Chapter 3

They were out on their fifth date as lovers, that night by the beach. Enjoying each other’s company. Even though they had been friends for over four years, this new relationship was foreign to the both of them. She giggled like she had never before and he tried to please her now more than ever.

He did everything to show her how much he loved her. He was so attentive and caring. He made her feel wanted. It was the best feeling in the world. She looked up at him only to see that he was about to say something and what he said did strange things to her heart.

"I love you Ann, always have and always will." His eyes shone with honesty and unmasked love as his words assured her of an everlasting promise. She wished to capture this moment and store it in her heart forever.

The warmth of the words in his confession chased away the cold that the night made her feel. So much so that even with the cold December wind blowing all around the, she felt all cozy on the inside.

"I love you too, Derrek, always have and always will." She reciprocated with tears of joy spilling out without her permission. She relished the feel of his arms around her, making her feel safe and secure. She looked up and thanked the lucky stars for bringing him to her.

She smiled as he kissed her thinking of how they had finally made it this far. She had crossed the fine line between friendship and love a long time ago and had waited for him on the other side. She had fallen in love with her best friend and had dropped hopeful hints for way too long. Finally, after years of hits and misses they were here.

"I have something for you. Ann." He then pulled out a small velvet box out of his pocket.

"Is it-" She stared at the beautiful gold ring with a stone encrusted heart with wide eyes. He let out a laugh and cut her off.

"For God's sake Ann. It's not that. It's a promise ring. I promise to be by your side till you want me no more and I promise to put an actual wedding ring around that finger someday." He said with determination as he slipped the ring on her finger.

"I will wait for you, Derrek, even if its forever." She reassured him while looking lovingly at the ring on her hand thinking that he was her forever.

But what her nineteen-year-old heart could fathom was that one of them had lied that night.

"Annette!" She was jolted out of the bitter memories only to see Zach waving his hands frantically in front of

her face with a worried expression. Her cheeks burned a bright shade of red in embarrassment as she thought of how crazy she might look to an onlooker.

There she was standing all alone in the middle of the pathway, staring at the driveway of the next building lost in the bitter memories of a crooked man who was no longer there. Thoroughly embarrassed with herself, let out an awkward laugh as she composed herself. The emotions of the vivid and all to real memory were still plaguing her mind.

"Damn it woman! This is not the right time to space out. We have tonnes of work to do. Are you trying to get away with slacking off in front of the boss?" He mocked her undoubtedly trying to lighten up her mood as she struggled to regain her composure.

"Why Zach? Anywhere without you is way better than being here. Also, don’t make me list out all the times that you have come to my office when you should have been going about your duties as the CEO." She teased reminding him of the evidences she had stacked up against him over the course of the year that she had worked for him.

"To think of this to be a conversation between two matured adults is beyond me." Zach laughed and continued-

"On a serious note, are you alright? What are you even doing here?" His face was devoid of the earlier playfulness, his handsome features marred with a worried expression as he looked at her.

"I was just looking around." She dismissed his question nonchalantly.

Even though they were close as a boss and employee, he didn't know everything about her. Nobody did and she liked to keep it that way. The past locked up in the prison of old memories buried somewhere deep in her conscience so that it couldn’t sabotage the present she had so carefully put together.

He was her boss and nothing more. She had not confided in anyone in over four years and was doing just fine on her own. She detested the look of pity on peoples faces. It was her problem and her misjudgment which had caused her pain and it was her bane to deal with.

"Sure, I believe you. If staring at an empty drive way with a forlorn look on your face is your idea of looking around then you were doing a mighty fine job. " He raised a quizzical brow. She could tell that he wasn’t going to pry for more information if she was unwilling to talk. He just wanted to make sure that she was okay.

This is something that she had seen him do both consciously and unconsciously in the time that she had worked with him. This was not just for her, he genuinely cared for the people around him, that’s what made him such a good boss.

"I was thinking of something related to work, I feel like I have missed out on doing something important. Now, can we go? I really need to get back and recheck." She tried again to change the topic, silently begging him with her eyes.

"Thinking of work or me?" He smirked. Another thing that she had noticed about him in the whole year of working with him was that he had not once let go of any opportunity to flirt with her.

She liked to dismiss it by thinking of it to be the reminiscence of his younger days and player ways even though she knew of his feelings towards her. But she was sure that it was an infatuation that he would get over soon enough.

"There, there Mr Rodriguez. We have a lot of work to do. You can save your energy and the flirting for someone who'd fall for it." She rolled her eyes and walked back towards his car.

"One day Rivera. One day you will fall for it and not be able to control your feelings towards me." He smirked and got into the car.

God, this man is incorrigible. She thought to herself as they pulled out of the parking lot not wanting to pay attention the slight flutter of her heart at his words.

She had finally managed to finish all of her workload for the day by six thirty in the evening and was now preparing her work schedule for the next day. Usually, Annette had more work and wouldn’t leave her office until seven thirty. Most of the employees had left for the day. This was the case on most days.

Felecia had already set up a tentative schedule for the next day. All Annette needed to do was go through it and her sticky notes to see if there was anything that she had missed out on.

The silence of the after-work hours was welcomed. Annette was always one if the last people to leave, if not the last one. She had to literally bully Felecia into going home to her loving husband and cute three-year-old daughter.

She on the other hand had no such obligations. She lived alone in her an apartment close to office. She had no boyfriend who waited for her and her parents only bothered to call her during the holidays or on her birthday. Those conversations too sounded forced and superficial. She didn’t have people to go home too.

Not that she was complaining. What she was and where she was right now was her own doing. She didn’t blame fate for her situation. It was just that on days like today when she had less work to do and more time to think, her mind wandered a lot. She would catch herself thinking of a scenario where she too could’ve had a place to call home with a white-picketed fence with a husband and two children eagerly waiting for her to come home.

Her house for now was just a place where she'd sleep at night. People thought of her to be cold and unapproachable. She didn't care enough to correct them. She was aware that most of the employees call her the Ice-queen behind her back along with a variety of other names which she cared two hoots about.

Yes, she had shot down every guy who approached her including the dashing, debonair CEO himself. Honestly, she couldn't care less about what others thought of her. If they wanted to perceive her as an uptight bitch then so be it, if it gets the work done. Only Felecia, Zach and a few other people think otherwise and she was thankful to them.

"I am thinking of setting up a bed in here for you, Annette." Her hand flew to her heart upon hearing a voice. She looked up to see Mr Rodriguez and Zach standing there with matching looks of amusement.

"I was just about to leave." She said after consulting her watch. Truth to be told, she was going to dilly dally and leave after half an hour but they needn't know that.

"Riviera, we know you don't leave the office before seven. Ever." Zach stated.

"That's because there is always some work that needs to be done. And that is why you have so many employees working under you. Take a break Annette. You need it or else you are going to work yourself dry." Mr Rodriguez tried to reason with her this time.

"You need to take a break, Riviera." Zach pointed out.

"That's it. You and Zacharian are going to France. There is a property there that I'd like to buy. You can evaluate it and draw up the plans for it. You are to leave this Friday." Mr Rodriguez ordered in a tone which left nothing for negotiation.