Ivan is already in the office when other employees has not arrived yet. It was just 7 am and the company guard was used to his habit of arriving early before anyone else. His office has a connecting door that leads to his penthouse so he could still relax while he's in the office. He make his self a coffee and sit on his executive chair. He sip his coffee and Is half way empty when he decide to get Sydney's proposal again. He reads it over and over again yesterday at his condo and can't find any fault on it.
He can't believe that a fresh graduate and a junior architect can create an outstanding proposal. She even beat Kian's proposal, his architect for a long time. Even her simulation and animation is professionally done. Does she knows so much about IT related things like coding and programming too.? There is only one way to find out and that is to talk to her and let her present her own proposal.
Later on Nico arrived at exactly 8 am. He went directly inside the office and saw his boss already busy.
"Nico call Architect Aragon and tell him that I want to talk to his new Junior Architect personally" Ivan ordered
"Right away sir"
Kian got a call from Ivan's assistant that he wants Sydney to come to his office personally. Kian knows that what he's thinking is right. He went outside his office and call Sydney to follow him to his office.
"Is there any problem Architect? Sydney asked Kian
"Nope, I want to talk to you because the assistant of the CEO called me and he said that the CEO wants to meet you personally to discuss something about your proposal"
"He wants you to go up in his office right now" he added
"I wouldn't get in trouble right Architect?" She asked. Honestly she feels a little bit nervous.
"Ofcourse not, maybe the president just wants you to explain your proposal since you are new here, there's a chance that he liked your proposal" Kian said calmly
"Ok then I should be going up right now Architect"
Kian nodded. She knows where the CEO's floor and his office because her workmates describe it to her. She goes to the elevator and reach the floor where the CEO's office is located. She walked towards the hallway and can see the black door. When she's near the door, Nico greeted her.
"Goodmorning Architect Aguilar, the president is waiting for you inside" He respectfully said to her
"Your the one who help me yesterday, so you worked for the CEO sir?
"Yes Architect Aguilar I am his assistant" he confirmed
The assistant opened the door and entered first, she heard the assistant confirmed to the boss that she already arrived.
"Sir Architect Aguilar is here"
"Let her in" said the deep voice from inside
"You can get inside now, Architect" the assistant left her as she entered the room.
"Please have a sit Architect Aguilar" Ivan said as he turned around his swivel executive chair to face her.
"Thank you sir" she sits on the chair in front of him. She can cleary see his handsome features and his built. Yet she can't feel the coldness that everyone was telling her.
"Was it because he's not in a bad mood today?" She said to herself.
On the other hand Ivan cant help staring at her face as she walks towards him and sit on the chair beside his table. They finally see each other up close and face to face. He gets her folder and give it her. She accepted the folder and look at him .
"Is there something wrong with my proposal sir?" Are you rejecting my project proposal. She asked feeling nervous because she can see his blank expression. Ivan didn't say anything instead he got up from his chair and said
"Follow me, we will go to the boardroom room."
She didn't understand what he means by going to the boardroom but she stand up and followed him. They walk together on the hallway. The secretarial staffs that were assigned on that floor were all envious of the woman who walks beside the CEO because for a long time that they worked in this company, they never saw a woman walking together with their boss except for his mother.
They reached the boardroom together. Ivan open the door and let her in first. When they are inside, he sit in the middle chair.
"I want you to present your project proposal in front of me, right now Architect Aguilar." he said casually
Did she hear it right? He wants her to present the proposal in front of him? Did he do the same thing on other architects that are newly hired? Or maybe he's not convinced that I make the proposal myself.? And he wants to prove something or maybe he wants to make fun of me. She thought silently
Seeing her confused face when he told her to present her proposal in front of him, he feels a little guilty becuase he caught her offguard without any preparations. She sigh and look directly in his eyes.
"Ok sir, understood" she said with determination in her eyes. She opened her folder and get the USB inside. She insert it on the port and open the projector.
She started to explain how she come up with her own interpretation of the project proposal. And explain her initial schematic design and the concepts in where she based the the floor plan and the shape of the project. She then proceed to discuss the important aspects of the project.
Ivan is watching and listening to her intently throughout her presentation. She is very well spoken and knows what to emphasize in her proposals as well as she can also look at him straight to the eyes while explaining something.
After she finished her presentation. Ivan threw questions one by one trying to find fault in her proposal. She answered them all effortlessly and give solutions to every problem that he cited which they can possibly counter while building the project. Ivan end the questions as well as the presentation.
He is satisfied with what he saw and heard so he decided to end the presentation. It's not everyday that he can have an employee whose both beautiful and intelligent. For a newbie and the fact that this is her first actual project proposal in the business world, she really did amazing.
He stand up from his chair and walk towards her.
"Congratulations Architect Aguilar, I approved your proposal for the mall building project in L City" he said
He held out his hand to congratulate her and she accepted his gesture and shake his hand in return.
Sydney felt something weird that she can't describe when their hand touched.
"Thank you so much sir, this means so much to me" She smiled at him. She was very happy that her proposal got accepted.
Ivan on the other hand felt a sensation rushing through her vains when she touched his hand,something sparks inside him. Her hand is soft and now that he's standing so close to her, he can see her delicate skin.
He didnt notice that he's holding her hand for quite a while so he let go of it eventually.
"It's almost lunch time" he said while looking at his wristwatch "Let's have some lunch together in a restaurant it's my treat because you did an amazing proposal"
Sydney was contemplating whether to accept it or not
But looking at his face and character, it looks like he wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Okay Sir" she answered akwardly and unsurely.
Ivan nodded and didn't show so much emotion but deep inside he's very happy that she agreed to have lunch with him. He also noticed the uncertainty and awkwardness in her voice. Maybe she agreed because she doesnt want to embarrassed me by declining my invitation.
He called the driver to get the car ready. They walk out of the boardroom together and get on the elevator. They reached the underground parking lot where the driver is waiting already. He opened the passenger door, to ler go in first then he followed. He instructed the driver to go to his favorite restaurant. They were both quiet inside the car until they reached the restaurant.
They sat down in a comfortable area in the restaurant near the windows. The restaurant is very elegant and looks like the foods here are not cheap. The waiter give them their menu and took a glance at Sydney. Ivan noticed it and gave a warning look while Sydney is looking at the menu. The waiter understand Ivan and didn't dare to look at Sydney anymore. Sydney ordered a lemon ricotta pasta and toasted ravioli while Ivan ordered a medium rare steak.
Their ordered arrived and they started to eat. He was just about to ask her where she lived when he saw the waiter holding a bowl of soup suddenly hit by the customer who was about to go out in a hurry. He saw that the soup bowl will be accidentally poured on Sydney's shoulder so he act as quick as he could and instead to Sydney the hot soup was accidentally poured on his hand and burned him while the bowl of soup shattered on the floor.
Sydney who doesn't realize at first what was happening quickly rush into him when she saw what happened. The hot soup burned his hand and it was swollen and red.
"Sir! Are you alright? She hold his hand and saw the burn . The staffs rushed quickly on the scene because they know that Ivan is a VIP customer.
"It's alright" Sydney said to the staffs "can you please bring some ice " she said in a very calm voice. She didn't realized that she's seating beside him already and still holding his hand. The ice cubes quickly arrived and she puts a cold compress on his hand. They stayed for a while until she saw the swollen part started to light up.
"I'm really sorry sir, it was supposed to be me who should get burned by the hot soup" she said sincerely
He looks at her and he couldn't imagine If she's the one who got scorch by the hot water.
"It's ok it's not your fault" Ivan said.
She removed the cold compress. "Let's go back to the office " she suggested. On their way back to the office she requested to the driver to stopped by at a pharmacy. She quickly got out of the car and buy an ointment.
Ivan thought she was buying medicines for herselft.
When she got back on the car and closed the door. She immediate took out the ointment and open it. She placed his hand that was burned awhile ago on top of her palm. She put ointment on his scorched hand. Ivan was stunned by her gesture towards him but he hide his reaction and just let her do what she wants.
"This will help to heal the wound faster sir" she said, then she took his left hand and put the ointment in his palm.