Kamil craned her neck after a long day at Lander Investments.
She sat inside the dressing room of The Docks. The sun began to set outside. It was almost time for their club's opening. She switched out of the office attire in favor of a back cropped top with a halterneck and a pair of mini shorts.
Her pale skin easily stole the spotlight in the room.
Not a single flaw or scar could be found.
"Well, well, well, look who decided to show up."
"I thought she had ran away after being humiliated."
"Stood up by her target the other night? Boo-hoo."
"Maybe she's out of her prime."
"Possibly. She did have to look for another guy."
Smacking her red lips, Kamil pulled her raven hair out of its ponytail. She sighed in a nonchalant manner as if unbothered by their jabs. "Do you girls even know what the best kind of men are?"
The other women in the room looked at each other. They communicated nonverbally while Kamil waited for their response. After half a minute of silence, one of them replied, "Fine. We'll humor you. What is the best type of man?"
"The one not easy to get."
Another girl snorted. "You're just making for yourself."
"Oh, really?" Kamil got off her chair and stalked towards them. Her obsidian eyes glinted with mischief. She met each of their gaze, unwavering. "Seducing many easy men isn't as valuable as seducing a stubborn one."
She circled around them, slowing her pace once she reached behind their backs. Her lips leaned closer to their necks. "Forcing them doesn't count, of course. There's no shortcut. It takes time. It takes patience."
Then, she stopped in front of them and crossed her arms over her chest. A smirk blossomed on her lips. "It also takes brains which I believe none of you have."
"Why you—"
"Uh, uh, uh!" Kamil wagged a finger at the reaction. Her grin merely grew wider. "Patience, remember? The sooner you learn, the sooner you can get a man and not a boy."
The girls gritted their teeth. They refused to respond to her provocation. It sickened them to the core but that was what she wanted. Whether they spoke or stayed silent, Kamil won. They needed a better way to kick off her pedestal.
But they couldn't do that as they were now.
The bouncer appeared in the doorway. He cleared his throat before speaking up, ignoring the silent commotion. "Ms. Kamil, there's someone here to see you."
"Later, ladies. Break a leg."
Kamil grabbed a cropped leather jacket from the rack. She shrugged it on to add an extra layer on top of her exposed skin. Walking behind the bouncer, she listened closely and searched for a familiar heartbeat. The sound came first then the intoxicating scent.
She held back a moan.
Even when she had been around both all day, the allure hadn't diminished.
Leon Orsino stood at the club's secluded area. He had his hands under his suit jacket and above his hips. His back faced Kamil while he glared at the ground. He calculated how much time he had left. There was so much to do when he reached his residence.
This meeting needed to end quickly.
The sound of footsteps caused Leon to turn around.
Kamil stood a meter away from him. Her exposed torso showcased her tiny waist and sculpted obliques. The mini shorts had a low rise. It had enough fabric to cover her bum and nothing else. Her heels were exchanged for knee-high boots.
She placed her hands behind her back and leaned on the wall, pressing her palms against it.
"So it really is you," Leon breathed out. Although he recognized her earlier, a part of him wondered if he'd be proven wrong during this trip. This would have gone easier if that was the case.
"You had doubts?" Kamil teased. "I'm flattered."
He scowled at her playful attitude. Crossing his arms over his chest, he went straight to business. His frosty blue eyes stared straight into her obsidian ones. His pose conveyed his stern and unyielding pretence.
Then, he uttered one word.
"Quit."
Kamil raised her eyebrows. "I thought I had a week?"
"I changed my mind." Leon shrugged.
She clicked her tongue and stepped closer. He retreated a step. It didn't stop her from her pursuit. Leon hit the wall behind him. Kamil stood an inch away from touching any part of his body. It wasn't what he had in mind and it confused him.
His breathing became irregular.
Her voice flowed out like fine wine.
"If you changed your mind, you would have fired me." That was when a bulb lit up above her head. It reflected in her obsidian eyes. "I see what it is. You don't want to get on your secretary's bad side. It would be a lot easier for you if I left, wouldn't it?"
Leon averted his gaze. "I'd like to use the word, 'efficient', more."
"And why do you want me gone so badly? Do I scare you?" Kamil batted her eyelashes and lowered her ear against his chest. His heart rate rose significantly. It was music to her ears. His blood probably tasted better too.
"What are you—"
"I mean, that's probably why your heart is racing, right?" She cut him off, looking up to find his eyes back on her. "What is a powerful man like you afraid of a woman from this part of the city? I have no doubt that you could strip me of everything I have. And yet… you haven't chosen that route."
Her spine straightened and she licked her lips. "Why is that?"
Leon didn't know what was going on. He slithered against the wall, escaping sideways. Kamil hid a smile and let him go. She found his reactions cute. They tempted her to tease him more. But she wouldn't be able to do so if she scared him away.
"And why do you insist on working for my company? Isn't it for your own entertainment?" Leon shot back once he could think again. His breathing slowly regulated. "Frantz praises you for your docile demeanor and bubbly personality. You and I both know that isn't how you are."
Kamil half-scoffed and half-laughed. It seemed that the CEO wasn't thinking straight still.
She wiped her imaginary tears away. "So you're worried that I'm stringing your secretary along? Don't act like you don't have your own mask, Mr. Orsino. I also heard things about you from Mr. Lichman. He's really fond of you."
Raising a hand, Kamil examined him from head to toe. She also took her time doing it. It would be a lie to say she didn't admire every bit of him. "But if I compare that person he mentioned to the one standing in front of me, I can't connect it either."
"It comes with the job," Leon defended.
Kamil raised her chin and matched his tone. "And so does mine."
His nostril flared out of frustration. How dare she compare her behavior to his? There was a difference between professionalism and deceit. She was also keeping her job at the club. What did she need both of them for?
'A change of pace,' she said earlier. Leon mentally snorted. It was a ruse.
She just didn't want to admit it—but he won't be fooled.
"This is your last chance," Leon sneered. "Quit."
"If I don't then, what? You'd give me hell?" Kamil challenged. A chuckle flew out of her lips. He was grasping at straws and they both knew it. "Sucks for you but my looks and my charm aren't the only things I have. Give it your best shot. I'll prove you wrong before the week is over."
The pair had a stare down. Neither of them blinked. Kamil even rolled her shoulders and shifted her weight on one foot, already predicting the outcome. There was no way Leon could win—not now, not in a week. She wasn't going anywhere.
He'd just had to deal with it.
Leon stormed out of the secluded area.
He encountered other club workers and entertainers on his way out. They all moved out of his way, careful not to knock anything over. It was as if a thunderstorm rolled by the place. To fire someone needed investigation and proper sanction.
For that to happen, he needed Andrew's co-signature who was another rock-headed person.
Kamil approached the same group of girls earlier. They pretended like they hadn't tried to eavesdrop. Her obsidian eyes rolled at the poor acting. It really was terrible. Their faces were too easy to read.
She smirked at them when she passed by.
The heels of her boots reverberated on her way back to the dressing room. She had copied the files Frantz gave her. It would only take a few hours to completely master them. By the time the next morning would come, Leon wouldn't know what hit him.
Kamil sat back on her chair. She tilted her head sideways, watching her reflection.
A smirk curled on her lips.
"And so the chase begins."