The night had been full of excitement, leaving Carmen with joy. Grey, too, felt a profound connection, a conviction that he had encountered the love of his life - a woman of exceptional beauty, elegance, and purity.
Carmen awoke to a peaceful morning, and noticed she was late, she hurriedly went to the shower room to get ready for work. She heard her phone buzzing as she stepped out of the shower. A late night had left her running behind schedule, but Grey's incoming call provided a welcome distraction.
"Hey there", "hey", she responded with a soft voice, "how was your night Carmen", she smiled to herself as soon as Grey spoke and lied to her bed,
"Kind of nice," she said, twirling her hair around her finger.
"So, first of all, I'm sorry for making you sleep late last night," Grey apologized. Carmen immediately realized he was referring to a workday.
"Oh, I'm really sorry, Grey. I guess I overslept," she said hurriedly.
"No, don't stress yourself. I also didn't get out of bed," he laughed. "So, I just want to tell you that you don't have to go to work today. I guess it's my fault, so I have to repay you," he suggested a day off.
Carmen sighed as she lay back on her bed. "I guess I have to say thanks," she muttered. Grey stood up and went to his dining table for breakfast.
He couldn't resist talking to Carmen. His butler had to stand beside him, waiting patiently for a chance to speak. Grey was so engrossed in his conversation with Carmen that he didn't notice.
Feeling the need for more time with Carmen, he decided to find a way to meet again. "So, Carmen, I just wanted to ask you a favor," he said.
"Okay, anything, Grey," she replied softly.
"Anything!" he exclaimed. "Okay, so we're both on a day off, right?"
Yes, I would love to" she said excitedly.
"So, don't worry about work. That's the first thing I've taken care of. The second thing, I'd like to spend this day with you as well. What do you say?"
Carmen bit her lip as Grey spoke. "Well, I'd say no, but I don't have anything holding me back like work, so why not?" she said. Grey smiled to himself as Carmen agreed.
"Thanks for that, Carmen. Well, it's not just a kind of date, I guess. How about we go shopping today?"
"oh Grey that so…, I'm just out of words, I don't have anything to say", she said with a laugh, "thanks Grey, I'm just so happy, more than I could express",
"the pleasure is all mine Carmen, I just want to make you happy, as a trustworthy secretary", they all laughed as Grey spoke.
"okay, so let's make it quick, I'm coming to pick you up at your apartment",
"Grey, how about I get to the plaza and we could meet there, it would be a lot more easier for both of us", she replied promptly,
Grey was puzzled by Carmen's insistence on being picked up at her apartment, but he appreciated the ease of their connection. "No offense, Carmen," he said, "I'll leave you for now. Meet me at the plaza."
Grey had no idea what kind of shopping he had to do, but he had to make every chance of meeting Carmen count. He went to his closet but had a hard time choosing what to wear.
It was the first time In a while since he wore anything apart from a suit, he had to wear a white outfit, not because it was a sunny day only, but to keep impressing Carmen. He drove his red McLaren to the plaza, it was the best choice he saw to make quite Carmen quite impressed.
As usual, Carmen arrived ahead of Grey. Stepping out of the car, her beauty struck him again seeming to intensify with each passing moment. Dressed in a captivating blue shirt and snug black jeans, she held Grey's gaze captive for a brief, mesmerized silence.
"Wow , now this is what I call a style, is there much more I've been missing out on job days", he joked as they all laughed ,
"Wow, now this is what I call style. Is there much more I've been missing out on job days?" he joked, and they all laughed.
"You also look great, Grey. It's my first time seeing you in such an outfit," Carmen said.
"Oh, thanks," Grey replied, putting on his sunglasses. "So, let's get moving. We don't have all day," he said, opening the car door for Carmen. He was acting particularly chivalrous that day, which made Carmen even more excited.
Everyone around the plaza was surprised to see the city's richest man with a new friend, still unidentified except for those who were his employees.
Shopping for a woman, an unfamiliar task, had Grey feeling out of his element. Without the guidance of his personal stylist, he found himself navigating the unfamiliar territory of women's fashion. His attention, though seemingly focused on Carmen, was often drawn elsewhere, lost in the contemplation of her beauty. He made a conscious effort to conceal his thoughts, maintaining a facade of attentiveness as they strolled through the mall.
, "Carmen I want you to feel free with me, looks like you're going hard on yourself, but this is not my office so act natural right", Carmen smiled as Grey spoke,
"Okay, if you say so. Then I have been looking for a dress, but we keep moving around in the baby clothes section," Carmen said, realizing they were going in the wrong direction. Grey had been distracted, so they had to return to the women's clothing section.
"Wait, Grey. All you could find is an ugly Christmas sweater, in all the styles we looked through," Carmen said, noticing Grey holding only one bag in his hands.
"Well, to be honest with you, this isn't really my thing, so I'm out of options. How about you help me?" Grey said, pulling Carmen closer.
"Okay I could help you", she said as she took him closer to the men's cloth rack, "I think this could look great on you grey", she said as she put a blue coat on Grey, all Grey was focused on was Carmen's wide smile on her beautiful face as they laughed together.
She was then caught up in finding her best fits when Grey called his butler, he called him to the plaza and then packet another dress out of Carmen's concern and packed it up.
Their shopping expedition complete, Grey drove straight to the plaza Alfred arrived at the plaza, Grey gave him all the bags they had, plus the special one grey had shopped out of Carmen's concern.
Carmen, eager to share her favorite spots in the city, guided Grey to places he had always avoided. As they explored together, she felt a newfound sense of freedom and authenticity, a stark contrast to her previous inhibitions. A growing affection for Grey began to blossom, and she found herself enjoying his company more than she had anticipated. Grey, too, discovered a different kind of happiness, one that didn't require extravagant vacations or lavish spending with friends. Carmen's simple yet enjoyable day offered him a refreshing change of pace, and the fun was yet to get more intense that same day
Grey had received an invitation to the new mayor's inauguration, a lavish affair that promised to draw the city's elite. However, the prospect of attending alone was less appealing than the event itself. Having formed a friendship with Carmen over time, Grey decided to extend an invitation her way, hoping to make the evening more enjoyable, but it wasn't enough to make himself clear so he called her
""Hello," she answered the call with a smile, growing accustomed to Grey's frequent calls.
"It's me again," Grey replied, his voice husky. "I hope you've been wondering where the bags are. But I didn't keep your gifts to myself, right?"
"Yeah, I was also wondering where they could be. Guess I was too shy to ask," she said.
"Silly you. But Alfred is on his way to the plaza. I couldn't ask you for your apartment address again. Guess you don't like to expose your personal life," Grey teased.
"Pardon me for that, Grey. But that's how I like it," she replied.
"No offense, Carmen. But then, there's a special golden bag that he'll give you. I want you to wear the dress inside tonight," Grey said.
"Okay, where to, Grey?" she asked excitedly.
"Sorry for not telling you, Carmen. But I wanted to be at Mayor Daniel's inauguration party with a partner, I mean, my secretary," Grey replied.
"Sounds great to me, Grey. And thanks again for today. Although the fun doesn't seem to end here," she said with a smile.
"okay see you then tonight Carmen", he ended the call, Carmen was still smiling and thinking about Grey's approach and left her questions.
The grand city hall, adorned with the pomp and circumstance of a mayoral inauguration, was the setting for Carmen and Grey's arrival. As they walked down the red carpet, Carmen's arm linked with Grey's, their unexpected togetherness sent ripples through the crowd. The paparazzi, relentless in their pursuit, added to the growing sensation of unease that hung heavy in the air.
"Nice to see you, Mr. Grey," the mayor said, extending his hand.
"Nice to meet you too, Mayor. And congratulations on the victory. I hope big things are coming our way," Grey replied, as they both laughed.
"Grey, sorry to butt in, but is this your new girlfriend?" the mayor asked, his gaze shifting between Grey and Carmen.
Grey and Carmen exchanged a glance. "Actually, Mayor, she's my secretary. I just wanted someone to accompany me. By the way, I'm not ready for any more relationships," Grey said, as they all laughed and continued talking.
"actually Mayor, she's my secretary, I just wanted her to someone to accompany me, by the way I am not ready for some more relationships", Grey said as they all laughed and kept on talking.
They moved besides for a personal talk as Carmen went for a drink and stood a few steps far from them, Grey kept on mentioning Carmen while speaking with the mayor, and speaking of her elegancy in her work leading to his company's good reputation.
Carmen's phone rang, an unidentified number flashing on the screen. "Hello," she answered.
"Hello, Carmen," a strange woman's voice replied. "Who is this?"
"Oh, how sweet. You can't realize how marvelous Eleanor's voice is. What a shame. Anyway, what are you into, girl? Seems you don't care about your task," the woman mocked.
"Come on, why do you keep calling with a different number? And why do you always distrust me? I said I'm very busy doing what I have to do. And I'm at something very important right now, so I have to go," Carmen said, ending the call and breathing heavily. This call troubled her mind, forcing her to rethink her next move.
Everything alright?" Grey asked from behind, his voice gentle. Carmen turned hurriedly and looked at him.
"Yes, everything is fine," she replied nervously.
"You seem a bit troubled," Grey observed.
"No, it was nothing. Just some kind of friends who won't leave me alone, even at a time like this," Carmen said, trying to brush it off.
"Okay, so are you ready to go party with the others?" Grey asked.
"Definitely," she replied with a smile, taking Grey's hand. They walked toward the others, with a weight of worry on Carmen's mind. Grey was oblivious to the true challenges she faced, unaware of the secret she carried.
Eleanor's recent words had stirred a tempest within Carmen. A growing affection for Grey, the man who had publicly renounced romantic pursuits, clashed with the urgent mission that consumed her. The weight of this internal conflict threatened to overwhelm her. As she grappled with her feelings, the stakes of her mission seemed to rise, leaving her teetering on the brink of a perilous precipice.