So adorable

~The Next Morning~

Jaxon blinked awake, his eyes adjusting to the dim light as he felt the gentle weight of Isla’s head resting on his shoulder. 

Turning slightly, he looked down at her peaceful face, her closed eyes undisturbed by the world around them.

His suit was still draped neatly over her, shielding her from the chill that had settled in the elevator. A sliver of soft morning light seeped through the crack between the doors, signaling the start of a new day. 

He glanced at his wristwatch—opening hours had already begun. “Any moment now,” he murmured to himself.

Isla stirred beside him, letting out a faint moan as her head shifted. Jaxon watched as she rubbed her hand across her eyes before slowly opening them. 

For a brief moment, her gaze was unfocused, as if piecing together her surroundings. Then, realization dawned, and she quickly pulled away.

“Mr. Waverly…” she stammered, her cheeks flushing. “I’m sorry.” She nervously smoothed her hands over her face and hair, attempting to compose herself.

“It’s fine,” Jaxon reassured her, picking up his jacket and slinging it over his shoulder. “The doors should open soon.” Isla nodded, hurriedly gathering her things.

Jaxon stood and extended a hand to help her up. As she took it and tried to rise, a sudden wave of dizziness overtook her. She wavered, but before she could fall, Jaxon caught her by the waist, steadying her against him.

“Sorry…” she whispered, pressing a hand to her forehead and squeezing her eyes shut.

“You’ve got to stop apologizing,” Jaxon replied softly, his hands still lingering at her waist. Just then, the elevator lights flickered on, and the creaking of the doors broke the moment.

Outside stood the engineer, accompanied by Alex, whose expression turned to one of stunned disbelief as his gaze fell on Jaxon and Isla. Hastily, Isla stepped away, clutching her bag.

“Boss?” Alex exclaimed, his eyebrows arching in shock.

“Took you long enough,” Jaxon muttered, brushing past him as he exited the elevator.

Alex trailed after him, his confusion clear. “You got stuck in there? I tried calling you all night! I waited for you to show up and thought maybe you’d changed your mind.”

“You should know better than to think I’d just disappear without a word,” Jaxon replied curtly as they entered his office. Dropping into his chair with a thud, he leaned back, his exhaustion evident. “I tried reaching you too, but the reception cut out.”

Alex’s eyes widened as he noticed a small cut on Jaxon’s forehead. “Hey!” he said, alarmed, stepping closer and taking Jaxon’s face in his hands to inspect the injury.

Jaxon jerked his head back, startled. “I’m fine, Alex. There’s no need to fuss.”

Realizing his overreaction, Alex stepped back, his jaw tightening. “Sorry,” he muttered, “I didn’t mean to overstep. I was just… worried.”

"That’s okay," Jaxon said, brushing it off with a wave of his hand. "I know I look like a wreck. I’ll head home to freshen up. Let Isla know she can take the day off. She needs rest."

Jaxon’s gaze shifted to Isla’s desk, where she sat fiddling with her broken phone, a frustrated look on her face. Alex nodded, ready to relay the message, but as he turned to leave, Jaxon called him back.

“Actually,” Jaxon said, standing abruptly, “I’ll tell her myself.” Grabbing his briefcase and slinging his suit over his shoulder, he added, “Cancel any meetings I have today. Push them to tomorrow. I need to rest too.” Without waiting for a response, he strode past Alex and out of the office.

When Jaxon reached Isla’s desk, she quickly tucked her phone away and offered him a polite, faint smile. “Thank you, Mr. Jaxon,” she said softly.

“You should take the day off,” Jaxon said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. His gaze stayed locked on her face. “And you need a new phone. We’ll sort that out on the way.”

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh, no, you don’t have to,” she replied, shaking her head awkwardly.

Jaxon scoffed. “I wasn’t asking for your permission,” he stated, his voice steady with authority. “You need a functioning phone to do your job as my secretary. Let’s go.”

Without another word, he turned and walked off. Isla hesitated for a moment before hurriedly following behind him. Alex stood in the background, watching them leave together, his brow furrowed in thought.

‘There’s definitely something going on between them,’ he mused silently. But the idea unsettled him. 

After years of seeing Jaxon remain single, holding onto memories of Teresa—the woman in the picture—Alex found it hard to believe he’d suddenly decide to move on with someone new. And yet, the evidence was hard to ignore.

Alex left Jaxon’s office and trudged back to his own. Once inside, he dropped into his chair with a heavy thud and pulled out his phone. Leaning his head against the backrest, he lazily swayed in the chair while unlocking his phone and opening the Grindr app.

As he swiped through profiles, his disinterest grew with each passing face. Pictures of shirtless men flaunting toned chests and low-slung jeans filled his screen, but none of them held his attention.

‘They’re not like him,’ he thought bitterly, his frustration bubbling to the surface. Two months on the app, and he hadn’t found anyone who could make him forget Jaxon.

Alex had been in love with Jaxon for seven years—an unrequited love that had silently simmered since he’d started working with him. Every day, he hoped he’d muster the courage to confess, but uncertainty held him back. Jaxon had always been a mystery—he’d never shown interest in anyone, leaving Alex to wonder if he was straight, queer, or simply indifferent.

To cope, Alex had spent years sneaking off to gay bars after work, drowning his longing in one-night stands with strangers. 

But that wasn’t enough anymore. He craved something real—a partner to come home to, someone who could love him back. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he tossed his phone onto the desk.

‘I just need to find someone who isn’t him,’ he told himself, closing his eyes and leaning his head back.

*

Alex left Jaxon’s office and trudged back to his own. Once inside, he dropped into his chair with a heavy thud and pulled out his phone. Leaning his head against the backrest, he lazily swayed in the chair while unlocking his phone and opening the Grindr app.

As he swiped through profiles, his disinterest grew with each passing face. Pictures of shirtless men flaunting toned chests and low-slung jeans filled his screen, but none of them held his attention.

They’re not like him, he thought bitterly, his frustration bubbling to the surface. Two months on the app, and he hadn’t found anyone who could make him forget Jaxon.

Alex had been in love with Jaxon for seven years—an unrequited love that had silently simmered since he’d started working with him. Every day, he hoped he’d muster the courage to confess, but uncertainty held him back. Jaxon had always been a mystery—he’d never shown interest in anyone, leaving Alex to wonder if he was straight, queer, or simply indifferent.

To cope, Alex had spent years sneaking off to gay bars after work, drowning his longing in one-night stands with strangers. But that wasn’t enough anymore. He craved something real—a partner to come home to, someone who could love him back. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he tossed his phone onto the desk.

I just need to find someone who isn’t him, he told himself, closing his eyes and leaning his head back.

***

The sleek black car came to a stop in front of the mall, and Jaxon and Isla stepped out, heading toward the entrance. As usual, Jaxon walked ahead, his strides confident, while Isla trailed slightly behind him.

They made their way to the electronics section, where Jaxon stopped in front of the cashier’s counter.

“Good day, Sir,” the cashier greeted with a polished smile.

Jaxon gave a curt nod, his attention already fixed on the rows of smartphones on display. “I need the best phone you have,” he said, his tone authoritative.

Isla’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

“Excellent choice,” the cashier replied enthusiastically, moving to retrieve the premium models.

Isla hurried closer, pulling out her damaged phone. “Mr. Jaxon, really, there’s no need to buy another. I can just repair this one, and it’ll be as good as—”

Jaxon turned to her with a sharp, no-nonsense look that froze the words in her throat. His piercing gaze made it clear – this wasn’t up for discussion.

The cashier returned with the latest iPhone 16 series, neatly displayed in front of Jaxon. Isla stared at the gleaming devices, her mind racing. She’d been using an old Android phone for years, never imagining she’d even hold, let alone own, a top-tier Apple device so soon.

‘Is this going to come out of my salary?’ she wondered anxiously as Jaxon picked up the one with the heftiest price tag and handed over his sleek black card without a second thought.

The cashier quickly began processing the payment, while Isla stood a few feet behind, her thoughts spiraling. ‘Why is he doing this? Is he always this generous with others?’

The cashier returned the card, and Jaxon slipped it back into his wallet. Without looking at Isla, he said, “Let her set up the phone. I’ll be waiting in the car.” He started walking away but paused after a few steps. Turning back, he added casually, “Oh, and grab some phone accessories if you want. The cute pink ones, or whatever you like.”

Isla blinked in surprise, her cheeks warming as she watched him leave.

Once he was out of sight, she moved closer to the counter. The cashier leaned forward with a wide grin, her voice dropping to an excited squeal. “Your man is so hot!” she gushed. “He’s such a daddy.”

Isla’s face turned crimson as she shook her head frantically. “Oh no, no! He’s not my man,” she stammered, her embarrassment spilling into her words.

“Oh…” The cashier’s smile faltered as she realized her mistake. “Sorry about that. Uh, I’ll grab that cute pink pouch for you.”

“Yeah, right,” Isla murmured, ducking her head shyly. As the cashier walked away, Isla raised her eyes and glanced out the mall window toward the car parked outside.

‘Why is he so adorable?’ she wondered, a small, involuntary smile creeping onto her lips.