The bed of the hotel was so cozy and warm that one couldn't help but sleep till late. That explains why I woke up at 10 in the morning, instead of my usual time which was before sunrise. A loud yawn left my mouth as I hopped out of my bed and slipped into my slippers.
Doing my morning routine, I lazily walked out of my room and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee reached my nose. I turned my head towards the kitchen counter where Stav was busy making black coffee for himself. He looked completely engrossed in doing that and didn't even acknowledge my presence.
"I need coffee." I said as I plopped on the couch and massaged my head with my fingers.
"Here." He returned with two cups few moments later.
Taking one cup out of the tray, I inhaled deeper and let the rich aroma calm my anxiety. My focus was on the coffee when I felt Stav's eyes on me. When I turned my head towards him, he had already looked away.
Lowering my eyes, I realized I was still in m
Alice's driver dropped me at my apartment at almost midnight. If it was any other employer, he or she would have told me to take the next day off because I just sacrificed my weekend but it was Alice. She specifically told me to be at the office on time, and not a minute late.My kind boss, ladies and gentlemen.Mentally and physically exhausted, I entered the elevator, dragging my suitcase with me. The seconds seemed to stretch into minutes as I finally reached our floor and made my way towards my apartment.Inside the apartment, a familiar scene greeted me. My roommate Isaiah, cuddled with his girlfriend Kylie, as they both watched a romcom on the LCD screen."You both were in the same position when I left. Please tell me at least one of you left the house during the whole weekend." I exasperated, collapsing on the beanbag chair in one corner of the lounge."Why would we do that when we can spend the whole weekend in each other's embrace?" Isaiah
As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, a familiar silence greeted me. I looked around to find Stav, who usually rushed towards me the minute I left elevator, but he was nowhere to be found. Confusion dawned on me but I ignored it and stepped forwards.While passing through the corridor, my eyes fell on the girl that Stav often hung out with. Sunshine, was it?"Good evening, Miss Montelebalo," she said as she noticed me walking towards her, her voice giving away some of her fear.I was about to speak when I noticed a ginger guy listening at us attentively. "Don't you have some work to do? Were you hired to eavesdrop?" I eyed him warningly, and he scooted back in his seat.I then turned my attention to the blonde girl standing in front of me cautiously. "Where is Stav? Is he in his office?" I asked."I don't know, Miss Alice. I haven't seen him today," Sunshine replied.This further heightened my confusion. Nodding, I walked back to my offi
Leaning back in my seat, I stared at the woman standing in front of me. There was an impenetrable silence dawned in the room, ready to be broken any time now. The woman had the nerve to show up empty-handed when I clearly demanded the analysis first thing in the morning, and now she was standing there, waiting for me to forgive her and extend the deadline.Yeah, right."What do I do with you all? How am I supposed to run a multinational company with a team of laze arses like you?" I said, massaging my head."I-I am sorry, Miss Montelebalo," she stammered. "I'll do it as soon as possible.""Not good enough. You will do it today. You will not step your foot outside this building without sending me the analysis, even if you have to work the whole night for it." I stated. "Understand?""Y-Yeah," she said in a voice filled with fear and anxiety.After she left, I exasperated, "And where the hell is Rod? I asked for that file an hour ago."
It was Sunday and I was officially on the verge of killing myself. I almost spent the whole week lying on my bed and it was killing me. I needed to work, I needed to stimulate my brain or else, I'd go crazy.With that thought in my mind, I picked up my phone and called Alice. "Yes," she replied, after answering the call."What are you doing?" I asked, leaning back in my seat."Why?" she replied."I need to work. I'm fever free since Friday. I have no other symptoms. Just send me anything; a file, any analysis, a report. Anything," I said desperately."And you can't wait till tomorrow? Go sleep," she replied."If anyone tells me to sleep one more time, I'll stab myself," I seethed."Stav-""Please." I pouted, although she couldn't see me right now."Fine. Be at my apartment in exactly half an hour. I'm working on the annual budget," she replied. "And don't whine that I overworked you on Sunday. You are asking for it."
Once Stav is out, Dustin scooted closer to me and rested his hand on mine."What?" I asked, suddenly feeling nervous."I miss you," he whispered, brushing his fingers over the dorsum of my hand. His touch brought back many memories, especially those of our early days of dating. When you're with someone for a long time, the butterflies die over time but now, they seemed to have made a return."We met a few days ago," I said, trying my best to smile."No. Not like that," he said and scooted even closer. His hand left mine and he cupped my cheek. "I miss us."For a small moment, I leaned into his familiar touch. It had been so long since I had been with someone physically so his proximity caused desire to pool in my stomach. I needed the warmth he was providing me so effortlessly.But I was not stupid enough to continue this. I knew we were not fitted together. We may have chemistry but that's it. He hated my work, I hated his interference in m
I stood against my car and tapped the floor with my feet in a rhythmic manner. The sun was about to set and the sky was painted in a mixture of orange, red and blue. I wish I had something poetic to say about it but then again, arts and literature were never my strong suit."Hey," I heard a familiar voice from behind. Turning around, I found Sunshine, standing near her car. "You leaving for home?" she asked."No, I have to join Alice for a meeting," I replied and walked towards her."Oh," she mumbled awkwardly, probably due to the mention of Alice.So many things had happened today. First, I woke up on Sunshine's bed, with her wrapped up in my arms. Then I found her crying in the ladies bathroom after she had been scolded by Alice. And then, I had yelled at Alice for interfering between us. Sunshine and I had a lot to discuss but I couldn't find the proper chance to do so. As far as Alice and I were concerned, we didn't utter a single unnecessary word to
Another week passed in a blur. Things between me and my boss had been a little cold. For an outsider, we might appear normal but God knows things were definitely not normal for me. On the other hand, Sunshine and I were still on vague, undecided terms. We had gone out for dinner twice in a row, flirted many times but things didn't go past that. I liked spending time with her, not in a crazy way but just enough to make her more bearable than most girls in my life.But right now, the issue at hand wasn't either of those women. It was this little courier that I had found outside my apartment door this morning from my father. It contained two passes for his annual business conference in Los Angeles, one for me and one for Alice.I hated mixing my personal and professional life but apparently it wasn't possible. In a few days, I was going to introduce my boss and my father to each other, two people that left no stone unturned to make my life hell. Don't get me wrong, I love
Wrapped up in a fluffy towel, I searched through my luggage to find something appropriate for the conference. There was a lot of pressure to do so because it's not everyday you meet Christopher Trajano. First, he was a legend in the business community and second, he was Stav's dad. The latter shouldn't matter much, but for some reason, it did.While digging through my luggage, I heard a knock on the door. It was probably the room service to bring me the breakfast I had ordered."Come in," I said and continued my search. "Put it on the table outside."A few seconds later, a surprised gasp reached my ears. Angling my head, I found Stav standing behind me, startled. Realizing that I was just in a towel, a deep blush crept up my cheeks and I stood straight."I-I'm. . ." His eyes struggled to find a proper place to look at. His heated gaze warmed me up and I hugged my arms around myself in embarrassment. "I came to ask if I should call the cab?""Y-Yeah