Our Secret [Completed]

Chapter 16

Sorry guys! Had an issue so had to re-publish :)

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As I turned the corner into my shared office with Dominic I heard an unnerving silence. Most other times I've walked into this office I've bit hit with a wave of questions and phone calls I need to get back to that Dominic left on hold for most of the day. Sometimes he treats me as if I am his personal assistant rather than an assistant journalist but I don't mind, I'm still getting the experience I need to hopefully take on one of my own stories in the near future.

I almost stumbled backwards as I walked to my desk in the far corner of the office, standing patiently waiting for my arrival were most of the staff who worked on the same floor as me. As if on cue they erupted in an out of tune 'happy birthday'. I smiled at the warm celebration as all of my colleagues clapped and cheered. It wasn't until the song ended that I realised Dominic had come to stand beside me holding a white iced cake with the words 'happy birthday Sophia' written across the middle.

"Make a wish," Dominic whispered and I did as I blew out the candles. "What did you wish for?"

"I wished for a giant slice of cake," I joked as he placed the cake onto the table and pressed the knife into it. Dominic expertly lifted the slice of cake on the knife and placed it onto a napkin which he handed to me.

"As wished for..." Dominic handed everyone else a slice of cake and then cut a small piece for himself.

"Thank you guys, this really means a lot," I said as everyone left the room. Moments later it was only Dominic and I left standing by my desk with a 1/4 of the cake left.

"I got you something," he announced and walked over to his side of the office. From inside his drawer, he removed a small pink birthday gift bag with a black outline.

"You really didn't have to..." I said as he handed me the gift.

"Open it."

I rolled my eyes a little and looked inside the bag, I removed the pink tissue paper and picked up the item laying at the very bottom of the bag. It was bronze in colour and I looked up at Dominic in confusion. "Turn it around," he said trying not to laugh.

I laughed at myself and turned the gift around. On the other side engraved into the bronze was my name- Sophia Jenkins.

"We're a team, I thought everyone else should know it too." He said and I smiled, he was finally beginning to accept me as his partner, not as his assistant. "Gary is going to come and put it on the wall at the end of the day."

"Thank you, Dom, it's great!" I said and gave him a hug. It took him a second to respond after the immediate embrace as he wrapped his arms around me tightly. The hug only lasted a couple of seconds and didn't feel awkward at all. I guess we are past that now, I had forgiven him long ago, the week after we got back from New York.

At the end of the day, I noticed Gary the maintenance man putting my nameplate on the wall underneath Dominic's. I muttered a thank you and made my way out of the building. Someone pulled on my arm before I was able to step out of the building, it was Willow.

"Why are you avoiding me?" She stood with her arms folded.

I looked around to make sure no one else was listening, "you told me to think about it and meet you at the coffee shop if I decided it was a yes. I don't want to help you, Willow." I explained.

"I knew this would happen...Come with me I have something that'll change your mind," she said.

"I need to get home."