Thea walked out of the gate, gazing up at the clouds and stretching her body towards the sun. "Today is going to be a good day," she said to herself, descending the stairs. Her eyes landed on a sleek white Benz, latest model, and a flawless guy wearing sunglasses, leaning against the car, engrossed in his phone. Thea's gaze lingered on him, a slow smile spreading across her face. "Nathan Coby," she whispered, her eyes sparkling with recognition. "I knew he was going to come."
As she approached him, her heels clicking on the pavement, Nathan remained focused on his phone, oblivious to her presence. Thea cleared her throat, announcing herself, and Nathan finally looked up, his eyes locking onto hers. "I wasn't expecting you,"s he said, a hint of surprise in her voice.
Nathan raised his head, and asked, "Who are you?" Thea laughed at his pretence, "I was at your office last week for an interview," and handed him her card from her bag. "You seemed to have forgotten." Nathan took the card, "You're part of the paparazzi." Thea smiled confidently, "A reporter, to be precise."
Nathan dismissed her, "Then I have nothing to discuss with you." Just then, Layla approached, unaware of the tension. "Thea," she said, as Nathan looked up, "Nathan." Thea's curiosity was piqued, "You know Nathan Coby?" Layla seemed confused, "Yes, he's the guy who helped me in the elevator." Thea's eyes widened, "Do you know him?" Layla asked, unsure why Thea was interested in Nathan.
Thea clarified, "Apart from Ford and his associates, then the Knights, the Cobys follow," indicating the wealthy hierarchy. Layla was surprised Nathan was among the top three. Nathan explained, "I came to give you some cash and ointment for your legs; you're wearing heels again, won't your toes get sore?" Layla politely replied, "You don't need to bother, she'll be helpful." Thea sensed something was amiss, "Why give her cash?" Nathan started to explain, "I didn't know she had someone she was staying with; I was worried since she left her bag and phone in..." but Layla quickly interrupted, coughing to distract Nathan, who was wise to their conversation. "You left your what now?" Thea asked, eyeing Layla, awaiting an explanation.
Layla tried to ignore Thea's question, "You'll be running late." But Thea walked up to her, furious, "Don't tell me that bastard dressed you up, drove off with your stuff, and left you stranded out of nowhere?" Layla hesitated, "Emmmm, exactly not what happened, though." Thea's knowledge of the situation startled her, and she admitted, "I'm partially at fault, though." Thea pressed, "So, what exactly happened?"
Just then, Thea's phone rang; it was her manager, "Oh no, I'm late." She excused herself, "We'll discuss this later." Then, she turned to Nathan, "Since you're here to give her a ride, I'll join," and jumped into the front seat without waiting for his permission. Layla chuckled, "She's always like that."
Nathan couldn't hold back his frustration; this lady had been annoying him since he arrived. He knocked on the car window, and when it opened, she asked, "Aren't you going to drive?" Layla and Nathan exchanged a glance, and Thea shouted, "What?" Nathan firmly said, "Get down." Thea protested, "Why should I?"Layla explained, "You're heading in the opposite direction."
Thea acknowledged the truth, "You're also going in the opposite direction, but you were riding with me." She tried to convince Layla, "You plan to stop me at the bus terminal." Layla said, Thea looked at Layla, suspicious of their intentions.Layla added, "Besides, your stuff is already in your car, and you're really running late." Thea nodded, seeing the logic.
As she stepped out of the car, Thea handed Nathan her card, "You already gave me one," he said, frustrated. "And I've been giving my card to your receptionist for the last two years," she yelled. She gently threw some cards into the car, "Call me; I'm sure you'll need me one day." Then, she walked over to Layla, pecked her cheek, and said, "See you soon." Finally, she retrieved her car key and drove off.
The cafe was quiet and neat, with beautiful flowers adding a touch of elegance. Everyone was seated, ordering and waiting for their food. Nathan found a spot near the glass window, offering a lovely view of the outside. A friendly waitress approached them, her smile fixed on Nathan. Layla wondered, was he really that popular? Why didn't the waitress acknowledge her?
The waitress asked, "What would you like?" Layla ordered, "An Americano with whipped cream and toast." The waitress nodded, taking note. Nathan requested, "Banana oatmeal, made creamy with strawberries and other nuts." The waitress nodded again and walked away.
Nathan turned to Layla, showing concern, "Going on an empty stomach isn't ideal to start the day. You'll be having a very rough day ahead." His words hinted at a deeper understanding of her situation.
Layla nodded in appreciation of Nathan's concern as she checked her watch, still having plenty of time before Logan arrived at the office. Besides, she was ravenous. Going without food from last night till this morning had taken its toll. "Oh, I'm really hungry," she said, her stomach growling in agreement.
Nathan offered wise advice, "Always eat when you're hungry and don't overstress. You might end up getting stomach cancer if you're not careful." His words were laced with genuine concern, showing he cared about her well-being.
The waitress served them, asking, "Ma'am, would you like honey added to your toast?" holding a container of honey. "Yes, please," Layla replied, delighted. The waitress drizzled a small amount of honey onto the toast and said, "Enjoy!" before bowing and leaving.
Without prompting, Layla began savoring her food. Nathan observed her intently, noticing the fantasy in her eyes, the tenderness of her nose, and the way her mouth moved as she chewed. Layla caught his gaze and slowly raised her face, still chewing, as their eyes met. "Beautiful," Nathan said, his voice low and gentle.
Layla almost choked, "What?" she asked, quickly covering her mouth. Nathan realized his mistake and tried to recover, "The picture over there looks beautiful." Layla swiftly grabbed her cup of Americano and took a hasty sip, trying to composed herself. Her heart raced, expecting Nathan's compliment to be about her, not the picture. She felt a pang of hurt.
Nathan noticed her reaction and smiled to himself as he dug into his porridge, seemingly unaware of the tension he had created.
She set the Americano down, slowly turning her head to gaze at the picture Nathan had complimented. "It's a parrot," she said, surprised that her thoughts had escaped her lips. Nathan looked confused, "What?" he asked, furrowing his brow. Layla expected another picture, not a parrot, and was taken aback. She meant to think it, not say it out loud. "The picture you liked, it's a parrot," she clarified, facing the picture again. Nathan scrambled for an excuse, knowing he was actually referring to her. "I love birds," he said, realizing it was a weak response.
Feeling awkward, Nathan tried to steer the conversation back on track. "Let's get back to our food," he said, attempting to end the uncomfortable exchange.
After they finished their meal, they chatted for a bit before standing up to leave. At the counter, Layla placed another order, prompting Nathan to ask, "Aren't you satisfied yet?" Layla clarified, "I'm getting it for someone else." She ordered a glass of coffee without sugar just whipped cream, and an iced Americano with a two packs of muffin. Once she received her order, Nathan insisted on paying, and Layla thanked him, "Thank you very much."
As they walked out of the cafe, Layla mentioned, "I'll treat you to dinner one of these days." She gazed up at the sky, "Wow, it's beautiful!" While rummaging through her bag for her phone, she realized she hadn't retrieved it yet. Nathan asked, "What's that?" Layla pointed to the sky, "That," she said, gesturing to a specific spot, "doesn't the cloud look like a bunny?"
Nathan gazed up at the sky, "It's indeed beautiful." Layla stretched out her hand, "Give me your phone," she requested. Nathan wondered what she wanted it for, but he dug his hand into his pocket and handed it over. Layla took the phone and snapped some pictures of the cloud. Afterward, she put her number into his phone, "That's my number; send the pictures to me," she asked, her eyes sparkling. "Okay," Nathan agreed, still wondering why she took the pictures.
As they strolled down the street, heading towards her office, Layla revealed, "I take pictures of nature and I'm good at drawing." Nathan nodded, understanding the reason behind her actions. "I can sketch one for you for free," she offered with a smile.
Really?" he said, "I would really love to see your paintings." Layla smiled, "I have a lot of paintings and a whole lot of what nature can offer." Nathan was amused, "What do you do with those paintings?" he asked. "I sell them," Layla said, feeling proud. "Where you sign your name on them?" he asked. Layla nodded negatively. "You can go places with those," he said, "or is it not great?" he asked, encouragingly.
Layla stopped walking and said, "Hey, my dad also brags about my abilities." She then continued walking, "One has to have a lot to start up that career." Her voice trailed off, hinting at the challenges she faced in pursuing her passion.
"Hmmmm," Nathan thought, "True, one needs connections, money, and a lot of support to back up their career." They arrived in front of the building, and Layla said, "I'll show you some paintings that I haven't sold yet." Then, an idea popped into her head, "What about the picture I took today? That would be a nice gift." Nathan smiled and nodded, "And you like birds; I'll sketch you a bird." She said, feeling happy, "Thanks for today." She raised her hand, revealing a small package, "And this too; I'll make good use of it, since my legs still hurt." She said and waved goodbye. Nathan stood there, watching her walk away.
She arrived at the receptionist desk, where Amy greeted her with a smile, "Good morning! You have your own special elevator, but you always insist on taking this route." Layla smiled back at her as she handed her the iced Americano and muffin. "I'm used to passing this way, just the way you like it," she said. Amy collected the drink and took a sip, breathing out quickly, "Ah, like you know I was really in need of this!" As employees began arriving at the premises, Layla asked, "Is Mr. Williams here already?" Amy, still enjoying her drink, nodded. "See you later," Layla said and walked away.
She knocked softly on the door, and a deep voice responded, "Come in." She slowly poked her head in, and her eyes met Mr. William's. She smiled and walked in, "Seems you're frustrated." She placed her hands on her cheeks, "Your pretty angel is here to see you." Mr. William gave a disappointed look, "We work in the same office, but you barely have time for me." Layla tried to change the subject by pulling out the coffee and muffin, "Having something in the morning helps reduce frustration."
Mr. William smiled, "You're the one who put me in a position where I hardly have time for myself, and now you're complaining." Layla nagged, "You're about to receive your pay, which is more than the pay from the front desk." Mr. William said, unpacking the muffin, "You should be thanking me." Layla, looking around the office, said, "Thanking you? More like getting close to my deathbed." "I have a lot going on right now," she said, heading to the door. "I'll buy dinner one of these days," Mr. William said. Layla smiled, looking at him, "Please do." As she held the door handle, Mr. William said, "I need five paintings, two landscape photographs." Layla asked, "Is the pay big?" Mr. William looked at her, and she said, "Fine," before walking out.
She set a tray with coffee, precisely at 36.5°C, and turned on the air conditioner in Mr. Logan's office. She arranged his table, placing important documents in order. Just then, the door opened, and she felt a sharp pain in her feet, reminding her she had been standing in heels. She bowed, greeting him, but when she raised her head, he wasn't carrying any of her belongings. "So, he didn't bring my things for me, what a heartless man," she thought. She approached his desk as he drank from the coffee cup. "You can leave," he said with a cold voice. "You won't be needing me for anything." Layla asked, "If I need you, I would call?" He confirmed, and Layla quickly exited, rushing to the elevator heading to the car garage.
When she arrived at the car garage, she was overwhelmed by the numerous cars parked there. She sighed, "Why didn't I realize it?" She walked around, searching for a particular car, but they all seemed to blend together. "How would I be able to tell which one is his?" she said in frustration. "If only he had brought my belongings, I wouldn't be going through this stress." Just then, her eyes landed on a car that looked familiar and unique, standing out from the others. "I'm sure this is it," she said, walking closer to investigate.
She tried peering through the tinted windows, but they were too dark to see inside. In frustration, she tapped on the car, which let out a sharp beep continuously. "Oh no, what have I done?" she said, pacing around the car as if searching for a solution to the noise. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice, one that carried authority, "What are you doing near my car?" She slowly raised her head, and her eyes met his. Her heart sank, and she knew she had to think fast to explain herself.