Uncovering The Boss

CHAPTER 17: INSIDE EACH OTHER

I dragged Uriel to a corner in my room near the door where there is a sofa that has seat belts like the ones on the plane. It was a special sofa that I made so that I can enjoy the flight without worrying about being around nosy guests or Stephanie, my nosy Capo.

“You and I can sit here while the plane is moving. I don’t like the fact that you are surrounded by the men outside without knowing who they are, and what they are supposed to do.”

Uriel sat on the sofa, and I made sure that I helped her fix her seatbelt without touching her as much as I could. As much as I hated to admit it, the woman had an effect on me that I would never admit out loud. Especially if admitting the attraction towards my beautiful secretary who is innocent meant the possibility of putting her in greater danger than she is already in by coming with me to this trip.

“Thank you for helping me with the seatbelt sir, but I think that I can manage the other stuff. You should go and get yourself settled before the plane takes off, sir.”

I was still holding on to her seatbelt’s lock as she spoke. My face was about six inches away from each other, and my gaze went from her eyes to her lips. I saw that she was doing the same with me, so I spoke without moving from my position in front of her.

“You know, Miss Knight, you have a bad habit of telling me what I should do without any permission from me. Furthermore, you have a bad habit of calling me sir, which is not something that I like, especially coming from a woman like you. From now on, I want you to call me boss.”

“Boss? But, sir, that is not the professional way when it comes to addressing someone like you. I might get in trouble with the other employees if I-”

“Did I tell you that you can complain or give your comment regarding that issue, Miss Knight?”

She swallowed hard as I inched my face closer, and I could smell her minty breath and fragrant perfume. She smelled sweet like chocolate and strawberry combined, and it was making me take a small yet deep breath to make sure that her scent was etched in my senses.

“Again, this is your captain speaking. I am requesting all passengers to please buckle up your seatbelts as we begin our flight to Singapore. Thank you so much for your cooperation.”

“I guess I’ll have to make sure that after the plane gets settled in the air, you’ll come out of this plane more submissively than when you entered, Miss Knight.”

I took the seat that was to her left side, and as I began to fix my own seatbelt, I saw her staring at me from the corner of my eyes. I knew that she was contemplating on what I told her, so I decided to remain quiet for a few minutes while the plane began to move.

“Sir Michael. I-I mean, boss, may I ask you why you specifically want me to call you boss? It’s an odd request coming from a businessman like you, because most business men, no matter the age, always prefer that employees call them sir or mister. I’m sorry if I’m asking, I am just curious about your specific taste in names.”

The both of us were now seated side by side, and by the look on her face, Uriel was not someone who adored flying. She kept moving and looking everywhere, and I guess talking to me was a  strategy she thought of while we’re waiting for the plane to finish getting settled midair.

“Well, Miss Uriel Hope Knight. Before I answer that question, I have always been wondering why you have such a unique name, because your resume said that you were adopted by Americas. I wondered what made them choose your name. My name is Michael De Angelo which literally means Michael the Angel. However, I am far from being an angel. But you, your name is an unusual combination of names. May I ask how and why you got that name?”

“Well, I was adopted when I was five years old, and during that time, I was only called Happy  in the orphanage, because I always laughed even as a baby. When I was adopted by my adopted parents, they named me Uriel, because it was the name of the Angel of Repentance in the bible. They aborted multiple babies when they were teens, so when they wanted a child, my mom’s body was too damaged. I was the proof of their repentance, and Hope was given, because they saw hope of a new life in me. I became proof that even though they made mistakes, there is still a chance to repent and have a brand new hope in life.”

I looked at her face while she told me herself, and I saw the warmth and love that she had as she spoke fondly of her foster parents. I saw how much her name meant to her, and I felt her warmth radiate through me as well.

“Your parents are blessed to have that kind of opportunity to change. The world isn’t as kind to most people, and I guess it’s the reason why I want you to call me boss. Boss, to me, is more than just sir or mister. Our company, the Alpha and Omega Group of Companies is formed by multiple families that have been together for years, and I am currently leading them. Boss means you are in charge of everything, and that includes the lives of your people.”

I looked her straight in the eyes as we felt an intense turbulence due to the weather. She had a bit of fear in her eyes due to the rough ride, but she never broke eye contact with me.

“I am in charge of all of you, and it means I don’t take my job lightly like others do, Hope. I make sure that as the boss, I take care of my own, and they help take care of me as well. That’s why I want you to call me boss, as a way of reminding yourself and me that you are now part of my family. I would take a bullet for you, as you would do everything you can to make this company remain afloat and on top.”

“Everyone, this is your captain speaking, the plane is now stable, and everyone is now free to walk about in the cabin. Ladies and gentlemen, there is approximately twelve hours before we reach Singapore. I hope that you all relax and enjoy the flight with proper caution while moving about.”

I unlocked the seatbelt, and quickly stood up to unlock Uriel’s seatbelt as well while she was too preoccupied with listening to the captain’s instructions. She had a shocked look on her face when I suddenly unlocked her seatbelt, but proceeded to trap her between the sofa and my body.

Uriel’s face held shock and a tingle of fear, but I could also see a determined look on her face as she held my gaze. Both of my hands were flat on the sofa on either side of her, and they were about an inch away from her hips. My face was only about four inches away from hers, and the both of us were suddenly breathing a bit hard and deep.

“Sir Michael, I think the captain said that we can freely move about the cabin. There is no need to barricade me inside your room because you’ve given me my own room. Furthermore, as you've told me in the car, during this flight, I’ll give you all the attention you and the company needs. ”

Uriel’s words made me both soften and harden, and I didn’t want to think which is which. I removed my hands from the sofa beside her hips, but I moved it to both sides of the sofa an inch closer to both sides of her shoulder. I saw her eyes follow my arms, but there was no sign of her desire to remove them, nor to push me away. I leaned closer to her ear to make sure that she heard every word that I was going to say.

“You forgot to call me boss again, Uriel. I appreciate your enthusiasm for this company, Miss Knight, but you’re still disobeying me by trying to dictate me without my permission. Your enthusiasm to work for me is admirable, Miss Knight, but if you keep telling me what to do, I’ll make sure that you’ll get out of this room calling me anything but sir Michael.”

I lifted my head, and I looked at Uriel’s pulse that was visible on her neck. Due to the silence of the room, I could also hear her heartbeat that felt like it was going to explode any second. We looked at each other’s eyes, and I knew that this woman was deep inside my mind as I was deep inside of her mind as well. However, by the looks that we were sharing at the moment, I knew that I could go deeper.