Chapter 2

It was past eight when Rafa left work. She was exhausted and furious with her new boss. In just one day, she had managed to stress herself out for the entire week.

When she got to her apartment, she found her friend Kate all dressed up.

"Is this the time to come home?" Kate asked.

"You have no idea what happened. They transferred me to another department and made me the new secretary for the new director."

"The hunk?" Kate asked excitedly.

"The devil, that’s what. On my first day, he already made me work until this time."

"It’s normal, friend. Tomorrow there will be a small reception for him at the company. I’m dying to see him in person. Some people have said he’s quite a looker. Tell me, is that true?"

Kate also worked at the same company as Rafa but in a different department.

"I don’t know, I didn’t see his face," Rafa revealed.

"What do you mean?"

"Can you believe that during the whole day I was there, he gave me orders while sitting with his back turned, in that huge chair?"

"No way, amiga. I’m shocked," Kate responded. Kate is American, but after spending time with Rafa, she had learned to speak several Brazilian expressions. "Could he be creating some kind of mystery just to reveal himself tomorrow?"

"I don’t know and, honestly, I don’t care to know. I’m tired, and all I want to do is sleep."

"No way, take a shower and get ready. I need you to come with me somewhere," Kate said excitedly.

"Don’t make things up, friend. I already told you I hate going out in the middle of the week."

"I know, but I ended up scheduling a date with a gorgeous doctor, he’ll be on duty over the weekend, so we can only see each other today."

"Couldn’t it wait? And besides, why do you want me to come along on your date?"

"Because we’re meeting at a bar, and he said he’s bringing a friend."

"Oh, no. I don’t want to meet anyone today; I’m in a terrible mood," Rafa tried to dodge.

"Aren’t you the one who says you need to find a boyfriend? Come on, Rafa, don’t abandon me. I really want to meet this doctor, but I’ll only go if you come with me."

"Fine, I’ll go just for moral support," she finally said, knowing her friend would beg until she agreed.

Once they were all dressed up and ready to go, they grabbed a taxi and headed to the bar at Paradise club, one of the most talked-about places near Times Square.

The place was dark, and there were only a few people there at the time.

"Daniel?" Kate greeted a tall man who was at one of the small tables in the bar.

"Hello, Kate, I’m glad you came." The two of them greeted each other, and Rafa began to feel like she was the third wheel.

In the end, she really was. Daniel’s friend wasn’t coming, and he hadn’t told Kate, fearing she’d cancel the date.

"You guys can talk as much as you want; I’m going to get a drink at the bar," Rafa said since the last thing she wanted was to end the day as the third wheel.

She sat on one of the small stools at the bar and ordered a Dry Martini. After finishing her first drink, she immediately ordered another. Seeing how happy her friend was, chatting with the doctor, she decided to stay there to support her.

Loud music started playing, and the place began to get more crowded. While sipping her second drink, a tall man wearing a white dress shirt sat next to her.

"You seem pretty excited about the drink," the man said.

Rafa looked at the stranger beside her and almost fainted when she realized how handsome he was. Straight black hair, combed back, clean-shaven, and a straight nose, a typical Greek nose.

"A Greek god," she whispered.

"What?" he asked, as he hadn’t heard what she said.

"Very handsome. Even more handsome than Tácio Duarte," she continued, feeling attracted to the man. "Better than Tácio since he wasn’t even that tall."

"Are you comparing me to someone?" he asked, confused.

"No, I’m not. You’re too handsome to be compared to anyone."

"You’re very direct, aren’t you?"

"Only when I really want something," she revealed.

"And what do you want now?" the man with the intoxicating voice asked.

"I want your phone number," she said, smiling, finding it funny that she was hitting on someone.

"I don’t give my phone number to strangers," he replied.

"I don’t want to be a stranger, but I can’t get to know you today," she said, pouting slightly, remembering that she had to work early the next day. "Since tomorrow, I have to face the devil," she grumbled, but the man managed to hear what she said.

"It sounds like you’re saying a lot of nonsense."

"Of course, I’m not," she replied. "I’m perfectly sober; I’m just drinking to relax a bit. My day was awful, and tomorrow looks like it’ll be even worse."

"Do you want to vent?" he asked.

"No, I don’t. I won’t tell anyone that I’m working for a weird boss who doesn’t like animals or children," she grumbled. "Who doesn’t like that kind of thing?"

"You seem very interesting," he laughed. "Too bad we can’t get to know each other," he said.

Rafaela’s eyes widened as she stared at the handsome stranger in front of her. His appearance was anything but ordinary, and Tácio didn’t even come close to him. With his intense blue eyes staring at her, what were the chances of this happening again? Especially on such a difficult day like today?

"I want to get to know you…" she revealed.

Without thinking any further, the man invited her to leave the bar and go somewhere quieter. Since she didn’t have high hopes for the next day, she agreed. Accompanying him to the elevator at the Paradise Hotel, they went up to one of the rooms. It was there that she had a very intense night, something she had never imagined.

[...]

Rafaela was awakened by the sound of the phone ringing. Waking up confused, not recognizing where she was, she needed a few seconds to remember how she ended up there. A tall, muscular, handsome man, and great in bed.

"Where did he go?" she asked herself, realizing the stranger had left, leaving her there alone.

Her phone wouldn’t stop ringing.

"Who is it?" she answered without looking at the screen.

"You’re late!" a deep voice said.

Ethan Smith’s voice on the other end of the line startled her. How did he know her number?

"Mr. Smith?" she asked, confused.

"There are only twenty minutes left before my inauguration ceremony starts, and my secretary isn’t here. Do you want to be fired?"

"I’m on my way," she said, but he had already hung up.

Jumping out of bed, she put on the clothes from the night before and left the hotel in a panic. Not only had she failed to get the name or phone number of the Greek god she spent the night with, but she was also an hour and a half late.

Arriving at the company, she rushed to the event hall where the director would be introduced to the employees.

"Where have you been?" Kate approached her, noticing that her friend was still wearing the same clothes from the night before.

"I met a gorgeous guy, but I ended up losing track of time, and now I feel like I’m in trouble," she whispered to her friend, as they were sitting in the auditorium and there were several people around.

"Speaking of Greek gods, get ready to see your new boss’s face. I’m already in love with him," Kate said, smiling and excited.

But before Rafa could say anything, the company’s CEO began speaking into the microphone, expressing his happiness that his son, who had returned from abroad, was now working at the company.

"I want you all to meet my firstborn, Ethan Smith."

A tall man, wearing a black linen suit with his hair slicked back, appeared.

"Friend, I’m screwed," Rafaela said, realizing that Ethan was the same man she had spent the night with.