Later that day
Author's Pov
Rest of the day went quite abnormal for Tessa as every now and then she found her arrogant boss's dark eyes on her piercing imaginary holes on her skin.
His behaviour was out of the league making her awkward to no end but the reason behind this was still unknown to her.
He was acting very suspicious.
Noah on the other hand was aware about his effect on her. Though she was a bold lady but she was still a woman who had some hidden insecurities and weakness. He knew how his stares bothered her and seemingly he enjoyed witnessing her getting nervous around him.
This encouraged him.
Tessa was working like a robot the whole day. She accompanied him to all his meetings and also to the lunch invitation of her previous boss's old business partner.
As once Noah's father's secretary the old business partner was aware about her.
He and his wife always appreciated Tessa's skills and acknowledged her kind personality.
"Good Afternoon Mr. and Mrs.Smith!" She said while smiling before bowing to him but only got stopped by the old man the next second.
"I told you not to be formal with us Tessa, you are like our daughter." Said the man on his early 60s as he laughed while patting her head with adoration.
This view caught Noah's attention as he saw how close they were.
Tessa chuckled as then an aged woman approached her before wrapping her arms around her, hugging her gently. "I hope both of you are doing fine!" Tessa said as she broke the hug while smiling gladly.
Noah was standing some steps away from her while eyeing the scene in front of him in silence. More like observing them. "Oh we are peacefully getting old, what else do we need. How are you doing?" Mrs.Smith asked while laughing making Tessa's smile deepened.
Noah was still out of the frame as his secretary had all of the attention and owned the main spotlight but he weirdly didn't complain about it. He was staring at them without saying anything.
His eyes caught Tessa's expression which were very new for his view. He was amused to see her so happy, her lip line curved upwards as her hidden dimples showed up adding more charm on her flawless face. It was his first time to see her this bubbly and lively like a high school girl. It was quite new for him.
Even though he wouldn't care to admit it but he found it gorgeous and captivating.
She was not only professional but kind with her words. He was impressed by her attitude which he discovered just now.
As he was still busy in his thoughts, she introduced him out of nowhere pouring all the attention at him at once.
"Great! this is Mr.Brown's son, our new president!" She said as both of the eyes followed him immediately. Noah's dark cold eyes blinked not aware about anything for a second.
"Hello I am Noah Brown!" He pictured a firm smile on his face as introduced himself before bowing to them in respect making the old couple smile in his gesture.
"Oh, you are the guy I am seeing on the news these days. You're more handsome in person!" Mrs.Smith said as Noah chuckled at her choice of words.
"I am glad, I caught your eyes Mam!" He spoke as the elder woman smiled in awe.
"Oh honey, I like him already!" Everybody laughed at her words as Noah's eyes then again short glanced his secretary not with the same cockiness as before but instead with a hint of praise for unknown reasons.
He noted her expressions which was now calm.
"Come on, let's not keep the dishes wait anymore." Mr.Smith spoke to Noah as he invited him inside before holding his wife's waist to lead her in like a gentleman.
Noah's Pov
It was different.
The old couple seemed to be kind and fun loving.
I never experienced things like this before and that makes it quite new for me.
After my mother's expiration my father send me off to England for further studies. I was never exposed to parental love and hence I've never received such treatments before.
Witnessing the love the old couple share with one another was unrealistic for my knowledge to be honest.
"How are you doing at work Noah?" Mr.Smith asked me as chewed his food with elegance, I prepared my reply after a second.
"I am doing fine. I still need to get familiar with many things." My eyes for a second glanced at my secretary who was busy with Mrs.Smith with unreadable expressions. "But it won't take long I guess!" He replied as I settled my gaze on Mr.Smith again.
He nodded his head in appreciation before raising his half filled glass with red wine up. "I see, you are just like you father. A hard worker indeed!" He spoke making me chuckle at his words.
I then copied his gesture while holding my glass up to join his cheer. "That's a big compliment. Thank you!" I spoke before sipping the wine with him.
After a moment of silence, I heard something grabbing my attention in no minute.
"Are you single young man?" I heard Mrs.Smith's voice making me pause my actions for an awkward second. I wasn't expecting that coming from nowhere so the question caught me off guard.
I licked my lips as I replied with a fake smile. "I am."
"Really? It's hard to believe that there's no lady beside a handsome man like you are." Mrs.Smith spoke again while giggling softly making me gulp weirdly.
The moment of awkwardness seemed to challenge my temperament as I gulped.
The conversation took a weird turn as I found myself in an indescribable position to answer her. My eyes wore blankness again as I replied nonchalantly. "I want to focus on my career right now. I have no time for love!"
My reply came out to be very straightforward than I expected it to be, as soon it silenced the whole dining in no time. The environment became gloomy as I assume they weren't expecting such an answer from me.
I was always a short tempered person.'
I found everyone's eyes on me but one particular gaze bothered me to no limits. Following the source of the stare I found my secretary's big doe eyes. Her eyebrows were scrunched as it made a little frown on her face. It was as if she was thinking about something.
But as soon as my eyes caught her eyes red handed she immediately looked away.
I then gulped my rest of the red wine without any care.
Tessa's Pov
I was quite amused to see this arrogant man's politeness with them. I never imagined him to be this cooperative with someone like he is being right now.
He was even smiling and laughing with Mr.Smith which made me quite surprised to believe that it wasn't his mocking or any sarcastic type of snorts as that's what he always did to me. It was rather genuine and more honest this time!
It was kind of new side of him.
It was all peaceful until Mrs.Smith asked something to him which made the air around him pretty awkward.
"Are you single young man?" I found the aura of him changing again back to his scary ones.
But I decided not to mind his business as I gulped my food with no thoughts of him in my mind.
"I am!" He replied but with a hint of awkwardness as I sensed his vibe with no efforts. This gained my attention as he was now being suspicious.
"Really? It's hard to believe that there's no lady beside a handsome man like you are." Mrs.Smith again spoke with the bubbly nature of her exaggerating the topic as that's when I felt the awkward vibe of his changing into darkness.
I gulped as I then assumed his next reply to ruin the whole vibe of the dining and he soon spoke proving my assumption right.
"I want to focus on my career right now. I have no time for love!" His reply was cold making the lively environment gloomy in no time with only few words of his.
I wasn't planning to think much about it but his reply just caught my attention making me frown, when suddenly my mind flashed one yesterday's scene.
I recalled the unknown rude woman I bumped into his yesterday's rave party hugging him as my senses then knocked in.
I am not so interrogated type of woman but something in me did found this arrogant man's behaviour weird and suspicious suddenly. It was as if he was hiding something. He was somewhat being very secretive about something.
Moreover that rude lady was pregnant adding more points to my assumptions.
As I was still busy on my thoughts I saw his cold face turning towards my direction and catching my eyes which was still on him. I immediately looked down to my half empty plate avoiding him again.
Pin drop silence...
"The dishes... the dishes are delicious Mrs.Smith!" I spoke tearing the gloomy and awkward silence.
"Thank you dear!" Mrs.Smith smiled at me kindly.
After work
Author's Pov
Cold fresh breeze slapped her face delicately as she moved ahead. Her eyes sparkled pure ethereally as she very calmly breathed in and out the fresh air relaxing herself.
She usually takes buses on her way back home but today she just felt like walking home.
It wasn't a long route so she decided to just walk.
Her mind was luckily calm as she walked peacefully but it lasted no longer when she started feeing weird all of a sudden.
She felt someone's eyes burning behind her back, the soundless empty alley now no longer echoed her heels's click clack sound.
She heard very strong footsteps behind her too making her gulp in nervousness now.
She clenched her purse as she just walked ahead ditching her urge to look back to the person but the sound seemingly only increased making her more nervous.
Her hand in a swift moment opened her purse and grabbed the small pepper spray she always carry with her as a protection.
She increased her pace a little without looking back only to avoid being followed by some creep at the night time but soon her mind got clogged when a hand on her shoulder made her breath sharpen and in an immediate reflex action she instantly yanked the heavy hand away from her shoulder and sprayed the pepper spray on the creepy human's face without thinking about anything anymore.
She then heard deep husky groans the very next second as she momentarily was about to make a run away from the unknown creepy man but before she could her eyes caught something.
He was holding her work ID...
She frowned when realisation hit her hard, instant regret washed over her.
"Are you mad? I just wanted to give the thing you dropped!" The unknown man groaned deeply as he rubbed his eyes out of pain and his face became red due to unbearable burning vision.
"Is this how you react to the people who cause you goodness?"
He yelled while stumbling back unable to stand properly as Tessa only bit her lips in utter regret while looking at him with her pacing heart and widened eyes.
He wanted to give her the ID? She gulped again.
"A-Are you okay!" She shuttered softly as she approached his suffering body and tried to support his big weight a bit.
"Yeah, yeah... Okay!" He mocked her with an angry scoff while still groaning, momentarily she leaned his heavy built on the wall behind him.
The man's voice was so deep that Tessa herself felt so small in front of him.
She found herself helpless as the man groaned making her gulp in silent regret. She looked around to find any help and finally saw a stationary shop at the end of the alley.
"Hey um stay here!" She said as she then jogged away towards it.
"What-..." The man was about to say more when she suddenly disappeared leaving him alone with himself.
She immediately bought a bottle of milk and water from the shop before running back towards the same spot where she left the suffering man alone. He was still leaning on the wall, bearing the same pain.
She then approached him and hesitantly put her hand on his shoulder before jerking it slowly. "Here!" She opened the milk bottle's cap before pouring the white liquid on his face in an intention to calm his burn down a bit...
"I thought you ran away!" He said as he soon relaxed from his burning vision. Tessa bit her lips as seemingly she was feeling guilty now.
"It was your fault too... you were following me like a creep Mister!" She said in defence though it didn't help her guilt a bit!
He chuckled at her words in disbelief, "You conclude everything way too soon Miss!" He said in a so done voice as he finally opened his eyes with obvious difficulty.
He then found the lady only two steps away from him still helping him with the burn.
But his action paused as he eyed her. He found her gorgeous.
"I am sorry!" Tessa said finally admitting her mistake to react without thinking earlier. He then moved his head down immediately coming back to reality.
"No issues." He nodded his head as nervousness hugged him. His guts denied to look at her as what it seemed like he was flustered. Tessa found it weird to witness the unknown man acting in a strange way.
He then raised his hand towards her handling her ID back to her as she looked down and took it slowly before mumbling. "Also thank you!"
He nodded his head weirdly again without looking at her, he then grabbed the water bottle from her hand which she brought for him. "From next time... Act before thinking!" He spoke as he then turned around to leave her.