Bashing Trinity

BASH

I feel the instant coldness of the stainless door handle on my office as I push it open. As I enter, I feel a sudden unsettling in the pit of my stomach when a familiar flowery-scent hits my nostrils.

A gasp from has my head snap, and my eyes are transfixed on the woman in front of me. Everything stops. My surrounding blurs. The beating of my heart races. My eyes widen in shock, and I am surprised that my jaw still attached to my head.

I’m not expecting to see her here in this building, let alone in my office. I wasn’t thinking about her when Dad told me to be nice to my assistant. What’s this supposed to mean?

I shut my gaping mouth close and cough awkwardly. “Trinity.” Her name comes out a whisper, and it feels foreign in my ears.

She blinks many times before she clears her throat. She smiles at me—a tight smile; just a plain smile; a forceful one. “Mr. Hughes, good Morning, and welcome to your new office,” she greets with courtesy. Mr. Hughes? “I hope the interior fits your liking, but we can still request and change—”

I raise my sweaty hand for her to stop. My heart beats faster than before. My lungs expand further, that my ribcage can crack any moment, and it makes me difficult to breathe.

I look at her for seconds, and she meets my gaze then breaks it quickly.

“You didn’t come to the party my family threw out two days ago,” I said almost silently.

She grabs some files on top of my desk with the iPad on top. She hugs them to her chest gracefully and says casually, “I sent Lizzy a message that I couldn’t come. So, as you know, I’m your new assistant; temporarily, and my office is just adjacent to yours,” she puts a little emphasis on the temporarily while pointing at the door on my left.

Her stares give me shiver; her green eyes are shooting an icy glare on me.

She changed a lot. Her hair is cut short just above her shoulders. The color is still the same, though. Her face still has freckles, but they’re lesser, maybe from the makeup she applies on. Her lips are still full, painted with red lipstick.

She taps on her iPad. “You have a meeting in less than ten minutes.”

I take a deep breath. “Trinity, just leave the meeting for a while, can you?” I move closer to her because I badly want to pull her into a hug and feel her warm welcome.

She swallows hard. “Okay, you’re the boss. I placed all the paper works that left by Mr. Peter Williams.” She gestures to the file on top of my desk.

“I’m not interested in that either.” I snap. “What happened to you, Trinity?”

She looks taken aback. “What happened to me?” she asks back, pointing her finger to herself. “Nothing bad happened to me, Mr. Hughes. If you don’t want me as your temporary assistant, by all means, please, just ask the HR for my replacement,” she adds sternly.

“That’s not what I mean.” Why is she acting like she doesn’t know me? “Stop calling me Mr. Hughes. You’re my best friend for God’s sake—”

“Were,” she cuts me off. “Ex-best friend, Mr. Hughes. You are my boss now, so only it’s proper to address you as—”

“I am your boss, so do as I say,” I tell her in an authoritative tone.

“Sure.” She looks down at the empty chair in front of my desk.

She places back down the file she took a while ago and smoothens her dark blue pencil cut skirt that ends just above her knees. She wears a white blouse with a dark blue blazer. She looks beautiful, elegant, and very professional.

before my flight to the U.K, but you were not there. You went to your grandparents in Boston.”

I guess

continue, “I wanted to apologize that day and take back our friendship, Trinity, but you didn’t even answer my calls

matter. That was four years ago,” she says coolly.

you just wasted our friendship for years with just one mistake I made, and you made mistakes too,

don’t want to be your friend, Bash, Can’t you understand that? Your friends, classmates, and girlfriends thought I was just your slave. I’m a dog under your leash. Your personal maid!”

listen to them even once? How many times did I fight for you against them? How many times did I choose you against my girlfriends? How many times did I defend you against those freaking losers, Trinity? How many times?” My voice fills in the room. Before I came, I did not exactly expect to fight early in the morning. It ruins my mood to

“I don’t care. I have friends now. I’m sure you made friends with Brits.” She doesn’t look affected. She’s so cold that makes me

such an immature.”

an

and your language when

Mr. Hughes,” she says silently.

a welcome back hug?” I ask, hoping she gives in now that we finally talk about the elephant in

She rolls her eyes. “That’s inappropriate. Meeting in less than four minutes, Mr. Seb Hughes will introduce you as the new CFO.”

stop with brows furrow to the second note. “Dinner with Luke; to discuss the engagement?” I read it slowly, and

engaged?” I grab her hand a bit

life is doomed!

as I try to process what I just find out, but she doesn’t meet my gaze anymore. She just looks

and slamming it behind me. I almost collide with Lizzy when I walk my

less than two minutes.

I shove my hand in my pocket and look at the monolithic view of the building outside, ignoring Lizzy’s voice.

into a thin line and slumping my shoulders in defeat, I swallow hard the lump in my throat. I lose Trinity forever.

the point of coming

I don’t answer my sister.

asks with a worried tone of a sister like she used to when we were just kids. I feel a hand rubbing my back.

inches framed.

never be okay, Lizzy.”

be, Bash. You will be, and you should be. It’s never been too late,” she says and walks away leaving me alone with these glass windows.

well as I expect, and I can’t help but steal glances at Trinity whose busy writing something on the notepad. I find out that she

because she hated numbers in every way possible. I walk out of the conference door after talking with Dad for a few minutes.

Look at Dean, marching towards

give him a smile and a nod. “Yeah, first day, and still having a jet-lagged. I think I’m excused, right?”

owned 15% of this company, and your family owns this. You can work your fat ass at the yacht in the middle of the Caribbean, nobody cares.”

in amusement. “Like my dad would agree.”

Bash. Just call me.” He pats my

keep that in mind, Thanks, Dean. You’re not bad, after

don’t like me, or maybe you don’t trust me for your sister, but I can’t blame you to be an overprotective brother over her, but man, I love her with all my life, and I don’t care if you are against us or

go before we fall in

He laughs again. “You will be fine. It’s not too late,