Lunch.

Another day, another lunch at her desk, but she couldn’t complain, not really. The morning had been fairly calm. There had been no meetings or unexpected visits, and she knew that, thanks to that, her boss was in a good mood. Still, from time to time, both she and her boss had to work through lunch, and she would end up ordering food by phone from one of the many places her boss usually chose for lunch. As for her, she settled for the packed meal she brought from home and a few snacks she kept in the cabinet in the break room. And that was exactly what happened today. She ordered a full, three-course healthy meal for her boss, plus an extra dessert.

She couldn’t say for certain what had put her boss in such a sweet mood. That morning, she had seen him arrive impeccably dressed and groomed, as always, but she immediately noticed the unusual sparkle in his sky-blue eyes, one that almost hinted at mischief. In turn, that made her calm heart beat a little faster in her chest, seeing him more handsome than usual. Even so, she chose to focus on her tasks and push aside any improper thoughts about her boss.

And there she was, sitting in front of her computer screen, occasionally lifting a forkful of salad to her mouth. Even with a lighter workload than usual, there were still matters that required organization. Although there was nothing on her to-do list that demanded immediate attention, she liked to stay on top of anything that might come up. There was always someone trying to schedule an appointment with her boss or follow up on a message he had sent. Tasks tended to pile up quickly, and she liked to have everything organized and ready to be placed into an appropriate time slot as soon as possible. It wasn’t that she was obsessive about order, but the truth was, she preferred to be proactive about certain things.

And that didn’t even include last-minute changes, meeting cancellations, or impromptu visits. Sometimes she had to juggle all of them to make things work as smoothly as possible for everyone involved. She had learned that she would never make everyone happy, but she was content with making her boss happy. Her thoughts came to a halt when she heard the office door open and her boss peeked his head out. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she watched as he scanned the area, as if someone might suddenly appear out of nowhere. Before she could wonder what it was about, he retreated back into his office.

She kept staring at the door and considered using the intercom to ask if he needed anything, but before she could do so, her boss appeared at the doorway again, this time holding one of the meal containers in his hands.

She raised an eyebrow, her gaze shifting from the food container to her boss’s eyes.

“Sir, is there something wrong with your lunch?” she asked, after spending several long seconds debating in her mind whether she should dare to question him or not.

Her boss frowned slightly, shook his head, and walked over to her desk.

“No, not at all.” She tilted her head a little as he set the container down on her desk. “I can’t complain. You know my tastes perfectly well and always manage to get good food.”

“Oh, well, but I do remember that time when I accidentally ordered food from that new Chinese restaurant. The result was food poisoning for both of us,” she recalled, a hint of humor in her voice.

“Did you really have to bring that up?” And it was impossible not to let out a small laugh at her boss’s poker face. “The truth is, until recently I was still receiving apology emails, not to mention the free coupons for appetizers or desserts.”

“Actually, I have to admit I used some of those coupons for the famous mango pudding. It’s truly a delight,” she confessed, taking another bite of her salad.

“You did?” He nodded, stifling another laugh. “I can’t believe it. I don’t know whether to call you brave or consider your boldness a form of betrayal.”

“It’s hard to say no to mango pudding, sir,” she replied, setting her fork aside and pushing her salad away.

Her boss rested one arm on her desk, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. She sighed inwardly, like a schoolgirl with a crush. Having him so close was far too tempting, but she managed to keep herself under control and maintain a calm expression.

“I don’t think I’ve ever told you this, but why doesn’t it surprise me that someone as delicate, small, and innocent as you has developed a fondness for desserts?”

She held back a snort without breaking eye contact. Shaking her head, she frowned.

“Delicate, small, and innocent?” she repeated, noticing the corners of his lips curve upward into a faint smile. “With all due respect, sir, I’m neither delicate nor small, unless by small you’re referring to my height, of course. It’s not like I’m a giraffe, but I’m perfectly fine with my one meter seventy. As for innocent, I’m not so sure. The meaning of innocent can apply to a certain number of possibilities when describing a person.”

“You may be right, Johari.”

“Am I?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. “I’d rather not think that you also describe or see me as a little girl when I’m not around.” It was right after she said the word little girl that she noticed a certain glimmer in her boss’s eyes. However, just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.

“Not at all, Johari. I have never thought of you as a little girl,” her boss stated, his voice more stern than usual.

Hearing this, she couldn’t help but smile genuinely. The truth was, her boss had never treated her as anything other than what she truly was: an adult, capable, efficient, organized, and respectful person. That was more than she could say about some of the other people she had worked with in the past. It didn’t bother her that not being seen as a little girl made it much easier for her to indulge in admiring the older man whenever she had the chance. She knew perfectly well that she had to keep her distance and respect him, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the view from time to time. And if her boss didn’t see her as a little girl, or as some sort of daughter figure, then all the better for the many fantasies she happily entertained in her mind.

“Good. I have to say that’s reassuring,” she replied, snapping out of her thoughts. “That way, I can relax and continue having conversations with Kitty.”

“You talk to that doll you have there?” her boss asked, pointing at the plush cat on her desk.

“Every morning when I get here, it’s the first thing I do,” she admitted, glancing briefly at the plush toy. “It’s good company.”

Her boss chuckled and shook his head. And God, the sound of his laughter made her shiver. She silently prayed that he wouldn’t notice that behind her composed expression hid a reaction of pure delight.