Meeting Mr. Mogul: A Billionaire Contemporary Romance (17 page)

During the next few days, I changed my routine. After work, I usually went home to stuff some fresh clothes for the night and for work the next day in a duffel bag. I already brought my pillow there the first night, so I normally didn’t have to bring anything else. Then, I would head to the hospital and stay in my father’s room overnight. I made myself at home on the chair beside his bed.

I kept this routine for three days after he woke up, even though he was already fine and back to normal. I did this to assure myself that he was fine.  But for someone who just had an attack, my father was very energetic. When he found out that I slept on the chair beside him while he was sleeping, he got quite upset and reprimanded me. It was a bit tedious calming him down and getting him to agree to let me sleep in for a few more nights.

At work, the past few days were very uneventful. Well, it was probably because William traveled overseas, and my work just consisted of dealing with Maggie, paperwork, and reports. By Friday, I grudgingly admitted to myself that I missed the daily bickering with Mr. Mogul. Though he said that we were starting over, we were still exchanging snide comments on his last day at the office. As another week passed, I was starting to doubt if I even met William Maxwell.

Without him around, I was bored out of my mind. I wouldn’t admit out loud that office work is the most boring thing next to watching paint dry, but it truly was. Then again, maybe I was a delusional secretary tired of her overly normal job and in need of a bit of fun.

On my third week, I was already acquainted with most of the workers that I didn’t socialize with on my first week. Danny, the girl manning the reception desk, and I were becoming fast friends. We exchange short pleasantries and gossip as I pass her desk in the morning, evening, and sometimes during lunch. I also got to know Jake, the guy who helped me with the laundry errand the day I spilled black coffee on William’s blazer. He mainly works in security, but sometimes, he runs errands for Danny, which made skeptical of their relationship. The receptionist, however, didn’t say anything to imply what it was.

Maggie and I also got closer over the past three weeks. I knew that she was single, which was a shocker, and that she loves to drink coffee—lattes to be exact. She was sometimes a vegetarian (her words not mine), and she has worked for the Maxwells for fifteen years. She knew every bit of gossip about William and Alexandra before they became the people they were now.

“You know, Andy, he hasn’t smiled genuinely since his father’s death. I sometimes think he’s starting to become this stereotypical, rich businessman. All work but no emotions,” Maggie said to me one time.

I gave her a small smile in return.

“And the women... My god! The boy can never pick just one.”

I laughed at that and nodded my head in agreement. I figured that out the first time I met him. He doesn’t really have to do much to get laid but stand there and look rich and gorgeous.

By the fourth week, I was starting to wonder if William Maxwell even existed. Sure, I contacted his sister almost every day for reports, which was enough proof that he was real. But I didn’t see him for so long that he seemed like a figment of my imagination.  Once he arrives, I wouldn’t really know how to react when I see him again, especially now that I actually know his reputation. He was smart, rich (
very rich
), and handsome to boot. In short, he was out of my league. Why I was even thinking about these things, I did not know.

As I made my way to the elevator, like any other day, I stopped for a second at the reception desk to greet Danny.

“Hey, girl. Has mister rich and famous returned?” I asked playfully, which was usual between us for the past few days.

“I don’t think so. The last news I heard was that he’s currently with someone…” she said with a huge grin, but was cut short as her eyes widened and focused on something behind me.

I turned around, curious about what got her gaping. I suspected that there might be some hot guy at my back. Soon enough, I was gaping too, because William was walking up to us. He was wearing a dark suit with a gray tie and his hair was styled back neatly. And judging from his expression, it seemed like he heard everything.

“Mr. Maxwell, good morning! Welcome back, sir,” Danny greeted behind me as soon as her surprise wore off. Her words brought me out of my trance.

“Good morning, Mr. Maxwell. Welcome back,” my voice choked as I lowered my head as if I was curtsying.

“Ms. Peterson, lovely seeing you this energetic so early in the morning,” he replied as he stopped about a foot away from me. It sounded like his voice had a hint of amusement. I couldn’t really confirm if he was entertained or not since I still hung my head in mortification. I gave him a curt nod in reply while keeping my eyes away from him. This is not how I envisioned meeting him again, which was a letdown compared to our last conversation.

“Aren’t you going up?” he asked after we both stood there for a second in awkward silence.

“Ah, yes.”

I quickly turned my face away from him as I felt it heat up. I dashed to the elevator as the metal doors opened right on cue. I was glad that we weren’t alone in the lift. But as the elevator travelled further up, people started getting out in each floor. By the time the last person left, my heart started hammering in my chest. I didn’t get why I felt so nervous. It’s not like I had feelings for the man. Plus he wasn’t threatening me. So, why did I feel so fired up?

“So, how’s your father?” he asked out of the blue. The doors closed shortly after, leaving just the two of us in the elevator.

“He’s doing great,” I replied, wincing at the sound of my voice, which was an octave higher. I mentally slapped myself for sounding so nervous and uncomfortable.

“Did he experience any complications with his medication since last time?”

“No. He is back to normal,” I replied more calmly, yet my heart was still pounding.

“Good,” he mumbled and nodded. “And how are you holding up at work?”

Why does time seem to slow down when you’re in an awkward situation? “I’m doing okay,” I replied softly, lightly tapping my feet in anxiousness.
Tap. Tap. Tap.

“Is everyone treating you alright?”

“Yes. People here are very friendly.”
Tap. Tap. Tap.

“So, Maggie and you are practically best friends now, I presume?”

“Yeah. Maybe.”
Tap. Tap. Tap.

“Are you catching up well with the all the work Alexandra left for you?”

“Yes. They aren’t very time consuming.”

Why is this elevator taking so long to get to our floor?
I internally screamed in frustration. As if God had answered my prayers, the elevator stopped and the doors opened right after my mental outburst. I went out of the lift before the door completely opened all the way through. I couldn’t care less what William thought of my actions, as long as I was out of that small compartment. It was starting to make me feel claustrophobic.

When I got to my seat, giving Maggie a brief greeting, I dumped my purse by my leg and turned on the computer. I acted as if I was already busy and in the middle of starting a report at that moment, hoping that William would ignore me and go about his business. But he wasn’t dense. How I forgot about that trait, I don’t know.

“Are you trying to avoid me?” he asked sternly, his tall figure in front of my desk. He set his hands on my table and leaned his upper body forward, casting a shadow over me.

I was caught unaware when he asked. I looked up at him and luckily, my confidence returned pretty quickly. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

“It’s obvious from the way you just walked out of that elevator,” he pointed out sarcastically. “Is this because you’re embarrassed that I overheard your conversation this morning?”

I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out. The only sound that could be heard was me trying to choke out some of my jumbled thoughts. He raised an eyebrow and stared at me challengingly.

“Okay, I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean anything by it,” I finally gave in, though my apology sounded stiff and forced.

“Are you trying to apologize?”

“Yes. Isn’t it clear as a bell?” I countered in exasperation.

“For someone who’s trying to ask forgiveness, you sure are very sarcastic,” he remarked with a grin, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

“Are you making fun of me?” I asked, a little annoyed.

He snickered in reply as he turned towards his office. “I missed you too, Andy,” he said, ending our cheerful morning conversation when he went inside.

As the door closed with a soft
whoosh,
I was left gaping at his last statement. I can’t believe he caught me off guard with his parting words.
I missed you, too, Andy.
What was I supposed to say to that? If I replied, I would indirectly be admitting that I actually missed him, which was kind of true. But nobody knew that except me.

When I put those thoughts in the back of my mind, I turned towards Maggie who was beaming at me with a teasing glint in her eyes.

              “What?”

“You remind me of a lead actress in a rom-com movie. You know, the one that makes a fool of herself in front of the man she likes,” she teased.

Well, that wasn’t exactly a good analogy for the situation. I shook my head at her in exasperation and went back to work, which was sitting on my desk patiently. This was not the time and place to delude myself of a possible romantic relationship with my boss’ brother. No, I definitely don’t have the time at all.

By the end of my shift, I succeeded in not having any further conversations with William. I wasn’t verbally equipped to face him today. His sudden return caught me off guard.

After finishing my last report for the day, I quickly made my way down the lobby and smiled and waved to Danny as I passed by. When I reached the bus stop, I realized that I was a few minutes early. So I had no choice but to stand under the tiny shed that didn’t have a seat. I thought this was somewhat weird since the rest of the bus stops have them. I’m surprised I only noticed it now considering I’ve been working here for almost a month. Then again, I never had to wait for the bus this long, so that must be why I didn’t notice this before.

“You heading home?” a familiar voice asked, making me look up in surprise. I must’ve failed to see his black car slow down near the bus stop while I impatiently shifted from one foot to the other (my heels were making my feet numb).

“What are you doing here?”

“I was just about to head home and saw you,” William replied sarcastically. “So, are you getting in or not?”

“No, I’m fine. The bus will be here any minute now,” I answered resolutely.

“But I’m here now.”

I eyed him indignantly for a second before glancing quickly at his car and my surroundings to check if there were people nearby. I didn’t want anyone to witness my stupid decision. William must have sensed my hesitation because he leaned towards the passenger door, opened it for me, and commanded, “Get in already.”

With a sigh of resignation, I hopped in and closed the door. “I’m definitely going to regret this,” I mumbled softly to myself.

When I finally buckled up, William hit the gas pedal and drove onto the busy street. As the minutes ticked by in silence, it was starting to get suffocating. I turned towards him to start a conversation I might regret in the end.

“Why are you driving? I thought you have people to do that sort of thing for you.”

“Is it a crime that I drive?” he retorted with his eyes firmly on the road.

Bless him, the man actually had some respect for traffic laws. “No, I’m just asking.”

It was quiet again for less than a minute before he said, “I like driving by myself sometimes. I only ask Mark to drive if I’m too tired to do it.”

I just nodded my head in understanding. “So, you like SUVs?”

“You know cars?”

“No, I don’t. I can only tell the difference between a car, a truck, a pick-up truck, and this one—oh, and sports cars, too. They’re those two-seaters, right?” I admitted. I perked up a little thinking about sports cars.

“Not all two-seaters are sports cars.”

“Oh. Yeah well that’s all I know, anyways. I would want to see that though,” I said wistfully.

“Well, you’re in luck. If I’m feeling generous, I might let you see one in the flesh,” he offered with a playful grin.

“Yeah, right. Like you own one,” I snorted.

“Uhmmm… I thought you already might’ve grasped the fact I’m a businessman.”

“Oh, right! Mr. Mogul. How could I ever have forgotten that?”
I can’t believe I forgot who I was talking to.

“Mr. Mogul?”

I covered my mouth once I realized what I had said and turned towards him with wide eyes. “Sorry,” I mumbled sheepishly.

“Well, that’s a first,” he sniggered and turned his attention back on the road.

I can’t believe I just said that out loud. Now he knows what I think of him. Seems like I lose control of my blabbering mouth when he’s in the vicinity. How am I going to make it up after that blunder?