Starting Fresh (Lorica Series #1)

Chapter 7

Tovi had a shocking expression on her face after she heard of what Cole just said. A CEO's son just asked her for a date? That is impossible!

She gulped then she didn't utter a word for a matter of seconds. She has to think of this clearly. If someone like her agreed to have a date with Cole Lorica, would that even affect both of their jobs?

"I'll pass," she said while giving him a short smile. Cole's smile faded then he stood up while drinking the last of his glass of water then he placed it on the coffee table. "Thanks for the soup and medicine." Then he walked towards the door.

"You're wel—" Before she could even finish, the door slammed shut.

She remained standing in silence as she glanced at the empty cup on the table. Then she sat on her chair then began typing on her computer to continue her work. But she couldn't concentrate on what she was doing and kept thinking about Cole asking her out. Maybe this was her chance to get out and have fun? For years, Tovi has been ignoring her suitors because she sees men as troublemakers for her future. She always prioritized getting promoted and earning a lot of money so that she could give Tori a good future. But she was now the secretary of the CEO's son and she was making enough money. She was thinking if she could just let herself out again.

She sighed then looked at the picture frame of her and Tori. Her daughter is very important to her that she'll do whatever it takes for her to provide her the future that she didn't get when she was younger. But will that be even enough for her? Just working all throughout her life?

She stood up and fixed her outfit and her hair. She glanced at the mirror then checked her makeup. Then she walked towards Cole's door and was about to knock when she heard someone knocking by the glass door.

She walked to the glass door and flashed a smile at the woman who appears to be one of the employees in the company.

"Hi! Um . . . is Cole Lorica here?" she asked in a shy but high-pitched voice.

Before Tovi could answer, Cole got out of his private office and approached them. "I'm here."

"Oh!" the girl said while giggling and twirling her hair. She wore a coy smile at him.

"Come in," Cole said as Tovi stepped back to her desk then the girl stepped in without taking her eyes off from Cole.

"So um . . . your name?" Tovi asked as she went on to the guest's records.

"Oh, she's not an employee here," Cole said while the girl was still smiling.

Tovi raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

"Oh, I'm here to . . . you know," she said in a seductive way. Tovi noticed that she's wearing a plaid short skirt with suspenders attached on her socks and possibly her lingerie.

Cole walked towards his private office and opened the door. "Get in here."

The girl squealed like a little girl then she took bouncy steps on her way towards the private office’s door.

"H-Hey!" Tovi said that she caught Cole's attention. "You're at your Dad's company! That is against the rules—"

"Still, my company and my rules," he said then he shut the door. A few minutes later, she could hear the girl's moans from the inside. She rested her chin on her palm and it suddenly changed her mind in accepting the playboy's date offer.

Who Am I kidding? I am considering accepting the date offer from this irresponsible and playboy eighteen year old? She scratched the back of her head that made her straight hair messed while hissing.

Despite all the noise that she could hear almost half of the day, she still managed to work on with the reports and appointments that Cole have been ignoring since he got here. She was thinking if she should tell Ramon about Cole letting prostitutes here in his father's company. But then she remembered how problematic Cole was when Ramon talked about his father. She somewhat didn’t want him to get in trouble. Maybe Cole didn't have a great childhood and never felt the right amount of love that he needed, that made him this kind of person right now.

She began thinking that she should give Tori the love that she needs or she would end up like Cole—lost, sad, hurt and destructive.

After Lunch break, the woman came out from Cole's office. Her hair was all over her and she looked like she slept for the whole day because of the saliva on her face. A disgusted look drawn on Tovi’s face as she shrugged off the thought of them doing extreme acts.

"Thanks for your ti—" Cole shut the glass door on her without finishing her sentence. For some reason, Tovi couldn’t help but smile secretly at the fact that Cole didn't take the woman seriously, that she was just paid to satisfy him.

"Why are you smiling?" Cole asked that made Tovi's smile disappear.

"What? Am I?" Tovi said with a frantic tone.

Cole's serious expression turned into a roguish smile. "If you want it too, don't hesitate to tell—"

"No!" she said sternly, cutting him off then she stood up then picked her purse. "I'm going for lunch."

Cole glanced at the wall clock and noticed it was already one o'clock. "You still haven't eaten lunch?"

Tovi didn't answer him and just closed the glass door behind him. Tovi went inside the elevator. While it was going down, she couldn't get off her mind what Cole and that woman did at his private office. She might've known that Cole didn't take the woman seriously but she was still annoyed that he had to do it in his office while she was there.