"Stav, we will be leaving in half an hour. You ready?" one of my colleagues asked as I was on my way back to the office from the storage room.
"Yeah, I'm almost done," I told him and walked forwards into my office.
It was my fourth day at work, fourth day of working under Devil. This past week had been a living hell and I was looking forward to the weekend. Tonight, I was supposed to join all the other employees at a club so that I could introduce myself to everyone properly.
Sitting back in my seat, I gave one last look to Monday's schedule so I could reach the office in time. Stretching my arms over my head, I yawned and my eyes inadvertently reached Alice sitting at her desk through the glass window.
She was busy looking at the file in her hand. There was a pencil in between her plump lips stained with dark red lipstick. Her hair was gathered on top of her head in a messy bun and there was a cute frown on her forehead.
Cute? This is the devil we are talking about.
She might be a cruel monster but there was no denying that she was beautiful. Everything about her looks screamed perfection, be it her hourglass figure or her long dark hair; her hazel eyes or the way she smelled.
No. This is the woman who leaves no stone unturned to embarrass you. Remember?
Focusing my attention back to work, I started rearranging the planner when suddenly I heard someone walk into the hallway. Leaving my seat, I rushed outside and stopped the man from entering her office.
"Where do you think you are going, Sir? Do you have an appointment?" I asked, extending my arm in front of him to stop him. The man looked like he was in his late twenties. He was tall and broad, with grey eyes that contrasted perfectly against his caramel skin.
"I am Dustin," he said in a low voice.
"Derek who?"
"Listen, she knows who I am. Now let me go," he said and tried to walk but I blocked his way.
"First tell me, do you have an appointment because I am not getting my ass kicked because of you?" I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
Before he could speak, the door behind me opened and Alice's voice reached my ears. "Let him in, Stav," she said.
Moving sideways, I watched both of them and the intense exchange of looks between them. Curiosity piqued inside me and I controlled the urge to ask what was going on.
"Come in," she said and he walked inside, casting an annoyed glance towards me.
I walked back to my seat and watched what was going inside her office with my peripheral vision. She probably forgot about the window between both rooms otherwise she would have closed it already.
My eyes lingered on the guy. Who was he? A friend? Brother? Boyfriend? Husband?
They were speaking in hushed tones and the look I saw on Alice's face was one that I had never seen before in my brief time here. She looked gloomy and defeated. Whoever that man was, he had a significant place in Alice's life, judging by her expression.
I tried my best not to look towards her office but soon, the voices started getting louder.
"Just tell me for how long? A year? Two years? I can wait that long," the man said to her.
"There is no time limit here, Dustin. That's who I am now. If you can't handle it, there is no point in giving me that ring," she said and handed him a red box.
Ring? Is that an engagement ring?
"Who are you? I don't recognize the girl sitting in front of me? This is not the person I fell in love with," he said and all the color left Alice's face on hearing this.
I couldn't see anything clearly other than the trail of wetness going down her cheeks at his words.
"Then leave," she said firmly, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.
The guy stood up and rested both his arms on her desk. "Is that your final decision?" he asked.
"It's not my decision, Dustin. . . It's yours," she said. "But yes, it's the only option now."
"Fine," he said and straightened up.
The guy turned around to leave. I couldn't see his face anymore because he had walked towards the door. All I could see was the big drops of moisture in Alice's eyes as she tried to keep her composure.
Once that guy left, her face contorted and she burst into tears. She hid her face in between her palms while her body shook slightly. The sight caused my heart to clench in pity. No matter how much I hated her guts, I couldn't see her cry like this. No girl deserved to cry because a guy couldn't handle her power. It was clear that his words had hurt her a lot and I didn't know what I could do to reverse it.
I was staring at her with a clenched jaw when a blonde head peeked through the door of my office. "Hey, we are leaving. Come on," Sunny said to me.
My eyes switched between her face and Alice's and I contemplated what to do. I couldn't leave her crying like this, could I? But why was I worried about someone who didn't care about anyone else? The smartest thing would be to leave the office and join my colleagues in the club but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to do that.
"I have some urgent work. I'll join you guys next time," I finally said.
A pout appeared on her thin lips as she frowned. "Fine. Though I was looking forward to introducing you to everyone else," she said sourly.
"Next time, I promise," I said.
"Fine." Sunny shrugged and left, closing the door behind her.
After she left, I kept looking towards Alice's room, waiting for her to stop crying but she didn't. She kept sitting there still, staring at the box that he had left behind with tears leaving her eyes. I wasn't even aware that a woman like Alice was capable of showing these emotions. She always looked like she had a stone in place of a heart.
Not wanting to stare at her crying figure any longer, I left my office and made my way towards hers. "Can I come inside?" I asked.
"Yes." Her voice came out thick from all the crying.
I entered inside where she was hiding her face behind a file. She was acting like nothing had happened, not knowing the window was uncovered and I had witnessed everything.
"Do you need anything?" I asked.
"No," she said. "You are free to leave. Go home and enjoy your weekend."
I stood there, watching as she rested the file on the table and kept her eyes lowered on it. Her cheeks were flushed red, her nose was swollen and the collar of her black shirt was slightly wet.
Bracing myself, I walked towards her desk and sat down on the chair. She lifted her head and glared at me, with her glassy eyes that were coated with a thick layer of moisture.
"For what's its worth, that guy didn't look good with you. He was too tall. You can't marry someone that tall. Right? The wedding photos would be a disaster," I said, flashing her a wide smile.
She blinked at me twice and at that moment, she looked so innocent, nothing like the woman who was ordering me around for four days.
"What are you doing? Were you listening to us?" she asked, and with that, the devil returned.
"That's not the point. I just want to say that you are the scariest woman I have ever met," I said and her frown deepened. "Um... By scariest, I... I meant strong and smart."
"I bet you did." She glared right into my eyes.
"The point is, you can't cry over a man. That's something lame girls do, which you aren't." I said.
She didn't admit it, but I could see a very faint smile on the corner of her lips. "Thanks for the advice I never asked for," she whispered under her breath. "But if I were you, I'd leave before I fire you for eavesdropping," she added, leaning her head to the side.
"On my way, boss." I said and rushed out of the office in the fastest speed possible.
•••••••••••
As soon as I stepped into my apartment, my gaze landed on the couch where a certain couple was busy sucking the soul out of each other. Ignoring the bile rising in my throat, I cleared my throat and they both finally noticed my presence.
"Really, guys? On the couch?" I asked, throwing their clothes at them that I picked up from the floor.
"We thought you would be late. Weren't you going to the club tonight?" Isaiah asked, hiding Kylie's naked body under the blanket.
"And you thought that's the perfect time to fuck your girlfriend on my couch?" I said, turning around so they could dress up.
"We couldn't keep our hands off each other." Kylie said and I heard another kissing sound.
"Get a room, you guys!" I screamed in annoyance and walked towards my room. "I am going to take a bath. If I come back and you both are still kissing, I am going to double the rent."
I shared my apartment with my college friend, Isaiah, and his girlfriend, Kylie. Well, Kylie wasn't my official roommate but she came free with Isaiah. Despite their excessive lovemaking, they were one of the cutest couples I knew. Isaiah was a tall and broad blond and Kylie was practically a minion. She was a short and petite brunette with hair that reached her neck. Their personalities were just as different as their looks but they loved each other to the core.
By the time I returned, they both had shifted to the dining table, waiting for me. I sat down and served some of the pasta on my plate. While I took the first bite, I felt their eyes on me, assessing me quietly.
"What?" I asked.
"How was the devil today?" Isaiah asked.
"She—Alice was okay." I said and took another bite.
"Who is Alice?" Kendal asked.
"My boss." I said.
"Oh. I thought we called her the devil." Kylie said.
I gulped, remembering everything that happened today. For some reason, she felt more like a human to me, one who had ups and down just like the rest of us. That still didn't justify her behaviour, but it made me look at her in a different way.
"She wasn't that bad today," I said, stabbing the fork in the pasta.
"Well, there is always a tomorrow." Isaiah chuckled and then silence prevailed on the dining table as we all quietly finished our dinner
Parking my car in the parking lot, I looked one last time into the mirror. My hair was a mess because I had no time to style it today. My alarm didn't wake me up this morning so here I was, in front of the building just a few minutes before Alice Montelebalo usually arrived.Leaving the car, I rushed inside the building. Briefly saying good morning to the receptionist, I scurried into the elevator and closed my eyes in relief that I got here on time, if not in time."You are late." A familiar voice reached my ears and it felt like déjà vu."My alarm didn't work today," I said to Alice, and walked towards the back of the elevator."That's a shitty excuse," she said. "This is your second strike in one week.""It won't happen again," I said and she nodded.I was standing right behind her and her hair was blocking my view. Unknowingly, I checked her out. She was wearing a peach color body-con dress that hugged her curves and ended
I was giving one last look to the guest list when my eyes landed on the man putting the huge flower vase near the entrance of the penthouse. Leaving the notebook on the table, I rushed towards him and said, "Do you want to get me killed? Alice specifically wanted white orchids. These are purple.""We couldn't find the white ones in the flower shop," the man whose name I didn't know replied."Then go search every other flower shop in the city. God, do people not have common sense these days?" I said frantically."Hey, don't freak out. It will be fine." I heard Sunshine's voice as she reached my side. She volunteered to help me keep a check on the arrangements for the gala. We had been in Alice's house since 12pm and it was 5 in the evening now. The guests would start arriving in no time and there were still many things to do."How can I not freak out?" I asked, pulling out the to-do list from my pocket."Like this." Sunshine shrugged carefully and a
Dustin and I stood next to each other, observing the party around us. I had to admit, Stav went out of his way to make sure there was no mistake on his part. Not that I was going to tell him that. His big ego didn't need any more boasting."Everybody is dancing," Dustin commented, staring at the corner where some couples were gathered. "Spare me a dance?" he said and extended his arm."For old time's sake." I nodded and put my hand on top of his. We moved to the dimly lit area with our one hands linked. He placed his other arm on the small of my waist, while our eyes locked together. Dustin had a beautiful face; piercing grey eyes with skin that resembled melted caramel and sharp cheekbones. And the fact that he always smelled so good didn't help either.We moved in synchronization with the rhythm of the music. The familiarity of his hold made my stomach flutter. It felt right but it was too late now. We were broken up for reasons that were still there. He might
"And the net budget of the project was 5 million. Half the revenue produced went to-"I was standing in front of the ceiling-high glass window of my office, staring at the beautiful moon while dictating some important points to Stav. The sky was clear today, hundreds of stars filling it like white paint on black canvas."Where was I?" I asked him when I found myself distracted.When no reply came, I turned around and found his eyes closed. His hand was limply resting on the notebook and his head was bent forwards, unsupported.Walking towards his chair, I seated myself on the desk in front of him. Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I kicked his shin and he jumped up in his seat. He looked around flabbergasted and it took him a moment to realize where he was."Good morning, sweetheart, would you like some tea?" I said sarcastically."Um..." He blinked twice. "Coffee would be better."His sentence earned him another kick on the shin
Stepping towards my office, I stilled when I heard loud voices coming from Alice's room. She was barking at someone in full anger and I couldn't help but feel pity for that person. But that didn't mean I wasn't glad it was someone else and not me."You are fired. Go pack your stuff," she said to that certain someone when I reached the door of her office. "Never show me your face again." Her voice boomed.After a brief pause, a woman stepped out of her office that I guessed worked in finance. She had tears streaming out of her eyes uncontrollably and her nose was flushed red."Are you okay?" I said to her, but she ignored me and ran away with her heels making noise against the marbled floor.Sighing, I entered the office and handed over the cup to her. "Your pumpkin spice latte exactly how you take it," I said."And where is the scone?" she asked."They were out of scones. I brought muffins." I passed the brown paper bag to her."I ask
Once my driver stopped the car in front of the office building, I stopped scrolling my mobile screen and walked out. Some people walking past me acknowledged me with a nod as I walked towards the massive building.While walking, a car caught my attention through my peripheral vision. It was Stav's car and although there wasn't anyone in the driver seat, it was jerking slightly.Curiosity piqued inside me and I walked towards it, stopping right beside the door to the passenger seat. The black tinted windows didn't let me see much but there was certainly something going inside. My mind went to a dirty possibility of him having sex inside, but it sounded like too much of a stretch.In the end, I finally tapped my knuckles on the window glass, and after a brief moment, the glass slide downwards. My eyes met with a very naked Stav, staring back at me with a toothbrush in one hand and a plain black shirt in the other."What are you doing?" I asked while my eyes
"Wow. This place is amazing," one of my colleagues, Simon, said as he gulped the beer. "Who knew we would be spending our Friday night in one of the most exclusive clubs in the city?""It's not a big deal. My cousin is friends with the owner so he helped me get the membership card," I said and tipped the waitress.When Alice gave me the evening off, I told everyone that I'd be joining them to their night out and it was my treat. Now, all eight of us were sitting in a corner booth, drinking beers, eating cheeseburgers and gossiping about work."How come you can afford a membership on an assistant's salary? Your parents must be loaded," he asked with curiosity, and I just shrugged sheepishly."Don't tell me you guys don't know?" Sunshine interfered. "Our friend Stav here is Christopher Trajano's son.""Wait. The Christopher Trajano?" Gio asked."The one and only," I replied in an unenthusiastic manner. I hated talking about my family because w
Shifting in my sleep, I groaned as I felt a heavy weight on me. Something was crushing me, something heavy and masculine but I was unable to open my eyes due to the pounding veins in my head. My mind went blank as I tried to remember where I was or what happened in the club last night.After a lot of effort, I succeeded in opening my eyes and a sigh of relief left my mouth when I found the familiar ceiling hanging over me. But the relief didn't last long. My insides twisted in panic when the arm around me tightened.Shit.My eyes slowly travelled upwards from the muscular arm that was holding me in place to the face of my probable one night stand. And when I recognized the familiar sharp jaw and plump lips, the panic heightened.Crap. Crap. Crap."Stav," I slowly jerked him."Hmm." He mumbled and snuggled deeper into me. The fruity scent of his shampoo filled my nose and I stilled. His face was inches away from me and I couldn't help but fee