My alarm rings from my phone. I desperately want to sleep in. A loud groan escapes my lips. I never went back home as I intended to. I had to wake up two hours earlier than usual. I roll out of bed. My clothes are laid out since I set them out the night before.
I grab my towel and trudge out of my room and into the bathroom. I leave the lights off as I like showering in the dark at times. There is just enough moonlight for me to see where I am going. My cardigan slides down my arms, and I fold it and put it onto the counter. My shorts are next. As I am in the process of taking my shirt off, the door opens. As I am about to completely lift my shirt, I remember where I am and who is with me. I slowly move my head toward the bathroom entrance to see Jason standing in the doorway.
He stands shirtless in low-hanging sweats. My tank top is slightly lifted above my breast, revealing bare skin as I slept without a bra. I am not sure if he can see me in the dim lighting, but if I can make out his figure he can see more of me than I would have liked. "Close the door!" I yell. As if suddenly coming back to his senses his body jolts as he quickly closes the door. Dammit, this is my karma for yesterday.
I begrudgingly take off my tank top with a blush spreading across my face. I take a quick shower, not wanting to risk taking too long and further ruining my morning through another encounter with Jason. I pick my clothes off the floor and put them in my dirty bin. I grab my toothbrush and head into the bathroom again.
I collide with Jason as we both try to fit into the bathroom. "What the hell!"
"I heard you come out of the shower, so I decided to come in," he growls. I swear he sounded like a dog. While I am stunned, he makes his way into the bathroom and locks it. When I finally snap out of it, I slam my hand on the door. "Hey! I need to brush my teeth, asshole!" I curse him, forgetting he is my boss.
"Open the door!" I say in a hushed whisper, trying to keep my voice down. Refusing to let him have his way, I continue to slam on the door as quietly as possible. I keep it up for a few more seconds until the door opens. Ready to make a smart remark, I open my mouth to speak but quickly shut up as I am pulled into the bathroom and slammed against the door.
The air is knocked out of my lungs, and rough hands pin my wrists. Jason's eyebrows are scrunched in distaste, the aggravation clear on his features. "Would you stop that insistent knocking!" He yells in a whisper at me. My surprised face quickly turns into a frown. "I will stop once you let me brush my teeth!" I whisper yell back.
He pushes me back with a grimace. "I should've let you in sooner. You do need to brush your teeth," I gasp and cover my mouth. "You little," I take my slipper off and chuck it at him. He hisses out an animalistic sound. "You must be insane," I flinch at his tone but hold my ground. "How dare you prevent me from brushing my teeth and then have the audacity to insult me about it?" I pout.
A vein pops out of his head and I can tell he's getting angry. We have a staring contest for a while until his gaze becomes too much for me to handle. I turn towards the sink in a huff. I put toothpaste on my toothbrush, turned on the faucet, and put my toothbrush under it. I start to brush my teeth, ignoring Jason's gaze.
I finish brushing my teeth and quickly leave the bathroom. I get dressed and start to make oatmeal. I pack my bag, making sure I have everything I need for the day. I slip on my work attire. I switch my usual black-fitted pants with a tight black knee-length skirt and a white tucked-in blouse., deciding it is time for a change. The blouse sleeves are tight until they reach my elbow, where they spread out. Its material feels smooth on my skin.
My heels click against the floor. I hurriedly put my earrings on and whip my hair into a messy bun. I put my bag on my shoulder, head to the kitchen, and take out my oatmeal to start heating it up. I hear footsteps, but they aren't as heavy as Jason's. I release a heavy breath when Saiya emerges from the hallway.
"You two are already leaving? It's not even four."
"Is he going to be here all week?" I ask, ignoring her question. "That was the plan. Because he is always busy, we decided it would be easier to see each other this way,"
"You decided to invite me in the same week he is supposed to be staying here?" Saiya rubs her eyes, trying to rub the sleep out of her system. "If this is one of your big sister talks it's, too early for it. I decided to kill two birds with one stone,"
"You're killing me, alright. It seems you missed the part where he is a man, and I'm a woman, and we aren't engaged! We are also two people with the same schedule that will always bump into each other when we're, I don't know, changing out of our clothes in the bathroom!" I take my oatmeal out of the microwave and stick a spoon in my bowl.
Saiya is suddenly awake. "He saw you naked?" A frown makes its way to her face, jealousy burning in her eyes. "No, but he almost did. Not to mention, he locked me out of the bathroom! Who the hell does that?"
"Who the hell takes a shower with the lights off?" A deep voice calls out behind me. I flinch at the sound and ignore how it vibrates throughout every part of my body. "Snitching, are we?" he cocks an eyebrow. "I didn't realize it was a secret. It's not my fault you decided to barge in." I roll my eyes.
"Morning, baby," he says to Saiya and gives her a quick kiss. She barely has time to kiss him back. I gag at the action, to which Saiya rolls her eyes, but a grin plasters itself on her face.
"Do you really want to talk about barging in randomly?" I blush as I catch the hypocrisy of my words. "I'm not staying so long as he does,"
"Oh, c'mon don't say that. You don't mean it,"
"Yes, I do. I'm not asking you to decide. I'm simply telling you I cannot see this man in his slacks and then act like he's my boss."
"I am your boss. Get over it," I hear him say as he heads toward the door. "You're so annoying. Hold up, let me be sure I have all my reports gathered, or did you ask me for them yesterday since you love to change your mind as often as you change moods."
"And you're immature," the more he talks, the more I want to shut him up. "You're not going to eat anything?" I ask him.
"No," his answer is short-clipped. "No? We work seventeen to eighteen hours a day!"
"Seventeen to eighteen hours?!" Saiya shouts. "Like hell, I'm letting you leave without a proper breakfast," Saiya stops Jason in his tracks. "I don't have time for this. I'm already behind schedule," he stares at me as he finishes his last sentence.
"I just know that statement isn't referring to me," I say with a fake smile. I take out some bread and other ingredients for a sandwich. "I have to go," Jason tells Saiya. She can't stop him as he barrels out the door. I quickly make four sandwiches and pack some fruit.
"Bye, baby girl," I tell Saiya and leave the house. Jason's car is already gone by the time I get into mine. As I stop at a light, I notice Jason's sedan. Both our windows are tinted, so we can't see each other. We head the same way as we fall behind and catch up with one another.
Nonetheless, we arrive at the company on time with five minutes to spare. We get out of our cars at the same time. He walks in quick strides. Nobody is at the company yet, as work doesn't start until 7:30 AM. We come in before time to get everything prepared.
"Take it and eat it," I push a brown bag into his hand. I release the bag, hoping he doesn't let it fall. He looks into the bag to find two sandwiches. "Did Saiya make this? I told her I didn't need anything. Irritation is clear in his voice, but his eyes convey the compassion he feels towards the action.
I'm not cruel enough to take it away from him. "Stop bitching about it and eat the damn thing before you pass out, and I have extra paperwork to do." I hear another growl emit from his chest. What the hell is wrong with this man? I have met many people with weird talents. Perhaps this is one of his that he has gotten accustomed to.
"Don't get used to talking to me like I'm not your boss," he frowns. "As far as I'm concerned, you're not my boss until 7:30. Even if we are in the same building. Until then, you're Jason." I smirk and walk ahead of him. I get into the elevator, and he comes in after me.
"Why did you change your normal clothes?" I huff out a breath of air. Suddenly, I wish we could go back to him not talking to me at all. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were the fashion police. To answer your question, I wanted to switch my style up. This outfit hugs my curves and makes me look hot. Do you have a problem with it?"
I cock him an eyebrow, taunting him to say something. No matter how impassive his face was, I could tell he didn't expect the answer I gave him. "As a man who runs a fashion company, I would say I am the fashion police. And I say," he cuts himself off as he approaches me. Having nowhere to go, I stand still. He leans down, and his breath fans my ear. My heart speeds up, and my breath hitches.
"-That outfit isn't doing as much as you think it is," in a quick act of anger, I bash my head against his. He recoils at the action and a massive headache forms in my temple. That wasn't the smartest move. The elevator makes it to the top floor, and I storm off. I'm never making that man another sandwich for as long as I live.