Chapter two
1026 Words
The next morning,the office was more quiet than normal.The big glass room was almost empty with majority of the executives leaving for their respective offices after having a short meeting with the CEO.Maya walked down to where Adrian was seated during the meeting with her heels gently clicking on the marble floor to pick up his laptop and other documents that was used during the just concluded meeting.
“Ms. Clarke,”Adrian’s voice called from across the office.
She paused,raising her head.”Yes sir?”
With his arms folded,his eyes were fixed on her like he had been waiting for her to notice him standing across the room.”I saw that you took care of the files yesterday,which was done fast and efficiently and also without complaint”.
“It’s part of the job”,Maya said simply.
He moved closer to her,enough for her to feel the heat from his presence.”Part of the job,or part of who you are?”,he said slowly.
Maya tensed,noticing the slight change in his voice.”I don’t…think about it that way”.
Adrian gave a small smirk
“Hmmm…interesting..Most people do “.
Her fingers moved a little over her folder.
Stay focused . Be hidden. Keep control. “I like things to be done right,” she said, keeping her voice neutral.
“Good,” he said, leaning back.
“But tell me, Ms. Clarke… do you always seem so… unpredictable? Or is that something you’ve worked on over the years?”
Maya looked him in the eye.She briefly caught a feeling of curiosity and been noticed.”A skill”,she said
“Good answer.” He didn’t smile all the way. “But be careful. Skills can fail if underestimated.”
Maya kept her thoughts to herself and just nodded before turning back to her desk.
By the middle of the morning,Adrian had started making move to test her again.On her desk he dropped a complicated spreadsheet with errors he purposely marked out.From the other side of the room,he watched has she carefully fixed each one,with her eyebrow raised and focused.
“Wow,impressive”,he said after she was done.”Most of them would have panicked or complained .
Without looking up,she said,”I tend to work better when there’s a problem to solve”.
He raised a brow.”Are you always this straightforward,or you’re trying to act composed?”
“Being executional is personal”,she replied.
Adrian’s lips moved slightly.She gave quick responses and was fearless.That made him feel uneasy because he has never met someone who did not respond to him in the same manner everyone else did,with fear and intimidation but she didn’t feel that way.
Maya wasn’t hungry when it was lunch time.She sat at her usual quiet corner,examining the entrance and exits in the staff cafeteria.She wasn’t used to being watched,but Adrain had been keeping a close eye on her the entire morning but not in a way that others would notice.
“May I join you?”She was shocked by his voice.
She raised her head,she saw Adrian Kane standing with a cup of black coffee in his hand.She pointed at the empty seat in front of her and said”I don’t mind”.
He sat down.”You don’t feel comfortable eating in the cafeteria,right?”
“I like quiet and not crowded places”,she said.
He observed how fast and fixed her eyes were on towards the direction of the door.”You’re so cautious of your surroundings”,he said.
Maya kept her head down.”It’s normal”,she said.
He moved back and smiled softly.”Normal?..I like that word,but tell me Ms Clarke….what exactly are you running from?”.
She paused mid-way chewing,”No one”,she said quickly.
He nodded his head and said,”Ah,good answer.But Ms Clarke,I know when someone is lying.I want you to remember that”.
Even though the afternoon was filled with meetings,responding to emails,and schedules.Maya couldn’t shake off the feeling of being observed and tested by the CEO.Each time she things she had escaped from him,he comes back to her desk leaving files,asking different questions and giving replies that made her hear race a little.
During a meeting in the mid afternoon,he said,”Ms Clarke,I’m giving you a project that will require attentiveness,stamina and discretion”.
Maya raised a brow.”What type of project?”
He gave a slight smile.”I believe you’re the only one capable of handling this type of project,think of it as a challenge to work better “
She was good at challenges,but why did this come with unwanted attention and curiosity especially from her boss.”Why does he seem interested in me?”,she said within herself.
She prepared to leave by packing her bag as the day came to an end.As usual her eyes scanned the whole lobby before making her way to the elevator,when she got to the elevator she felt a presence like a shadow behind her.Without wasting time,she entered the elevator and pushed the button.
Adrian appeared beside her.She jumped in surprise.”Sir”,she said trying to keep herself calm.
“Long day?”,he said keeping his voice neutral.”I wanted to see how you handled it,you know first impressions says a lot”.
“You’ve seen enough already”,she said silently.
He raised his head,trying to study her.”Well it seems like I haven’t seen everything yet”.
She was left alone with that thought as the elevator door opened and Adrian made his way out first,she had an unsettling feeling in her chest.
Maya realized for the first times in years,someone had finally noticed her.She also wasn’t sure if she wanted to stay hidden anymore.As she stood there,the weight of her own desires began to surface,a feeling she hadn’t felt for a long time.Could she really step out of her shadows and embrace the attention,or would it lead to a more complicated situation?
- Writer
