Ellen had on a blue nightgown that stopped at her knee. Stopping for just a minute to pick up the robe, she draped it over herself and headed downstairs.Leo was standing just at the entrance; he was resting on his car. Gone were his usual suit and pants; instead, he had on a white T-shirt, which he paired with a denim jean. Ellen looked at him from the head, but when she got to his toe, she realized something must be wrong.He had on a pair of flip-flops with different colors, obviously not the same pair.“Leo? what’s wrong? Why are you here?” Ellen asked as she walked up to him.“Ellen, thank you for coming down,” Leo said, smiling as soon as he saw her.Ellen looked at his feet again and tried to stifle a laugh. Leo looked in the direction she was and grinned. “It’s not funny, Ellen,” he said playfully.Her hair cascaded down around her, framing her beautiful face. Leo felt a tightening in his chest but masked it with a smile.“My grandma insisted on seeing you. On days when she ge
Sandra looked at Leo; he seemed to have forgotten she was standing close to him. There was a longing in his eyes, like he was looking at something he wanted to have. Sandra turned back to look at Ellen, and then it struck her."Leo, you like Ellen!" Sandra exclaimed. Her face had surprise written all over it. Who would believe that the almighty Leo had fallen for such a girl? Sandra thought, looking at Ellen with disdain.The statement jerked Leo out of his trance. He had been captivated by seeing Ellen. She had taken his breath away. Ellen was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on that night.Turning to face Sandra, Leo raised a brow and asked her, “What nonsense are you spewing again?”"Well, you tell me, you just had that look on your face,” Sandra told him. She felt threatened by Ellen. Oh, this isn’t going to be as easy as I thought, Sandra thought, shooting lasers with her eye at Ellen.“What stupid look are you talking about? If you are going to keep saying nonsense
Leo’s heart was pounding as he saw Viva get to the entrance of the path leading to where he was standing with Ellen.Viva had her back to the path, and they could hear her say, “But he had been here just now. Where could Leo have gone?"She stood there for another minute. Ellen couldn’t hear a thing; she was drowning in the sound of her heartbeat.Her senses were sharpened. Leo was standing rigidly in front of her; it felt like he was frozen, even though his hand was still on her lips.Leo and Ellen’s eyes were fixed on Viva, mentally urging her not to turn around. As if sensing their mental push, Viva tried to turn in their direction.Ellen’s heart was about to drop out of her chest when they heard someone call Viva."Viva, let’s head back inside. What are you looking for over there?” the person said.The call stopped Viva from turning fully in their direction. “He probably has gone back into the hall,” they heard Viva mutter as she answered loudly, “Okay, let’s go back,” to the pers
Ellen was confused as to why Leo would get so mad at what Sandra had to say. It was no secret that Sandra got on Leo’s nerves like every other lady who sought Leo’s attention—maybe more than the rest, actually.“Hey,Leo, don’t get pissed off. I don’t think there is any reason for Ellen not to know,” Sandra said, purposely drawing out the suspense for Ellen.“Is there something?" Ellen tried to ask Leo.Sandra cut her off by saying, "I, my dear, am Leo’s ex-girlfriend, who he can’t seem to get over.”The sound of a heart beating like a drum, raging against its rib cage, filled Ellen’s head. She looked at Leo and noticed he was enraged as he walked back towards them.“I just thought you should know, now that I’m back and all,” Sandra said, smiling wickedly as she turned and headed back to the party.The color on Ellen’s face drained. What in the world was going on? Why did I lose my heart to my boss in the first place? Ellen thought.“Ellen, let’s get the hell out of this place,” Leo sa
It was with the speed of lightening that Ellen jumped out of bed and got ready for work.“Damn, of course today is Monday. The party was on a Sunday, which makes today a work day,” Ellen muttered as she got her bag and hurried out of her room.“Hey, my dear, you’re still around?” Mrs. Grater said this as soon as Ellen stepped out of her room."Morning, mom, yes, I am,” Ellen said, hurrying towards the door.“I assumed you had gone to work already,” Mrs. Grater replied as Ellen opened the door.“It’s alright, mom; see you later,” Ellen shouted and left the apartment. Ellen mentally prayed she wouldn’t get held up with traffic; that was why she usually loved to leave home early.“Well, it’s not my fault; I mean, the party was on Sunday for crying out loud,” Ellen muttered as she got down from the bus and hurried towards the hotel.“Not that I can tell Leo that.” Ellen said, rolling her eyes at her statement as she entered the hotel lobby.Ellen was twenty minutes late by the time she go
“You got it all done in a few minutes?” Leo asked as he looked at Ellen in surprise.“Yes, I saw it was about the Los Angeles project, so I decided to prioritize it and get it to you today,” Ellen replied. She had made up her mind to do all she could to ensure that her personal feelings did not get in the way of her work.“Okay, thank you. That’s really good,” Leo replied. He was relieved that the tension he assumed would cover them was gradually fading off.“Will that be all?” Ellen asked before she left his office. Leo was pleased, and it showed on his face.“I would like you to reach out to all departments, informing them about the upcoming event,” Leo told her.Ellen was puzzled. “An event?” she asked.“Yes, the Caraway Foundation will be having their annual event here.” Leo informed her.Ellen knew the Caraway Foundation; anyone in Manhattan was familiar with the name. The foundation had a great reputation, and every event they hosted received a lot of media coverage.“Oh, that i
Ellen had finished sending the notice across the department, and she was about to go report back to Leo. She walked over to his door, and the next thing she knew was that her lips were close to his chest as he bumped into her.“Hey, Alex,” Leo was saying when he bumped into Ellen. For a minute, Leo and Ellen froze; they stood rooted at the door.“Mr. Warner?” Alex said as he stood up and walked towards them. Alex didn’t have a direct view of Leo’s door from his desk, so he didn’t see Leo and Ellen.The realization that Alex was walking towards them had Leo and Ellen springing apart.“Hmm, I’m sorry; I didn’t know you were coming out,” Ellen said hurriedly.“I’m sorry, it’s fine,” Leo answered, trying to cover up how flustered he was.“Mr. Warner, you called me,” Alex said as he got to them. He noticed that Ellen looked awkward and asked her, "Ellen, are you fine?” Alex asked, concerned.“Yes, I’m fine, Alex,” Ellen replied.“Hmm, we are going over to check the ballroom. Let’s go,” Le
In Leo's eyes, Ellen saw him draw that invisible line again. She saw the switch as he gave up on her.“You can go with him; I don’t need you for any other task here,” Leo told Ellen, smiled at Felix, and headed to his office.Leo walked into his office, his shoulders heavy with the hurt he was feeling. His resolve keeps melting whenever he is in close proximity to Ellen. Felix had saved him by asking her out, but why was he so hurt by that?“Get your act together, man,” Leo whispered to himself as he walked to his desk.Leo’s phone rang just as he sat on his seat, and when he picked up the phone, he saw it was Mary.“Hello, Mary,” Leo said, picking up the call.“Hello, Mr. Warner, good day,” Mary replied.“How’s my grandma?” Leo asked lazily as he stretched his legs out.“Mrs. Warner is fine. She asked me to inform you she is going to bed early today,” Mary replied.“Okay, isn’t she having dinner?” Leo asked.“She already had some food just now and has gone up,” Mary informed Leo.“Al
Leo looked back to see Felix walk into the office with a smug look on his face. "Felix! Where have you been?" Leo asked before looking to see Ellen pointing at Felix with a look of panic on her face again. "Why are you pointing at Felix? Ellen, what is going on? Are you sure this isn't just an act?" Leo asked, stepping away from her. "It's him; he is behind it, Leo," Ellen said, speaking up. Leo shook his head in amazement and replied, "If this is some sort of joke, would you please stop it?" "I am telling you the damn truth; would you for once believe me?" Ellen shouted at him. Leo paused for a minute, then turned to look at Felix as he asked, "What the hell is she saying?" Felix shrugged and said, "I don't know Leo; I think she needs to go to the hospital; it's probably a panic due to the pregnancy." Leo turned to Ellen, concern etched on his face this time around as he said, "Ellen, I think we should get you to the hospital." Ellen screamed, beating Leo on the chest as she
Downstairs, Felix navigated through the crowd as he tried to avoid mingling. Everyone was having a light conversation while they all waited for the host."Felix? Over here," Mr. Phillips called from the crowd.Felix waved and smiled, hoping he would be able to slip away without having to go over, but Mr. Phillips had other plans."Felix, what a lovely event you have here. I must say that these past few days have made the Haven hotel the talk of the town," Mr. Phillips commented."I'm glad the event turned out better than we imagined," Felix replied, trying to keep his smile in place."I'm sure Leo is glad to have you on this; truly, two good heads are better than one," Mr. Phillips added."Felix, have you really been around? It's almost like you don't stay in New York," Viva said as she joined them with a glass of wine."I am Viva, but you only have eyes for one person; I guess that's why you haven't noticed me," Felix replied with a charming grin.Every other person in the group chuc
Ellen could feel her inside running faster than her physical legs could carry her."I should go home; yes, that's what I should do." Ellen murmured and walked out of the restaurant.She couldn't look back, for fear of seeing Felix come out of the restroom already.Ellen hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of her house."Alright, ma'am," the cab driver said, and he drove back onto the road.It was then that Ellen had the courage to look back, and she saw Felix walking out of the restaurant."This could just be a misunderstanding, right? I mean, what if I'm just mistaken? What if it's pregnancy hormones?" Ellen murmured.“I think I should have stayed to ask him,” Ellen muttered, adding, “It felt so real.”"I should tell Leo right; he has every right to know; he needs to know," Ellen whispered to herself with determination.She looked at her phone and realized it was too late to head to the hotel. She picked up her phone and dialed Leo's number. It rang for eternity, and nobody
Suddenly, fear gripped Ellen, her heart skipping as she looked back at the person behind her."Did I really scare you?" Felix asked, a broad grin on his face as he enjoyed the look on Ellen's face."What the hell was that about?" Ellen exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest as she calmed herself."I didn't mean to scare you; I just wanted to pull a prank on you," Felix explained as he laughed at her."That was not funny, Felix," Ellen told him, feigning anger."I know, but the look on your face was cute," Felix replied.Ellen turned and continued walking. "I thought you were too busy to come here," she said.Felix hurried after her and said, "Yeah, I had some things to take care of, but now I'm here and I'm taking you for dinner.Ellen paused, stopping in her tracks. "Dinner? All of a sudden?""Yes, you're done for the day, right? Let's go. I'll treat you to a nice meal," Felix said, grabbing Ellen's arm as he started walking towards his car.*******In Leo's office, he was going over
"What do you want, Sandra?" Ellen said, looking at Sandra, who showed up from nowhere to stand in front of her."You've grown some guts, Ellen; I thought you were banned from coming to this hotel." Sandra glared, stepping closer to her."Sandra, is there something specific you need or want to tell me?" Ellen asked calmly."You think I would have something important to talk to you about?" Sandra mocked."Whatever this is, I really don't have the time for it," Ellen informed her, stepping backward to create space between them.Sandra laughed mockingly, "What do you have if not time? I mean, with that pregnancy and all, I doubt if anyone is going to look your way.""Do you feel better from being mean?" Ellen asked.Sandra's eyes narrowed as she asked, "What did you just say?"Ellen struggled to remain calm. She looked at Sandra and smiled. "It's fine; we can't all have it perfect."Sandra's face went rigid. "Leo will never come back to you; I'll make sure of it," she hissed.Ellen looked
Leo brushed a hand through his hair and said, "Grandma, Ellen is...""Ellen!" Mrs. Grater exclaimed before Leo could finish his statement.Ellen? Where? Leo wondered as he looked towards the door, but there she was, in flesh."Uhm, hi, Mrs. Warner," Ellen said, stuttering as she tried to put on a smile for Mrs. Warner."How are you doing? Leo has been busy with school, you know; he has not come home. Why didn't you bring him home?" Mrs. Warner asked Ellen.Ellen didn't know how to explain it, so instead, she replied, "I'll make sure he comes from now on."That put a smile on Mrs. Warner's face as she pulled Ellen back to the lounge with her."Leo, see, it is Ellen." Mrs. Warner announced as if Leo was blind and hadn't seen her."Yes, grandma, it's Ellen," Leo replied, gesturing with his hand towards her.As Mrs. Warner pulled Ellen down beside her, they heard a commotion at the door."No, you can't do that now; it's supposed to be later today," Alex said as he walked through the door
Felix turned towards the wall nearest to him and slammed his hands against the wall, his face filled with anger as he cursed under his breath."F**k you!"Ellen didn't know what to do—if she was supposed to call him or just wait there till he saw her.Felix turned and headed out towards the entrance. Ellen hurried out and waited till he got to the entrance before she called out to him."Hey Felix, I didn't know you were still around," Ellen said, faking a surprised smile.Upon hearing Ellen call out to him, Felix relaxed his expression and turned up his lips in a smile."Hey, what's up? Yes, I am. I assumed you had gone already," Felix replied as he turned to face her."Uhm, we finished not too long ago; how are you?" Ellen asked, adding, "Are you heading to the hotel?""Uhm, yes, I am. Do you need a ride home?" Felix asked."No, don't worry, I'll find my way," Ellen replied. She wished she could ask him what was wrong, but she couldn't."Okay, call me when you get home," Felix told h
"Love stems from the most surprising places," Leo said, his voice deep and hoarse.Ellen placed her hand on the wall, her heart beating fast as she processed what she had just heard Leo say.The anchor for the broadcast asked again, "Would you say you have experienced this, Mr. Warner?"Leo smiled as he replied, "Yes, I have."Ellen hurried away into the restroom; she didn't stay to hear more of what Leo had to say."Our legacy was formed from love, and that is why the theme for this event is love and light," Leo concluded.In the restroom, Ellen stared at herself in the mirror. "I thought I was over this; he has found love. What do I care?"Her words didn't make her feel any better, but they gave her the strength to head out to meet the rest of the team after she relieved herself."Are you okay? That took you so long," Janet said to Ellen when she joined them."Yes, I'm fine," Ellen assured her."Okay, everyone, we are to meet here tomorrow; all that we have done will either be chang
Felix was jerked out of his thoughts. He glanced towards Ellen, embarrassed that he had been so lost in thought."Uhm, nothing; I was just thinking out loud about, you know, not knowing what goes on in Leo's mind," he explained.Ellen chuckled. "Did you really just give serious thought to understanding what goes on in Leo's mind?" she asked.Felix grinned in reply. "I guess I just did."Ellen laughed. "You have a better chance of winning the lottery than cracking the code in Leo's mind."They laughed at the thought until Felix pulled his car onto the sidewalk of Ellen's apartment."Thank you for bringing me home and for making me laugh too," Ellen stated, a soft smile on her face as she turned towards Felix."You're welcome, dear. I think I should make more jokes about Leo since it seems to crack you up so much," Felix joked.Ellen chuckled. "I don't think that would be necessary. All your jokes make me laugh anyway.""I'm glad to hear that." Felix replied, adding, "Do you mind if I p