Leila gulped. She had not done anything wrong.
Had she? Was he mad at her for not sending him a thank you note for the flowers? But she didn't ask for it. Leila arranged her files and shut down her laptop. Her steps were slow as she meandered to the elevator.
Lunch just ended and she didn't get a chance to eat. Her stomach reminded her of her negligence and she winced. The door opened but there was no one out front. Leila was about to dial Kelvin when she saw Amara. The lady stopped in front of her. No smiles.
"Hi," Leila murmured after a few seconds of awkwardness. She didn't know if to ask this lady about her husband. What would she state as the reason? Finally, she said, "Can I help you?"
Amara chuckled. "Yes, you can." Leila offered her a tight smile. With Leila's short heels, she towered over the woman by a few inches. Turning her back on Leila, she said, "Follow me."
Leila hurried to catch up to her. The woman talked and walked as fast as she spoke. "The boss wants to see you right away." Leila's heart slowed, her palms became clammy and she wiped them on her jacket. Oblivious to Leila's discomfort, Amara glanced at her wristwatch. "It took you ten minutes to get here."
It didn't seem that long to Leila. They continued to the parking lot and Leila paused. Kelvin's car was there and Amara was heading towards it. There was no way she would enter that car.
What if someone saw her?
"What are you waiting for?" Amara asked. She held the door of the backseat open for Leila but she couldn't move. Anyone could see them. "Leila?"
"I'm sorry I can't go in there."
Amara shut the door quietly and folded her arms on her chest. "The boss wants to see you." Her heart was beating faster now. "Are you saying no to him?" Leila shook her head and Amara opened the car again. "Then get inside, please. The boss hates tardiness."
The sound of her pounding heart drowned other sounds, Leila shuffled into the car and Amara took the front seat. Her hand flew over her mouth when she saw Kelvin seated on the other side. He was staring out the window. She clenched her hands on her knees, lost and confused on her next step of action.
A yelp escaped her when the car moved. She shrank into herself, not daring to look away from the mesh dividing the front and backseats. This was not good.
"You missed lunch," Kelvin said. He wasn't looking at her but his words were directed at Leila. "That's bad."
His tone was formal as always, Leila decided it was Boss Kelvin present and she murmured, "Sorry, Sir."
Finally, he glanced at her. Her breath caught in her throat and her lips dried up. She was staring into stormy grey eyes that peeled the layers around her heart. He looked at her like he saw her for who she really was. Strangely, she liked it.
When he bridged the gap between them, she was still too entranced to act. Kelvin's thumb brushed a corner of her lips and a jolt of electricity charged through her. On instinct, Leila leaned into his touch and he cupped her face.
"You shouldn't starve," he whispered. His eyes lowered to her lips, she forgot what he said as soon as he said it. Was he going to kiss her again? Leila would be a liar if she said she didn't want a real kiss from him. Her lips parted, she wetted her lips with her tongue. "I made a reservation for us."
Kelvin pulled back without fulfilling her fantasies, she swallowed a groan when he turned back to the window. She was annoyed at him for riling her up and even more annoyed at herself for reacting to his touch and presence this way. She glanced at Amara and the driver.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Sir."
Kelvin followed her line of sight. "Amara is my assistant." Oh. So that was her name. "She knows about us. Francis too, he drives me everywhere." Leila tucked her hands between her legs. They might know but the rest of the office didn't know. "And I wasn't asking you, I was telling you. We have a reservation."
The boss was back. "Yes, Sir," she replied.
Hurt by his command, she looked out the window. One minute, he was this hot man she wanted to jump. The next minute, he was so stoic. He didn't have to order her around like she was a kid. She was his wife.
"Leila," he called out to her. She refused to look up. Her period was almost here so her hormones were acting up again. "Leilani." Her teary eyes raised to his face and she sniffed. Everything was too much for her. She wanted him to be nice to her no matter where they were, at the same time, she wanted him to treat her like the rest of the staff. Her feelings confused her. Kelvin's gaze softened. "What's the problem?"
"Nothing." His eyes hardened and she corrected herself. "I don't know." He took her hands and rubbed circles on the inside of her wrist. His touch calmed her, and the traitorous tears dried up. "I don't think it's a good idea for people to see us together."
Kelvin's frown bothered her, she wasn't ashamed of him but office gossip could ruin her career. She relocated to this city to start a new life and it had been going great until Kelvin.
"It might give them other thoughts," she said to quell any doubts he had about them.
"We are going somewhere private," he said to reassure her. It didn't but she nodded. There was no winning with him anyway. Kelvin drew her close to him and pecked her forehead. "No one will see us, Leila."
His arms wrapped around her, they stayed that way until the car stopped moving. Amara opened the door for them and Leila followed behind her as she led the way to the restaurant.
The place was empty, she wondered but didn't ask if he reserved the whole place for them. It wouldn't surprise her if he did.
A lady came out with trays of sweet smelling dishes she set on the table. Leila noticed Amara was missing. And it made her relax, so did Kelvin. He took off his jacket and she hid a smile when he removed his glasses. He was still sexy with it but she loved looking into his eyes without the obstruction of a lens.
They dug into their meal in silence, but she ate slowly.
"You don't like the food?" Kelvin asked. He was almost done with his plate and Leila had barely started on hers. The chicken was spiced the way she liked it.
Leila finished chewing before she replied. "I do, Sir."
"Kev." She didn't understand. Kelvin smiled at her confusion. "Call me Kev whenever we are alone."
Her lips pulled into a pout. She forgot about that deal. "Okay, Kev." Kelvin chuckled. She smiled. She loved the sound of his laugh. "Thank you for the food, Kev."
"Thank you for joining me."
Leila scoffed. "I didn't have a choice."
His smile was as playful as hers. He wiped his lips and dropped the napkin on the table. "It was the only way I could get you to come out." She pouted. Even if she explained, he would not understand. If they found out about them, everything she did would be deeply scrutinised. Her achievements would be associated with him, not her hard work. She didn't want that life for herself. "Cheer up, Leila."
She tried to. And they enjoyed the rest of their meal in silence.