My Overbearing Boss's Affection

In the bar, I dragged my best friend along, checking out a table full of handsome guys. Every time I said, "That guy looks good," a hand would always tug me back. "None of them can compare to me." I couldn't stand it anymore and shot a glare at the person behind me. "If you're so great, why don't you show us!" He leaned close to my ear, "Tonight, I will." A month after the breakup, I sat at my desk, feeling miserable, pondering what to have for lunch. "Hey babe, 9 PM at Sunshine on the Sea, there are hot guys waiting!" Out of 30 days in a month, 20 were spent working overtime. Even a saint would be worn out! "No way, I'm not going." "Come on, just this once, please. I heard tonight there's that guy in the black suit you followed on t****k last time..." "I'm going!" My best friend really knows how to get me going. At 8:30 PM, I donned my stunning yet torturous outfit and headed to the battlefield. Two bar newbies like us were instantly dazzled by the vibrant scene inside. We'd never seen such a scene before, utterly entranced, our feet practically glued to the entrance. "Look, that's the DJ in the black suit tonight!" Alahia pointed out excitedly. "We're in for a real treat tonight." We sat at the bar, gossiping about the handsome guys like a couple of nosy old ladies. "Oh wow, Haley, check that out!" I followed Alahia's gaze and, wow, a whole booth of hotties! "The one in the black suit with glasses looks good." "Not him, he's a jerk." "The one next to him in the leather jacket looks good too." "Not him, he's a poser." "Wow, that guy looks good too!" "None of them can compare to me." ... I couldn't stand it anymore and shot a glare at the person behind me. "If you're so great, why don't you show us!" The next second, I was stunned. The person behind me was none other than my ex from a month ago. Ruckus leaned close to my ear, "Tonight, I will." He even let out a sly chuckle right by my ear. "B-boss..." Alahia looked at us, puzzled and shocked. "I'm here to take her home with me." Before I could explain to Alahia, Ruckus whisked me away. Sorry, girl! "Ruckus, let me go!" I broke free from his grasp and tried to run back, but before I could take a few steps, he caught me, scooped me up, and tossed me into the car. "What are you running from?" He smacked me on the butt. Don't play the domineering CEO card with me; I totally fall for that. My first time at a bar and I got busted, not cool, damn it! Ruckus exhaled and leaned closer to me. "What do you think you're doing!" I crossed my arms over my chest, which now had a noticeable curve under the loose neckline. Our eyes locked, speaking volumes without a word. "Be a good girl, buckle up, we'll talk when we get home." Damn, his allure in that suit was seriously tempting me. He drove quietly the whole way, and I... well, I was driving too... Alahia: "Oh my God, Haley, you never told me your boss is your boyfriend!" Me: "Ex-boyfriend," Alahia: "So, how's the boss? Is he hands-on?" I sneaked a glance at Ruckus, all decked out in his black suit and gold-rimmed glasses, looking like a million bucks. Me: "Way too hands-on!" We dated for a year, but I've been drooling over him for two. Not being in a relationship with him hasn't stopped my drooling. I'm a huge fan, I confess. But I never expected Ruckus to turn out to be an even bigger admirer! Alahia: "...If you ask me, with the moon high and the night dark, you should just... make your move, and see where it leads..." That night, I got schooled in more ways than one... At the red light, I sneaked yet another glance at Ruckus, just to see if he noticed our girly chat. But he seemed to misunderstand, because he was grinning at me. "Save it for when we get home," he chuckled. A shiver ran down my spine. The moment the car stopped, I bolted inside and locked the door. He didn’t have a key anyway. "Ruckus, what are you doing!" As soon as I got in, Ruckus pinned me against the door. This was definitely not what I had in mind. "Didn't I tell you?" His breath was hot against my skin. "A whole month, and you didn't call me once. Are you really mad?" He reminded me. "I sent you a message. We broke up!" "I didn't agree." Before I could argue, something silenced me... his lips. Making it to work the next day felt like a stroke of luck. "Does your back still hurt? Maybe I should drop you off at the office?" Sitting in the passenger seat, I swatted away Ruckus's wandering hand. Like I don't know what he's up to. "Sweetie..." Ruckus looked all pitiful. "If you start blabbing at work like before, don't expect me to talk to you!" Just the thought of him nearly spilling the beans about us at work made my blood boil. "Why?" Is he that unpresentable? "Just don't say it!" I said, rubbing my back as I walked away. "Good morning, boss!" Ruckus glanced at the person greeting him, then scowled at the colleagues he passed. Colleague: Uh-oh, someone's in a bad mood. "Haley!" Uh-oh, here comes the gossip queen. "How was the battle last night?" "What battle? Nothing happened." "Oh, come on, with those dark circles, nothing happened? Spill the tea, I’m a vault!" Catching the mischievous glint in Alahia's eyes, I realized I have a friend just as obsessed as I am. "We're at work, no goofing off!" In just one hour, I had already run to someone's office more than four times. "Haley..." The game was only halfway done. "Make him wait!" Something felt off-kilter. "Uh... I mean, I'll go in a bit." "Some folks might not excel at their jobs, but they're top-notch slackers." "If you're so great, why not boost the company's GDP? No chit-chat during work hours!" I pointed to the notice on the wall, and Pamla's eyes widened, her mouth agape, speechless for a long moment. Oh, you think you're all that. Just because you've got a better figure than me doesn't mean you make more money. You're still just another struggling worker like me. "Mr. Taylor, you wanted to see me?" I looked at Ruckus, who was resting his chin on his hand with a pouty face. "Darling..." Now's the perfect time to make a break for it. The office door slammed shut, grabbing everyone's attention. "Mr. Taylor said I was an eyesore, ha... yeah right." During lunch break, I was the first to dash into the break room and grab the first cup of afternoon tea. Even though I hadn't done much today, it still felt exhausting. "If you ask me, Pamla is just daydreaming. You see how she circles around Mr. Taylor, and he doesn't even glance at her." "She even adds drama for herself, saying Mr. Taylor's showing his affection in a domineering way. Makes me want to hurl." She's got quite the imagination, but I'd suggest not overthinking it next time. "But Mr. Taylor's face was so dark today. Every time I delivered documents, it felt like going to war." Maybe he skipped breakfast? "Sure, Mr. Taylor is handsome, but he's thirty and still not dating. Could it be... something's wrong in that department, Haley, what do you think?" I couldn't agree less. Because Ruckus was leaning against the break room door, grinning, waiting to see how I'd respond. "I suppose... there's no problem... right?" Ruckus crossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips, raising an eyebrow. "Mr. Taylor." The two gossiping colleagues turned pale with fright. "Mr. T-Taylor!" Ruckus returned to his usual expression, as if he hadn't been the topic of conversation just moments ago. "I heard your team is celebrating a new member tonight." "I'm joining, and the company will cover the bill." "Okay, sure, Mr. Taylor." If he's going, I'm definitely not. "Oh, and no one is allowed to skip." Shoot! Ruckus turned to leave, and the two barely exhaled half a breath before he turned back. "One more thing, I have a girlfr—" "Mr. Taylor, take care!" I swear I was panicking. Ruckus's lips curled into a slight smile, "See you tonight." "Wow, Mr. Taylor is so handsome. I can love this job for another day because of him!" "Is that a smile? It's bewitching me!" Girl, someone who can bewitch is scarier than any ghost. To avoid being with Ruckus, I even snuck in through the back door. "Sweetie." Just my luck to bump into Ruckus at the door. I thought I was early enough. Aren't bosses supposed to arrive late? "Mr. Taylor, it's almost time. I'll head in first." "Baby, don't be mad." Ruckus reached for my hand, but I swatted it away with a loud smack. "Baby~" I glared at him, and he looked all pitiful. "Don't call me that outside. If colleagues hear, it'll be hard to explain!" "Baby still loves me." I'm just trying to hold onto my spot in the office gossip circle. ... "Mr. Taylor?" Ruckus awkwardly pulled back his open arms, trying to play it cool. Ritwik emerged from the private room. "Mr. Taylor, are you feeling unwell?" I accidentally let out a laugh, and Ruckus's face darkened even more. "It's nothing, go on in." Ritwik walked ahead, and Ruckus cozied up to me like an eager puppy. Wow, Alahia said she saved me a seat, and it turns out it’s right next to Ruckus. “How’s that for loyalty, girl?” Looking at the message on my phone and then at Alahia’s cheeky grin across the table, this was taking loyalty to a whole new level. Everyone had arrived, and the dishes were already served, but the atmosphere was stiff. I knew it—his presence was killing the vibe. “Mr. Taylor, why don’t you dig in?” “Tonight, eat to your heart's content. It's on the company.” The mood gradually loosened up, and soon, everyone was raising their glasses to Ruckus. “Are you sure you should be drinking? You've got to drive later.” I nudged Ruckus’s hand under the table, but to my surprise, he grabbed mine instead. I tried to pull away, but he kept holding on, turning it into a tug-of-war. Frustrated, I gave his thigh a good whack. “Uh... just swatting a pesky mosquito off the boss's leg.” “Baby…” Those two words were like a magic spell, freezing everyone in the room. “Ouch, that hurt!” “Haha, looks like the boss has had one too many.” I tried to laugh it off to save face. “Baby…” Ruckus leaned on my shoulder, and I was instantly on high alert, shoving him off. “Hey, that's gonna cost you extra!” Ruckus toppled to the ground, and out spilled a stack of our couple photos, leaving everyone wide-eyed in shock. Seriously, who carries around a whole stack of couple photos? What is this, a scrapbook? How do I fix this mess? SOS!