You are kidding right?
"That's not workaholic. He is obsessed with work. Your boss will soon turn psycho." The girl, Ms.Matthews, scoffed in disgust.
Alex didn't remark at her comment since she wasn't fully wrong but as a loyal assistant, his inner self was shouting to come out and let the girl know that she didn't hold any right to say any word against his CEO. Yet he kept his mouth shut and calmly listened to her angry remarks without attempting to stop her.
'It would be fruitless and I would have to face the Devil later for the whole day. Need to preserve energy.' He thought and sighed at his hectic schedule.
Alex wondered in his thoughts 'Should I ask the CEO to grant me a vacation? Maybe I should, I need some time away from work and groom myself.'
Alex began to daydream about the possible scenarios he had to face to make his Devil CEO agree to his demands.
"The assistant is the same as his employer. I shouldn't have expected anything better." The girl stomped her heels on the floor.
"Ms.Matthews, though I don't think I need to remind you again but it's a part of my job. If you happen to damage any company property including the floor which you just almost scratched with your 7 inch heels, you would be heavily compensated through your accounts. It's a company policy."
Alex said with a serene face as if he didn't indirectly blackmail her.
The girl felt hot air rushing out of her ears and nose like those angry cartoons shown on television.
"Don't become too haughty just because you are his assistant, don't forget he is your boss, the one who is paying you, your hefty salary which is used by you to maintain your lifestyle."
"Ms.Matthews, I am a facts person. I know my position very well and the powers it has with it. And for the salary, I am working here and giving my best for the company welfare. Not like you, who only know how to live on their parent's money and luxurious. You certainly don't know the number of sleepless nights I spent for this company's development."
"And before you waste more of my precious time, I would have to politely ask you to leave since next moment I won't be using words if you don't leave now." Alex offered a polite smile to Ms.Matthews.
She felt too humiliated and belittled by his allegations which were the truth. She mocked him with her cat eyes and went back before she got more embarrassed by an average assistant as per her.
"That's the assistant I know." Felix chuckled.
He was really amused by his assistant's different hidden sides.
"It seems, the Alex I have knowledge of, is only 0.1 percent of what he actually is."
From that day onwards, he started to train Alex as his right hand man. His workload increased, along with many late night stays at the company. However, there was another addition to his day to day routine which helped him to unleash his inner beast without fearing about how others would judge him for his evil sins.
At the present day, Felix smirked, 'Since you have become so courageous and fearless, I should reward you for your development.'
He marvelled as he gazed at his confused assistant, who had lost the colour of his face and was standing with a pale face.
"CEO!!!" Alex shrieked at Felix. He had a crestfallen look, his widened eyes and his agaped mouth.
Felix merely raised his left eyebrows at his shriek. He stared at Felix in a victim's gaze.
"What?"
"CEO, you are kidding me, right?"
"Am I? Do I look like? Is my face adorning any concealed smile?"
Alex shook his head as a reply to him.
"Then what gave you that impression that I am joking with you?"
"Sorry." He timidly said.
Felix held back his laughter.
"Alex, I don't need your sorry. What I need is for you to go and be present for the date instead of me. Also there's no choice for you to reject. Are you ready?"
'Do I have any other option left?' Alex sobbed since he felt like a deer who got into the trap of a skilled hunter.
Alex's head moved from left to right and up and down. Felix titled his lips a little.
"I need words." He asked his assistant.
'Why is my boss a big bully!!'
He yelled internally. His eyes went up to his CEO's eyes. It clashed. He saw the storm forming in them, he shivered by the tranquility of his eyes.
"Yes, I agree." Momentarily, Alex gave a positive response to Felix, who had turned around and this time he was facing him in the eyes.
Felix let out a panty dropping smile, it made Alex freeze.
"I should start looking for a girlfriend. Otherwise the office rumours about me and CEO… would corrupt my innocence." He muttered under his breath. He furiously rubbed his entirely covered arms.
"That's great, you agreed. Now you have to be extra careful for this date. I have a bad feeling, the girl my grandma arranged for this date must not be the same gullible like the previous ones nor they might be gold diggers. The girl must be in a high position with more brain cells." Felix's words scared Alex. He thought that today would be his last day, since the girl finds out the truth and how she is being tricked by his CEO. He would be the first one to suffer her wrath as his CEO won't be there.
"Therefore, I'll come with you." This brightened Alex's dull eyes. He was happy that he won't be alone to die and he also guessed that the girl might recognise Felix at a glance since her grandma may have given her a picture of his Devil CEO.
Then I won't have to act like him. I could tell her everything and leave the both of them alone for the date. Yet his happiness was short-lived.
"But…" He paused as he was getting entertained by his assistant.
He saw him taking his hand closer to his mouth as he unconsciously chewed his nails.
Felix pitied him and also thought that it was enough teasing for one day.
"I won't be sitting with you two, rather I will sit a few seats away from you."
Suddenly Alex raised his hands, Felix nodded his head for him to ask his query.
"Sir, didn't grandma reserve a private cabin for your date?" He reminded his CEO, who also forgot about this important point before he laid out his plan.
"Well, now that you had spoken on it, I should message the girl to try and make her grandma accept the request of having the date like a normal couple."
"Sir, would she agree?"
"It's either this or no date tonight at all." Felix stated. He had the same look when they had to finalise a deal with their partners, the cunning and clever CEO.
Alex joined both of his hands and closed his eyes. He began to pray to his lucky stars that the girl throws a tantrum at his CEO's conditions, making him angry and irritated which would ultimately cancel the date.
Another ping sound engulfed Felix's already too silent cabin. He took out his phone and it showed a message by an unknown number. His fingers moved on their own and clicked on the message.
[ Unknown
No private room for that date. Just a normal table. Ask the receptionist about it. ]
He repeated the content of the message over and over in his mind. He didn't understand why it seemed like his style, the way the message was written. It liberated the similar kind of ice chilling feeling that Felix's friends taunted him with every time they met; they would always say how even his messages were cold as glaciers.
He forced himself to stop overthinking since he had more significant things to do on hands.
He turned on his silent mode and put back his phone.
"Sir, did something happen?"
"You could say so. We don't need to worry about the reservation."
Felix's response shocked Alex for a while, he thought that he heard incorrectly.
"Sir, could you repeat? Maybe I heard wrongly, so I wanted to confirm."
Felix took majestic steps and elegantly sat on his chair, "Alex, you did not hear wrong. It's what I said."
He entered his password on his computer screen and began to look over his emails.
He felt a dazed stare on himself so Felix paused his work and without looking at his assistant, "Finish up your remaining work for the day. We need to wrap up things earlier today. Come and ping me when it is 7 pm. Now leave."
His fingers ran musically on the keyboard as he commanded Alex. Felix did stop for a few seconds but since he had to finish work early, he didn't wait any longer.
Alex left his cabin in a confused state of brain yet his CEO's words were ringing in his ears.
_________________
The sun set and the afternoon sky changed its color to a calm and peaceful dusk. The evening had only begun and the sun was half visible in the sky.
The pink sky illuminated the light into Esther's office cabin. Since the start of morning the sky wasn't bright but covered with clouds of different shapes. They floated freely in the sky.
The light flow of wind stumbled against the glass wall of Esther's cabin.