Placing the phone back on his overloaded desk, Reynaldo looked straight at Andrew who had a brow lifted at him.
"I would appreciate it if you stop staring like that." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"About…"
"I don't want to talk about it." He cut Andrew short, leaving Andrew staring at him in disbelief.
"I need a top restaurant."
"What for?" Andrew who had his ear itching for information bent forward.
"A five star."
"I…"
"And I need it booked for the night, just for Mia and I." Reynaldo continued, but this time he wasn't looking at Andrew who had his intense scrutinizing gaze on him.
"I thought this was supposed to be a contract thingy?" Andrew eased back into his chair and watched with amusement how Rey had his mood flipped from the dreamy state he was in to being cold.
"I need to propose to make it real but I need a photographer, one who can keep secrets."
"What the hell bro!" Andrew threw up his hands in the air exasperated.
"A proposal? Are you serious?" He asked with his eyes wide open and when Rey just stared on, he jumped from his seat and started pacing.
"I guess I must have committed a big offence in my past life to have you as a friend. Who the hell throws in the idea of proposing in a passing and still isn't sure about THE PREPARATION!" Andrew had his hands to his hips this time, but Rey merely went back to scrolling through his phone.
"You'd have to handle that." Rey merely looked up at him, his grey eyes still and not letting out any emotions.
"How then do I…"
"You'd pick one of the top restaurants and text me the location." This time, he dropped his pen and stared up at his friend with a cold face.
"The photographer must be careful not to capture Mia's face." He listed while Andrew watched on in disbelief.
"Keep the pictures till I give the authority to have it released." This time, Rey had his pen in-between his index and middle finger, twisting it this way and that while still looking Andrew dead in the eye.
"You would be my driver. You can leave." He concluded and went back to his phone.
"If I am to be…"
"You have your assistant and other trusted staff to aid. Now, I would love to be alone."
"You are a goddamn fucker!" Andrew spat before trying to banging the door but was careful to stop it from making a resounding noise in the whole building by using his body to wedge it immediately.
"Some smart move, I thought you wanted more reduction." Rey's voice sailed into his ears and he turned back to glare at the closed door.
***
"Princess?" Fredrick called with an unsmiling face, walking closer to Mia who stood glued to the ground wondering what to make of the name which she initially thought was a formality from the first meeting.
"Good afternoon Mr…"
"Fredrick. Just Fredrick." This time he smiled, but his smile still felt a little cold and she felt uncomfortable. He was different from the first time she saw him in his office.
Walking closer, he had his palm to her face and she tried in vain to conceal her shock. Looking into his ocean blue eyes she saw something close to concern and she frowned.
"Your eyes are red." He pointed out, his brow drawing together to a frown.
Clearing her throat, she tried to avoid his hand on her face but he held on and a warning bell rang in her head.
"Yes." She croaked, not liking the way he scanned her face.
Without wanting to, her eyes traveled to his heart shaped lips and turned her face away. As if reading her mind, he let go of her face and asked the most absurd question ever.
"Did he raise a hand on you Princess?"
"Mia." Mia corrected, feeling out of place.
"And no, he did not." She shifted on her feet before looking towards the staff waiting on his order. They appeared to be used to this, no one ogled and none tried listening in.
"Can we…"
"Sure but you'd have to have a bath first." Kendrick told her before walking towards the empty couch.
"But I already did." Mia's eyes followed him till he sat on the couch crossed legged and without care.
"With my recommended oil this time." He nodded at the staff members and two females stood with ease and got down to taking out a box full of delicate looking bottles.
"This one is lavender, the other is chamomile, this one…"
"I am good, I'd take as much as you want me to." Mia cut him off, feeling edgy and wanting to leave.
"Cool." He shrugged and took out his phone when he heard it ping.
She took as much things as they gave her but deep down she was conflicted as whether to head into Rey's bathroom or go out to hers.
Weighing the effects of both actions in her head, she thought it wise and better to head off to Rey's bathroom and explain herself later.
"They would go with you." Fredrick added.
"What! No!" She turned swiftly and caught his intense eyes on her.
"But they would know how to go about the application." He told her with a confused face as if not understanding why she was rejecting his idea.
"Rey doesn't like strangers in his privates." She stood boldly, deciding to try being in charge and show him that she isn't just Rey's girl but a person with class and equal power who could stand up for herself and not just some delicate idiot.
"Ooh!" His face fell and she wondered why he looked so disappointed.
"I thought you'd have your own room and bathroom." He made a semi pout.
It was then Mia noticed his staff were secretly awning or giggling.
"No, we don't." She raised her brow.
.
''You are doing well.' She encouraged in her heart, almost faltering outwardly.
Her personality switch came as a shock to Kendrick who stared at her for a bit before muttering an 'okay'.
"I guess you would know how to use them then." He told her, his eyes were twinkling like he knew some secret she didn't.
"I guess I should." She smiled back and walked up the stairs into Rey's room, all the while desperately wishing not to miss her step.
"We'll set up the needed things." He called after her but she forced ahead, not stopping to listen.
"Red would look cool on you." She ignored him still.
It felt weird and she felt unsafe, it felt like he was desperately trying to unnerve her.
On entering Rey's room, she shut the door close and locked it with the key behind immediately and expelled the heaviness in her chest through a deep exhale of air from her half parted lips.
"You can do this Mia." She encouraged as her legs shook and she sank down to the floor of the empty room which bore Reynaldo's strong scent.
Just when she had managed to gather herself together and stand on her feet, a sudden knock on the door left her eyes wide open and her head spinning. It felt like she suddenly had a panic attack when she suddenly went short of air.
"The President said to tell you to hurry up, we have a lot of procedures…"
"Leave." It sounded strangled, it sounded forced and breathy.
"Okay Ma'am, we'll be down waiting."
Just like jelly, she sank down to her knees again. She imagined what she would have told Rey if he had decided it was the best time to come back home.