The CEO's gaze settled on John, her eyes locking onto his with a blank stare. There was no hint of recognition, no spark of interest, no flicker of emotion. Her eyes were like two empty mirrors, reflecting nothing back at John. The blank stare was like a mask, revealing nothing about her thoughts or intentions.
She leaned forward, her expression transforming into one of cool calculation. "I'm sure you know the reason I called you in today."
"I..I know ma'am." John stammered.
"And what do you have to say about what you did John?"
"I know it looks bad," he stammered, the words tumbling out now in a rush, a dam breaking. "I wanted you to see yourself how I see you. How your piercing brown eyes could draw anyone in, how the features on your heart shaped face fitted perfectly. I couldn't think of any other picture to use except yours.
He watched her, searching for any sign of a human reaction. Nothing. The stillness of her face, the polished glass of her eyes, was relentless."I love you," he blurted out, the words a desperate, final prayer. "I'm in love with you. I have been for ever since I saw you. I know it's inappropriate. I know it's a huge violation of every professional boundary there is. But I can't... I couldn't help myself."
His confession hung in the air, a fragile, embarrassing thing. He had stripped himself bare, laid his most vulnerable secret at her feet, and she hadn't so much as blinked."I thought if I made a mistake, a big enough one, that you would have to notice me," he continued, the logic now sounding insane even to his own ears. "I thought you would get angry. That you would yell at me. And that would be better than nothing. Better than the empty space between us."
""I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you expected. But that's what I have to say. That's why I did it. And I would do it all over again, just for a chance to have you look at me and see me."He was done. He had confessed, not to a crime, but to a sin of the heart. He looked down, unable to hold her gaze any longer. The silence returned, now charged with a new, agonizing weight.
"And why should I accept your confession?" She finally broke the silence