Purple Romance

Maria stood in front of the company's building with a smile. She closed her eyes for some seconds before she opened them and walked in joining the many people that walked through the entrance into the company.

She joined the elevator with a couple of people and got down at the president's floor. She looked at the corner where the office of the CEO was probably located and went towards her office.

Maria opened the door and saw Paul on her chair.

Paul looked at his wrist watch and spoke 'you are 15 seconds late, Miss Lee?'

'Huh?'

'Follow me' Paul said and went out of the office. Maria didn't bother putting her bag down, she just went with him.

Paul took her to an office around the corner and pointed at an empty desk and said to her. 'This will be your new office. You will still report directly to me. Your work will be supervised by me as my assistant'.

'Yes, Paul' Maria said.

Paul looked at her and felt that she had changed for some reason. She was obviously not happy before he left on Friday but after having dinner with the CEO, everything had changed. He looked at her and smiled.

'So, what will I be doing exactly as your assistant?' Maria asked.

'You will be communicating with other departments and also arrange their weekly meetings with the CEO. Miss Lee, do you know how to drink?'

'You mean my alcohol tolerance level?' Maria asked suspiciously wondering why he would ask her such a question.

'Yes'

'Well, is not bad. I can handle a few extra bottles than normal people' Maria said proudly. During her darkest moments, drinking was her only way to escape reality.

'Then, is going to be you tonight'. Paul said.

'Huh? What do you mean is going to be me, tonight?' Maria asked.

'The CEO will be having a dinner meeting with a potential business partner of the company tonight. The CEO isn't so good at holding his alcohol and my wife will kill me if she smells the scent of alcohol on me. She is pregnant you see, and her behaviour has gotten cranky lately. I don't want to offend her. She is really scary when she is mad'.

'So, you want me to accompany the CEO to the dinner meeting and drink on his behalf? Like a drinking substitute?'

'Exactly'.

'Okay, but why is the CEO's tolerance level bad? I remember he used to drink quite well?' Maria murmured the last statement to herself.

'In that case, I will inform the boss about the changes. You can be in your office; I have placed a few papers there. They are about the company. You can study them for now'. Paul said before going.

Maria nodded her head and went into the new office. Compared to the photocopier room, this office was more spacious.

Maria placed her bag down and looked around the office before sitting down. She opened the file and started studying about the company.

...…

'Come in'.

Paul entered the office and placed a few documents on the table and said 'boss, I have already made plans for your dinner meeting tonight. Miss Lee will be going with you. She said her alcohol tolerance level was pretty high so I asked her to go and drink on your behalf since my wife might throw me out of the bedroom if I dared to drink. She said the smell of alcohol frustrates her'.

'Maria said she will go with me?' Ad-Din asked sceptically.

'Yes, sir. She agreed to go with you. She also agreed to make sure that you don't touch a single glass of alcohol tonight. She promised to drink everything for you' Paul said and studied his boss' facial reactions.

He was right, his boss likes that woman. Still pretending to be the cool boss? Tsk. Paul noticed the subtle curve of his lips and smiled. Looks like things were about to get interesting in the office soon.

He was going to watch and see how these two people who had a past will act around each other. His wife was pregnant alright, but it wasn't true that she would crucify him if he drinks. It was just that, he noticed his boss has been in a good mood since that dinner Miss Lee prepared for him that night and wanted to create an opportunity for them to be together.

He wasn't sure what happened between them, but it was clear they felt something for one another.

'Well, if she insists, then let her go with me' Ad-Din scratched his head and lowered his face and smiled happily.

He realised Paul was still there and quickly covered up his smile and looked at him.

'Yes, boss. Then, I will take my leave now'. Paul said and went out of the office.

Ad-Din covered his face suddenly feeling shy as a surge of happiness filled him up. He felt his heartbeat increasing the more he thought about Maria drinking for him. He still remembered she was quite a heavy drinker.

He suddenly frowned and murmured 'what if one of the men suddenly finds her attractive? Maria's drinking ability can entrance anyone. Looks like I have to protect her then?'

...….

It was lunch time and Maria went down to the canteen to eat. She had promised to have lunch with Monroe before and she didn't want to postpone it.

She arrived at the canteen and saw that most of the tables were occupied with the workers. She recognised some as the ones she had the interview with and went for her food.

Maria saw Monroe at a distance, he was waving his hand at her and she walked to him with her tray of food. She sat across him and saw that he wore a black suit and pants. He had the lawyer's batch hanged on the front pocket of the suit and asked 'you are really a lawyer?'

'That's so heart breaking. I told you I was a lawyer. I make a lot of money. Do you want to go out with me?' Monroe said with a proud smirk.

'I'm not into lawyers. Sorry, you are not my type?' Maria told him and started eating her food.

'You are not into lawyers? Why? I'm such a handsome man and I have a lot of money. Why am I not your type?'

'You are older than me. I like younger men' Maria said nonchalantly and smiled daringly at him.

The cutlery in Monroe's hand dropped to the table and made noise but the shock written on his face didn't even make him realise what he had done.

'People are watching us, Monroe'. Maria told him. Monroe shook his head and looked at Maria recovering back from his senses.

'You really like younger men?' he asked.

'En'.

'Whoa. I never took you for someone who like younger men? Why do you like younger men?'

'My lunch time will soon be over, let's hurry up'. Maria said.

They ate their food silently…

After the lunch, Maria returned back to the office. She opened the door and saw someone sitting on her chair. The person had his back to her.

'Who…are you?'

Maria asked cautiously and the man swung the chair around and stopped in front of her 'Ad…no, boss' Maria quickly changed the way she addressed him.

Ad-Din frowned and looked at her lips. She had a grain of rice on her upper lip.

'Boss, do you need me to do something for you?' Maria asked.

'Paul told me you will be going with me to drink on my behalf?' Ad-Din asked as he sat facing her.

'Yes' Maria blushed at the way he was staring at her. She wondered if there was something on her face.

'I just wanted to verify that. The man living with you. Won't he think I'm bullying you?' Ad-Din asked and berated himself internally. He didn't even know when he left his office and came here. He just realised he was already at her office after sitting on her chair.

'The man living with me? Ah, you mean my brother? No, he wouldn't think so. He is not that kind of person to think that way'. Maria said and Ad-Din frowned.

She was even defending him, he thought.

'Well, I just wanted to make sure he won't come here and say things like I am taking advantage of you. I don't want to be seen as a tyrant boss who bullies his workers or make them do extra work that isn't related to the company'.

'You are my boss and is only right that I do that for you. You don't have to worry about that. I know you're not a tyrant neither are you someone who makes his workers do unnecessary work. Besides, this is company matters. Kobby will not say anything so don't think too much about it'

'hump' Ad-Din scoffed and stood up. He walked towards Maria and she stood frozen on the spot. He was now close to her. Too close for comfort.

Maria wanted to step back for fear that he might hear her heart that threatened to jump out but the man suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder keeping her in place and brushed his fingers against her lips sensually.