THE NEW NORMAL

When I was much younger, my parents would call me beautiful.

'You are so beautiful, my princess...just like your mother,' my father would say.

My mum would tease him and say, 'Of course. She got her beauty from me.'

Their laughter would fill the room and echo loudly in the hallways of our mansion. These were good times—-among several other beautiful moments I shared with them.

When this overconfident man had muttered, 'Caroline, do you have an idea just how beautiful you are?'

It reminded me of those good days. How strange...the feeling that emerged, how different yet close, to what I had felt each time my parents called me beautiful.

I feel the edges of my lips curl into a small smile and I close my eyes at the rush of the memories. When I open my eyes, they widen at the proximity of our bodies. His body press tightly to mine, his lips...just an inch away from covering mine. I lick the bottom of my lips, a soft gasp escaping my throat. I snatch my hand away from his grip.

'Is this what you did to the previous employees? No wonder they all left.' I scoff, taking few steps away from this annoying man with a really...handsome face.

He lifts his eyebrow, a mixture of surprise and confusion sprawl across his face. He opens his mouth like he has something to say, but nothing comes out.

I roll my eyes and turn to leave, but my steps falter when I heard him say, 'Some of them were men, Caroline. Trust me, I don't roll that way. As for the women I hired in the past, they were not this beautiful.'

I whip back my head, lifting my eyebrow. This man is not normal. Nothing about him seems normal.

'And what do you mean by you hired?' I drawl out my question slowly.

He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out...again. I scoff. He's crazy.

'Yes.' he says, walking close to me. 'I was tasked by Mr. Hills himself to hire the perfect candidates for this role.'

I roll my eyes, remembering Miles had said something similar weeks ago.

I lick my bottom lip, massaging my temple as I voice out, 'so what exactly did Mr. Hills task you with today? Oh, could it have been to flirt with me?'

He keeps silent briefly before he starts to chuckle...the dimples on his cheeks appearing in full display.

'You are unbelievable.' He utters calmly.

I roll my eyes. Licking my lips, I turn around to walk back to my desk. 'Well, enjoy...I'll be right there by the desk if you need me.'

Few minutes later, his handsome face appears in front of me...both his hands on the desk, 'I think we might have started off on the wrong foot, Caroline. Believe me, I'm not what you think I am.'

I lean back into the chair. 'And what exactly do you feel I think about you? Oh, right...that you are a pervert?'

He starts chuckling and my eyes land on his dimples. Strange how I feel there's more to this man—-something I can't quite put my fingers on. He sits on my desk, leaning in...his eyes lingering on me

He smiles, the deep dimples on his cheeks beautifying his face, making my lips suddenly feel dry. 'No. I'm not a pervert, Caroline. Your beauty is just...so mesmerizing.'

I keep silent, licking my lips and I instantly feel heat rush to my face. This man is so smooth...In fact, I think he's dangerous. His eyes land on the books on the desk. I was reading one of those before his sudden visit. He picks up one of the textbooks.

He expresses, 'You've been doing some studying I see, unbelievable. But hey, with these books I must say you are on the right track.'

I open my mouth to speak, but he beats me to it. 'Business is boring, you know that? Have you tried poetry?'

I drop my hands on the desk, tilting my head. 'Poetry?'

He nods, dropping the book back on the desk. He leans in, his eyes lingering on me.

He speaks almost silently, his breath brushing my face in the process. 'Yes. I can recommend you some good poems to read...better still...we can go to the bookstore together this weekend.'

Okay, he's really dangerous—-something keeps drawing me to him. In a way, I don't feel too good about it.

I open my mouth to refuse, a soft gasp escaping my mouth immediately I heard myself say, 'Cool.'

He smiles, a warm smile that reaches his eyes. My eyes widen, watching him chuckle.

'I'll take that as a yes before you change your mind.'

He gets on his feet and strides to the elevator. I watch the elevator open and he enters, sending me a wink before saying, 'I'll text you, Caroline...'

And how will he text me when he doesn't have my number? What a weirdo. My head replays the whole thing in the archive...over and over again. I haven't experienced something like this before. It feels odd that this man that came in a while ago had called me beautiful and seems to be interested in me. He is so handsome...no doubt. A lot of women must throw themselves at him. He's also a director in the company, so he definitely earns a decent pay and is likely living a comfortable life.

Somehow, it feels good. Still, he seems dangerous and I wonder if I should steer clear of him. Throughout the day, I engage in cleaning to distract myself. When it's time to leave, I grab my bag and take the elevator to the busy main building.

At home, I shower and change into my sleepwear. I make myself dinner and continue to pack the rest of my things in the boxes. I started packing days ago when I found a new place. The rent is decent and the neighborhood is quiet. It seems like a normal neighborhood and that's enough.

My heart jumps immediately I heard the sound of a fired gunshot. The sounds of motorbikes follow, along with noises from the street. A gang fight is going on downstairs...I rush to the windows, making sure I lock them. Going to the door, I double-check if locked to ensure my safety.

I sigh, sinking into the floor by the door...my back against the wall. The noises continue nonstop...gunshots, screams...I cover my ears, shutting my eyes. I heard approaching footsteps and I start to panic. The footsteps stop right in front of my door and I heard a sudden loud bang. The banging continues and I cover my mouth with my palm.

I keep silent, waiting for them to leave. Then a deep husky voice says, 'I don't think there's anyone in here.'

Instantly, another deep voice adds, 'Let's break down the door to check, boss. They could be hiding in here.'

My eyes widen in shock and fear washes all over me. If they break the door down tonight, I will never be the same...they will surely harm me.

'Oh, shit!' I curse silently.