Starting Fresh (Lorica Series #1)

Chapter 3

Tovi woke up and prepared herself to go to work. She saw her mom in the kitchen, preparing their breakfast and then gave her daughter, Tori, a kiss on the cheek.

"Mommy look!" the eight-year-old Tori said as she showed her mother her drawing of herself, her mother and her grandmother.

"Wow! This looks amazing, honey," Tovi said in a high-pitched voice. "We should hang this on the wall."

Tori's eyes drifted away. "But it's for my project, Mommy."

"Oh. Okay. Well, let's expect you getting a high grade," Tovi said with a smile, maintaining her sweet tone.

"B-But everyone has a father in their drawings. And I don't have mine. What do I do?" she said while stuttering. Tovi noticed that her kid was stressed again so she picked up Amy’s gift to her which is the plush toy and gave it to Tori. The young child wrapped her arms around it and her mouth curved into a smile.

"Well, I can be a father and a mother at the same time, right?"

Tori looked at her mother’s gentle eyes then she nodded. Her eyes quickly withdrew and continued drawing on a blank paper.

Tovi knew that this day would come. She just have to get herself ready if her daughter will ask her more questions about her biological father.

___

The company's production floor was in chaos. They were getting a lot of calls and people were talking to their customers without getting out of their seats. Amy was listening to her agents' calls and it sometimes got on her nerves.

"Tyrone! Give the customer the credit!" she instructed the guy sitting on the right row.

The guy stood up with his headset on. "Yes TL!"

With all of them being busy, Cole walked on the production floor with his chin up. While walking, he glanced at every employee taking their calls. Some women would get distracted because of his alluring appearance. Ramon walked beside him. He still couldn't leave his master alone even if he had to. But he has to keep checking on him until he's matured enough to take care of himself.

Cole saw Tovi whose attention was on her calls. He smirked and walked to her. Then a part of his butt sat on her desk. Tovi almost jumped on her seat because of Cole's sudden appearance.

"Sir—" Ramon was about to stop him but Cole shushed him.

Tovi put the customer on mute then removed her headset. "What are you doing?"

"Go back to your customer," Cole told her with his mouth pouted like he was treating her like a toddler.

"Get off of my desk," Tovi told him while giving him an angry glare.

"I'm your boss. Have you forgotten?"

"A boss does not sit on his employee's desk," Tovi told him. Ramon had no choice but to listen to their conversation even if it was too painful to watch.

Cole chuckled. "Even after I introduced myself as the Director of the Operations, I still didn't break your tough shell, huh?"

"What? So that you can bully me everyday? I don't think so," Tovi said as she glanced back to her computer and put back her headset on.

Cole's grin remained on his face. "You are really something."

Tovi glared at him and she admitted that this guy was good-looking that even if he was annoying to her, she always found herself staring at him. And he was trying to break her tough walls. But for Tovi, she didn't want to play weak and get manipulated by a man, not after what she went through with her ex-husband.

"Get off of my desk," she told him with a stiff tone.

Cole chuckled and got his buttocks off of Tovi's desk. He walked away far from her and went straight to the beautiful and lonely young lady at the corner.

Ramon glanced at Tovi who just came back to her customer. And he thought of an idea.

Amy's team went on lunch break and Tovi couldn't help but see Cole being flirty to every girl on the floor. He would tell them stories that weren't true but the girls still laughed and found him amazing.

"He is such a baby boy," Amy said after standing beside Tovi and Tiana.

"Ew. He's a chick-magnet. He does that," Tovi said in a bitter tone. "It's just up to you if you're going to be his bait and get screwed by him."

"Screwed? I wonder how many women that he already screwed?" Tiana said while thinking.

"Oh god. I don't want to talk about him anymore," Tovi said, letting out a frown then headed to the exit door. Cole saw Tovi leaving the production floor and excused himself from the ladies.

Tovi got a tray and lined up along with Amy, Tiana and the other employees at work. When it was her turn to choose a dish that was placed inside the cafeteria's set of foods, Cole immediately walked in the line with a tray on his hand then faced her.

"Are you still going to ignore me?" Cole said.

"What do you want me to do? Babysit you? Do your job!" Tovi said with her eyes widened that it almost popped out from its sockets then she glanced back at the dishes.

"All women's defenses were down every time I used my charms. But you? You are a tough cookie," he said.

"So?" Tovi said, looking uninterested.

"That's why I have more reason to annoy you more," Cole said with a grin. His face was almost close to Tovi's, which made her feel awkward and uncomfortable.

Tovi looked around and saw her workmates whispering to each other while their eyes were on her and Cole. She couldn't help but get mad at the fact that Cole was the one ruining her promotion. So she glanced back at Cole and gave him an angry glare. Then she sighed heavily and walked past him.

Cole shook his head, still wearing the same arrogant smile. Then Amy and Tiana walked past him and gave him a friendly and sweet smile. Cole winked at them then Amy elbowed Tiana beside her along with the girls at the back whispering and giggling like teenage girls.

Tovi sat down on her table and Ramon appeared in front of her with a tray that contained a bowl of soup.

"May I sit with you?" Ramon asked politely. Tovi was about to answer him but Ramon still sat down.

"My friends are going to be sitting here any moment," Tovi told him politely.

"I just needed a minute with you," Ramon told her in a whisper.

Tovi couldn't help but wonder with Ramon's strange acts. "Why are you whispering?"

Ramon glanced to his behind and saw Cole who was still busy talking to women. Then Ramon glanced back at her. "You're Tovi Reese, right?"

"Yes. And who are you?"

"I'm Ramon Rodriguez. Cole Lorica's assistant," he introduced as they shook hands. "The CEO of Lorica is looking for a secretary of the Director's office. And I see you as one of the potential employees here on this site." Then he lends her a letter of invitation with the CEO's signature on it. Tovi's jaw dropped as she read every word on the paper.

"We are hoping for your acceptance," he said while staring at her with his gentle and wrinkled eyes. Then he stood up and walked away. Tovi's goal was only to be a Team Leader. But being the Director's Secretary was too far from what she imagined.