Chapter 6

Lunch was fun. Both Ava and Bruce had a great time. If given the opportunity both of them would prefer to continue the day elsewhere. Sadly they didn’t have that option as they were to return to the office. 

Ava’s company was one to envy after. Some even said the company ran itself. In reality, it was all due to Ava’s inbred leadership skills. She’d often be overlooked and undermined but what people couldn’t deny was the effect of her efforts.

Ava took the company to the next level after her father handed it over to her. From that level, she took it even higher. 

So she had to be there as often as possible, to remind people that she was the boss. Still, an afternoon out with Bruce did her good. The conversation and light humor helped her loosen up and clear her head.

Heavens knows she’s been choked at work. Bruce on the other hand looked giddy, to say the least. From the way he walked, you could tell he was happy. He normally struts around with a sense of importance but now his movements were less rigid and his replies were more forgiving.

He enjoyed being around Ava. Some days he wished he didn’t have to hide who he was from her. It felt bad having to keep such a secret from someone he cared for so deeply. He often wondered how she’d react if she found out. 

He knew finding out wouldn’t make her that upset. What would send her over the edge would be finding out from a different source, from a source that wasn’t him. Her trust would be broken. 

He couldn’t afford that to happen but still, he knew it was too early to let her in on his true identity. They arrived at the office and he rushed to get out before her.

“Don’t get up.” He said as he rushed out of the car. Ava stared and wondered what has gotten into him and what he was planning. 

He came out of the car and rushed over to her door. He gently grabbed her door handle and pulled it open. He held out his hand and gestured at her to take it. She did and came out of the car.

She was beyond pleased. At first, a smile spread across her face then she giggled and then he smiled. They were both very fond of each other at this moment.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Ava said trying to keep her smiles under control. 

“I know I didn’t have to do it I simply did it because I wanted to.” Her smile returned this time with more force than the last. She liked how nice he made her feel. 

“Such a gentleman,” Ava told him. Bruce tried to play it cool but he couldn’t deny how good I felt. 

They stepped into the building and just as if a light switch was flipped everything changed. Ava was used to a heavy workload but this was unreal. As soon as she stepped into the office she was swarmed by clerks and other office personnel. 

each of them with a file or two in hand. She needed to review them all and have them approved or rejected. Her brief more of peace was gone now. Bruce did the best he could grabbing as many folders as he could. He became her wall. He stood in front of her and made sure no one could get to her. 

As soon as they were inside her office she turned cold. She had been smiling only moments ago but now she was in work mode. 

“Hand me those folders and you can go.” Her words were direct and without emotion. Her hand was held out, she was waiting on him. 

“No.” Ava was stunned. What did he just say and why did he say it? Had she done something wrong or were they on bad terms and she was oblivious? 

“What did you say?” She asked.

“I said no,”

“What do you…”

“I’m not leaving you here to do all this work on your own.” Ava was left without words. Her confusion soon turned to glee. Her heart felt warm and her smile came back. 

“Thank you so much, Bruce,” 

“No need to thank me it’s what I’m here for. Now let’s get started.” He passed her a file and took a couple more from her desk. 

They spent the next couple of hours going from file to file and reviewing different projects. She had two meetings but postponed them to the next day. The workload was crazy. 

Still as consumed as she was in her work she was also invested in Bruce. The man had had her in his palm at this point.

She kept on looking at him. Every chance she got she stared at his beautiful face. She had a thing for thick eyebrows and his fit the description. Her eyes kept wandering all over his body. 

He seemed so fit. She concluded he had a tight workout regimen. His physique couldn’t just be natural. A body like that took time and dedication. Bruce seemed like the kind to be very dedicated. 

He also seemed passionate. She wondered if he was also a dedicated lover. If he brought the same level of attention to his romantic relationships. She knew she shouldn’t have been thinking about those things but she couldn’t stop herself. He was beautiful.

Soon the day had come to a conclusion and the pile of folders that lay on her table had soon evaporated. She had Bruce to thank for it all and thank him she would. 

“Once again I’d like to say a big thank you to you, Bruce,”

“Stop it. You know I’m here to help you in any way I can,”

“Still it’s not often one goes out of his way to help the way you do.”

“Well, it should be more often then,”

“but it’s only your first day,”

“Exactly. I have to give you a reason to want to keep me around. 

They both stared in silence. It felt like they both had something they needed to say to each other but they just didn’t know how to. 

“I think we’re the only ones left here. We better get going it’s getting late.” Ava lead the way and Bruce followed. He offered to take her home but she protested, saying she had a driver and that he had done his share 

Her car pulled up and she hopped in. 

“I owe you another treat Bruce,” she said with her window rolled down.

“You sure you doing it for me or you?”

“ I guess we’ll find that out later.” Her window went up and her car zoomed out of the office building. 

Chapter 7 

When Ava got home, she was very tired and thirsty. She went straight to the kitchen to get some water. She grabbed a glass cup and filled it with chilled water from the refrigerator. She gulped the whole glass down and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator which calmed her nerves and relaxed her a bit. She did a lot of work today and needed lots of sleep and rest.

   She went straight to her room, took a bubble bath and fell on the bed like a log of wood and immediately fell into deep slumber.

**The next morning

She woke up feeling energized and better, she slept for about 9 hours. She took a bath and dressed up. Ava wore a white shirt which had a little black lining along her arm , with a black knee level skirt and a black blazer then sprayed herself with perfume, looked at herself and the mirror and posed, “Perfect” she said.

She just ate a few slices of bread before she grabbed her car keys and left the house on her way to the company which was just 30 minutes away.

She got to the office and the employees noticed she looked better and smelled better than the day before. Bruce walked over to her as soon as he saw her. He wakes with her, “someone looks better than they did yesterday” he said teasingly and they both laughed it off since they both knew the reason why. They got into the elevator to Ava’s office.

They went to her office to begin work for the day. They had a lot of scheduled meetings to attend so they prepared for them. The first meeting they went for was by 9:00 am, it went smoothly but tiring and boring,they had more meetings to attend so they braced themselves. 

By the third meeting Ava looked worn out and extremely tired since she talked and presented along with Bruce in two of the meetings . Bruce looked like he hadn’t done anything which made Ava surprised, “You’re not tired?” She asked as they went to her office, “A bit but I don’t make it look as visible as you do” he replied and she shook her head. They got to her office and she slumped on the chair, “why did I wear heels today” she said with an exhausted tone and Bruce just laughed. She was too tired and hungry to even retort back so she just glared at him. 

It was already 2:00 pm which meant they skipped lunch. “You have another meeting to attend at 2:30 and that’s the last one” Bruce said and she sighed, “How did my life end up like this” she said and Bruce just shook his head. They had 30 minutes more before the meeting started. She grabbed a bottle of water from her bag and drank half of it at a go. “That’s unladylike” Bruce said teasingly and Ava shot him a glare and he zipped his mouth. 

They were at the meeting and Ava looked like she was ready to doze off. Bruce was close to laughing right there and then. Avas mind wasn’t even focused on the meeting , she just wanted to eat since they skipped lunch and she just had a measly amount of breakfast this morning. The meeting ended and everyone went back to their various workspaces. “Today’s schedule has been cleared,done for today” Bruce said, “Finally,” she said and sighed. Avas stomach made a loud growl and she just frowned while Bruce just chuckled. 

Ava was about to leave when Bruce suggested they eat somewhere before going home. They went to a restaurant nearby. Ava ordered Chinese rice with sauce and turkey, Bruce just ordered spaghetti. They sat down and waited for their food, when it arrived Ava dug in and she ate like she hadn’t eaten in days, that’s when she noticed a girl staring at her and she looked away embarrassingly. Bruce just stared at her as she ate and chuckled. 

“What’s so funny?” she asked, “The way that girl looked at you because you have fish sauce on your cheek” he said and he took a napkin and reached out to clean the sauce off her cheek. Because of his gesture she just smiled, “Thank you” she said politely and she continued eating.They finished their meal and paid,  Ava looked full. They left the restaurant and walked a bit to the car. 

He opened the car door for her, “Thank you” Ava said and he winked at her, “Cheeky” she said and he laughed and so did she. He got in and they drove off. “I don’t even know why I was present at the second meeting, it’s not like i said anything” Ava complained, “You have a huge role in the company so you have to be present” Bruce replied and Ava just rolled her eyes.

 “The food at the restaurant was delicious” she said  since she didn’t want the car to be quiet, “it was” Bruce replied. Bruce left the car since he had gotten to his house and Ava took over the wheel.“Goodnight bossand drive safe” Bruce said, “Goodnight and there better be no meeting tomorrow” she said and Bruce chucked and waved his hands before he turned around to get into his house, she waved back and smiled before she stepped on the gas.

She drove off to her house which was just 20 minutes away. It wasn’t late when she got home and she was bored. She wasn’t too  tired since the food she ate a while ago quenched her tiredness somehow so when she got to her house, she removed the heels she wore and her leg ached a bit. She walked around a lot today since the meetings were on different floors. She had a bath, but she didn’t eat since she already ate at the restaurant. She lied down on her bed and slept.

Chapter 8

“Is that your stomach or a trapped animal?”

“Very funny Bruce. You’re such a comedian.” Bruce loved to tease her. He knew she was hungry, and he was too but it seemed she was a tad more so than he was. 

The whole meeting felt like one long blur to her. She had had enough meetings today and couldn’t wait to wrap this one up. The presenter kept on talking and talking and talking. It felt like hell to her.

A hell made personally for her. She imagined how much more enjoyable life would be if she could fast-forward certain moments. She’d speed up this moment in a heartbeat. But as much as she’d like to speed up certain moments she’d love to rewind and relive others even more. 

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to relive certain moments, especially the ones with Bruce in them. Her mind had wandered off for a moment but hunger pains brought her back to earth. 

Her stomach growled once again and this time it was louder than it was the previous time. 

“Can’t you just adjourn the meeting? I mean the noises your stomach is making are starting to get me concerned,” 

“You’re concerned now? Moments ago you were making fun of my predicament.,”

“I’m sorry.” Ava stared at him and couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t need to apologize but he did. He did care about her. It was nice to have someone make you feel like a priority.

“And with that, our meeting comes to an end.” That was the man who stood in front of a white board. The meeting was over and they could leave. 

She got up and made her way to the door. People inside the conference room tried to stop her and speak to her but Bruce wouldn’t let them. 

“Miss Quinn is currently occupied and will see you all later.” 

She liked that her name sounded like him. ‘Miss Quinn’ he said and she replayed it in her head over a dozen times. Last time he was picked where they ate so it was l her turn to choose. She wanted to take him somewhere nice and maybe far away.

Somewhere they could be away from work and have some alone time. 

“You drive,” she said as she chucked her car keys in his direction.

“I thought you liked to be in control? 

“I do but if I drive in my current state we might die. Does that sound like something you’d want to do huh? Spend your last moments with me?”

As much as it was a joke a little part of her hoped he’d say yes. 

“Fine, fine you don’t have to make a big deal out of it. I’ll drive.” Her hopes had failed her. Still,

she had an entire afternoon alongside him to look forward to. They got a garage and headed and drove out.

“Where to?” Bruce asked as they backed out of the office building. 

“Follow the GPS I’ve put in the coordinates to our location there. As told Bruce followed the GPS and drove west. They were headed in the direction of one of Ava’s favorite restaurants. She rarely went there.

It was her safe space and she didn’t want to overuse it. She had never taken anyone there but now felt so comfortable taking Bruce there. 

One of her favorite parts of the restaurant was the route to it. Ava loved king drives. They were a safe space for her, like a pocket in time. One where the rest of the world seemed to be far away and she could recollect. 

Her head was on the glass as they drove through the city. She loved the sites and the streets. It all culminated in the beauty of the city. 

“We’re here.” His words broke the silence like a knife cutting through the cake. the ride here was faster than she had anticipated. At first, it made her wonder if they were in the right place. Maybe he had gotten the directions wrong. 

All her disbelief was put to rest as soon as she glanced at the sign outside. She stepped out and they went in. It was a casual place, not too fancy, and not lacking class. 

They took a seat at a table in the middle of the restaurant. 

“Good evening, my name is Maxwell and I’m here to take your order. What would you like to eat?”

“I’d like the…”

“Well, both have the special thank you.” Ava cut Bruce’s words short. He shot her a stare raising one of his brows as if trying to imitate Dwayne Johnson. 

“Just trust me,” she said, and trust her he did.

Maxwell came back soon enough with their food. As they satisfied their cravings they dove into conversation. She wanted to know everything she could about him. 

“You seem like the type to break a girl's heart. Tell about a few you’ve broken,” Bruce was stunned. She was so direct and to it.

“You think I’m a heartbreaker?”

“if you aren’t then prove me wrong,”

“well I don’t think I’ve ever broken a heart before, maybe it’s because I’ve never been in love,”

“You mean you’ve never liked anyone?”

“No, I have but that’s not love. Love comes with a certain intimacy and vulnerability that’s hard to mistake. I don’t think I’ve felt that. What about you?”

“I’ve been in relationships but they all ended horribly. You men have a real problem dating women who intimidate you.”

“That makes no sense. Why would anyone want to feel intimidated by the person they're in a relationship with.” Ava was stunned. She’d never seen it from that angle.

“I know you must’ve felt hurt or offended when all those men broke things off with you. But you have you remember relationships are supposed to make you feel happy and not like you’re not enough. So if these men ended things because they didn’t feel good that doesn’t make them bad guys does it?”

“I suppose you’re right but still I’d like a man who wasn’t intimidated by me enough to make the thing work.”

“See it’s not your fault and it’s not there’s. It’s just a matter of compatibility and varying interests,”

“I guess you’re right.”

“As I always am,”

“Cocky much?”

They both laughed and continued to talk. Soon after night had fallen and they went their separate ways.

Ava arrived home and couldn’t stop thinking about Bruce. From his smiles to his choice of words to the way he walked, she loved it all. 

Morning came and she arrived at the office. She was walking towards her office to continue some work when they bumped into each other.

“Hey,” Bruce said.

“Hey,”

“How was your night? Did you get home safe,”

“Yeah, I got by quite alright,”

“That’s good to hear. I just got in should we head in and get to work?”

“Lead the way, mister.” They both walked into her office and shut the door. What they weren’t aware of was the staff who had overheard them and now the tales of their escapades had filled the office.