Blind of your Scent

CHAPTER 2

"You're comfortable with?" He can't mean...

"Mr. Silvester, I may look cold to you, but believe me if I tell you that your pheromones soothe my nerves." I've heard it before. The current CEO of Schwarz Inc. has a very sensitive nose; it was rumored that he would often have a headache when he smelled any pheromones from any traits. His case was studied by a few scientists and psychologists, whose specialty was the reaction of pheromones to the body and mind. But, before the public could hear the news about his real condition, it was shut down by the Schwarz family, who told the world that a lawsuit would be arranged for whoever dared to open up about the condition of the CEO.

"So, I've heard, sir," I said nervously before taking a slight step back from him.

I see how he's not surprised that I know, but he seems curious about my reaction to why I "soothe" his sensitivity to pheromones. "Aren't you curious about everything I am telling you about how you can't smell my pheromones and how I am okay with your pheromones?" he said in a low voice before taking a big step forward toward me, which almost made our noses touch.

Making eye-to-eye contact with this gorgeous man will never make me get sick of it. His bluish-green eyes are just so soothing to look at; pair them with his astonishing facial structures and perfect pointy nose, which are just remarkably mesmerizing to look at. Who would even dare think this man is imperfect?

A couple of minutes before, I was pulled back to my senses and avoided his gaze. There's definitely something magical about his eyes. "I am, sir, but that doesn't give me or you the right to cross the boundaries of our private lives. I am sorry for hiding the fact that I am an omega, and you were the one to notice it at first, but that doesn't give you the right to monopolize how I should take care of the issue itself. I do wanna know why I can't smell your pheromones or why am I the only one who your nose seems to be okay with, but it's not a strong reason to cross any lines," I stoically said before making a distance between us. I saw how the expression changed to an annoyed one. His patience must be getting closer and closer.

It took a second before Mr. Schwarz emptied his expression and showed a stoic face. He then stood straight and walked past me. He took a few bowing movements upon crossing some headers, and I followed him until we reached the entrance. Before going for the door, he faced me. "I'm sorry to cause inconvenience, Mr. Silvester. Please see to it that what happened earlier will be investigated thoroughly and compensations will be offered if any conclusions are made. As promised, I want you to give your apology and explanation letter to the HR department addressing the matters earlier. Hence, please do continue working for Schwarz Inc. as this matter, or whatever we talked about earlier was never the company's fault but mine. Say my regards to your Nana, I will be taking my leave. Thank you for having me." After that, he left. I heard Nana coming from the living room.

"Did your boss leave already? Gumagawa pa man din ako ng meryenda." As she sounded disappointed, I was left in that entrance for a couple of minutes, thinking and contemplating what just happened and what he said.

My first representation was one of those we called beta, but it was not until my grade school days that I found myself having a second and last representation of traits; I was a recessive omega. The doctors who examined me said that my second representation was caused by massive exposure to dominant alpha pheromones that make my genetic traits mutate into an omega. But since I was born a beta, it was quite difficult for me to keep my pheromones under control, and the doctors said that I might have an irregular heat or sudden outburst of heat cycle. This is due to the hormones that a recessive omega was trying to transition. But I haven't had my heat yet; most of the omegas around my age had their heat when they were 13 to 18 years old, but mine never came. I was never bullied because of it, but I was never confident enough to say my second gender. I want to know what heat feels like.

I'm on my way to work now, and I already sent the letters that Mr. Schwarz asked me to send earlier this morning before going to work. When I arrived at the lounge, some of the employees were staring while gossiping about each other. I find that very suspicious, so I walk to the entire lounge, looking at my shoes and the very shiny floor. That's how I walk until I reach the elevator. Our floor was on the 20th, so I was on that elevator for quite some time while I was still in the same posture because there were an awful lot of employees riding the elevator too. I just wish they would dissipate or at least ride after me.

When I reached my floor, I immediately excused myself without looking back or lifting my head. I just can't handle their stares or even the smell of their pheromones. After leaving that lift, I immediately stopped in front of the elevator and clicked the up button again. I need to go to the President's Office to apologize, at least, for what I have said. It's still bad of me to assume things that he feels or thinks. I know he doesn't mean anything bad, even though I can't smell his pheromones. I would like to suggest we get a pheromone checkup together, as he told me about how he's okay with my pheromones.

When the lift opened, I almost bawled my eyes out for whoever was inside it. It's the President. I unconsciously bowed my body and got inside the lift. When we're inside the lift, I can't even dare to take up my gaze. I feel so agitated right now.

"Which floor?" I flinched with his hoarse voice. It sounds like he just woke up or something.

I tried to at least look at him through my peripheral vision when I took my gaze to the floor buttons. "I... I'm actually..." I stopped for a second to swallow before continuing. "I was about to go to your office, sir." After that, you. I took a deep breath, waiting for his response.

"I told you. I am not firing you." I didn't let him finish what he might ever say.

"I know, sir. I want us to get a pheromone checkup!" I literally shouted the last sentence with my eyes shut.

I heard a chuckle, so I took a peek at what his expression looked like, and when I saw him smiling while shoving his hair backward, I opened my eyes.

"What gives?" He sounded so confident and arrogant with that tone, but I didn't heed any of it.

"I..." I stopped to look my gaze away from his. "I just thought there would be nothing to lose if I were to get checked. I am also curious about what happened yesterday because I have never felt that before. I want to ask a physician why that thing happened." After saying that, I was panting over my breath. When I looked at him, he just gave his usual blank expression.

"Haven't you heard of fated pair heat or heat flash?" I frowned over that last part because I had never heard of it, but I can understand it now that I have heard it.

"No. But based on that, how sure are you? How does that work?" I saw how he just grinned and fixed his suit, and then the lift dings upon arriving at our floor. He first left the elevator, and then I followed. I didn't say anything and just kept following him until I bumped into his back.

"Ah!" I hissed and then touched my nose. "I'm thorry," I mumble while covering and pinching my nose. When I looked at him, still behind him, he was looking straightforward.

I heard his tongue flick. "I'll call for you later. Someone's here to meet me." wika nito nang hindi ako nililingon. When I was about to take a peek, the voice of a woman and a very unpleasant scent hovered over me.

"I've been calling your line and secretary for an hour; why aren't you picking up my calls, Leo?" I can hear the disappointment, longing, and sluttiness in her voice. But the most annoying part was the fact that she was an Omega, and her scent was a very disgusting one. I gasped as her pheromones got stronger, and I almost retched.

I think I captured their attention as I saw how Mr. Schwarz turned to me and held my shoulders.

"Are you okay?" I looked at him with an irritated look before shaking my head and removing his hands from me. I then ran for the restroom to throw up.

When I reached the restroom and got to the sink, I wasn't able to throw anything up, but I was retching. I am tearing up and snotty too. I felt a hand behind my back rubbing it gently, but I didn't look at who it was and kept tapping on the sink, forcing myself to throw up, but nothing was coming out. That's when I was turned around to face someone. There, I saw Mr. Schwarz looking all worried for me. After turning me around to him, he turned me around again to face the sink, and he then shoved his two fingers inside my mouth down to my throat, forcing me to throw up. His finger kept pressing down on my tongue and poking my throat, and then when my tongue tensed up and I retched, he pulled his fingers out. We did that for a whole lot of minutes until I successfully threw everything out. I was panting and crying after that bloody, messed-up scene. I can feel a lot of sweat coming down from my whole body too.

"What happened?" he then asked again. Does he love asking questions?

"Her pheromones... it stinks. She smells like a..." I immediately paused with wide eyes open upon realizing that he was my boss and that woman before could possibly be someone important to his life, so I stopped.

To my curiosity, seeing a smirk and hearing a chuckle on his lips, I unconsciously tilted my head and asked, "What's funny?" Oblivious as it sounds, I really am curious what he finds funny.

"She's just someone I met at a party. I didn't like her pheromones either; she smells like a slut, didn't she?" My eyes literally widen before laughing.

"Yeah, she does!" I laugh so hard at his remark before gurgling.

"You have a beautiful laugh and face, Mr. Silvester." I immediately spit the water in the mirror in front of me before coughing when a bit of the water ended up on the wrong pipe.

He just laughed at me before gently tapping my back. "I'll call you later, after a few meetings. Thank you for considering, Mr. Silvester." Now I could hear a very genuine smile from him; it's different from all those playboy smiles he showed yesterday.

After a few minutes, Mr. Schwarz left, and I did the same after fixing myself. When I got to my desk, a few emails immediately popped up on my screen. Most of them are from our contacts, suppliers, and partners, but one certain email caught my eye. When I clicked it, it said that it was from the president

[President]

+63929XXXXXXX. This is my personal number. Save it, and send me a message so that I can save yours.

I silently chuckled, thinking about our conversation earlier. It was my first time seeing the president in person yesterday, and a whole lot of s**t happened already, and that cannot be fixed even if I could turn back time. But today, it feels like I was able to see a genuine and fascinating side of Mr. Schwarz. I don't know what else to feel from all of this fated pair heat or whatever this might be, but I just hope this will fix things and not mess up things in the future.

When I saved his number under Mr. Schwarz's name, I sent him a message saying that it was me and telling him my regards. I immediately got a response from him after that.

[Message from Mr. Schwarz]

Is it okay for you to stay for a while? My meeting will end around 6pm.

[Me to Mr. Schwarz]

No problem at all, sir. I will be in the lounge to wait for you.

After sending that, I put my phone down and started with my task for the day, but it was immediately cut off when my phone vibrated. It was a message from the president.

[Message from Mr. Schwarz]

No. Wait in my office; I will leave it open for you. You can take a nap on the sofa there; it's a sofa bed.

"What?!" I shouted out loud. I immediately covered my mouth and looked around. My colleague was looking at me with concern, but I just said nothing was wrong and I was sorry for the sudden reaction.

[Me to Mr. Schwarz]

No, sir. I insist. I can't do that; I will wait for you in the lounge area.

I took a deep breath when I felt the phone vibrate again.

[Message from Mr. Schwarz]

NO. It's an order. Plus, we won't be going in the front; we're leaving through the back door.

I didn't reply for a second and thought that he had a point. If we were seen again together, the other employees might think badly of him.

[Me to Mr. Schwarz]

Okay po. Pasensya na sa abala.

After that, I didn't receive any reply from Mr. Schwarz.

When my shift ended at 2pm, I immediately sent a message to Mr. Schwarz stating that I would be going to his office. Once again, I didn't receive any replies. I didn't heed any of it. After arriving at the President's Floor, I scanned the place, but no one was there. An empty hallway and silence were all the things that could be heard.

I walked to the door and knocked, thinking that he might be in there before going to his meeting, but no one answered, so I pushed the door open. I was welcomed into a cold room; it was as if a winter day were inside that room.

"How can he stand this cold room temperature?" I mumble to myself before closing the door behind me.

As I was making my way to the sofa bed on the left side of the room, near the books, I noticed how big his office was, including the interior design. The room was all black and red, from the wall to the floor. When I reached the sofa, I just sat there like a child, patiently waiting. But after an hour passed, I couldn't help but get curious about all the books behind me, so I stood up and walked towards them. It was a very tall shelf and full of books.

When I scan the books, they are about finance, businesses, and a few psychological and crime books. I shift to the other shelf. There I immediately saw the cover of the book—Lord of the Rings, with its whole book series and a few editions of each book. I also saw a few books by Harper Lee, George Orwell, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. He must be a book lover.

After looking through them without touching a single soul, I moved back to the couch. Without realizing the time, I fall asleep on the couch.

TO BE CONTINUED...