IV : SWEET PEA AND A CUP OF BITTER COFFEE

2217 Words
¤ ♧ ¤ Weeks have gone passed, yet still the relationship in between Kai and Shia is still just as a world apart. Nothing changed in her. The way she faces someone, the way she talks, the way she dresses herself, the way she would give him the coffee he asks for, the way she works way too focused. Neutral and plain. But as no difference happened for Shia, a lot of things have been bugging Kai. And that affects his performance as one of the owners of the company. He's starting to lack attention and falters most of the time. His mind never stopped thinking about her and wonders way too often about her history. Everytime he tries to open up that topic, Shia would either dodge it or gives him a lift of her left eyebrow. Seems like she's acting more of a boss over him whenever he tries to act like a friendly commoner. "Do you wear dresses? Ever worn a gown or something girly?" Kai asked his secretary as they were left at a five star restaurant right after a lunch meeting with the other CEOs. Glancing at him after piling all the files above her lap, she sipped her wine and say. "I would if the occasion calls for it." She replied. "You said that tonight's charity event requires formal attire. You're coming with me as my partner, I need you to dress up properly." He told her as he wiped his mouth clean with a table napkin. "Come on." He stood up abruptly, his chair made a muffled squeaking sound when it was pushed backwards. Standing up, Shia hugs the files in between her arms. "You still have to visit the plantation outside the town and it's scheduled today, the charity event tonight will start at ten in the evening." She reminded him, still with her nonchalant voice. "Stop stressing yourself with my schedules, Ms. Rivers. I've already checked my schedule before we got here." After always been bugged with his today's tight agenda, Kai would continually try to tell his secretary to loosen up a bit. It sounds like she's way more feverish about the events he's going to attend rather than him. "Besides, we still got a lot of time to waste." He added and smiled at her one sided before nodding his head outside the restaurant after leaving a huge tip. Without any word, as expected, coming from Shia's mouth, she follows behind his broad back and headed straight to the parking lot. "I don't think that it would be that hard to find you something to wear. You don't seem to be the picky type of woman, are you Ms. Rivers?" He grunts as he beeps the car. Before he could open the door for her, Shia covered it already. "It's a formal event, I think I have enough suits in my wardrobe, Mr. Palma. Please don't waste your money on me. I'm just a secretary." She respectfully responded before stepping in the car. With a crinkled eyes and nose, he whistles curtly as he marches his feet on the driver's side and joins her in. The smell of the car got tainted by her faint cologne. What's to point out when everything about her is simple? Putting their seatbelt on, Kai started the engine and opens the air conditioner. But even when the engine's waiting for his command, Kai faces his secretary who's sitting silently beside him like a robot. "I know how conservative you are, judging from the way you dress but that event will surely be sprinkled by a lot of sexist, so you might as well blend in with the crowd. I'm certain that you don't want to be the center of attraction of that event, am I right?" He cleared out on her. Nodding her head from being out of choice, Kai spreads a wide beam on his lips. Becoming his habit these past few weeks since Shia Rivers happened to him. Driving straight to a branded clothing shop, they arrived at the place without any topic in between them. Just the silence, the faint slow rock music from the radio, the muffled noise from outside and Kai's loud war cries in his head. "What's your favorite color?" He asked promptly as he opens the glass door for her. "I don't have any favorite color." She simply replied while looking around the boutique. Pouting his lips, he decided to call for help. The woman from the boutique hand picked 10 pieces of formal night gowns lined up for Shia to try and him as a judge. "You're going to deduct this large amount of numbers on my salary, Mr. Palma?" Shia's staring at the price tags of the dress as he asked that. She's holding on a glittery moss green long sleeved mermaid dress. If she doesn't talk like that, Kai must have thought that she's never going to react ever. "Think of this as an advanced thirteenth month pay." He groans as he sat at a couch near the dressing area. He leaned back, crosses his legs and spreads his arms wide above the backrest. "Stop stressing yourself out, don't look at the price and just dress up. Let me remind you that I'm your boss." And there he goes raising his "boss card". "We're out of the building and off working hours. I think I can speak freely to you, Mr. Palma." She replied to him before shoving the curtain to the side and enters. Shia even refused the help of the assistant and let her just wait outside. Stretching his legs forward, Kai couldn't help but to feel pleased and admire her power over him. Is this where he will give up the throne of a king? Spits, he mustn't, especially to a woman who holds a lot of secrets and a side that he can't take a peep on. Just a few minutes passed, Shia steps out. The color of green shows little of her pale skin, it hugs her edges very well but the style didn't pass his taste. With a pout of his lips, he shook his head. "No, it made you look fifty years older than you are." He commented and signals the woman to give Shia another dress. The woman picked a dress that shows a little too much for Shia's standard. She took it from the hands of the woman and gave him a deadpan look. "I'm sorry to be blunt but, do you really expect me to wear this?" Shia sardonically asked him, even showed him how revealing it is. Low neck line, backless and too tight. "Did I chose the dresses?" He asked back, which is a fact and ordered the woman something a little bit more conservative. "You know, dresses are stitched and made to show how feminine a woman is, so please excuse your complaints, Colonel Blimp." With a raised brows, she accepts the other dress. "I'm simple and wears what I'm comfortable with, I'm not old-fashioned." She corrected him before getting back inside the dressing room. His eyes saw the glimpse of smile from the woman that assist them. "She's quite a joker, huh?" He sarcastically asked the woman before looking away. The second time, the third time, fourth, fifth and lastly the sixth. Shia finally wears something a little nice. Both in favor of hers and very little bit of his. A deep red column dress, the sleeves are see through designed with a lot of shiny sequins around the arms. Her inverted triangular body shape perfects the look. All that she needed is the accessories, a pair of heels, proper make up and change her hairdo. With his mouth gaped, his eyes travel from her head to her toes. Even swallowed that spit forming to choke him. Paused for a bit of second, he woke up when Shia's demanding face caught his attention. Releasing a breath, he adjusted himself to his seat. Feeling how warm and numb his bottom got after sitting for a long time. "I don't like it." He said that earned a pair of slumped shoulders from Shia. "It's not like I'm going to dress for you." She replied to him with an akimbo. "You're my partner." He stated, avoiding looking at color of the dress she's wearing. It's not just because he dislikes the color of red, because he hates it. It reminds him the color of blood, blood that washes the clean floor that night. A lot of memories close to the definition of death crosses his mind whenever he sees red. "And just a secretary, there's no need for me to over dress myself." Shia argued. "This is fine." She goes back inside the dressing room and steps out with her usual suit. And now he's totally screwed. Why does he even let her boss around him when in fact, he's the one to be followed? Shia glances at her wrist watch before lifting her head to look at his face. "Your schedule to the plantation is in an hour. Going there by land transport will cause you--" "Cancel it." He cuts her off and took the white box where the gown is and leads the way to the door. "We still got a lot of things to buy for you." He winked at her and let her follow him to his parked car. This is shameless, a boss should never be too close to his employees especially his very stoic secretary, not this way. He must be professional, he must be formal. But why is that his mind makes him do what he shouldn't do? "I think I can take care of myself, Mr. Palma. A dress is already too much. Let me take care of what a woman should do by herself." In the contrary of what he wants to happen, she stood there near the car and just watch him open the shotgun seat for her. "I'm taking a cab back home since my schedule is only to escort you for the meeting. The visit in the plantation is only for your own so I think you won't need me there." She told him with her arms resting behind her. With an arched brows, Kai let out a heavy exhale. "Why are you always so uptight?" He asked, getting done by how organized, practical and way too orderly she is. Acting like a robot with an implanted things to do in order everyday. She didn't answer him, instead she lowered her eyes from looking at his before turning her head to the side. "You know, I'm doing this because I don't want to get laughed at the event because I brought my impassive secretary as my partner. I want you to look like a woman in there and work for me. That charity event isn't just for the party because I'm meeting some businessmen who are in interest of collaborating with my company." He explained to her with a face that says he's done. "I'm not doing this to push you to do things that you don't want to do. I need you there so try to follow what your boss says." A few seconds of silence glided between the gaps of the two of them before Shia looks right at his eyes and utters. "Right, my apologies, Mr. Palma." She lowered her level and released her hands from being locked behind her. "I wasn't seeing where my place is." She added with her low nonchalant voice. Heaving a sigh, Kai licked his lips before close the car door. He's still carrying the box of gown with his hands as he sashay his way close to her. His eyes glued on hers, not seeing what's around them but her. "I'll pick you up from your apartment tonight an hour before the event starts." He told her, but using his soft tone. "I still have my own errands to do, Mr. Palma. I'll make it there at the event at the right time. You don't have to sweat bullets over me." She told him with confidence and took the box from his hands. "I'll see you there at the event." She bid before walking pass by him and head for the shed. Kai's head follows her back, she's really do something that no other woman could be. "Darn, woman's making me crazy." Indeed she makes him one, how? First, she called for his attention. Second, she keeps running in his mind, tripped on his clotted blood, fell right in the valve and decided to take a liter of coffee inside his heart. Third, she's changing him from a regretful man to becoming a normal human. Fourth, she's full of mystery that he can't go figure, she holds this aura that calls for him. Fifth, he just bought her a dress worth a man's life and lastly, he's letting her speak to him as if she's standing above his level. Where's the justice in that? But what's even more questionable is that, he doesn't care at all. All that he has in his mind right now is asking her for a dance when the event started. Will there be a dance to happen? Or a sudden demise of someone?
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