"Yanee Lee, you're late…"
Eh?
Eeeeh?
EEEEEEEEH?
If she weren't so shocked, Yanee would have screamed like a crazy girl that she felt she was at the moment. Instead, her pair of huge chocolate eyes fixated themselves on the newcomer, feasting at the handsome vision before her.
Well, at least that was true.
Tohru James, with his six-feet-two lean frame was a sight to behold. He had a shock of dark brown hair on top of his head that was haphazardly combed but still looked nice, a pair of intense dark brown gaze, lashes that could make any woman jealous as they were long and curled naturally like a girl's after minutes of torture from the curler, and high cheekbones that could put shame to women who needed tricky contouring.
If there was something that she could complain about his looks, it would be his thin pair of lips that although still looked nice, was always clamped into a thinner line that made him look like he's always displeased about something.
Like right now.
Uh… well, it might actually be because he was really displeased at the moment.
With her.
"Late?"
Yanee choked at the word, making Tohru raise one dark eyebrow in her direction before lifting his arm to look at the obviously expensive wristwatch he had on.
"Two minutes late to be exact," he announced, making Yanee look at him as if he'd gone mad.
However, Tohru didn't show any sign that he had seen or he minded her attitude. Instead, he continued to speak with a tone that neither told anyone if he's angry nor didn't mind. Aside from his initial rebuke about Yanee being late, he looked like he didn't care.
"But I've been here for ten minutes now," Yanee muttered audibly, her voice sounding stressed, but she was ignored.
"Miss Tan, I hope you've already informed her of the changes?"Tohru James asked Chummy who stood in full attention the entire time since he showed up.
"Sir, yes, sir," Chummy answered snappily as if she was a soldier replying to the drill sergeant. "Well, kind of…"
Her voice trailed off as Chummy really hadn't told her anything aside from the takeover and her new position. Yanee didn't even know HE was here. Why was he here? She badly wanted to know.
After that time she finished interviewing Tohru James, Yanee was not expecting to see him again. Ever. Not only were they not related in their respective fields although they were both working for publishing companies, but their personal lives were also far too different as well.
He worked for the literary department of a very huge and prestigious company while she worked for a lifestyle magazine of a small one.
As for personal lives, Yanee was a normal girl living with her older sister. She hung out with friends, but not much. On the other hand, even if not much was known about Tohru James as he was a very private person and didn't talk much about himself, he obviously came from money – he reeked of old money like a prince and there was a rumor that some of his ex-girlfriends were damsels of high society.
So no, Yanee had no reason to think that after that interview for the article she and the Niji International's editor-in-chief would ever cross paths again in this lifetime. Well, she was proven wrong. Not only did they meet again, but the way things were going, he seemed to be her new boss – the boss who was now looking at her as he spoke.
"I have no time to orient you so Miss Tan will. Make sure you learn the basics around lunchtime. When you're done and ready to work after you've eaten, come see me in the office," he said blandly before turning away, leaving the two women staring at his retreating back before he completely disappeared behind the door in the inner office.
After the resounding 'click' of the door, Yanee turned almost immediately towards Chummy, ready to grill her friend for information but stopped upon seeing the starry expression on her face.
"Oh God, doesn't our boss look so dreamy?" Chummy said with a sigh, making Yanee roll her eyes heavenwards.
Yes, Tohru James looked dreamy – if he remained quiet. Because despite the sexy bedroom voice when he spoke, he was just so uninterested in everything around him that he would either intimidate you or turn you off.
"Yeah, he'll probably look cuter when he's asleep," Yanee muttered under her breath. She's still not over her shock over seeing that poker-faced editor again.
"What did you say?" Chummy asked her but Yanee shook her head as if to say nothing, and her friend quickly returned to her daydreaming look as she glanced at the closed door, then glanced back at Yanee with a frown.
"What?" Yanee had no idea about the quick change in her mood.
"It's unfair," Chummy complained with a pout and Yanee swore she could see wheels turning inside her friend's head.
"Oh no, please. If this is the moment when you say 'I'm so jealous of you Yanee for working under such a sexy man,' then please stop."
Yanee mimicked Chummy's voice when she spoke as well as her facial expressions and so the frown on Chummy's face disappeared as she burst into chuckles.
"But it's true. You're so lucky you're working under him," Chummy said with another pout.
"Because he's 'dreamy'?" Yanee countered using the word Chummy used to describe him.
"Well, that too," Chummy acknowledged. "But you have to agree that even if he's not a looker, being his assistant is great – I mean he's the most awarded editor out there right – I mean all the books he edited won awards. So working for him makes you an apprentice of the greatest editor of the present times, right?"
Yanee was quiet for a while, thinking about this. She hadn't really thought about it this way, and although she was depressed since she borderline disliked the literary department, she had to accept that to really grow, she had to come out of her comfort zone.
"Niji International's our new mother company?" she asked Chummy who smiled at her stupid question but nodded anyway.
Niji International, the biggest publishing house in the country, and holding its reins, the youngest and most impressive editor of Japan, Tohru James.
"So, tell me about my new job…"