In the Shadows of the Mafia Queen

Chapter 2: Reawakened Love

Alexander Grey was sitting at his desk, reviewing reports from his various companies when a tap came on his door and in came his assistant, Samantha.

“Mr. Fred just dropped this off, sir. I think it’s the housing proposal you’ve been asking for,” she announced as she handed him the file.

Alex skimmed through the pages of the document and buried his head in his palms, exhausted from work, yet relieved they’d gotten to another major stage of the project. Grey’s Smart Home was a project most dear to him. It was his latest technology venture, a state-of-the-art smart home system. It was now time to map out a marketing campaign for it, and he couldn’t downplay how crucial that was to the success of the project.

“Everything ok, sir?” queried a concerned assistant.

“Yes, Samantha.” Alexander replied, looking up. “The file is going to the marketing department, but I’ll love to hear firsthand what views they have before handing it to them. Perhaps you can get me someone from marketing?”

“Ms. Parker, sir?

“Most likely,“ he replied, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Within a short time of her stay at Grey Enterprises, Emily Parker had proven to know her onions when it came to marketing. Not only was she savvy in marketing, but she was also handy and very resourceful whenever he was caught in tough decisions. It was like she had the perfect solution to all problems, and he couldn’t help but let himself indulge in having her audience over every little problem and decisions the company was about to take.

Admittedly, he’d found it difficult to shake the thoughts of Emily from his mind. He found himself constantly thinking of her and wondering what made her tick. Despite his better judgement, he was becoming increasingly and helplessly drawn to her.

"I think we should focus on highlighting the ease of use and convenience of the system," Emily said when she had been briefed of the smart home project. "We need to target busy working professionals who want a high-tech home but don't have the time or know-how to set it up themselves."

Alexander leaned forward in his chair, his elbows on the table, pondering her suggestion. "That's a good idea,” he said after a minute of thoughts, “but what about showcasing its security features? People are always looking for ways to protect their homes and families."

Emily nodded. "I agree, the security features are definitely a selling point. But I think the convenience angle will set us apart from competitors."

Alexander smiled. "I like how you think, Emily. Let's focus on both the convenience and security aspects of the system."

Emily smiled back. "Great! That should be a winning strategy. I'll get my team started on creating some unique concepts for us to review."

“Excellent,” he leaned back and took a deep sigh. It was like a weight had just been lifted from his shoulder even though he was yet to see the concepts much more, the results they would bring. His gut instincts were to just put his trust in Emily Parker’s marketing and his only option was to flow with it.

“I can sense you’re a bit worried, Mr. Grey,” Emily said as she stood and walked to his seat. “I understand how important the smart home project is to you, all I can do is assure you to leave the marketing task to me and my team if those are your concerns.”

How did she know that? Truth be told, he’d invested sleepless nights and stressful days scheming and mapping Grey Smart Homes from conception to reality. Right now, the project was one of his biggest feats since he ventured into the business world and even then, he couldn’t boldly call it a success when he wasn’t sure of its outcome which was now largely dependent on their marketing drives. How she could read his mind so perfectly was a puzzle he had to crack on his own perhaps. The only other person that could read him that well was Ryan, which was understandable given their many years of friendship.

Emily’s hand was now resting on his shoulder. He took the hand in his, his eyes fixed on her like she was about to steal his lungs. He squeezed the soft, sleek hand and planted a kiss on it. “Thank you, Emily,” he said finally, his eyes soft on hers.

“Grey Smart Homes will be a success, Mr. Grey. And its success will blow your mind,” Emily stated, matter-of-factly.

Alex blinked and nodded. It wasn’t the words, but how she uttered them that made him lost for the right words. “I count on you for that,” he said instead.

He wasn’t a fan of big promises. For a while, he’d likened Emily Parker to a loud politician doing her electioneering campaign. But this was their product, this was his dearest project, and he reminded himself they needed a hundred percent positivity.

Emily had returned to her seat, absent mindedly flipping through the document pages, stealing glances at Alex every now and then. She sensed there was something on her boss’ mind. She quietly waited, her silence urging him to let off of his concerns.

There was something about Emily Parker he was yet to fully grasp, Alex’s eyes strayed back in her direction as the thoughts played in his head. It wasn’t just her charming aura nor her sweet voice, nor her enigmatic smile. He’d be damned to admit it to anyone, even his closest friends, but the woman right before him there in his office, seemed to be a perfect definition of tranquillité d'esprit, something he’d thought was alien to him as far as the feminine gender was concerned. Her empathy seemed to have the better of her, a perfect of blend good features inside and out.

She looked up from the paper and her eyes met his soft stare. She gave a faint smile that sent waves through Alex’s nerves. He sighed and sat up. “I want to be carried along every step of the planning, Emily,” said Alex, his tone pleading. “I hope that wouldn’t be much inconvenience to you and your team.”

“Well, not really,” Emily said as she stood. “We’ll just draft the initial plan and bring for your perusal before any further action. Unless you have something to suggest right away.”

“Errm… yes. One or two things,” Alex returned rubbing his hands. But let’s see your plans first.”

“That’s fine,” Emily said and headed out of the office.

She closed the office door behind, and as she turned to leave, bumped into Julia just by the door. Julia promptly walked away like nothing just happened, leaving Emily wondering when the daily harassment would end. Julia had been acting strangely shortly after she resumed work at Grey Enterprises, and she had done her best to be as friendly as she could and draw close to her to find out what the matter was, but without success. She was left with no option but to accommodate her as best as she could, hoping her shenanigans wouldn’t get worse than it already was. She straightened her cloth and headed to her own office.

***

Alexander grabbed a bottle of water, gulped it down, and leaned back on his chair, exhausted. They were both in Emily’s office, reviewing the videos the videographer had just sent in. The recordings were late in coming, which meant they had to stay late after work, brainstorming, to get a perfect picture they wanted.

Working with Emily Parker on Grey Smart Homes campaigns was an unraveling period for them both. The project had drawn them closer than they’d imagined, and they’d bonded over work, creating something unique that neither of them was yet to realize was a foundation of their love.

"Emily," Alex said when his strength had returned. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me sometime. Maybe grab dinner or see a movie? You know, this task is damn demanding, and I feel we need some fresh air, a little break from all these stress.

Emily looked up from her work and gave him a warm smile. She’d found herself drawn to her boss’ mysterious nature over time. Despite his demanding and uncompromising demeanor, she could sense a deeper sense of vulnerability beneath the surface. Alexander was certainly not like any man she had worked for, and Emily couldn't help but be intrigued by him. "I'd love to, Alexander," she said.

Alex leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, relieved that he wasn’t turned down. Right from the first day, he had thought of asking her out and waved it aside each time. He didn’t know the words would come out of him when he least expected it. He could feel his heart well up with happiness and anticipation. He was winning, he smiled to himself.

***

Their first date was a beautiful evening at a high-end restaurant overlooking the city. And as they enjoyed each other’s company and banter, they both knew it was just the first of many adventures – and perhaps escapades – they would have together in their life time.