Date The CEO.com

Eve blinked.

It happened so long ago. She almost forgot about it. Her mind took a quick trip, recapping the events. She had needed a job and Madison had offered modelling as the first choice.

Something she refused for the same reasons she gave Andie. Show Business wasn't stable. His subsequent suggestions had also been rejected since they centered around it.

Then, Ambryan needed a new secretary and the rest became history. 

Frown lines creased between her brows. 

Why bring this up now?

"I think if people are meant to be, they'd eventually find each other at the right time?" Eve offered as an answer. She'd read, heard and watched romance. It seemed to be a common theme.

Madison placed half of his thigh on the edge of her desk. His hand swirled the tea inside the paper cup. "Do you really believe that?"

"I believe in many things, President Madison," Eve replied, shrugging her shoulders. "But they also change overtime."

And they did. Every time she learned and experienced more, new insights presented themselves. Then, her beliefs would shift if she agreed to them.

"Seriously though, how are you, Eve?" Madison sighed. A coy smile curled the corners of his lips. "You've never been late before."

There had to be a special reason, right? 

"I'm good. I just woke up late since I slept past midnight," Eve explained. She crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping that this would be the end of it. "Not that I've never slept that late before but I was slightly intoxicated."

Her body cringed at her own words. Drinking before a work day? It sounded like a bad decision but her boss also drank that night. She thought that would make him more understanding.

Not that he let it affect his work ethic. 

Something she should also be able to do.

But, it was the truth which was still better than a lie.

"Don't sweat it. You're allowed to have fun." Madison glanced at the elevator doors. He shook his head. "I feel like your mother's hazel eyes are glaring at me for not taking care of you better."

If he had everything his way, Eve wouldn't be working so much. She'd spend her life in luxury and in leisure. Alas, both mother and daughter frowned upon that type of help. They valued hard work, earning their way up. 

Eve smiled gently. Her voice came out soft. "I'm sure there are better things a 43-year old man needs to do."

'Beautiful' and 'young-looking' were two words to describe the company President. He looked like he was in his late twenties—which a lot of people envied him for. His slim frame also added to that assumption.

The telephone rang, breaking the moment. 

Eve pushed the speaker button on reflex.

"If Madison is still there, please tell him to leave."

"How did he—" Madison whirled his head towards the CEO's office. Crease lines dented his forehead. "These walls are soundproof, right?"

"Yes." A giggle told him quietly. 

"Oh, well." He sighed, shifting his attention back. Tenderness projected out of his gaze. "If you need anything, just tell me. Like an assistant, more off days, sudden absence…" 

"I will keep it in mind but I think most of those need Sir Hathaway's approval." Eve shook her head, a small smile teasing the corner of her lip. "He is our superior."

"Is he treating you okay?"

"He's treating me just fine, President. It has been that way for the last five years."

Madison didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry. He'd given so many hints but nothing hit home. Any more obvious and he might scare her instead. He would have to watch from the sidelines for now.

The telephone rang again.

"If Madison doesn't leave within a minute, please call his secretary about his whereabouts."

"I'm going. I'm going." 

Eve scrunched her eyebrows at the speaker, wondering how Ambryan knew about Madison's presence. If he suddenly could detect through walls, she needed to be extra careful. 

Madison stood up and stretched. Then, he grabbed the basket filled with cinnamon rolls. "He must be scared that I'd take you away. I'll be leaving first. Remember to take it easy."

"I will." Eve nodded as he left. She waved her hand in goodbye. "Have a safe trip, President."

He raised his hand in return, not looking back.

The rest of the morning passed by uneventful.

Eve sat on her desk, rapidly attacking her keyboard. Categorized printed forms covered her work area. They were to serve as supporting documents for her reports. She had already transferred their data to her soft files. All that was left was to finalize the summarized sheet.

Of course, she should double check it first and make sure there weren't any errors.

Then, she should recheck again because she was late and should be error free. It wasn't exact science but it would make her look better.

The printer sat on a square desk, connecting to the end of her worktable. One by one, her reports came out of it. She combined each sheet with their respective document folders and stacked them for submission. Her hand pulled out a drawer, revealing prepared labels. 

She only needed to stick them onto the sides. 

Eve stared at her finished reports. Nothing else needed to be done. She'd checked them more than three times already. At that point, she admitted to stalling for time. She debated whether to submit early or to submit on time.

She picked the former since it had the better outlook.

Standing up, Eve gathered the folders and walked over to the door. 

Her knuckles knocked three times. She kept her head bowed as she opened the door. Her feet moved hastily, desiring to leave as soon as possible. She placed the reports on the edge of his desk and turned around. The sight of the exit brought her relief.

"Eve."

One syllable and her momentary happiness left.

Eve spun on her heel and folded her hands over her abdomen. She nodded her head in acknowledgement. "Sir Hathaway."

Ambryan's eyes stayed on the monitor. He had an online meeting with a few executives. Instead of using video and/or voice, they chose to write out their statements as documentation. This made it easier to track the flow and agenda—ready to be reviewed later on.

And he was leading it.

"Do you have anything to say about your tardiness?" 

Eve kept her chin up. Although he didn't look at her, she did. She gazed straight at him and controlled her expression. She would be firm. She would be responsible. There wouldn't be an excuse unless he asked. 

"I have no valid reason other than I woke up late."

'There. I did it.' She gave herself a mental pat on the back. Her erratic heartbeat slowed down. The loud pulse in her ears faded away. All of her worries vanished into the past.

"I guessed as much."

She raised an eyebrow. "You did?" 

Ambryan sent his message and glanced at the floor. He ascertained if his clue was still around. Although he had confidence in his vision, he made it a habit to confirm a second time. His head nodded in the same direction, waiting for her to notice.

Eve followed his line of sight and stepped back. Nothing was there. Only her and her—

"Your shoes."

"Oh, crap!" Eve exclaimed. "I'm wearing sneakers?!"

How did she not notice? No wonder it felt comfortable to walk. A groan rumbled in her throat. After all the precaution she took, she still made a mistake. Compared to an error in a report that could be corrected, this was improper business etiquette. 

It was also against company policy.

Her brown eyes shut behind her glasses. "Did President see?"

"Probably. But like your tardiness, he overlooked it," Ambryan replied as he read the messages from the other executives. 

Eve sighed and bowed her head low. "I promise I'll be presentable tomorrow."

She used this pose to hide her red cheeks. Next time, she'd have a pair of spare heels left in her workstation. They could also be useful in times of heavy rain. She should also bring a set of clothes in Evangeline's apartment. 

Because of the concern on safety, she had taken off the wig and walked out as Eve. Neither the receptionist nor the security guard raised an eyebrow. That became her clue that they knew of her dual identity. 

Or maybe they simply didn't care since she was leaving the building instead of entering it.

"It—" 

The sudden pause made her look up. Ambryan used one hand to rub his temples. His other one continued to tap on the keyboard. She frowned at the sight. "Are you alright, Sir Hathaway?"

"Yes, just a bit of a headache." He let go of his temples and sped up his typing. 

Eve shook her head, not accepting his answer. Her feet prepared to march out of the office. "I have some ibuprofen in my drawer. Let me get some for you."

"There's no—" Ambryan glanced her way but it was too late. She already left through the door. A sigh escaped his lips. "And there she goes like a mother hen."