PRESENT TIME

I was awakened from my reminiscence of what happened 7 years ago when I heard the wooden door creaked open.

I was inside the study of Blue's three-story house. After I was hired as his PA, he took my things out of my apartment and brought it with me in his house.

"As my PA, it is necessary that at all times you are on a reachable distance so that whenever I'll need you, you'll be there immediately." were his exact words.

I stared nervously as the door swung open and showed Blue. Before he entered, he looked at me through his sunglasses.

I stood and though I really want to look away, I stopped myself from doing so. I have to show him that I'm confident. This way I'll mask whatever has happened years ago. And I will go with this job smoothly. I have no intention of making him remember. Or if he does, I'll just deny that it was not me.

I really have no idea what happened to him after I left but one thing is for sure, he had recovered completely.

"Thank you for waiting." He said as he entered the room and sat behind his mahogany table.

He looked so handsome but utterly dangerous. He removed his shades and his blue eyes looked at me as if he could see through me.

I swallowed.

He let out a chuckle. And I sigh with relief. I thought he's going to stare at me like that all day.

"Please, have a seat, Mr. McKinley." he motioned to the seat in front of his desk.

"Thanks." I murmured.

He leaned on his desk with his hands clasped with each other. "You know Darryl, I was so grateful that you have agreed to be my PA." He paused and seek for my eyes.

Although I'm quite distracted by those blue balls added with the way he enunciated my name, I still found my mouth. "Actually, it's an honor."

He smiled playfully. God, how I miss that. "But why did you turn down the offer afterwards?"

Because I don't want to get close to you and fall again. Or maybe I just don't want to feel what I have felt before. I blinked. What am I thinking? "Because I think there might be someone better than me." I lied.

"From what I have observed, you are so vocal, honest and outspoken. I could really use that when I do judgments." He said without taking away his eyes.

"I have to be honest with you sir, if I just knew that it was the boss I was talking to in the elevator, I wouldn't say anything negative" I wouldn't even have applied in the company in the first place had I just knew. I almost added.

"I know." He grins "Anyway, let me see your hands."

I was taken aback with what he said. Why would he want to see my hands? Maybe I just heard it wrong. "Pardon me?"

"I said, let me see your hands." He said without taking his stare off me. What's he thinking?

I shrug. Well, there's one way to find out. I raised my hands from its position on my lap.

"May I touch them?" He asked.

This is hilarious. Where is this conversation going?

"Uh-huh." I nodded reluctantly.

He smiled and reached for my hands. The moment his hands touched mine, I pulled away.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't see any point with you holding my hands." I told him and looked down. It was not the exact reason. I just don't want to feel his hands' warmth again because it seems to stir something inside me-something not good and dangerous.

He chuckled and raised his hands in defeat. "My bad. It was so uncivil of me. But I would like you to know that I admire how soft your hands are." He said.

Before I could speak again, he handed me a key. "Here's your key to your room upstairs. See you in dinner." He said and relaxed on his leather, swivel chair as he put both feet atop his table with his hands behind his head.

This time, I noticed that he has unbuttoned his polo from neck downwards. I looked away immediately before my saliva slips out of my mouth with his chest peeking.

"Right. See you in dinner." I uttered and rushed toward the door relief flooding all over me that he didn't open up about what I am thinking. Maybe he really had forgotten about it. Or maybe he has forgotten about me and that includes the memories too. Besides it's been seven years.

I closed the door behind me.

BLUE'S PERSPECTIVE

I watched him as he walked out the room. I smiled as I recalled how he fidgeted and pulled his hand away after I touched them. It means that I still have an effect on him.

I sighed. I almost kissed him right there. I almost pulled him to me and hug him close to me. I missed him so much. How long has it been?

After all these years, I thought I might not see him ever again. I thought I really have lost him-I thought I really have lost my happiness.

He slipped out of my life once and once is enough. He'll never get away again.

I almost pulled him and placed him on top of this table while I kiss him hungrily.

But I was thankful to have restrained myself. I still have to teach him a lesson. A lesson he shall never forget so he'll never ever leave me again.

Blue opened one of the drawers under his table and took the bottle of rose oil that he's been saving. It's still unopened yet. But it will serve its purpose soon.

"Soon." He uttered and smiled at the thought as he stared at the door where Darryl exited.

DARRYL'S PERSPECTIVE

I rechecked my bag again making sure that I haven't left any of my belongings. After the dinner, I will ask Blue to let me transfer to another room because this room is too much for me.

It's so big and rather luxurious for me. And besides, I'm not used to living in such grandeur.

I took a deep breath and went down towards the dining room. I found Blue already sitting on the farthest end of the table.

"Finally, you're here." He said.

"I'm sorry to have you waited." I answered curtly.

"Fine. Now sit down and let's eat because I'm starving." He uttered as he motioned me to the chair on his right.

I looked around. "Are only the two of us going to eat?" I asked upon seeing that there were only two plates.

He looked at me. "Why? Who else should we be expecting to eat with us?" He asked.

"Just asking." I cleared my throat. "It is somehow weird that a house as big as this has only few dwellers." I commented.

And I regretted it.

"At least there's a two of us now." He said.

I felt my cheeks warmed up. I should've just shut my mouth up.

We ate silently, with him occasionally asking questions like my suggestions in improving the company and the like.

As I was answering those questions, I was in disagreement with myself because the more Blue talks, the more I wanted to look at him and study his face. The more he chuckles with my answers, the more I wish he was chuckling against my nape or the back of my neck.

What on earth is wrong with me?

Then I heard him cleared his throat. "Do you hear me Darryl?"

I looked up and met his quizzical look. "Uh. I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I said, don't you like the food? You seem to just staring at your plate and playing your fork." He said as he wiped his mouth.

"Oh. No. Actually I like this food, it's just I'm thinking something."

"You might want to tell me what's bothering you?"

"Actually, it's not something to be bothered for. It's nothing serious." I said and took a spoonful of pasta inside my mouth to hinder me from talking in case he asks me again.

When we finished having dinner, he took me to his study to discuss my job.

While walking towards the room, I noticed that he was wearing plain white shirt and sweat pants. His hair is tousled but sleek and seem to be quite soft.

As I was walking behind him, I noticed his broad shoulders and how his body narrows on his lower torso. And I could really say that he got strong, muscular thighs just like his biceps.

What am I thinking? Aaarrgghhh.

I shook my head from left to right to clear it of the intruding ideas. While doing so, I didn't realize that Blue had stopped walking and he turned to see me.

Too late to respond because my face was already stuck on his chest. For a moment I felt rooted. All ideas drained out of me the moment my face landed on his chest and felt his warmth and his breathing.

Then thankfully, my involuntary mechanism kicked in. My foot stepped back. "I'm sorry." I uttered without looking at him because that would be too embarrassing.

"It's okay." He said as he took a deep breath. Then he turned again and opened the door.

He led me towards the sofa.

"Wine?" He offered.

"Sure." I said smiling as if nothing just happened.

He poured and handed one glass to me.

He sat opposite to me and gone are the playfulness in his eyes. And that reminds me, he's my boss.

And why should I care about what I see in his eyes? Why should I care about his mood? All I have to do is be civil and act what an assistant should act. I don't care about him anymore right?

I think my smile faded when I heard my heart answered. Ugh.

I took a deep breath. "So? What now?" I started.

He stared at me. "You're my personal assistant. You'll do the following job: make my coffee every morning and afternoon, I like it black. Next, do bookings, reservations and appointments, answer calls, manage my time and make sure there's enough time for relaxation and leisure, read my e mails, construct speeches, check my funded foundations. Aside from that, you will adhere to my requests at all times anywhere. You should always be by my side, and most of all, you're mine."

I coughed at his last two words. "Pardon?"

"You are my PA, so basically, you are mine. You cannot take orders from others. You only follow what I say."

I raised my hand.

"Question?"

"How about a day off? Do I have one?"

"Of course. Actually, you could even have a week off with pocket money." He said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes but of course, I will be with you."

"What? How is that an off if you are still with me?"

"You won't do any of your regular duties to me. So, you're free of what to do."

"I'm not sure if I could call it free." I uttered.

"What did you say?" He asked

"Nothing." I said and took a sip. "By the way, I would like to request if you could let me transfer to another room?"

"Why do you need to be in another room? Don't you like the one I gave you?"

"It's not that i don't like it. It's just too much for me. It's so big."

He chuckled. "I put you there because it's the only room next to mine so that whenever I need you I could call you immediately."

"But it's too spacious and kind of luxurious for me."

"Well, if that's too wide for you, how about sharing a room with me? That way you won't feel that it's too big for you." He said casually.

I stared at him. Too aghast to speak.

"You'll have two options, you'll have the room or you'll stay with me in my room. You choose." He said as he refilled his glass.

"I'll stay in the room." I shrug. "I'm sure I'll adapt to it."

"Well, don't you like to share a room with me?"

"It certainly is professionally unethical for an employee to sleep with his boss." I said and suddenly realized the wrong choice of words. "I mean to share a room with his boss." I turned to look at him only to find out that he is fixing his eyes on me. "And it seems so uncivil." I said, cleared my throat in effect and diverted my gaze away from him.

To my dismay, he chuckled. And my chest goes haywire. Sh*t!

"Very well, you stay in the room. But speaking of being uncivil, I remember something." He said that caught my attention. "There was once a person before who promised something to me but he broke it." He stared at me that I have to drink a large gulp of the wine to hide my nervousness.

"Giving promises but not keeping is being uncivil right?" He asked.

I nodded. "But maybe he's got reasons why he broke the promise." I counteract.

"Like what?"

"We never know." I just said, shrugging my shoulders.

"in your own opinion, how should I punish this person for not fulfilling his promise?" He asked.

I cleared my throat. This is not good. "Uh, is punishment really necessary?"

"Yes." He said grimly that I didn't dare look his eyes.

"Well, uh, I think it depends on the weight of the promise."

He stood and paced around. "weight huh?" He said. "What if he promised himself to me? That might be the heaviest of all."

I think my blood has drained. I calmed myself before I pass out.

"Whoa. That must be brave of him to...uh...promise himself to you?" I stated as I playfully laughed to conceal my tension.

"Indeed. That's why I was disappointed that he has broken that promise." He said as he stood behind the sofa where I'm sitting.

I swallowed hard. If you only know Blue. If you only know why I did that, you surely will understand. But there's no point in telling him that now.

"Well, if you knew his reasons, you might as well understand why I left-I mean- why he didn't keep the promise."

"Well, then tell me!" He snapped.

I fidgeted at the sound of his raised voice.

"I wish I knew but I don't know who this person is and I-"

"Damn it! Don't act like you're ignorant about this! You knew who exactly I'm talking about, don't you Darryl McKinley?" He snarled.

Oh crap.

"Playtime's over Darryl McKinley. I found you. Boo!" He whispered at the back of my right ear that the touch of his warm breath against my nape made every hair on my skin stood.