted and belled felt flattered by her words. She quickly walked away to the other side of the door and went into the car. Herman avoided to look at her as he could guess that she was blushing anytime he kept on staring at her.

He started the engine and drove to the hotel she suggested.

" You've been avoiding me today miss Belle." Herman said as they walked in to the hotel. Herman had put out his arm for her to hold and she did. She texted Stacy not to make dinner as they were eating out that night.

" I wasn't avoiding you, I was just busy." Belle lied.

" You're lying, and I know when you do because you blink too much and you bite your lower lip." Herman said and Belle glanced up at him. He was slightly tall so belle had to elevate her gaze to meet his face.

" You seem to know a lot of things about me, Mr Rainer." Belle said trying to avoid the topic at hand.

" You were ignoring me, and it was very conspicuous you were doing so." Herman said and glanced at her. Belle diverted her gaze.

" I just wanted to concentrate with my work." Belle admitted.

" So, you're trying to say that I'm a distraction to you?" Herman asked and Belle was glad that an usher had approached them at that moment.

" Good evening, ms Charlotte and sir!" They exchanged greetings and then we're ushered to their special reservation. Belle Charlotte is quite a known business woman and receives a lot of respect wherever she goes. She always gets the best services offered anywhere she goes. She carried her family's legacy and that made her even more famous. Her father was an influential man and so was her brother.

" Thank you!" Belle said to the usher once they've taken their seats at their reserved table.

The usher bent slightly before taking her leave to give them so that they decide on what they want to eat.

" You haven't answered my question my Charlotte." Herman reminded.

" What question?" Belle tried to act dumb.

" Why were you avoiding me? Or am I a distraction to you?" Herman asked and again Belle started pursing and biting her lips.

"It's nothing as you've claimed. I haven't been avoiding you and there is no way to distract me at all." Belle said faking a straight face yet she couldn't help quivering in her voice as she spoke.

" Are you sure? Because the last time I remember is you ignoring me the whole day today. You wouldn't even look at me whenever we meet, even for a second."