He Liked Me While I Obsessed Over Him

Chapter 3 The Barbecue Party

I trudged back home in utter defeat and ordered some takeout. Suddenly, Mr. Mystery posted a new update.

"I got to touch the person I secretly love today. I'm so happy."

My heart sank even lower. 'How can this be? Is even the thirst-trap influencer I obsess over leaving me behind?'

Then came our monthly department gathering. This time, we were having an outdoor barbecue, and Melvin was footing the bill.

The entire office was singing his praises, gushing over how incredibly generous he was.

Once we arrived at the barbecue site, I stepped up to take on the heavy duty of grilling the meat, while my other coworkers went off to prepare the rest of the supplies.

As I stood over the grill, the rising heat flushed my face. I casually grabbed a hair tie and twisted my hair up into a messy bun.

Melvin was sitting not too far away, soaking in the sun, but he kept casting his gaze over in my direction.

At first, I thought I was just imagining things. But after checking multiple times, I realized he was definitely looking right at me.

I looked down at myself. I was wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans today. There was absolutely nothing wrong with my outfit!

I began to panic, wondering if I had somehow gotten grease or soot smeared across my face.

I frantically wiped my hands across my face a few times. When I looked up again, Melvin had already walked right up to the grill.

"Not done yet?"

Ah, so he was just judging me for being too slow. I offered a timid, awkward smile, completely unsure of how to respond, and simply nodded.

He was the big boss, after all. If I said the wrong thing, I would be in serious trouble.

To my absolute astonishment, he actually rolled up his sleeves, extended his long, elegant hand, and reached for the tongs in my grip.

There was no way on earth I could let the CEO grill food for us! I squeezed the tongs tightly, refusing to let go.

We stood there in a mini-standoff for a few seconds. I gripped those tongs like they were a priceless treasure, stubbornly holding my ground.

I heard him let out a soft, amused sigh. Then, he turned around and walked away.

I breathed a massive sigh of relief and flipped the meat on the grill.

But when I raised my head again, Melvin was walking back, holding another pair of tongs.

"I'll grill with you. Doing it all by yourself will take forever."

I waved my hands in a frantic polite refusal, but Melvin simply pulled up a stool, sat down directly across from me, and started grilling.

As it turned out, Melvin was an absolute natural at the grill. Once he took over, I could barely find a chance to help. In the end, I was reduced to a mere runner, carrying the platters of perfectly cooked meat over to the dining tables.

By then, everyone else had finished setting up. The tables were loaded with food, and my coworkers were just waiting on the final platter from the grill.

Melvin walked ahead carrying the meat, and I followed closely behind him.

He had broad shoulders and a remarkably lean, firm waist. Even his casual posture perfectly outlined his incredible physique.

It suddenly struck me how remarkably similar Melvin's body proportions were to Mr. Mystery's. Even his hands looked identical. Slowly, the silhouette in front of me began to blur and merge with the image of Mr. Mystery.

I vigorously shook my head, forcing the ridiculous thoughts out of my mind. How could that even be possible? Beautiful men just happen to share the same great builds, I suppose.

When we reached the dining table, I noticed there were only two empty seats left. Naturally, I ended up sitting right next to Melvin.

Throughout the meal, Melvin kept passing dishes to me. I was so flattered that I spent almost the entire meal thanking him.

Our department manager teased me playfully, "Allie, now that you've accepted food served by Mr. Lambert, you're locked into working for him forever!"

Unsure of how to handle the joke, I stole a trembling glance at Melvin. He simply smiled softly and remained quiet.

*****

After dinner, it was time for games. Everyone decided on Truth or Dare.

Melvin ended up drawing a "Truth," and one of our braver coworkers boldly asked him if he currently had someone he liked.

I had heard rumors that Melvin was only 26 and had founded this entire company back when he was still in college.

He had never had a girlfriend or a boyfriend, and he consistently rejected any blind dates set up by his business partners.

Some people had even fabricated a tragic melodrama, whispering that Melvin was actually into men but his mother fiercely disapproved. Supposedly, he was staying single just to spite his family.

Every single eye in the room locked onto Melvin. Letting out a slight, alcohol-induced hiccup, I turned my head to look at him too.

Under the relaxing influence of the drinks, his demeanor seemed remarkably softened. He cast a tender, lingering look at me before lifting his gaze toward the distance.

"Of course I do. But she doesn't seem to like me back."

"No way! There's actually someone Mr. Lambert can't win over? I don't buy it!" Someone laughed.

"Mr. Lambert, did she move abroad or something?"

Once the chatter quieted down, Melvin spoke in a slow, measured tone.

"She's right by my side. But I'm afraid of scaring her off, so I haven't told her yet. I can take my time; there's no rush."

The crowd erupted into excited gasps. I joined in on the cheering, shouting, "Wow, I had no idea Mr. Lambert was such a romantic!"

After my enthusiastic comment, I took a massive gulp of my beer. I absolutely loved this lively, buzzing atmosphere.

Because I ended up drinking a bit too much, my head was completely spinning. And because of that, I completely missed Melvin whispering softly right beside me. "You really are hopeless."