OPHELIA'S POV
I stood there for a minute with my head drooped down so low that my chin touched the notch between my collarbones. I clutched the back of my neck, with one hand and pocketed another. I was told I sometimes had a man's posture, whatever that meant.
"Ophelia," a voice called out from near the elevators.
I did not turn. I knew that it was Jeyk from his voice. I straightened up my stance when I sensed he was just a few steps back.
"Are you ok? What happened?" He asked as he approached.
I took a step back as he sometimes get a little touchy feely. "Yeah, why do you ask?" I wondered as I got my phone and scrolled through my contacts. Did he really save the doctor's number?
Checking my phone shortcuts, ah, yes. The doctor's number is here, the latest addition, in fact.
"Well, I saw Secretary Henri at the elevator lobby a while ago and said the CEO was having a meeting on this floor and that I should just come back. So, I did and you're here. I guess you're the one he had a meeting with?" he asked.
I still haven't looked at him and realized something so I had my phone back up to my face. "Yes, we had a meeting." I said, my eyes were still glued on my phone checking for my contact list shortcuts once again.
Amused at what I just saw, my jaw dropped wide open, which was about to turn into a smile so I quickly stifled my dynamic facial expression with a one sided pout.
"What's wrong?" Jeyk asked, taking a step closer.
"Oh, nothing. I'll go back to my office now." I turned away from him to gather my items. He seems to be getting more brazen about trying to get close.
"Y-You seemed to have missed lunch, let's grab a bite at the cafe, it's practically deserted now that lunch hour's over," Jeyk made his case with his head following my every motion as I moved around the table to unplug my laptop charger, coiled the cord, then loaded it into my tote. My laptop's already folded.
I can't believe I wasn't able to do any work. I strapped it in one compartment.
Mouse, yes. Tumb- where's my tumbler? I checked under the table, in one of the chairs, in my bag.
"Ophelia?" Jeyk called to get an answer.
"Oh, just go ahead," I placed closed fists on my waist, puzzled if my tumbler rolled off somewhere. "I did not miss lunch. I had salad and fish fillet just now." Not looking at Jeyk at all, I did a quick squat to check if the tumbler fell on the floor once more.
"Oh. Okay then. Do you need help? What are you looking for? He peered under the table to trace my gaze.
Oh, gods. That sneaky Aurelion.
"Nevermind." I said, forcing air out of my mouth. I know where it is.
I shouldered my tote, pocketed my phone, and headed for the elevator.
"S-see you then, Ophelia." Jeyk called. I just raised a hand for less than a second in an effortless wave.
I jabbed at the elevator button and it opened almost instantly. I rode it to the 10th floor.
The elevator lobby was closed but of course, my ID card has clearance for it as I am the custodial manager and a quick swipe opened the doors.
Henri walked towards me in greeting.
"Where's your boss?" I asked impatiently.
"As I remember, I am also your boss." Zeus Aurelion was leaning on the doorjamb of the 10th floor lounge. He had a cup in one hand, and his other hand, partially opened, waved at me.
"Where's my tumbler?" I asked.
He chuckled, took a swig from his coffee cup, and nodded towards inside of the lounge.
I marched and saw a tumbler, not my tumbler. "Nope. That's not mine."
"Oh? You don't want it?" Zeus Aurelion asked such a weird question with such an obvious answer.
"I want my tumbler." I said. That one looks good though, violet so dark, it looks like it's black on first pass.
"Henri." Zeus Aurelion took another drink from his cup.
Henri activated the blinds with a remote and it covered the window. The lights turned off as well. The lounge which was bright is now nearly pitch dark — except for that tumbler in the middle of the table, which shimmered. I carefully went to get a closer look. Tiny glow-in-the-dark fragments were embedded in it. Emanating a subtle purplish glow.
"Eyes." Zeus Aurelion said.
I closed my eyes on instinct and I can say the lights were switched back on in a second. I opened my eyes just as the blinds went back in its narrow hidden cab.
"You can keep it." Zeus Aurelion chuckled. "Your old one was broken anyway." He handed his cup to Henri and his secretary headed to the kitchenette to wash up the cup.
"You can work on your presentation here." Zeus Aurelion said, turning towards his office.
It is bright here. But why would I?
"Thank you, sir… but I'll have to refuse the space. I can work in the Library for now." I said.
"Oh? But aren't you trying to avoid your persistent admirer?" Zeus Aurelion said without facing me.
He's intuitive, I'll give him that.
"I can handle that myself, sir." I said with a bow. "Thanks for the tumbler, sir." I turned and headed for the elevator. "Bye, Henri."
A few seconds later the elevator doors were already opening to Basement 1. I was walking towards my office but someone's in there. Someone's on my chair. As I stepped closer, I saw; it's Jeyk.
"Hey." I greeted with a chin jut. "What are you doing here?"
"Where did you go?" Jeyk asked. His eyes darted to my fully stuffed backpack and luggage, "and where are you going?"
"I asked you first." I said defensively.
"Oh, yes." He jolted from my table and slid a paper bag on the table. "Got you a sandwich."
"I told you, I already ate." I'm growing impatient with this interaction. I unpocketed my phone and rang-and-dropped a number three rapid times.
"I won't be able to eat that, you can take it. Or maybe give it to Arman. Yo, A!" I called.
"Yeah, boss?" Arman said, walking out of his workshop when my phone rang loudly.
The contact name flashed across the screen, 'God of the Skies.'
I swished a finger pointing from the sandwich to Arman, who immediately beamed in thanks.
"Sir," I answered the call. I saw Jeyk shook his head and handed the sandwich to Arman. I headed towards the elevator as I answered the call and got in the cab. I still had my tote bag hanging from my shoulder and my new tumbler clutched with one hand.
Jeyk entered the elevator cab a few seconds later. He eyed my new tumbler before pressing the button for level 4.
"One moment please," I said to the receiver before using the same hand to push button 10. I held my phone back against my ear, "I'm back, sir." I said, very much aware that Jeyk was observing me.
When the doors slid open on the building's fourth level, Jeyk got off not looking back at me. He's pissed, I know it. Good. Maybe he would stop advancing.
A few seconds later, the elevator opened to the Aurelion floor.
Henri wasn't at the receiving area so I looked around.
"Come over." The CEO's order ended the phone call.
I started towards the Aurelion office.
"Sir," I knocked on the open door.
"What happened?" He asked, motioning for me to take a seat.
"Well, after lunch, Jeyk came to the third floor library." I started explaining.
"Yes, I saw him waiting when I was leaving." Zeus Aurelion said.
Ah, so that's why he said that about the persistent admirer earlier. "And when I came back from here to get my... new tumbler, he was already waiting in my office. I don't want to sound like a bitch or unprofessional in front of my boss, but it grosses me out."
"I can have Byrne take care of him for you." Zeus Aurelion's eyes blazed with something like annoyance or impatience.
"No, despite his persistence, he's good at his job." I said but I still wanted to think of an alternative solution.
"Fine, I'll let you handle it then." Zeus Aurelion was looking through some papers.
"Sir, can I please work in your lounge for now?" I looked at him hopefully. At least here, I'm sure I won't be crowded. Plus, he offered it first.
"All yours," he raised his gaze from the papers to meet my eyes. "If…" he said, setting the papers down on his table. "If you stop calling me 'sir.'" He looked at me with a smug smirk.
I just looked back.
It was a few seconds before I answered him with a question, "What should I call you, then? The God of the Skies?"
He just looked at me, as if wanting me to figure it out for myself.
"Thank you… Zeus." I said as I stood up. "You're a good human." I turned to the door. Why did I have to add that? That was so weird.
"Ophelia," Zeus called before I could reach the door. "Why did you choose to call me?"
I turned my head to see him in a tilt. "You're my only known guardian, remember?" I smirked.
All the same, I set up my laptop in his lounge, donned my headphones on, and started working on the presentation, referencing transactions from my department for the past two weeks.
At 4:30pm, I decided to stop and head back to my real office. I actually changed my mind when I was already in the elevator.
Jeyk will want to carry my luggage. I am not being presumptuous, I am just being careful. Right?
I stepped back into the 10th floor.
"Back so soon, Ms. Ophelia?" Henri asked from his booth.
"Actually, do you think it will be ok if I stay here until 7:30?" I asked. "I mean, if you're gonna close up the 10th floor before that, uhmm.. can I stay 'til then?"
"Knock yourself out but I have a date tonight. I'll be leaving by 6pm. I think the boss plans to stay until 8pm. So, the floor will be open 'til then." Henri explained.
"Sounds good. Thanks, Henri." I said, heading back to the 10th floor lounge and setting my laptop back up. It's about 5pm so.. no point in wasting more than two hours without getting any work done.
I continued working on my presentation, which is great because at this rate, I'll be able to finish it today.
Like clockwork, Henri left at 6pm but not before leaving me a cup of freshly brewed coffee. I could get used to this.
A few minutes later, Zeus entered the lounge and sat on one of the empty seats around the table I am using.
"What time do you usually have dinner?" He asked.
"I don't." I said, taking a glance at him before going back to my screen. "I just have snacks during my bar shift."
"Well, as your guardian," he started with a smug tone, "I insist we have dinner."
"I'm still on the clock." I said flatly.
"Then it's a dinner meeting." He chirped in.
I looked at him, at my screen, then back at him. "You're buying." I said as I folded the laptop close.
"Of course, it's an official office meeting." Zeus said. "No need to bring your stuff with you, you can just come back for them later."
I still pocketed my after meal prescription, just in case, followed Zeus without saying a word, and only had my phone in my hand. Inside the service elevator, he stood tall beside me with his hands inside his pocket. It's rush hour so for sure the other elevators were full.
The door opened on the fourth floor.
Of course. I thought, as Jeyk stepped in the elevator. "Hello, sir." He bowed to Zeus. "Heading out for the day, Ophelia? Wanna walk together?" He turned to me.
"No, I have a meeting in a few minutes." I said flatly as the elevator doors slid open to the ground floor.
Jeyk stepped out first and I was about to do the same but Zeus pulled my elbow and opened the service elevator back access.
"My car's in the back parking lot." Zeus said. I saw Jeyk pause with a surprised look.
I didn't linger any second longer and stepped out of the service elevator through the back access. It seemed like the elevator doors closed so slowly and I felt like Jeyk still has his eyes planted on the back of my head.
It took me a second to shake the feeling off before I quickly opened the lorry gate with my ID and a key that I kept in my belt's hidden compartment.
After locking the lorry gate back up, I turned to see Zeus opening the passenger door of his car and motioning for me to get in. So, I did. He got in the driver seat soon after that.
"Know any food place near The Patron?" He asked.
"They have good chili fries across the street." I said like I was a child.
"No." He said firmly.
"Oh... ok... anywhere you want is ok then. You're buying anyway." I said.
"You took your gut medicine with you but you want chili fries for dinner. That is highly efficient." He said sarcastically, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Ah. That. No need to worry about that." I said to brush his comment aside. "It'll pass like before."
"Well," Zeus answered, "you never really had a guardian like me before."
"Look," I turned on the passenger seat to face him squarely. I crossed my arms and continued, "I get it. You're a figurehead, your name happens to be something that's completely godly, you come from a long line of successful business names, and I am not blind -- you're an absolute looker."
He was about to smugly say something by the lift on the corner of his lips but I cut him off before he could even start. "BUT, with all due respect, all we have is an employer - employee relationship. I may have been indulging you, -- well, technically, just treating you casually -- but that does not give you the right to monitor my every move, impose decisions on me, and not even buy me things when I did not ask for any."
He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off once again like it was my job. "One: that's just how I talk to people, which, now that I think about it, might be the reason why Jeyk is way off on his feelings. Two: I just don't have the time to be anybody's fleeting person of interest, frankly because my time is much too valuable for that. Lastly, I am a proud person. I may not be as affluent as you but I will never relish in being showered with gifts. I will afford items that I need or want to have."
I exhaled, waiting for his rebuttal but it did not come. So, I turned and set my back against the passenger seat.
We sat in silence for a few minutes before we came to a stop. "We're here," he said unbuckling his seatbelt. "Just so you know," he started. I waited for what he wanted to say but he just chuckled and got out of the car.
I sat there puzzled, watching him stride swiftly to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door and I side-eyed him with my brows furrowed while I unbuckled my seat belt.
He chuckled again, bent down and offered a hand. "My lady," he was mocking me.
"Amusing." I retorted. I took his hand anyway and he kept smiling.
I was still side-eyeing him when he tucked my hand to rest on his arm. "This way," he motioned to a restaurant three shops away from The Patron.
The moment the hostess saw him, she smiled and bowed, "Mr. Aurelion, your table is ready."
We sat at a table that was secluded from the rest of the dining space with decorated frosted glass, similar to vintage decorative colorful glass lamps.
When the main course came, I eyed the thick slab of steak on my plate. It had herbs and sauce arranged on the side. Zeus was already slicing through his steak so I guess I should start as well. I was about to cut into the perfectly charred culinary masterpiece in front of me when he reached over and switched my plate to his.
He had already sliced the meat for me in small pieces. "Uncle says you need to take smaller bites and make sure you chew properly." He smiled at me before he started with the unsliced steak he recently claimed.
"Oh," I looked at him then at the sliced steak on my side of the table. "Thanks." I said and started to eat.
I don't really know what to say when he kept glancing at me and smiling to himself.
As I finished my dessert, which is a slice of delicate panna cotta, he said, "You're bold."
"Huh?" I was mildly startled by his conversation opener.
"Sorry, I meant to let you finish eating before I said anything, just to make sure you had dinner."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that; I don't walk out of dinners." I said, reaching for the straw in my red iced tea.
"See, that's exactly what I meant, you're bold!" His voice had a tinge of amusement.
"You mean because I talk to you like a human being and not like a god?" I raised an eyebrow at him while I sipped through my straw.
He chuckled, "What's puzzling, though, is that you're not avoiding me like you do the library guy."
"You mean the archival guy." I jokingly corrected him. He let out a soft laugh.
"Well," I started explaining, resting my chin on my palm. "He gives me the icky vibe."
He raised his eyebrows, letting me explain further. "I mean he's too 'juvenile' for my taste. Sure he's cute, and tall, and lean,"
He cleared his throat.
"But he acts and is just too young for my taste." I shrugged.
"Oh?" Zeus leaned on the table, perching his head on his clasped hands. "Henri showed me his profile earlier today. He's older than you by two years."
I scoffed, "If he was five, six years older, then maybe I'd look his way for like ten minutes."
"Hmmm." He mused, leaning back and rubbing his chin.
"What?" I asked.
"So... I passed the initial screening then!" He said, tilting his head to the side.
"What? What are y--" Bemused, I sputtered.
"I'm 35, you're 27." He explained with a low voice that edged on sultry.
"No, you're not." I gave a hollow chuckle. "Are you really? Hmmm.." maybe that's why I thought he was a looker. I examined his face from his rough jaw to his styled hair.
"So, what else?" His question snapped me out of my trance. "Why are you not avoiding me?"
"I don't know. I feel like you're approachable." I explained.
"Well, that's a first." He chuckled.
"Hey, guardian, pay for the food now. We took too long, I don't wanna be late for my night shift." I said, checking my phone for the time.
"Already on my tab. Let's go, I'll walk you over The Patron." He said getting up.
"Don't you dare. I don't want the bouncers to see you and get the wrong idea. They gossip like they're queens." I said, raising an index finger at him.