Chapter 6_the name's John Miller

Typical Monday morning, a whole board room filled with the company's most influential investors and shareholders. My boss, Niklaus Rogers stood at the end of the conference room confidently presenting his bright ideas infront of the running projector. As for me on this wonderful morning, had regretted wearing the last thing I saw in my closet. The shortest navy blue skirt from my old days.

"Enelor, show them the folders" he instructed and everytime I bent down just to place each folder on the huge glass desk I had to tuck one hand behind to hide my bare undies. By the time I made my way to where Sir Niklaus stood an invisible boulder appeared out of nowhere making me trip right into his arms. With him startled and a dazzled me in his arms, I felt his huge hand on my left butt cheek confusion with a hint of anger clouded on my face as well as his.

I stood up but he still clung to my waist making my back face him. It was embarrassing having to endure the looks that the investors threw my way. What did they think? That I was romancing with my boss infront of them? That I was a wanton woman? And my boss, why was his hold so tight, why the heck was he embarrassing me like this? Could it be that he was as shameless as Sir Mario? But no. Niklaus Rogers was a good person, I think?

"Well gentlemen, that's all for the day," he smiled, I watched some of the richest men in the room stand up, scoff a little before taking their briefcases and leaving the room unsatisfied with the presentation.

Our position still intact, I turned around trying to wriggle out of his hold. Cocooned by his arms, my face came closer to his chest eyeing the little skin showing from his white long sleeved blouse. Raising my head up slightly, my eyes met with his. Now unlike mine which were intimidated by the while situation his were different. His were full of scrutiny, anger?

Leaning closer that I could practically feel his breath fan my nose he said with indignation,

"Just because you got some little attention the other day doesn't mean you practically walk naked just to hog all the attention"

After his razor cutting words, I blinked twice trying to ward off the tears that burnt my eyes. Escaping from his hold and covering my behind, I ran out of there before anyone could realise that I was about to breakdown. Standing merely inches from the huge entrance to the boardroom, I leaned against the wall clinging to the dang folders he had told me to drop earlier. Hog all the attention? Walk naked? What he said made it look like I was some slut seducing every man in that room.

Is that what he really thought of me? A seductress? I thought. Gosh I thought we had some thing going. That good secretary boss relationship going on but boy was I wrong.

"Tough day huh?"

I suddenly looked up to see where the voice came from.

Standing beside me was a tall strikingly handsome guy. Hands in his trousers pockets, a billion dollar smile, well built, sharp jaw. For a moment there I was tongue tied. A question running through my brain, how long had he stood there. Had he heard me thinking aloud? Cussing at my boss?

"You don't have to say anything, I get it. Rage building inside of you, wondering whether the universe designed specific people to annoy you" he kept on mumbling and all the while merely stared.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" I asked now standing up pulling down the little skirt I had on.

"Aah where are my manners? The name's John Millers and you are?"

"Elen... Eleanor Gibbins" I said absent mindedly surprised by his gesture of taking my hand to his lips.

"Coffee?Tea?"he smiled and I could bet many women had fallen for that.

Wiping my tears away and pulling myself together I gently whispered, "Am afraid I can't"

"You are not a coffee or a tea person huh?I should have gone with ice cream,"he feigned to be hurt and that genuinely earned a smile from me.

He sure knew how to shoot his shots. Pathetic Eleanor Gibbins even with her self respect being crushed was again getting comfy with a guy she just met. I breathed in, trying to relax, my blind eyes finally getting to see that the men in my life were bound to disappoint me one way or another.

I stared at him, taking in all his features, trying to see beneath that cover whether there was a monster like the rest of them.

"You can take your time,"he chuckled,"that ice cream ain't going anywhere. But I gotta ask, how long is the evaluation going to take? Don't get me wrong, having a beautiful woman checking you out is a good thing but it makes things hard. Very hard"

He joked and that was how I ended up in a little ice cream shop without a care in the world whether the boss would get mad or not.

"So you are telling me you hated ice cream cause it made you fat?"

I laughed once more taking a huge scoop of my vanilla ice cream.

"What can I say? I was a kid jealous that my big brother had gone through puberty better than me"

Looking at him now, I wouldn't have imagined a man like him dressed in a perfectly fit Armani suit was fat decades ago.

"It seems you conquered puberty pretty well,"I said shamelessly realising that what I had said wasn't me,"Oh God! Umm... I'm sorry...I didn't mean that"

"It's nothing. They all say so on our first encounter"

His lips curled up into a smile revealing a perfect set of white teeth. I guess he was used to it. The attention and all. The attention. Suddenly I remembered what Sir Niklaus said to me and that ruined my mood.

I was exactly doing what he accused me of. I was trying to get attention from the hot stranger seated next to me.

This was not me. I was never the one to mingle and if I did mingle it would always go sideways and I'd be the one to get hurt.

"I have to go" I said calmly feeling a bit queer to have his expensive jacket wrapped around my waist.

"Was it something I said? My apologies if..."

"No. It's not you. It's me but this was great"

"Well can I atleast offer you a ride home?"