Chapter- 08

"Who said you can leave?" Ethan slams over his desk.

Ryan knows he can take some time to process, but before that, he needs to panic first.

"Can't you hear me, you fool?"

Ryan grumbles, there is no good business in trying to get his boss mad and suffer the consequences following, that too resulting from Ryan's purest of intentions, "I-"

"Shut up," Ethan is clearly pissed off, "Stop giving nonsense explanations now and come over here! I have a task for you. Right now," he hisses, "And please do keep in mind that you can come here sometimes by your own choice and as per efficiency, but can never leave by your own choice. Is that clear?"

Ryan strays from the direction he was heading towards, turning around, submitting himself to the overseer, waltzing his way back to where he had been when he first entered inside through those monstrous glass panels, "Okay, okay. I am Sorry," he yields.

"I have to go examine a location. It is just within a walking distance," Ethan trails off, "And you are coming with me."

"Huh??" Ryan immediately face-palms, "I meant, why me?" He stifles as soon as he has registered his boss glaring at him.

Ethan quizzically lifts an eyebrow, "Why not you? I thought you were my assistant?"

"You know what I mean," Ryan says again without hesitation, "You do, right?"

"I absolutely do not," Ethan is too lazy to solve any riddles, "You are coming with me, do you understand that?"

"I guess so," given the circumstances, there was nothing else that Ryan could have said. "It is really a walking distance, right? I can't ride my bicycle again! I already feel tired."

Unresponsive— Ethan does not really want to put up with the absurdities of his assistant right now, "You do talk too much," he grabs the piece of tuxedo which he had hung prior, at the hook of the door and throws it on.

Ryan, nonetheless, can not help but feel qualms, "Sir, are you sure about this?"

"Mr. Miller, kindly don't question stupid things."

"Yeah, alright but, are you still sure about this?"

Ethan creases his face, a definite 'what is exactly wrong with you' demeanour unmasking on the man's handsome features— words were never required, or sought, during times like these.

"Alright, I'm sorry," Ryan quickly realises the intensity of Ethan's just one look of his eyes, "I get it. I get it. No more stupid questions," he cons to zip his lips together.

"Are you good to go now? Or would you prefer a makeover or something?" Ryan is not sure what was that unnecessary sarcasm for, he may have been late, but that was definitely not due to his appearance— and then it clicks, it actually was. "Uh- yeah, I am good to go."

"Then come," Mr. Haughty reaches for the brunette's hand, instinctively Ryan withdraws it although.

"Damn you! I was trying to help!!"

"Thanks but I am fine. I can walk," Ryan shifts his gaze away, looking at the hands— what were both of them actually thinking?

"I honestly doubted that," Ethan takes the lead, "Stop clenching your fists. I won't touch you without consent."

Ryan's jaw drops, "That's not–" he strives to justify after he had unclenched the 'punches'. Of course he can't say what he actually had in mind— or risking his job…again.

Ethan shushes him, "Shh! Follow me now," he struts out of the room, checking every now and then if his Personal Assistant is still following him. "You don't even know your way around this small mansion, how can I trust you with all sorts of directions then?"

"Small?" Ryan double checks the exit, and the entire frame is not even beheld by his eyes, "Which portion of it exactly seems small to you?"

Ethan grins— Ethan. . .grins?

"I knew you would say something like that," Ethan ejects an unamused chuckle, "You did not quite understand what I wanted to say."

Ryan nods, "That is true," gratefully neither Ryan, nor his boss dwells for long on such a baffling sentence. Ethan is walking a few steps ahead, after they had crossed the threshold extending from an exit.

"Mr. Miller, can you maybe walk in front of me? I kind of feel anxious that you will get lost or something," Ethan rambles, "Like I am really worried, for my reputation at least."

Ryan retorts, not without an obvious eye roll, "Why? Do you take me for a kid or something?"

"Nothing better than that for sure," he slips his hands into the pockets each, "So?"

Ryan shrugs, "But I don't know anything around here. Where am I supposed to head if I lead the way? I will just keep standing like a dunderhead."

"Just a few steps from here, Mr. Miller."

"Still…" Ryan clears his throat, an itch is already in his nape, "I don't trust myself either."

"You are impossible," Ethan hauls, throwing Ryan for a loop— and retrieves backwards, until they are even, until Ethan and Ryan are side by side, "This is better."

Ryan doesn't know why, but he is being too extraordinarily defensive today, "Don't hold my hand."

"I was not going to. You can stop being at the edge around me," Mr. Haughty really finds himself at the brink of losing his temper— but no bossing around until he has acquired the assistance he required from Ryan.

"Don't even think of taking those hands out of your pocket!!"

Ethan sighs, disappointed "Who do you think you are, man?" And before he can fall victim to Ryan's trust issues again, he picks up speed and it takes hardly fifteen minutes to reach their destination.

A grey building stands tall, majestically silhouetted against the clear blue sky— a stark contrast, except for cloudy days. Its exterior walls are made up of smooth concrete and glass, the reflections of scenic greenery and the pool in front, ball dancing. With an ascending sight, one can clearly see the fourth and fifth floors are undergoing renovations.

"We are here, Mr. Miller," he says, approaching the entrance, "Please come inside."

Ryan feels nervous, "Well…are there people inside?" Was it again a stupid question to ask? This time, maybe not.

"No. Work has been paused for some time now. LOVESICK ran out of funds and manpower to continue with the construction for a while now," Ethan draws the pane wide, to provide a clearer view of what is going on inside.

Truly, only scaffolds and tools are littering the area— no worker is in sight.

Ethan continues to hold the door open for the brunette, "Come inside, then? Please be quick, my hand will start to hurt otherwise."

"Why are we here, by the way?" Ryan serves a curiosity, making his way through the doorsill, "I mean for what purpose?"

"LOVESICK is going to open a showroom on the first floor. A banquet hall on the second. A candlelit restaurant on the third. The fourth one is still undecided, we count it as extra," Ethan keeps narrating, very often changing the route of directions— of course it is not easy registering everything at once for the brunette, he knew it would take some time.

"And the ground one?"

"The reception of course, and all other lawful dealings," he stands before an elevator, pressing the necessary button, with an upward pointing arrow labelled, 'Open', "For now let us examine the showroom first."

"Oh?" Ryan pops his lips, "Sir, if we are only heading towards the first floor, we don't really need an elevator you know? The stairs are fine."

"I know. But it is not for luxury," the elevator doors draw apart, "I need to check if these things are working efficiently," he steps inside, then beckoning to his assistant, "You shall come, too. What if something happens to me, just in case?"

"Sir, we shall not take such risks without any rescue personnel," Ryan's heart beats like a drum inside, "We really don't have to pretend to be superheroes. We shall hire professionals for such tasks."

Ethan curls his lips, with a gritted pair he snarls, "Are you coming or not? I trust the workers. Now come already."

"But–" the brunette looks at his hands, when Mr. Haughty, already sealing his assistant's protests, outstretch his hands, "I am holding your wrist, okay?" He claims the fitting wrist and tugs Ryan inside— the latter stumbles subtly, but regains his equilibrium in a trice.

"You made me keep pressing the Door Hold button all these while. My hand is hurting again, take responsibility now," Mr. Haughty is at it again; well, he has the superiority.

"What do you want me to do? Massage your hand or something?" Ryan's eyes narrow slightly, he crosses his arms, "Well?"

"I would not really mind if you do so," Ethan blatantly and shamelessly admits, "Your hands are soft…"

Ryan uncrosses his arms, his eyes widening, "What?? What the hell are you saying?"

'It's not a big deal', that is all Ethan seeks to speak— maybe because it really isn't. He does say that, but a more rephrased statement, "You have been putting up with me. You deserve a compliment."

"What kind of boss on earth compliments like this?" Ryan's cheeks burn red— yes, what is exactly wrong with him??

The elevator comes to a sudden jolt, and stops abruptly, jerking both the men. "What the hell?" Ryan curses, "It is definitely not the first floor. The screen still shows it is at the ground."

"You know, Ryan, I felt like we were moving too slowly," Ethan scans the doors, "Nah! They're stuck shut."

Ryan's heart backflips again, "What…did you call me again?" He says with several blinks of his eyes.

"Oh, right, sorry. Mr. Miller, I meant," Mr. Haughty spins on his heels, "What is it now? Power cut? Are we trapped in this mess? I feel too warm for my comfort here."

"But the light is still on, Sir," he points the finger at the bulb on its left wall, "Oh- it is flickering."

And the lights go off. Plunging the two men in a blind darkness.

"Amazing!" Ethan chirps, "Just amazing," already slipping his phone out from his back pocket, the man steals some concerned glances at Ryan, at the end of the day, Ethan never meant to cause any harm on any of his workers, no matter how heartless he might appear.

Sick of his life, Ryan now stances against the back, "Are we stranded?"

"No. I will just call the emergency service from my office. Don't worry," he drops a ring but as old as the tale goes, there is no network.

"No network, right?" Despite the darkness, Ethan can see Ryan look down at him from the corner of his eye. "Do we have a Sherlock here?"

Ryan snorts, "Mock me all you want but right now we are trapped, remember that. And together too."

"The emergency button is of no use right now, there are no workers here!!" Crestfallen, Ethan tugs at his ravenette hairs violently, "Argh! What shall we do now??"

"Wait."

"We can't really stay still here, waiting for some angel to come and save us, can we, Mr. Miller?"

Ryan mumbles, "Let me know if you have anything better in mind?"

Ethan shakes his head in disappointment, he thinks he pulled his hairs too hard, his scalp is now beginning to hurt— "When you will be massaging my hand, please give me a head massage too."

"You wish," the assistant wheezed— he thinks maybe it was because his 'Mr. Haughty' was being too hilarious, to which he himself could not hold back a cackle, not realising the otherwise gravity.

"I don't think I said something sooo funny that you had to wheeze so loudly,"— humiliated. Yes, Mr. Haughty feels humiliated. But he can't be mad at the brunette, even though he is trying to...well somewhat. Why? He doesn't know the answer either.

"That's not…" Ryan takes an unusually deep breath, "Sir, I- I think…"

Sniffing twice, with strenuous inhales, Ethan thinks he smells something burning, "Mr. Miller? Are you okay?" He looks upwards, but finds nothing.

"I- I-" Ryan huffs, "Brea…" his words are all swallowed, he clearly can not breathe.

Ethan, too, can not breathe, but at least he is trained in holding his breath for a longer period of time, "Mr. Miller?" Pearl-like sweat beads have found themselves a spacious vastness on Ryan's forehead, profusely. He is huffing too bad, his cheeks are ruddy. The brunette's back is slithering more and more towards the ground, scratching against the metal support.

"I am holding you okay?" Sick-worried, Ethan crouches to his assistant's height, and grabs the puny physique in his manly arms— Ryan passes out.

"Mr. Miller!?" Ethan taps the hot cheeks gently, gradually it is becoming for the ravenette to breathe too with all the gushing smoke swirling around him, "Open your eyes!" He taps the cheek again, lowering Ryan further, "Please…" Ethan had never thought he will ever find tears in his eyes again, but people change with time, time changes your people,

"Ryan, I am sorry! Please open your eyes. Please. . ."