Chapter 103: I miss you more than I expected.
It had been a week and three days since Augustine left for his business trip, yet to Charles, it felt like an eternity.
Occasionally, Augustine would send him a brief text—just a few words whenever he found the time—but those messages only deepened the ache in Charles’s chest.
The absence, the silence between the texts, made him realize just how much he missed him.
Sigh!
A loud sigh escaped the lips of Charles as his shoulder dropped down in frustration.
"Hey, you’re at it again," Freda snapped, giving Charles a light smack on the shoulder. "Stop sighing every damn minute, okay? It’s annoying." She grumbled, narrowing her eyes at him.
Charles shook his head, rolling his eyes at her. "I just want this company project to be over already," he muttered, his brows knitting into a frown. "And with CEO Augustine gone for over a week, I just hope the launch of the new designs doesn’t turn into a disaster."
"Huh? Are you worried about the project launch, or is it CEO Augustine you’re worried about. Besides, isn’t it a good thing that he’s not here?" Freda teased, a knowing smirk playing on her lips.
Deep down, she suspected Charles’s frustration had to do with the heavy workload.
Charles scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Obviously, I’m worried about the project launch," he retorted, crossing his arms.
Freda chuckled, unconvinced. "Mmm-hmm, sure. You’ve been sighing like a lovesick puppy all week. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you had a crush on the CEO." She wiggled her brows playfully.
Charles stiffened for a split second before forcing out a laugh. "Don’t be ridiculous," he muttered, averting his gaze.
"Freda, I’m concerned about the CEO of this company, and I’m also concerned about the success of the project launch," Charles stated firmly.
"Erhh yay yay," Freda mumbled, rolling her eyes as a string of gibberish left her lips.
With a playful grin, she tapped Charles’s foot with the brush handle in her hand. "You sound like a robot. Just admit it, you are tired of working and you don’t care about any fucking project."
"I am concerned about the project." He stated with a firm voice.
"You don’t have to worry about anything, Charles. Just make sure you’re not overworking yourself and actually listening to your doctor’s advice," Freda said, eyeing him closely. "But honestly, it’s been over a week, and you still look pale. And—" she squinted at him, a teasing smirk forming on her lips— "is it just me, or have you been wearing lip gloss lately?"
Charles’s eyes widened instantly, and he took a step back, quickly lowering his gaze to the floor as he focused intently on his mopping.
His grip on the mop tightened, as if willing himself to disappear into his task.
Freda chuckled, clearly amused.
She knew he was embarrassed, and that only fueled her teasing.
Ever so slowly, she closed the distance between them, crouching down slightly so she could peek at his face.
Even though he stubbornly kept his gaze locked on the ground, she could see the faint flush creeping up his cheeks.
"Why are you being shy, Mister Charles?" Freda whispered teasingly, her voice dripping with amusement.
Charles tensed immediately, gripping the mop tighter as he spun around, pretending to be deeply invested in scrubbing another section of the floor.
But Freda wasn’t about to let him escape.
With a mischievous grin, she rushed in front of him again, lowering herself so she could peek up at his face.
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she purred, "Charles is putting on lip gloss, and he’s been using more perfume than usual. Someone is definitely up to something."
Freda was simply enjoying the fact that she was making fun of Charles.
"Stop teasing me, okay," Charles grumbled but Freda didn’t care about his complaint.
She kept on teasing him, until the head staff cleaner who was passing by caught the playful act of them.
"Freda. Charles." The voice of the head staff cleaner rang out, snapping them both to attention.
Immediately, they straightened up, their playful expressions replaced by seriousness as they turned to face her.
"I’d appreciate it if you both focused on working, alright?" she said, arms crossed. "We have just three more days before the company’s big event, so if you want to continue your little couple’s play, do it outside of work. For now, get back to business."
Freda stifled a laugh, while Charles’s face burned red.
Charles and Freda bite onto their lower lips as they nod their head while forcing themselves not to burst out in laughter.
As soon as the head staff manager was out of sight, the laughter they had been holding back burst forth in unison.
"Hahaha!" They doubled over, their laughter filling the room as they exchanged amused glances.
"She... she actually thought we were a couple!" Freda stammered between fits of laughter, clutching her stomach.
Charles shook his head, chuckling. "Unbelievable."
They laughed until their voices softened, and slowly, the amusement faded.
They finished their cleaning duties, and an hour and a half later, they stepped out of Gyapm Corporation Hall, where the company’s design launch would soon take place.
"Today was exhausting," Charles muttered, exhaling deeply as he gazed up at the night sky, letting the warm breeze brush against his skin.
Freda nodded her head as she copied the behaviour of Charles by looking at the sky. "Yeah, it’s." Freda purred, stretching her hands wide open to properly feel the breeze of the night. "I think my legs are about to give up on me." She groaned.
Charles chuckled, tilting his head back to gaze at the starry sky. "At least we’re done for the day."
He closed his eyes briefly, allowing the warm night breeze to wash over him.
"The fact that we now have to work morning and night is just so annoying." Freda stated while letting out a loud hiss rolled out of her mouth.
"It truly is." Charles seconded.
Freda glanced at him, a smirk tugging at her lips. "You know, for someone who’s exhausted, you sure look like you’re waiting for something... or someone."
Charles rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the small smile that crept onto his face.
They kept quiet, allowing their breath to mingle with the night air for a while before exhaling.
"I need to get going, Charles. I have a date with a handsome guy." Freda stated, placing her hands deep inside her trouser pocket as she walked up towards the roadside.
Charles sneered. "You’re always going on different dates," he said, shaking his head in mock disapproval. "I just hope you find a decent partner someday so you can finally stop entertaining all these weird men," he added, his tone laced with playful teasing.
Freda sneered as she stretched out her hand to hail a cab. "At least I’m better than you, Charles. I go on dates, but you don’t—and those are two very different things," she declared, a bright smile playing on her lips.
A cab slowed to a stop in front of her, and without missing a beat, Freda pulled the door open and slid into the seat.
Just before shutting the door, she leaned out slightly, flashing Charles a teasing grin. "Get yourself a girlfriend already, so you’ll stop sighing every chance you get."
With that, she shut the door, leaving Charles standing there with a scowl.
"She’s really rubbing her dating life in my face. Tch!" he muttered under his breath, shaking his head as he watched the cab drive off into the night.
He swallowed hard, deciding that a walk might help clear his head so he began to stroll down the road, the cool night air brushing against his skin.
Slipping a hand into his trouser pocket, Charles pulled out his phone and unlocked it.
With a deep breath, he began typing a message, his fingers hesitating slightly over the screen.
"Hey, how are things over there?"
Immediately after typing his question, he pressed the message icon and sent his text to Augustine.
Seconds later, Augustine swiftly replied to the text message of Charles.
"I’m handling business deals for my other companies, but I’ve missed you terribly. I can’t wait to be done with all of this—I need you by my side, Charles. I need to feel your touch and be close to you."
As Charles read through Augustine’s first message, his heart skipped a beat.
The words felt intimate, laced with a longing that made his chest tighten.
Just as he was about to process the emotions swirling inside him, another message notification popped up on his screen.
"If being alone ever feels too much, promise me you’ll tell me. Besides, I’ll always make arrangements for us."
Charles’s cheeks flushed as his eyes shimmered with a mix of joy and longing.
His fingers trembled slightly over the keyboard before he finally typed, "I can manage on my own, Augustine... but some days, I miss you. I miss you more than I should, and I hate that."
He hit send before he could re-read his text, unaware that his simple confession would stir something deep within Augustine.