Chapter 5 - “Happy birthday, Boss.”

Ella was literally trembling as she waited to make her entrance. Perhaps she shouldn’t have let Damon and Jackie talk her into doing this. Nevertheless, she was already here right outside the huge door leading to the dining hall. Someone inside was making a speech and once the speech was over, she would make her entrance. Cheers followed with applause had erupted, indicating that it was her time now.

Jackie gave her a brief hug and Damon whispered encouraging words into her ear. 

Okay. All she had to do was go up there and then sing for him. How hard could that possibly be? 

＊＊＊

Javier was still glancing about the room. Ella was not here. He was tempted to give her another call but that would only up the number of missed calls she would see on her phone. 

“Damn it,” he cursed under his breath, not paying attention to what his brother, Thornton, had been saying on the podium. His mind was too distracted by his missing secretary. Then a dangerous thought came to his mind. Perhaps she had been too occupied with her lover, this Damon Matthews guy, that she had not had a chance to inform him that she would not be attending his birthday party. The curiosity mixed with jealousy started to eat him up. 

The band started playing the prelude of happy birthday in a slow tempo. Javier let out an exasperated sigh, he could care less about the song. All he wanted was for Miss Ella Stanford to be here so his mind could finally rest. Yet the surprise exclamations and gasps from the guests around him piqued his curiosity. When it had become unbearable, he leaned back in his seat and glanced at the entrance to see what had caused the buzz. Almost immediately, his throat choked and his eyes widened. Standing there in a striking red dress with a high slit that exposed her creamy thigh was none other than his uptight, professional secretary. 

* * *

So far so good. Ella’s breath had calmed down as she walked through the double doors and on her way to the dance floor. She had made it up the aisle between tables from the entrance all the way here without falter or worse, tripping herself. She was grateful that the guest's response to her grand entrance was positive, buzzing in wonder and appreciation. 

Ella spotted Javier as soon as she stepped onto the dance floor. After all, she had been the one arranging for this event. She knew where he would be sitting and with whom. He was sitting directly opposite where the band was set up next to his latest woman, London Star. Just, as usual, he looked dangerously and infuriatingly handsome in his dark blue shirt that enhanced the vivid ocean blue of his eyes. Except that tonight he looked dumbstruck. In fact, utterly so. His lips parted and his eyes widened. He clearly had not expected to see her secretary dressed up so seductively and holding a microphone, ready to sing for him.

Her gaze slid briefly to the woman sitting next to him. Blonde wavy hair, pouty red lips, and black shimmering dress. She looked stunning as if she had just walked out of the latest fashion magazine and yet Javier’s eyes were glued on Ella. Unaccountably, a sweet sense of satisfaction swept through her. She gave him a warm smile, one that she had never ever given him before for she always secured a polite one in the office. Then she walked to the podium. She deliberately put a more seductive sway on her hips to help him focus his attention on where she wanted it to be. 

There was simply nothing to lose. She would hand her resignation letter tomorrow first thing in the morning and then go off elsewhere, preferably in a place where she did not have to witness Javier’s wild, playboy behavior. 

The band was grinning at her and gave her a thumbs up. Ella took the microphone and swallowed a couple of times to moisten her throat before she began to sing. Not the kind of happy birthday that anyone would sing at a kids’ party, she sang the seductive kind. One that only Marilyn Monroe dared to sing for the president once upon a time. 

The audience settled and hushed and the band started to play with the tempo she wanted.

“Ha... ppy birth... day...” she took another breath. “Dear... Jave...”

A ripple of applause ran around the dining hall and Ella watched her boss tilt his head back in delight, a low chuckle emerging from his throat. It seemed that he had indeed recovered from his shock and was now enjoying her performance. And what a performance she had given him! She had done it so flawlessly, giving a touch of her husky tone which added to the seduction and perfection.

There was a look of bewitched and bemused on Javier’s face as if he was completely under her spell. Ella drew out the last line with a sensual innuendo as she sang, “to... you...” Her lips rounded in a suggestive oval as if she was blowing him a long kiss. 

The crowd erupted in cheers and whistles. Everyone was cheering but Javier didn’t even move his eyes from her. His gaze was burning to her.

Then the band played the song one more time in a cherry, happier tempo, one that everyone in the family gathering usually sang and all the guests were singing as a huge birthday cake was being brought to Javier. Ella got off the podium and followed the crowd until she stood next to the dark forest cake with the text ‘Happy Birthday, Javier’ made from icing that was placed on top of it.

Ella glanced at her boss, her lips curled into a genuine smile as she wished him a happy birthday. 

“Happy birthday, Boss.”