7.15.
A black luxurious car stopped at the entrance of a high end bar. The chauffeur pulled open the back door for the CEO of Claude Corporation, Desmond Claude. Pheonix Lou and Luke Tyson got down from the car and followed behind Desmond Claude.
Luke Tyson was no doubt very loyal to Desmond Claude. Previously, he was trained and placed in Claude Residence, following Desmond for nearly 9 years. No wonder, Luke knew his boss very well and very capable. It wasn't hard to tell that Desmond trusted him. Nevertheless, Luke was also a great friend, senior, and mentor for his colleagues, especially to Pheonix Lou as the frequently working side by side.
When they entered the VIP room of the bar, Mr. Donn was already there. He was surrounded by 3 beautiful hostess in their provocative outfits. There was a man sitting next to him, presumably his assistant. Noticing their comings, they stood up for hand shaking before continued with the conversation.
'CEO Claude, it's been a long time!' Mr. Donn said.
Desmond gave a brief reply then smiled faintly like his usual style. His cold personality was well known, but his looks, charms, and charisma never failed to attract all women. As he sat down, another hostess approached him with her flirty gaze. However, before she could touch his suits, desmond had turned his gaze at her with his warning stare that sent her a chill along her spine. She halted her action with a forced smile, taking another turn to sit near Mr. Donn in the end.
Mr. Donn seemed to like having fun with those ladies. His looks wasn't bad even though he seems to be in his 40s. Working in Claude Corporation roughly for a year, this was the first time Pheonix met Mr. Donn. She was only ordered to send some gifts to Mr. Donn 3 times before. What she knew about this person was he lived abroad and owned a night club.
Desmond and Mr. Donn was talking business. While Pheonix was taking notes of their conversation, Luke was providing some related informations to Desmond. This went the same on the other side. Occasionally, they had to drink the alcohol. It wasn't a new thing for Pheonix. She knew her boss and senior had a strong tolerance. Unfortunately, her alcohol tolerance wasn't very good , but so far, she always managed to keep herself up in front of others. Despite the dizziness, she kept acting normally and stayed focus.
She didn't realize, today's drinks were a little different than usual. Not to mention, today they seemed drinking more than usual. Mr. Donn liked a very strong whisky. Therefore, they ordered according to his preference. Her head felt so dizzy that she almost couldn't keep herself focus. She wasn't sure if she could walk properly if they had to return. 'It's bad!' She thought.
'Lou!' Luke voice prevented her from giving up to her dizziness.
'Assistant Tyson. What's the matter?' She tried to maintain her composure even though her tone still sounded as if she was just having a day dreaming.
Luke had been calling her several times before but she didn't response. Looking at her face, he knew his colleague were started to get drunk. He quietly stepped on her feet to gain her focus.
'Let's go!' Luke didn't say much.
Pheonix quickly stood up and saw her boss looking at her coldly with his hands in his pocket or she should say waiting for her. Guilt filled her mind. She quickly bowed to Mr. Donn as they were about to leave.
To her surprise, Mr. Donn said teasingly, 'Young pretty boy, next time you have to drink like a man!'
'Oh, if he wasn't a mere secretary, i'd surely sit next to such a cute boy!' She could faintly heard those hostess whispering while smiling meaningfully to each other. 'With his pretty face, who knows, he's another toy boy to him...?'
Everyone eyes was on her. Her face which was already red became redder. Not to mention, those stares indicated as if she was a little boy in an adult place. Another possibility, It could make the gossip regarding her boss sexual orientation worse, due to his cold attitude towards women. For certain, the 'him' they were referring to, was none other than Desmond Claude. This kind of gossip had been more intense seeing him rarely involved with female subordinates.
She just smiled politely as she nodded in professional way. 'Treat it like a critic on your works, Pheonix!' She repeated in her mind. If there was a hole, she surely would jump into it. While her boss stayed indifferent, she felt more and more guilty, thinking that he would think bad about her after this.
After exiting the VIP room, the three of them walked to the entrance door, where the car was already waiting. Pheonix was on her limit to walk properly. She was very dizzy. Luke asked her if she was okay and she lied because she didn't want to trouble anyone. She forced herself to walk normally with all the left energy she had. They soon got into the car. The usual arrangement was Luke and Pheonix would followed Desmond home, then, after they had received their tasks for the next day, they would go home by themselves. It was not surprising for them to be at home in the middle of the night. They surely Desmond's closest subordinates.
'To the secretary Lou's place!' Desmond commanded his chauffeur.
He was actually quite care towards other people.
'CEO Claude!' Pheonix tried to stopped him.
She didn't deserve this, did she? She was a mere secretary. She should've taken a cab, if she knew she would be sent home by her boss. She was in man disguise! Nonetheless, her dizziness made her unable to say anything. It was good enough that she hadn't lost all her composure.
Desmond just ignored her.
In the car, he closed his eyes with his other hand on the window. Luke was sitting in the front passanger sit, he replied some chats on his phone. Pheonix was sitting at the back with Desmond, she was gradually unable to keep herself up with the dizziness and felt asleep.
Her apartment took about an hour from the previous bar and about 1.5 hours from Desmond's mansion. Not long after she felt asleep, the motion inside the car, took control of her limp body. Her body fell to the side and her head touched Desmond's shoulder unintentionally.
Desmond was a little jolted as he opened his eyes. He looked at his secretary in disdain. Apparently, it gave him a goosebumps! He was a normal man! How could a normal man let his shoulder to be leaned by another man??!
Pheonix Lou!!
His face darkened. As prideful, domineering, and cold he looked, he was truthfully panic at this moment. He cursed uncontrollably inwardly. He tried his best to look calm but he was desperate to get his secretary away from him. Telling Luke won't be his choice. if his assistant saw this, what would he think of him?
After a while of thinking, he decided to push Pheonix Lou away. He stared at his secretary and carefully got himself the best position to push Pheonix away. Yet, in this close distance, another thing caught his sharp eyes. Pheonix surely had a really supple and smooth skin compared to men in general. Her thick eyelashes were long like a pair of butterfly wings and her rosy lips was moist. She has a fair slender neck and one could smell a sweet fragrant was emitting from her body.
'Desmond are you out of your mind or are you gay??' He spoke in his mind. Pheonix was undeniably a pretty boy, everyone says so! 'Still, he is a man!!! A man!!' He felt he had a hallucination just now.
He grabbed her tiny shoulder and pushed her away carefully, not wasting another time. He then realized that Pheonix was so soft and tiny like a woman. 'I must be too tired these past few days!' He thought.
Pheonix reacted a little as she was pushed away.
'dizzy... ' She mumbled in her real voice in almost unheard volume.
Desmond turned his head to her again but then he thought he must have heard it wrong. The most important thing, he had gotten her away from him!
When the car slowed down, Pheonix started to open her eyes. 'Oh, no! Did I fall asleep?' She quickly sat straight.
She was still dizzy but it was better than earlier. She stole a glance at Desmond who was sitting like the way they left the bar. It gave a relief to her. Nothing happened, right?
The car stopped, Pheonix hurriedly, open the door and bowed deeply after she got down.
'Thank you for sending me home. Have a good night, CEO Claude! Sorry for troubling all of you. Thank you, assistant Tyson and Chauffeur Wide!'
The car then sped away. She got into her apartment afterwards.
After a hot bath, she directly laid on her bed. She felt exhausted and the dizziness won't go away. She should have taken a medicine for hang over but her tired body prevented her from doing so and she fell asleep.
——
The next morning, Pheonix woken up a little late than usual. She jolted and missed her breakfast time. She skillfully put on her short wig, hiding her long silky hair underneath it. She wore her suits after binding her upper body neatly in the speed of light, lifted her working bag, and got off work by subway train. She prefered to use the subway train since her apartment was only 10 minutes walk and her office was 2 minutes walk from the station. Although, the company facilitated her with a good car, she rarely drove it. During the peak hour, it was indeed took longer to go by car.
She ran to the lift of Claude Corporation hurriedly. She knew less than 5 minutes, her boss would arrive.
As expected, a tall figure in his black suit came out from the private lift not long after Pheonix got to her desk. Every employees were greeting him as he walked with his strong domineering aura. His hair was neatly styled enhancing his handsome face that the female employees occasionally stole a glance at him secretly. He was an idol for them!
Standing up, Pheonix Lou gave her greetings as he walked past her desk to his office. He gave a brief nod without slowing his steps. Assistant Tyson soon also greeted him as he opened the door for him. She rushed to make him a cup of coffee and sent it in 5 minutes after he got into his office.
'CEO Claude, here's the coffee...' She put it gently in his desk along with a stack of folders. 'The documents that needed to be signed'
'Today agenda, meeting at 10 with the planning division, discussing AA project with our partner at 1.30, calling country J for their proposals, and an appointment with Miss Claudia Gardner at 5 in Royal Hotel. Do you want me to prepare a gift for Miss Gardner?'
'A Tulip bouquet.'
'Understood.'
She proceed her boss request efficiently. Her boss seemed like a tulip bouquet as it was always his choice to give to women. Claudia Gardner was no exception of this bouquet. Pheonix knew very well that Claudia Gardner was another woman who was after her boss. With some lame excuses for business, these women asking for a date. Claudia was a beautiful famous socialite with strong background. Desmond Claude met her by chance in some business occasions before.
Likewise, today's appointment wasn't a new thing for Desmond. In fact, he was often seen with an exceptionally beautiful woman like famous actress, socialite, model, and so on. They were not just beautiful but had a strong background too. Yet, Desmond just agreed to go on so called a date in order to show that he's a man with straight sexual orientation. It's a win-win solution for everyone! Even though he didn't really care about what the other people say, his family was different. They used to try to set him on a blind date, pressing him to get married, and kept introducing him to some girls because of those gossips.
Pheonix knew better than anyone about her boss. She usually tagged along without those women noticing. She just needed to sit a little far away and be ready for her boss commands.