Mira's POV
When the clock struck 12 noon, I immediately fixed my things because I was so excited to have lunch with Damian. Though we wouldn't be alone, the fact that he would be there already made me excited and happy.
As I looked at Sera, there was a bit of hesitation in me about whether I should join or not. I knew she had no errands to do; she was just trying to avoid getting close to Dominic to prevent rumors. I wanted to force her to come with me, but on the other hand, forcing her might stress her out. She looked torn between the two. What if people here bullied her while I was away?
Sera gave me a smile. "Go now. They're probably waiting for you," she said.
"Are you really sure—?" I wasn't even able to finish my sentence when she cut me off.
"I told you, go now. I am okay here."
"I'll bring you some food," I said. She just nodded, so I left the office. I took the elevator, and there, Damian and Dominic were waiting. I blushed when I saw my handsome Damian. I couldn't help myself from falling for him over and over again. Who wouldn't?
"Where is Sera?" Dominic asked.
"Didn't she tell you she's not coming?"
"She did, but I thought she might have changed her mind," Dominic replied.
"She said she would run some errands, so she couldn't come."
"Okay. Let's eat then." I saw a bit of disappointment on Dominic's face, but it didn't stop him from staying cheerful.
We went to an Italian restaurant about 15 minutes away from the company. I let the two men order our dishes, though I was familiar with some of them since I had been to Italy during a vacation.
"Spaghetti Carbonara, Margherita Pizza, and Minestrone Soup," Dominic ordered.
"Let's also have Lasagna al Forno, Risotto ai Funghi, and Bruschetta," Damian added.
"Do you want to add anything else, Mira?" Dominic asked.
"No," I answered.
We waited for about 15 minutes before the food was served. We started eating, and it seemed like we were all quite hungry.
"Busy?" I asked while munching on my pasta.
"Yeah. I have so much paperwork to do," Dominic said while eating pizza.
I looked at Damian, who was as quiet as ever. But regardless, I still loved him. Yes, you heard it right. I am falling in love with him. Seeing him every day makes my world feel brighter.
"I wonder what Sera is doing to decline the lunch. Surely, she would have liked the food as much as we do," Dominic said while still eating.
"She's not into different cuisines," I answered.
"Yeah, I know, but I at least wanted her to experience it," Dominic replied.
I looked at him intently, trying to decide whether I should tell him the real reason why Sera didn't join us. On the other hand, Sera told me not to share it because she can handle things on her own.
"I'll order some takeout for her," I said instead.
"Yeah, sure. The bill is on me."
"I'll pay for lunch," I said.
"No. I'll pay. I was the one who invited you, right?" Dominic insisted.
Even though I wanted to pay, Dominic was too persistent, so I let him. We had a great lunch, I could say. All the dishes they ordered were delicious.
After eating and taking the takeout, we decided to go back to the company. This time, I rode with Dominic since we work in the same company, while Damian went back to his own company.
I looked at my watch, and it was already 1 p.m.
"I'm late now," I said while checking the time.
"Are you really concerned about the time?" he asked.
"Actually, no. I'm just concerned because Mira told me not to be late," I said.
"She's really a hardworking person. Tell her to rest sometimes."
I chuckled. "I will."
After 15 minutes of travel, we arrived at the company.
Seraphina's POV
"Aren't you going to do your job properly? Or are you spacing out because you're planning how to flirt with Sir Dominic again?" my boss yelled, saying those hurtful words.
A while ago, I made a mistake in listing the orders. Because many customers were inquiring and placing orders, I was not able to keep up. Even though I had been working here for years, I couldn't help but make a mistake. Despite past errors, our boss has not reprimanded me until today.
"Sir, with all due respect, I am doing my job properly. And please stop speculating that I am flirting with Sir Dominic because it is not true," I said with emphasis, hoping he would understand every word. But instead, he raised an eyebrow at me.
"I have evidence, Ms. Blake. You are using the CEO to trap him."
I frowned. Where is all of this coming from? Evidence? What kind of evidence? A trap? I have never tried to make Dominic fall into anything.
"Those are baseless accusations, Sir. If you base everything on the CEO's visits here, then I wouldn't even be able to work properly. Outside the company, I am doing my job well," I said, trying to make him understand. But looking at him now made me feel hopeless. He was close-minded, only willing to hear what he wanted to hear.
"Then tell me, where have you been for almost two weeks? Don't tell me it's work, because I always saw Sir Dominic coming to the company without you."
I wanted to say that I had been taking care of his friend who was confined in the hospital. But it would sound strange and unprofessional, so I kept quiet.
Just then, Mira entered the office and noticed I wasn't at my desk. She looked toward the boss's office and immediately ran inside.
"What are you doing here, Mira?" he asked, looking shocked that she entered without permission.
"I need Sera, Sir," Mira answered.
I looked at Mira, who was panting, probably from running.
"You barged into my office just to say that? I am not done talking to her yet."
"Sir, stop mocking my friend. It's not right," Mira defended me.
"What do you know as a friend?" my boss's voice rose.
I didn't understand why he was starting a fight when my mistake hadn't even ruined the department's entire performance.
I saw Mira turning red with anger. I immediately held her hand to calm her down. She was supposed to calm me down, but it was the other way around.
"May we excuse ourselves, Sir? I need to respond to the orders," I said, still showing respect even though he didn't respect me.
I didn't wait for his response. I immediately pulled Mira's hand, and we went out of the office.
"What the hell is wrong with him? Is he crazy? For how many years we've worked here, this is the first time I've seen him mocking someone. I thought he was kind, but he's a wolf hiding behind a mask," Mira muttered in distress.
"Just let it be. Soon, the rumors will die down," I said, trying to calm her. She was more affected than I was.
"No! Why would you let someone defame you? You didn't do anything to him. He's just jealous because you're close with Dominic," she said.
We both sat at our desks and opened our computers.
"Or maybe he has a crush on Dominic?" Mira's face lit up as she smiled wickedly, as if she had figured something out.
"He's gay!" she exclaimed, then immediately lowered her voice.
I looked at her wide-eyed to warn her that someone might hear us.
"Your voice, Mira," I whispered.
"Have you noticed? When you hadn't met Dominic yet, he was kind and approachable. We couldn't say anything bad about him. But when Dominic started coming here often and especially when you were gone for almost two weeks, his attitude toward you changed!" Mira explained, then gasped, covering her mouth.
Mira had a point. Our boss might have been jealous of Dominic. But I couldn't see anything "gay" in him. He looked completely professional to me.
"Are you sure about that? We have no proof," I said.
"Then I'll gather proof," she said, grinning.
"Mira, don't do anything that might cost you your job," I warned.
She winked at me. "I'm not scared to lose my job. Are you?"
That question made me pause. Was I afraid to lose my job? The answer was yes. How could I survive without income? I had bills to pay and food to buy.
"I'm not rich like you," I answered. Mira wasn't afraid of losing her job because she had money.
She chuckled. "Don't worry. Whatever happens, I'll take responsibility."
I didn't agree with Mira's plan to spy on our boss, but she was determined to uncover the truth.
After that conversation, we went back to work. When the clock struck 4 p.m., I immediately fixed my things to go home. Mira was also preparing to leave.
"I thought you would stay here a little bit," I said.
"Why would I when I'm not even motivated to work because of our boss?" she chuckled. "In fact, I wanted to try the new coffee shop near my condo. Do you want to come?" she invited.
I declined. "I need to go to the grocery store. I'm running out of stock," I said.
She nodded. "Okay."
We both took the elevator, but Mira went to the basement where her car was parked.
"Bye, Sera," she said, waving her hand.
"Bye, Mira," I responded.
As the elevator opened, I saw Dominic standing there, waiting for it.
"Sera!" Dominic exclaimed loudly, drawing attention from people nearby.
"Ah, hi, Sir," I said, bowing my head.
"Drop that 'Sir.' Aren't we friends?" he asked.
I noticed the reactions of the people around us; some flinched, and some looked shocked.
I could feel my face and ears heating up.
"Have a good day, Sir," I said, not waiting for his response. I immediately walked away until I got outside the company. As I crossed the street, I was panting, holding my chest. I needed to avoid him as much as possible. No interaction, no rumors.
I took the bus and went to the mall. Even though I had lost interest in grocery shopping, I needed to buy my personal hygiene essentials.
Luckily, when I arrived at the grocery store inside the mall, only a few people were shopping. It saved me time since I didn't have to wait in line. After finishing my groceries, I immediately took the bus home again.
The bus stopped at my stop, and I got off. I was carrying two plastic bags while walking home. They were quite heavy but still manageable. Suddenly, someone grabbed the bags from my hands. I was caught off guard and gasped when I saw who it was.
"Damon!" I exclaimed. What was he doing here?
"You should've told me you were going grocery shopping. I could've helped you," he smiled, then winked at me.
"Give that back to me. I can manage," I said, showing my disinterest.
"Nope. I don't want my woman getting tired from carrying heavy plastic bags."
I narrowed my eyes at him, showing I didn't like his pick-up lines. He just laughed as if my reaction meant nothing.
"You'll get used to me once you make me your boyfriend," he said flirtatiously. I rolled my eyes. He was annoying and arrogant.
Just like Lucca, said my inner voice.
I flinched when I remembered how annoying and arrogant Lucca was too. On the other hand, he was also somewhat helpful to me. Well, since when did I stop meeting handsome men? Since I met Dominic, I had met Damian, Lucca, and now Damon too. Why do hot and gorgeous guys surround me? If I were really a flirt, I would have fallen for their sweet words by now.
We arrived at my house, and I immediately reached for the plastic bags, but Damon didn't give them back.
"Let me in," he said.
I frowned. "Why would I?" I asked.
"You should entertain your suitor," he said, smiling.
"I don't entertain suitors," I replied.
"Because of Lucca?" he asked.
Why is it that every time we meet, he never fails to bring up Lucca?
"You know I am better than him. He doesn't know how to flatter or please a woman. I can do what he can't," he said confidently.
I sighed deeply. All I wanted was to escape everything and go somewhere no one knew me. If only I had enough money, I would leave.
"Just go home. I can't let you in," I said, noticing my neighbors eavesdropping nearby.
I sighed again. Rumors at the company, rumors at home- where could I even go to escape them? I couldn't even avoid these guys because they were so persistent.
He smiled widely. "Worried your neighbors will tell Lucca that you let me in?" he chuckled.
Ah yes. Damon thought Lucca was my lover. He mentioned that when we first met. I neither confirmed nor denied it. I just let him believe it to stop him from pestering me. But it seemed that only made him more determined to pursue me and "defeat" Lucca. Now I was convinced they were not friends, based on how they acted when they saw each other.
"Damon, I'm sorry, but I can't let you in. I'm too tired to entertain you. Please just go home," I said softly, completely exhausted from work and errands.
"Okay," Damon replied simply.
He kept smiling as he placed the plastic bags near the gate. "I'll see you around," he said before walking away.
I sighed. Am I really that attractive that so many people are interested in me? With them being handsome and confident, and me being just a nerd who doesn't even know how to dress properly…
I was about to enter when one of my neighbors called me.
I looked up. It was Grandma's friends.
"Good evening," I greeted them even though I had no energy left.
"I saw it," Aunt Luciana said.
"I saw it too," Aunt Vivian added.
I sighed deeply. Now I had to explain myself again, even though I had nothing to explain. Why are neighbors like this? They enjoy gossiping about things they are not even part of.
"He was just helping me, Aunties," I said politely, even though I wanted to explode. This is my house. I shouldn't even have to explain who I let in.
"All of your friends are handsome, huh! Last night, Grandma Lily told us you let someone in. Is he your boyfriend?" Aunt Vivian asked.
"I don't have a boyfriend," I answered weakly. My body felt like it was about to give up.
"But you should have one. Can't you decide who among them you like?" Aunt Luciana asked.
"They're just my friends, Aunties. I hope that clarifies the rumors," I said. What's the point of explaining when they don't really listen?
"If your grandma were here, she would tell you to get a boyfriend. Those men are handsome and look rich. If I were you, I would grab one," Aunt Vivian said, giggling. Aunt Luciana joined her.
"Thank you for your concern, Aunties. But may I excuse myself? I need to arrange my groceries and rest. I'm very tired from work," I said.
"Oh yes, sure. Go ahead," Aunt Luciana replied.
I forced a smile before entering the gate. Once inside the house, I placed the plastic bags on the table and immediately collapsed onto the sofa. My back finally ached from exhaustion.