Chapter 2- Meeting Harry

She took her coat from the coat rack, took enough money from the petty cash drawer, and went to the elevator for Mr. Faiz's coffee and herself.

The coffee shop was once cloistered and closed, with so many tables and so little room. Now the shop is open-air, a sort of covered patio with tables a respectful distance apart. The coffee shop patio was Anna's happy place, which was wrapped up in the wintertime, dressed for the occasion; patrons' hands warmed and their breath rising in serendipitous puffs as they enjoyed their warm coffee, sweetbreads, cookies, and foam art; the sweetness of chocolate cups, freshly baked goods and soothing music.Here she notices everyone, the corner shops, and the DRI building a few yards away.

She walks down the street holding a cup of coffee in both hands and a small brown purse on her chest. She was sauntering rather promptly and was lost deep in thought. Anna didn't even seem to notice the people around her. She then looked up to see a man, at least one step in front of her, blurring her path. Her eyes broadened as her feet stumbled over his and her coffee fell onto the floor in a sticky mess.

Their eyes met for a moment, and then she forced herself to look away as she flushed bright red. "Woah, sorry I-" the man apologized as his hand wrapped around her waist, keeping her from falling. Their eyes met for a moment, and then she forced herself to look away as she flushed bright red. "Woah, sorry I-" the man rushed into an apology as his hand wrapped around her, "I didn't see you miss."

"Bloody hell, my coffee! Dammit!" Anna cried out in humiliation as she breathed in the elegant cologne the man used.

"What on earth are you doing here at this corner?" She asked, thinking that this man reeked of wild fresh flowers with a tang of ocean aroma. 'What an odd combination.'

"You walked without a care in the world, Miss. May I remind you?" He acknowledged as this unexpected turn in his boring morning captivated him.

"I did not. I am clearly visible and occupied with the coffee. You did not notice me." 

"Oh really? I mean you just ran into me, not paying attention, and now you are mad at me for being in the corner. " The man asked as his eyebrows furrowed.

"Whatever. Now I have to go back. What a jerk." Anna answered back, feeling embarrassed by the sudden outburst.

"Well, it's not obviously my fault."

"I'm aware of what happened, and I'm sorry, but the coffee's gone. Do you think maybe you're to blame? A single apology will do, you know!" Anna added with contempt. Such a dick. He didn't even apologize? Who was he? The King of bloody earth? "

"Why the hell would I apologize?"

"Sir, what I mean is you were swirling in circles right here in this corner. You were close to this building. There's no way I could have seen you when I was coming around. If you were further from the building, closer to the road, maybe—" Anna said while picking up the remaining clutter and plopping it in the nearby trust can. "...Never mind." She grumbled while passing away from the guy.

The man was glaring at her retreating back with a knowing smile. Then he walked away.

Running to the coffee shop again, a slight smile curved into her lips as she remembered his scent. Her eyes sparkled, and the corners of her eyes crinkled with sudden vigor. The familiarity of it was beyond her, but going exhausted, she forgot it as easily as breathing. And yet, she had never been the athletic type of girl. The last time she'd run this far was when she'd petted a dog and thought it was her who woke it up. It started barking at her. She panicked and ran away. The dog chased her. She tried to distract it with things from the ground, but it didn't work. It seemed like she had been going for hours, but it had only been two minutes. It was awful and disgraceful. That was the last occasion she'd petted a dog.

Regardless, she couldn't stand trotting anymore. She hated running. She appeared breathless and had no choice but to stop, catching her breath as she glanced at the cobblestones that were wet with the night's rain and made slippery by the wintry temperature, casting the water film into ice, and luckily, she was wearing boots. So as she walked on the streets near the DRI building to the poorly designed bus shelter, she tried to think and visualize herself interacting with the director at important meetings. The problem was, she'd always slip into "auto-pilot."

Even though she was wandering, it felt more like the sidewalk was a conveyor belt; like she was a cow in the slaughterhouse, heading toward the captive bolt. Her boss, Mr. Faiz, likes to intimidate her while appearing to be professional. She knew there were always things to be nice and things to be unpleasant. He was a genius at the latter.

With two cups of coffee in hand, she rushed into her building. After getting out of the elevator, she went to Mr. Faiz's office and gave him his coffee. She rushed to get the papers from the typing team and went to the boardroom meeting to double-check everything before the meeting.

'She better be quick, or all is lost.'

The door slapped open at the exact moment, and it stunned Anna to see him there. The man from earlier. The ass of a man. She'd tried her hardest to keep a poker face. She was a professional, after all, and she had seen worse. It would not intimidate her. However, the man's smile vanished, giving her a piercing look that had her freezing in her spot. 

Did he remember her? Obviously, she didn't have to contemplate that long for the answer since he took her grips and pulled her in. "Why the hell are you here?" the man exclaimed.

"I'm a..." Anna stuttered. She would've taken up the challenge had she not been rushing. Yet, he grinned, slashing her off as she removed her palms from his grasp while his jaw set.

"Blimey, you work here?" Frowning, they both went to the table as Anna brought back the brown manila envelope she'd forgotten from yesterday's meeting.

"Yes, and can you please let me go?" Anna asked. She will not swerve like all the others. Anna feels like she knows him from somewhere else now that she can see him without the wind and rain obscuring his face. Oddly familiar?

She recognized him from someplace, but for the love of God, she couldn't remember where, when, or how. She was disappointed and a bit furious at herself for not recalling him.

A while later, she gasped.  Oh shit! He is... bloody guacamole. I am so dead. He is Mr. Camilton. Dammit, stupid Anna! How could you not recognize him immediately?'

'Who was he again? He was Harry Camilton, a 30-year-old millionaire who owns the DRI. The Institute, where his grandfather spent years and years trying to succeed, with the Camilton hotel chains everywhere, now has over fifteen branches all over the UK and over one hundred sixty branches all over the world.

Damn, the man was hot as hell, like Channing Tatum hot.

She knew this because she had done her research while waiting for the papers in the copy room yesterday, but she didn't recognize him earlier, despite the fact that he looked rather familiar in any way, like something she called home. It was more frightening than having to drink coffee without a lump of sugar in it. How could he be so perfect? She equated his physical qualities with those of an underwear model—kind of perfection. He was superb-looking, and his general appearance was disarming. He was tall, had vast shoulders, ripped abs, a light dusting of chest hair complete with a happy trail, and well-endowed. His chiseled facial features were striking; a firm jaw, a smooth-sculpted nose, and a crooked smile, finished off with eyes a shade of blue-gray and a full head of dark copper strands.

He then moved closer, so close that she could smell the mixture of cologne and aftershave he was wearing. Why didn't she notice that earlier? 'She did right? 'Like a bucket of flowers and the ocean put together.' 

"Well, sir!" she mumbled.

What do you think of me now, Miss-I'm-running-late? Did I get your tongue under your throat? He asked, snaking an arm around her trembling waist and pulling her towards his solid torso as she was almost on the verge of slipping from her ancient boots.

Anna's eyes widened in shock as she felt her cheeks turning scarlet. She stammered again, cringing at the idea of her apologizing. Her face turned back to put some distance between them.

Mr. Camilton ignored her attempt to move away and leaned in so that his lips were near her ear. Where is that temper of yours, Miss-I'm running late. Do I make you feel uncomfortable? Now that you know who I was, ask questions like this: He trailed off, 'and did he just smirk? What a fuckin' ass. '

The jerk added, "... Or better yet, are you planning on writing your resignation letter?" He whispered in her ears as Anna felt her throat go dry.

'Such a dick.'

Anna scowled and opened her mouth to defend herself, but she remembered that he was, after all, the CEO, so she just nodded and turned around to leave. Mr. Camilton grinned before dismissing her once again, leaving her stunned with his statement.

Anna was swearing at every known god on the planet about the existence of the being known as Harry Dickhead Camilton two hours later. Not only was the guy rude and arrogant, but he was also the definition of the man who knows it all. Overbearing self-proclaims the god of all gods and goddesses. Zeus himself, 'but well, it was hot as hell nevertheless! How can she ignore that fact?' 

Yet, how could he be so mean to her?' He asked her for coffee three times during the span of the meeting, and he was never polite. Instead, he'd been demanding a better coffee, so she ended up running to the coffee shop twice. 'What an arsehole'.

The meeting was indeed tiresome, and she zoomed out for almost half of it. Lunchtime passed by with no actual lunch. She had a bundle of data compilation to finish by 5:00 pm, so Anna ate the single leftover bagel from this morning and typed single-handedly.

 'Where was the cup of coffee when she needed it most?'

With ten minutes to spare, she gathered all the files in one hand and threw them on her desk to finish tomorrow. With that, she stood up and trudged out the door, slamming it shut on her way out. Her day was done, and it exhausted her like hell. 

Why does Mr. Camilton look so familiar anyway? Even his scent was familiar. Where did she meet him before? With that thought and the chilling wind outside, Anna knew for sure a ride home wasn't any better. She'd threaded her way in and out of the stream of people. However, she felt alone in this throng. She felt like she did not belong here. She felt unwanted!

The cab ride took half an hour, which gave her enough time to rest her mind and her eyes while waiting for the cab to come while snacking on her savory turkey sandwiches from the subway.

Closing her eyes inside the cab, she seemed detached from the world. With a stretch and a yawn, Anna fell asleep, and for an unknown reason, she felt like someone snuggled right into her. Her dreams were always the same. She could recall the flat shade of blue-grey hue of his eyes the last time he scowled at her-the glow was striking against the background of his pale skin with his dark copper hair. Today, his eyes were a different hue: a strange blue-gray, but with the same amber tone. Who could this guy be? Why was he always in her dreams?