"I found your friend. She's subconsciously applying for a job at Black Empire." I told Avery and she turned to me making me wipe somewhere else with the cotton wool soaked in Methylated Spirit."Really?! How is she?!""I don't know... I didn't go to see her. I have a job and a truckload of work, you know?" I replied holding her shoulder. "Oh right. Thank you.""Won't you ask what position she's applying for?""What position?""Secretary.""Did you ask for the leave for me?" She asked and I nodded my head then I remembered she couldn't see me."Yeah. He said you can return after one month.""Oh? That's really nice of him." "Really?" I asked pausing."Yeah. It's really giving me another picture of him. Apart from the rumored cold, brutal, and never smiling, heartless boss, he seems to have another side. Another nice side to him.""What if he doesn't? What if that's just his nature? Cold and brutal?""No one is born cold and brutal. Circumstances would have led them there. I wish I cou
"What are you doing there?" I managed to say despite the shock that overwhelmed me."What do you mean what am I doing here? I'm at work." Maverick replied and I blinked at him."Hold on... Hold on, let me get this straight... You're the CEO of Black Empire and you didn't tell me?" I asked pointing at him and he grinned at me."Come here." He said waving his hands over to me."I'm not coming there. How could you not tell me?" I asked and he sighed."I was going to make it as a surprise.""Boss!" I heard and before I could make a sound, a familiar figure dashed in. He didn't spare me a glance as he walked towards the man sitting on the chair."What is all the fuss about?""The Board Meeting. They requested it to be shifted forward.""Request Cancelled.""But–"Maverick finally removed his eyes from me only to glare at Carter. "I'll inform them."He was about to walk past me when he finally decided to notice me or maybe he was truly noticing me for the first time."Ma'am.""Hi." I greet
Immediately, the scent of Freshly Peeled Tangerine filled the room and my eyes widened. I haven't even started to learn the damned Schedule!"Sir." The secretary, I really need to get her name, said getting up from her chair. I stood up after her followed by Carter."Do you need something?" She continued and Maverick's eyes looked from her over to me. I blinked at him and he nodded his head.Without saying anything, he walked away from us. His hand was buried in his pocket and his steps were calculated. His cold aura covered him like a thick blanket and I sighed dreamily."Let's go." She said and I immediately grabbed a book off my table before running after her and Carter."Are we going to the board meeting?""We are and shh! Don't talk while we're walking." She answered."I promise this is the last time, but what's your name? I didn't quite get–"I was facing her and didn't notice when Maverick stopped in his steps and so I ran my head into his sturdy back. "Ow." I frowned rubbing
"Maverick!" A voice yelled from outside and before we could pull apart, the door had been pushed open.I immediately pushed Maverick away with a deep blush. I grabbed my cheeks and squeezed my eyes shut. "Oh... Wow... I didn't know Office Romance was going on. I would have knocked. Sorry.""O-O-Office R-Romance?!" I sputtered turning around to see Ramon's grinning face."What is wrong with your hand?" A cold voice rang out in the room and before anyone could say anything, I slowly walked away from the scene."Stop." Oh, shite!"Answer me, Ramon. What's wrong with your hand? Is it broken? Or paralyzed?""None of the above... It's working perfectly fine." The latter replied waving his hand."Hn. Perfectly fine you say? Come over here for a second.", Maverick said waving him over. Ramon was about to take one step before he paused."Nah. Nope, thank you. I'm perfectly fine over here.""Don't make me say it twice," Maverick warned with a glare and I gulped my saliva."Sir?" Someone call
AVERY"Well, I thought it couldn't be you but alas! It is. Look what the cat dragged in."With a sigh, I turned my head to the inevitable beside me."Always a pleasure to see you, Eleanor Roosevelt." I bid with a tight smile."Oh! It remembers my name. What are you doing here? How did you even gain entry into this place? Now I can't come here anymore, Vermin is all over the place. Gosh." She bemoaned with a scrunched face as she waved her hand around.I said nothing as I looked back at the drawing on my espresso. It looked like a leaf. "Don't you ever say it again. You have to be strong. If you want revenge, you must be strong and cold. No word should hurt you anymore. Don't let anyone talk down on you ever again." A familiar voice rang in my head. Maverick's voice.If I want revenge, I have to be strong. No word should hurt me anymore. I need a shield. A bulletproof vest of a sort. And I knew exactly what to say."Have you looked inward before?" I asked turning my head to Eleanor wh
AVERY I was about to open my mouth when a phone rang out loud. The ringtone was a funky song which made me really curious as to who was using that ringtone. I turned my head to look around the cafe when suddenly, the song stopped followed by a deep baritone voice saying, "What?" I snapped my head to Ramon to see him listening to his call. Hold on, was that his ringtone? "The cafe across." He rolled his eyes and then dropped the phone without looking at the screen. "So, go." "Go where?" I asked blinking at him. "The story of how you met Maverick." "Oh... Umm... It's–" My eyes darted to the door and I saw a figure walk in. Behind him was a man who was looking down at the tablet in his hand. The figure looked around until it fell on me. "What are you looking at with so much smile? Don't kill a poor man, please." "Smile?" I asked then I noticed my voice wasn't sounding like me. I brought my hand to my lips to feel it was spread out. Do people smile without even knowing they we
AVERY "You didn't make this up?" Ramon said suddenly and I looked up my teary eyes at him. "What?" I whispered and he shook his hand. "Sorry for asking that dumb question." I said nothing more and shook my head. My eyes went to the cold Expresso. Such a waste of a sweet thing. "We're leaving," Maverick announced suddenly getting up from his seat. "Why?" I choked out and he didn't give me a response as he took my hand and practically dragged me out of the Cafe. I didn't even get to say Goodbye to Ramon. "Carter!" He yelled and I flinched at the intensity of his voice. "Sir?" "Key." He demanded. "You're driving yourself?" "Do I need to repeat myself?" "Of course not. Here you go." He stuttered and pulled out the car key from his pocket. Maverick snatched it from him and opened the door to the car. He pushed me inside and then slammed the door close. I jumped when the door made contact with the lock. He opened the door to his side and entered the car as well. "Maverick?" I
MAVERICK"You have a nice scent," I mumbled almost falling asleep."I like yours better." That made my eyes snap open. I slowly pulled my head away from her neck to look up at her."Huh?""Huh?" She repeated and I raised my finger to push her head slightly."Ah.""You can't use that trick on me," I stated and she frowned rubbing her forehead."It didn't even hurt you that much," I mumbled to myself."Meanie.""Oh? What did you just call me?" I asked pointing at her."Nothing." She replied almost immediately while shaking her head. She's so cute."You said something about my scent earlier?" I asked and she looked at me before she smiled. That heartwarming smile."I said I like your scent better. It smells like Tangerine."Okay, I wasn't expecting that."Tangerine?" I asked taken aback. She nodded her head vigorously while blinking at me."Why would I smell like Tangerine?""I don't know. All I know is, the first time I was in your car, it was overwhelmed with Tangerine. Even Carter's s