CHAPTER 3

  "Seriously? He wants you to be his assistant to the mission?"

  I nodded, and she leaps out of her seat.

  "Oh my god, Rosie! You're so lucky!"

  And so her blabbering about me and Sean begins. As she talks non-stop, I stare at the wristwatch Sean gave me. It really looks stylish. Of course, this one never escapes Georgina's inquisition, and I have to make up a story just to satisfy her. She knows I'm not wearing this wristwatch before I come to Sean's office.

  I smile. First name basis for him is not that bad. His name sounds good.

  Georgina is still talking non-stop when I stood up and tell her I am going to sleep. Since the virus outbreak starts, all the doctors could not go home for we could not risk our families. Even if we don't want to, we don't have a choice but to stay in the hospital. The hospital provided enough beds for the health workers in the Medical Team Quarters, and to be able to accommodate everyone, those who have their own offices were advised to use their office when resting.

  So far, we are ae to cope up with this setup.

  Once I'm inside my office, I take off my robe and hang it on the rack on the side. Sitting on my swivel chair, I adjusted it so I can lay my back and press the IPad Mode of my wristwatch. Immediately, it transforms into an eight-by-ten IPad.

  Examining it closely, I notice that there is a word engraved on its back cover. When I managed to read it, a smile made its way to my lips. It wasn't a word but Sean's initials were engraved on the back cover, together with the word Pad.

SGR PAD

SGR PORTABLE IPAD

  Smiling like a fool, I press the power button and went on the system settings, and read the manual guide. An hour and a half later, I am a pro in using the IPad. Even so, I went on and started reading the information provided for the mission and the guide to the facility. As I was reading it, my eyelids become heavy and soon, I am drifting off to sleep.

  I feel someone staring at me, slowly my eyes flutter open. My office is dimly lit, the main light is off, but I don't remember turning them off. My senses wake and I jolt up, my head spins with the sudden movement.

  "Careful,"

  "Oh!" I jump when I hear a voice.

  Roaming my eyes around, I see a shadow standing beside the door of my office. I squinted my eyes and realized it wasn't a shadow but a man! And it's Sean.

  "What are you doing here?" I ask.

  "Am I not allowed to be in one of the offices of my own hospital?"

  Eh? My brows creased.

  "That's not what I mean. You shouldn't enter someone's office without prior notice, you are invading my privacy here. What if I sleep naked?"

  He chuckles and didn't answer me directly. Instead, he asks,

  "You sleep naked? In the hospital knowing that an emergency can occur anytime? And without locking the door?" he motions his head on the door on his side.

  "Uhm,"

  I forgot that I am actually talking to Sean Gabriel Richforte, and when it comes to this kind of talk and debating, you would never win against him. Sighing, I sit on my swivel chair and again, ask him what is he doing here.

  "Well," he starts pacing towards my desk. "I couldn't sleep so I think of going here and see if my assistant is studying just like what I advised her to do, and I see her sleeping."

  I scoff, "I was busy reading the files and I didn't know I've fallen asleep. But rest assured that I know enough now, chairman."

  He gives me a glare, "I told you to stop addressing me as chairman."

  "Okay, fine, Sean."

  A sexy smirk made its way on his lips and for a moment, I think he's trying to flirt with me. Shaking my head, I pick up the IPad from my desk, sit back on my chair, and start reading again, not minding him.

  I wasn't aware that we've been like that for an hour. Me, reading the files while, well, he's been silent the whole time, and I just realize it is dark, though not really dark, just dim. I peek at him and see him sleeping on the visitor's chair, his head bowed and he looks uncomfortable in his position.

  Standing up, I turned off the IPad and switch it to WWM or wristwatch mode and turn to Sean who's uncomfortably sleeping in the swivel chair. Careful not to wake him up, I adjusted it so he can lean his back.

  When I think he's comfortable enough, I sit back on my own chair and decided to sleep too since I know we have a breakfast meeting tomorrow. Sean will announce the list of participants in the mission, and my role as his assistant. I'm sure I'll be the subject of gossip once he's done announcing my role.

  "Don't tell me you just need to be in my office just so you could sleep?" I murmur as I remember him telling me he couldn't sleep so he decided to go here.

  I shake my head and again, drift off to sleep.

  An unfamiliar sound stirs me awake. Slowly opening my eyes and readying myself to squint through the light, I realize that my office is still in dim light, and I remember what happened last night. I look at the visitor's chair in front of my desk where Sean is still is, just pressed something on his wristwatch and I realize that the unfamiliar sound was an alarm.

  "What time is it?" I ask.

  "Five in the morning."

  "Our breakfast meeting is six."

  He nodded. "Yea, and we only have an hour to prepare. Come on,"

  He stands up and motions me to follow him, but instead of doing as I am told, I ask where are we going. And he said surely, I wouldn't go to the breakfast meeting without having even just a shower. Realizing he's right, I said,

  "Yea, right. I'll have a shower in the shower rooms of MTQ."

  "No, you wouldn't. You'll have a shower in my quarters."

  "Huh?"

  "Surely, the other doctors are also getting ready for the meeting. Don't you think it would be a hassle if you go to MTQ just to shower? Knowing that all of the doctors in the hospital are getting ready?"

  Uhm,

  "Go and get a set of clean clothes now. Or I'll drag just drag you to my quarters and let you wear my clothes. You wouldn't want to give your co-doctors something to think, don't you?"

  I didn't know he could be so bossy that I scrambled to my feet and hastily opened the zipper of my duffle bag on the side and fish out a set of clean uniform, undies, and a new robe. Standing up, I hurry to his side and without a word, we head to his office.

  Feeling refreshed after a proper shower, I took a deep sigh of relief. What I didn't know is there is an adjacent room in Sean's office which turned out to be a bedroom. In the middle is a king-sized bed, with a side table and nightstand on each side, a glass wall on the right side with closed curtains, a closet, and there is the door of the bathroom that is as big as my room in my apartment.

  I sit on the edge of the bed while combing my hair. I just finished showering, and now he's inside, taking his time. He lends me a hairdryer so I managed to dry my brunette hair and now I'm combing it using my fingers, as it seems like he does not have a comb, or I just don't know where it is.

  A smile formed on my lips as I realize that his office resembles those CEO offices I'm reading on ebooks. It confirms the gossips that he once aspired to be a businessman.

  I hear the door of the bathroom opens so I turn in an attempt of asking him for a comb but it's such a wrong move. He steps out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist, covering the lower part of his body. His hair is wet and there are droplets of water dripping down his neck, down his well-toned chest, down his six packs abdominal muscles, down his v-line and—

  "Eyes up,"

  I wasn't aware that my mouth is parted in awe, I close it immediately as a sexy smirk formed on his lips and my cheeks burned. I look everywhere but him. I hear his chuckles.

  "Give me a minute to get dressed."

  "Uhm, okay?" I answered, unsure.

  The sound of his movements echoes in the four corners of this silent room. I turn around again and faced the door, listening silently, the comb inquiry is forgotten. A minute pass and I feel a presence behind me, at the same time, something tugs my hair, and I realize it's a comb.

  "Steady," he murmurs as I try to move.

  He places his left hand on my shoulder to hold me in place while he gently combs my hair, and I savor the moment. This is one of the rarest moments of my life, this only happens once in a blue moon. I didn't even expect I would be this close to my long-time crush.

  "There. Done." I hear him step back.

  I turn around and face him, "Thanks."

  "You know what, your hair looks too long." his head tilts, "I think you need to get a haircut before we fly to Australia."

  "Uhm, okay? But I don't agree that my hair looks too long." I replied.

  "I don't mean literally too long. What I mean is, I prefer its length when we were still in college. You know, the ends curl at your delicate breasts."

  All the air leaves my body and my lungs malfunctioned to his last two words. I don't know how to react. For someone like me, my long-time crush remembers my hair length back when we were still in college, I should be jumping up and down though it doesn't suit a twenty-six years old woman.

  But then there are the 'delicate breasts' words at the end of his sentence. My eyes widen when a thought comes to my mind. Oh my god. Is this the main reason why he brought me here? Alone with him? And is this his hidden agenda why he chose me to be his assistant? Oh my, the chairman has a hidden desire for me! Is it?

  "Oh, stop now," he says suddenly. "I know what that look means. Stop. It's not. Okay, just don't think about the last part of my sentence. Come on now, they are waiting for us."