Lucian’s POV
“I don’t think drinking coffee every day is healthy,” Malea said as she dropped the coffee cup onto my desk.
I looked up from the stack of paperwork in front of me. “I don’t really care about your opinion, so therefore your comment was irrelevant.” I took a small sip of the boiling hot liquid, the bitter taste and caffeine hitting me with a rush of energy.
She shot me a look before settling into the sofa and opening a manila folder, a pen in her hand. She chewed the end of the pen, wisps of hair that had escaped from her bun, framed her heart-shaped face.
“Have you finished editing the mistakes on the report?” I asked while gingerly placing documents into a file.
She shook her head and marked out something on the paper. “I swear, its almost like your editors are illiterate. How could you possibly miss the fact that there is little to no punctuation in this, the paragraphs aren’t indented, and someone spelled insalubrious incorrectly. Like hello, there’s something called a dictionary!” She crossed out another line and scribbled something on the side in red ink.
“A little harsh, don’t you think?” I asked, glancing up from my computer. She was correct though. I’d been planning on firing Jude, the editor for a while. He’d been turning in shoddy work for the last few weeks and why pay him so well when he doesn’t bring his A game into each report?
Malea rolled her eyes before crossing out a sentence and replacing it with another. “I’m serious when I say that you should ease on the whole coffee every second of the day thing.” She glanced up at me, her emerald green eyes holding mine for a second before returning to her work.
“Well once you become relevant to me, I’ll take your advice.” I gulped down the coffee.
Malea stood up and gathered her things. “I’m going my office to finish this up. If you need anything, I’ll be here until 8 pm before I leave.” She lifted the stack of report papers to show me what she was talking about before turning around and starting towards the door.
“Your shift ends when I say so.”
She turned around to face me. “Well I have something important to do tonight.”
I raised my eyebrows in curiosity. What could she possibly have to do on a Wednesday night? “Care to share?”
Malea shook her head. “No thanks. I think I’ll pass.”
I turned my attention back to the paperwork in front of me. “If you want to be let off work early, then I recommend you tell me what you’re doing tonight that hinders you from doing your job.”
“I just have something important tonight. Okay?” She said impatiently.
I looked up at her, my face emotionless. “If you want to leave early, you will tell me what you’re doing that stops you from doing your job. But if you’d rather stay till midnight, I wouldn’t mind the extra help.”
Malea looked at me with sudden melancholy as she spoke her next words. “My grandma died.”
I restrained myself from rolling my eyes and instead massaged my temple. “Malea. Your grandma died twice last week when you tried to get out of working late. Can you just be mature about this situation?”
Malea dropped the act and sighed. “Fine. I’m going on a date. Okay? I really hate the fact that I have to tell you every single detail about my life. It’s not right.”
She’s going on a date. Again. As I looked at her, I realized just how insane I must have looked asking her about her whereabouts. “Levi again?” I already knew.
She nodded. “I’m going back to my office and I’m leaving at 8. I already gave you an explanation.” Malea turned and placed her hand on the crystal door knob.
Without thinking, I spoke. “I’m merging your office with mine.” I said this suddenly on impulse. I hadn’t even thought about this until she said she was leaving to her office.
Malea pivoted on her heel to look at me, disbelief and growing anger showing blatantly on her features. “What did you just say?”
I finished the rest of the coffee and tossed it into the bin. “I am merging your office with mine. I’m going to have someone transfer your belongings into this room.”
She looked at me as if I had just escaped from an insane asylum. “Like hell you will!” She crossed the room and sat down again and then stood up as if she couldn’t process which one of those actions she wanted to do most. “How the hell could you decide something so impulsive without my input? Especially since it has to do with me!”
Honestly, it was unlike myself to act on impulse but something in me wanted to move her closer to my proximity. I liked her company. “Well for one, I am the CEO and whether or not you like it, I make the decisions and you follow them.”
Malea scowled, her face scrunched in anger. “Lucian, you are honestly by far the most insane person I have ever met.” She walked closer to my desk, her finger pointed in accusation. “You’re hot and cold at the same time! I hate the fact that you think that just because you’re the boss you can treat your employees like their opinions don’t matter-”
“But their opinions don’t matter to me.” I stated, cutting off her sentence. “And that’s the last time you refer to me by my first name. Understand?”
Malea clenched her hands into a fist and then loosened them. She took a deep breath and stepped back. “I need to clear my head.” Before she could hear my response, she’d already grabbed her belongings and slammed my office door behind her.
***
Malea’s POV (A couple hours later)
I peeked up through my lashes and glanced up at Levi who was staring intently at his menu. He glanced up for a second and before he could catch my eye, I returned my attention back to my menu. Levi had taken me out to several dates and we’d had so much fun each time. It was somewhat strained being with him because I felt like I couldn’t always say what I wanted, but he was honestly so sweet, that didn’t even matter.
“The Risotto sounds delicious.” I offered after I’d closed my menu.
Levi nodded and flipped through another page. “I guess so. We’ll have the Risotto.” The waiter took down our order and smiled before going to complete the dish.
I lifted my wine glass off the table and took a satisfying sip, the cool, sweet liquid calming my nerves. “This place is wonderful.” I glanced around. Crystal chandeliers lit up the whole restaurant like none other, and the table Levi had reserved for us was in a private room, soft live violin music playing in time with the lively night.
“It’s really nothing much.” He flashed me a smile before taking a sip of his wine.
“Have you been here before?” I asked. It seemed like he knew his way around here to be a first timer and the way he greeted the employees by their first name also said he’d been here before.
Levi nodded. “Yes, I have. Many times actually.”
“Who did you come with?” The ever so soft violins continued playing a sweet melody that almost sent me to sleep.
Levi shifted uncomfortably. “Actually I came here with my last girlfriend.”
I nodded understandingly. “What’s her name?”
He cleared his throat. “Gina. Gina Wright.”
Gina Wright. She was a well known model and actress. Gina was practically everything I wasn’t. She’s beautiful, funny, charismatic, and very generous. Well that’s what the media painted her out to be, anyway. But then again, no one’s even heard back from Gina after several years. Maybe she retired? I felt in someway that I had to be more like Gina in order to even compare to her. What did Levi see in me that he chose to go on a date with me?
“What was she like?” I asked, trying not to seem too curious but ended up appearing way too interested.
“Well she was a great person to talk to. I think she was able to reach me on more of a personal level than most people.” He looked up at me and down at his wine glass.
After a long moment, I spoke up, “What happened to her?”
Levi’s head snapped up quickly.
“Oh, I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that if you don’t feel comfortable.” I offered, instantly feeling like a moron for asking such a personal question.
He shook his head. “No, no. If we’re trying to get to know each other better then I think it best if we share these types of things with each other.”
“You honestly don’t have to do this if you feel uncomfortable.” I said before he began talking.
“She and I just didn’t work out. There’s nothing much to it.” Levi gazed into my eyes. “How about you? How many boyfriends have you had?”
I shrugged. “I’ve actually never had a boyfriend before. This is actually my second date.”
Levi’s jaw practically unhinged. I burst out laughing. “Are you serious?” He asked chuckling.
I nodded. “I’m serious. My parents were the type of people who didn’t allow dating. But my first kiss was a dare on Halloween night in 10th grade. It doesn’t count though and once I left high school and entered college, I was too busy to worry about anything else.”
“So that means I was technically your first kiss?” He asked, laughter in his eyes.
I swatted his arm. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean you get to make fun of me.” I joked.
He held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I wont.”
***
Malea’s POV (The next day)
I dropped my things onto my tables and scowled. My table had been placed across Lucian’s and now we were both looking at each other. Lucian smirked. I deepened my scowl. I crossed the space between our desks and dropped the coffee cup down with an angry ‘thud’.
“Today, I want to try tea.” He said after I dropped it. I raised an eyebrow in question but couldn’t help the smile lifting the edges of my lips. Quickly I replaced the almost smile with a grimace.
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t mind you dropping dead right now because of the crazy amount of caffeine you ingest.” I shrugged.
Lucian picked up the coffee and set it aside and challenged me with a smirk of his own. For some reason, he looked a million times more handsome than any other day. His hair had been left alone and looked like he ran his hands through it often, stubble began to line his jaw and give a rougher appearance. “Just get it for me. I still want it brewed to 202 degrees.”
I scoffed and began towards the door.
“Malea.” Lucian said. His voice had suddenly dropped into a huskier tone. I spun around, butterflies beginning to invade my stomach. Damn it.
“Yes?” I asked.
“I-” He began. Then he shook his head. “Nevermind.”
I wanted to know what he wanted to say but instead, I turned around closed the door behind me.
***
Lucian took a sip of the sweetened, decaf tea and pursed his lips in disgust. “Nope.” He thrust the cup back in my hands and reached over for the cooling coffee at the side of his desk. He took a long swig and pinched his eyes shut. “Never again. Throw it away. In fact, burn it with fire. Don’t bring that leaf water near me again.”
My eyebrows collided in confusion. “There’s no way this tea could’ve been that bad. If anything, coffee is what you should be throwing away. If my tea is leaf water, then your coffee is bean water.” I walked over to the sink in the corner and tossed out the tea.
“I’m serious, Malea. I think I’ll stick to coffee forever.” He downed the rest of the coffee and tossed it in the bin before returning to his work.
I shrugged and slunk into my chair and returned back to the editing I was finishing up.
After about an hour, I closed out the word document and dug out my phone from my purse. Absently chewing the pen in my opposite hand, I scrolled through my messages. I’d gotten one from Levi. I smiled and replied back. Last night was honestly the best date I could’ve ever imagined. After dinner we went out for dessert and then went to a mini theme park. Levi just sent me a picture of the night before. It was of me. I was sitting in the cart at the top of the Ferris wheel. I hadn’t even realized Levi had taken the picture, I looked elated looking over the entire city. Along with that amazing night, before I entered my apartment, he’d asked if we were together. Officially. Levi is now my boyfriend. I am now his girlfriend. Its so odd to think of it that way.
‘What’re you smiling at?” Lucian asked. His voice snapped me back to reality. I clicked off my phone and dropped my gnawed pen onto the table. It was such a gross habit I couldn’t break.
I looked up to find him staring at me with such intensity, I wanted to turn my eyes away. “Er- nothing.” I moved the stack of documents I had finished revising to the side and booted up the Mac.
Lucian nodded dubiously before turning back to his work. The sound of the door opening took my attention away from the iMac.
Levi stood in the doorway, a smile on his face and his hands in the pockets of his suit pants.
Lucian stood up and crossed the room, giving Levi one of those weird man hugs. “Long time no see, Levi.” Lucian ushered him over to his work station. “What brings you here?”
Levi grinned and turned to face me. “Actually, I came to see my girlfriend.”
Lucian paled, his gray eyes sparkling with a level of intensity I’d never seen before. “Who’s your girlfriend again?”
Levi crossed the room and pulled me into a hug. I relaxed in his arms, relishing the warmth he emanated. “Malea is.” And then he kissed me. In front of my boss.