Not even once
Not even a tiny bit of notice
Kareen was sitting at the end of the shiny table, her body straight, with a pen, looking through the plan as if the words needed more of her attention than he did
And maybe they did
Maybe he should get this cold treatment
But it didn't stop the anger rising up
Damon held his pen tightly, his fingers turning white as he looked over, and saw Andrew watching her too
Of course he was
The room had important people, creators, marketing leaders, but all Damon could sense was his heart racing as Kareen wrote calmly without looking at him
No passion,
No interest,
No second thoughts,
She was acting like they hadn't touched her
That he hadn't made her shout his name in a room
That her lips hadn't trembled under his recently
And that,
That hurt more than being ignored
.
The meeting went on and on
Figures, Times to finish, Deals,
Damon said all the correct things
Agreed at all the correct times
But he kept looking over
She looked perfect today
Red lipstick
Neat hair
Skin shining like trouble dressed as work
But she never looked at him
And it bothered him
He thought back to when he first saw her
That bar in Tokyo
She glowed even then
Careless, upset, laughing into her drink like the world could end and she'd still be okay
He didn't plan to be there that night
Andrew made him go
But when he saw her, wow, nothing else mattered
And now, she was leaving again
But not from sight
Out of reach
.
The meeting ended, people talking as chairs moved and they left into the hall
Damon let Andrew go without a word
He needed a moment
He walked down the hall, with his phone, barely seeing the alerts on his screen
And then he heard it
Laughter,
A woman's,
Cutting,
Known,
He slowed down, getting closer to the space near the snack machines where some models were talking, drinking coffee and whispering like their voices didn't carry
Chloe
She was in the middle, playing with her hair, with a mean smile
"I'm just saying, Kareen's success is quick, don't you think?" she said nicely, "Unless, she's got help and a boss in her bed"
Laughter,
Mathilda snorted
"She's either the luckiest person ever or a very well-kept secret here, but I think she sleeps her way to the top"
Damon stopped moving forward,
Every part of him stopped moving,
His jaw got tight as her name broke through the air again
Words like "favoritism" and "advantage" thrown like rocks they thought she couldn't feel
But he did feel them,
He walked forward without thinking, full of anger held inside
Chloe had her back to him when he spoke
"Wow, I don't recall asking what you think"
The group quickly turned around
Chloe's eyes got big, then showed some fun when she saw who it was
"Damon," she said, giving a flirty smile, "I didn't see you, we were just kidding around"
"I didn't think it was funny," he said plainly
He walked past the others and grabbed her wrist, not hard, but enough to surprise her
She gasped, more from surprise than from pain,
He didn't shout,
Didn't make threats,
He just took her a few steps away, into the dark hall where no one could easily hear them
"You think you're funny?" he said coldly
Chloe blinked, but she still smirked
"I think you're uptight," she replied, getting closer, "Maybe you need to loosen up"
She put a hand on his chest, slowly and carefully
Her body got closer,
Her voice became a whisper,
"I could help you forget all about her… if you let me"
Damon looked at her, mouth slightly open, eyes down, her breath on his neck
He didn't move
But inside, something broke
This wasn't Kareen
This wasn't what he wanted
He reached up and moved Chloe's hand off his chest, carefully but surely
"No," he said
She looked confused
"No?"
"No," he said again, stepping away, "Whatever you think this is, it will not happen"
Her smile started to fade
"I don't get desperate," he added
Then he turned and walked away
He didn't look back
Not even once
Because he only wanted to look back at one woman
And she still wouldn't look at him
She got in even closer
Chloe's lips were almost on his jaw, her perfume too strong, the kind that stays around after a woman leaves the room. Her fingers moved softly across his chest, her smile flirty and sure
"I could help you forget all about her," she whispered, the words hanging in the air between them. "If you let, just one time"
Damon didn't move
Not right away
He stood still, long enough for her to think he was thinking about it
Long enough for her to look down, for her lips to open a bit like she was expecting something
But in his head, he only thought of Kareen
He remembered her breath catching when he touched her
The gentle sound of her voice, filled with shyness and want
The way she used to look at him, like he was the only one that mattered
But she hadn't looked at him like that since then
He slowly lifted his hand, and took Chloe's hand away from his chest, not rough, but steady
And he put her hand back down at her side
"No," he stated, calmly but making himself clear
Chloe blinked, her lips opened with a little, surprised laugh
"You don't really mean that," she responded, her voice turning sweet again, trying to get things back. "I've seen how you look at Me sometimes… maybe you have just been wanting the wrong girl"
"I mean it," Damon answered, taking a step back. "You are not her"
Her smile became smaller
"She is acting like she's hard to get, That doesn't mean you have to act stupid," she said, now sharp, her tone changing
"I'm not acting at all," Damon said quietly, "This isn't a game, It's not about winning"
Chloe crossed her arms under her chest, lifting herself up in a smooth, practiced way
"She has you completely under her control," she said angrilly, "Everyone can see it, You think she's special, but she isn't, Girls like her, they aren't faithful, They make men like you and Andrew keep chasing them just long enough to feel important, then they go away"
Damon's eyes got smaller
"Are you done yet?"
She smirked, but it seemed more like a crack in her confidence
"Just trying to be helpful," she mentioned
"No," he repeated again, "You're trying to be her instead, and I don't want someone else, Especially someone who thinks insults are smart"
Her face got red, but she stood her ground
"So are you just going to keep letting her ignore you? Make you look foolish?"
He moved closer then, not with wanting her, but with a hard look
"You think being quiet is making me look foolish?" he questioned,"I think it's holding back, And if you knew anything about her, or me, you would know the difference"
Chloe's breath stopped for just a second, her eyes were unsure
But still, she reached for him again, lightly touching his sleeve, like one last touch might still open the door he had already closed
Damon stepped fully away this time, making a space between them like a wall
"I am not one to act rashly," was his straightforward reply,
And then, came the statement that changed everything completely.
"Don't speak of Kareen in that manner. Unless you want me to talk about you in the same way, but even more intensely"
Chloe remained silent.
Her arm lowered bit by bit.
Her body stiffened, but she gave no reply.
Because there was simply nothing else to say.
Damon walked off without pausing for anything more.
He did not hurry,
He did not glance back,
His heart grew heavy with each movement, but it wasn't regret that caused it.
It was a more profound irritation.
Because he had at last refused, at last set a boundary, yet the only woman he wished knew it wasn't even watching him.
As he neared the hallway's end, voices from the other area began to disappear into a haze.
But Kareen's non-presence, her planned avoidance, echoed more loudly than any reverberation.
He was supposed to feel justified.
Pleased.
Level-headed.
Instead, his throat felt that burning sensation.
His hands felt that rising warmth.
She had no idea just how deeply she had affected him.
And perhaps, that's what frightened him the most.
He had left Chloe behind.
Rejected a guaranteed outcome.
Because she wasn't the right person.
And if that wasn't an infatuation, then it was something that posed a greater risk.
Something that didn't vanish just because she refused to notice him.