Arya arrived at work, stepped out of the elevator, and greeted the receptionist with a nod. She approached the counter to collect her mail and then headed back toward the elevator, her boss’s deep voice prompting an eye roll before she pushed on, pretending not to notice him there.
"Miss Lewis, a moment, please." He called out, and she turned to him with an unpleased expression, eliciting his barely noticeable smile.
"Of course, Mr. Pagano." Her reply came with a forced smile.
After he finished his conversation with the manager and HR supervisor, he walked towards her in what seemed like slow motion, only intensifying her irritation, as sleep had eluded her the night before, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of him. She pondered what might have transpired if she hadn't stopped their kiss, the various sensations of his hands on her body, the warmth of him against her, the kisses growing more fierce and craving. An awkward silence filled the air as they ascended in the elevator, and once the doors opened, they exited.
"Good morning, Mr. Pagano, good morning, Miss Arya." Margo greeted them as they stepped out.
"Good morning!" He responded curtly.
"Good morning, Margo." Arya replied, lacking enthusiasm.
“My goodness! Arya, what happened to you? You look like you've been run over by a tractor, and those dark circles from a sleepless night?" Margo exclaimed, taken aback by Arya's appearance.
"Indeed, I didn't sleep at all, it was a terrible night," she said, casting a glance at Kilam.
"I'll make a strong double espresso for you to perk up, and for those dark circles, I'll chill two spoons in the freezer. Just place them on the circles, apply some makeup, and you’ll look as good as new," Margo offered while heading towards the small kitchen, passing by them.
Arya entered her office, sank into her chair, and let her body relax, dozing off momentarily before Margo’s gentle calling woke her. She drank the coffee and applied the chilled spoons as suggested, then applied light makeup. Arya prepared some documents and carried them to Kilam's office, knocked on the door, and entered at his bidding.
"Mr. Pagano, these are the documents from the Indian construction company; they need to be sent out Monday morning. Could you please sign them?" She asked.
She laid the papers before him and he signed, repeating the process with other documents. As she was about to leave, he called out to her again.
"Arya, about what happened yesterday…" She cut him off.
"Let's just forget about it," she stated firmly.
"I'm not sure what you mean, but I will be adding a percentage and a bonus for the extra function, although it's not a frequent occurrence," he said with a nearly imperceptible smile.
"Oh, right, Mr. Pagano," she replied, embarrassed, and started toward the exit again.
"And about the kiss, I quite enjoyed it," he added with a roguish smile, brushing his thumb across his lips.
Arya stormed out the door, fuming, and made her way to the kitchen to gulp down a glass of ice water to cool her thoughts.
"Arrogant, presumptuous... He thinks because he’s the CEO of a big company with a known surname he can do whatever he likes, trample over people, grabbing his secretaries. Oh, how I despise him," she ranted while drinking more water.
"Did his parents teach him no decency, no respect? Oh, Kilam Pagano, you drive me mad, make me want to throttle you until you turn purple," she muttered as she cleaned and put away the glass.
"That would be considered homicide," came the deep voice of her boss from behind, startling her.
"And yes, my parents taught me all those values, but sometimes I prefer to set them aside," he replied with a sardonic chuckle.
"I'll be in my office; there are documents from the Dubai construction firm that need sending." Arya hastened out.
She returned to her duties, trying to concentrate and forget the recent happenings, but her mind repeatedly betrayed her, drifting back to the previous night. Deciding to step out for lunch at a nearby restaurant, she seated herself at a window-side table and placed an order for shrimp risotto and a natural strawberry juice. As she waited, she watched the busy world outside.
"Arya Lewis? Is it really you?" A male voice pulled her from her reverie.
"Tayler Braxton?" She looked up in surprise.
"Yes, it's me. It’s been so long; I haven’t seen you since college graduation," they greeted each other with a quick embrace.
"Please, have a seat," she gestured to the spot across from her, and he sat down.
“So, did you and Noam get married, have kids?" He probed as if trying to read her soul.
"No, we split up about seven years ago, and yes, I have twins, a boy and a girl," she responded with a smile.
"Wow. You haven’t changed a bit, actually, you're even more beautiful," he confessed, a hint of shyness in his voice as he ran a hand through his slightly tousled light brown hair.
"You haven't changed either, still the same. Actually, a bit more muscular from what I remember," she laughed.
"And where are you working now?” He inquired.
"Yes, I'm the personal assistant to Mr. Pagano," she said with a grimace.
“Ah, Kilam is doing well,” he smiled, his white teeth perfectly aligned.
"And you? What have you been up to?” She asked, as he ordered his meal. While waiting, she requested their food be served together.
"I took over the family's publishing house after my sister married and got pregnant, deciding to step down as president, and I stepped in," he explained with enthusiasm.
"That’s wonderful, I’m glad you’ve found success."
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