Chapter 2

Amara enters the towering skyscraper that has the sign “Cerdas Corporation”. The receptionists of the front desks stood up and greeted her, “Good Morning Ms. Amara”. She nodded in response. Amara made way to the elevator and pressed the up button and waited for the elevator. She scrolls on her phone and reads the latest news in The New York Times app to pass time.

Meanwhile, the sounds of footsteps could be heard. A tall shadow inching forward behind Amara’s back, tip toeing stealthy towards her. Amara, still not noticing the approaching figure looks up at the elevator sign, wondering when it will come. She finally notices the huge figure shadowing her and sensing it's presence. Just as Amara looks back-

“BOO!”, a man screamed right front of her face. The poor girl felt so startled, she dropped her phone and tripped from her heels.

Just as she was about to land flat on the ground, muscular arms quickly slid around her thin waist. The man pulled her towards his rock hard body, preventing her from falling. She gazed up to see Damian, her senior co-worker. Their face inches away from each other. Her plump peach lips barely touching the lips below his short prickled beard.

He quickly stood up and helped her up. "Geez, Damian don't scare me like that", Amara pouted as she looked at the handsome Latino man.

Damian chuckled, “Sorry, hermosa¹. I didn’t think you would so surprised like that”, he apologized in his husky Spanish accent as he picked up her cell phone from the ground.

“Lies. You always like to scare me like that Damian”, Amara pouted again and received her cell phone.

“Well yes that’s true. But its because your reactions are hilarious”, he cooed. “Anyway, you look beautiful as usual señorita²”. Flirting with women, especially Amara was something usual, so she paid no attention to it.

“Why, thank you Mr. Damian”, Amara replied. She looked at Damian, and all she can say is wow.

Even though Damian is always dressed ravishing in a professional way, she could tell he put more effort to it today. His 6’1 figure was complemented with a crisp navy 3 piece suit with an icy blue dress shirt and completed with a denim blue and white tie. His golden tan face with his shirt stubble and dark brown curly hair was a beauty of course. It could make many woman fall to their feet. And Amara has seen it before, literally.

Ding

The sound of elevator snapped Amara from her gaze. They waited for the elevator to empty out, as people scrambled their way out.

Amara and Damian stepped in the elevator and he pressed the 27the floor button. “So what’s the occasion today?”, asked Amara.

“Ahh, I see you can tell by my outfit. I can feel your beautiful eyes on me. Have you fallen for me yet?”, Damian questioned as flashed his one million dollar smile and wiggled his brows at her in a jokingly manner.

Amara seems unfazed as usual and replied, “Well, I can just tell”

“Didn’t Mr. Santoso tell you"

"About what?", she questioned

"About the meeting with Hewcroft Industries today?”, he said.

The meeting! She had forgotten the deal was today. How can she forget about the most important agenda of this month, even though she had put several reminders on her phone and calendar.

Judging the look of Amara’s face, Damian knew instantly. “How can you forget about today?”

“You know, just- Just a lot things happened in these 2 months. I was so busy I forgot about today. But luckily, I finished the documents and have it in my computer. I can print it out after this”, Amara said as she tried to smile.

Damian furrowed his brows and a worried expression appeared on his face. He asked, “Is something wrong, hermosa?"

There was a short pause. She fumbled with her fingers and answered, "Yeah it's nothing. I'm totally fine" But her voice slightly cracked, making it less believable.

Damian fully turned his body to face Amara while he lightly gripped her shoulders and stared into her eyes, "You know, if you need anything. And I mean anything at all. I’m always here for you, hermosa”

Amara felt touched by Damian’s worried, but also slightly confused about the gaze Damian has given her. A gaze that she had seen in romance movies where the male lead shows his affection towards the female lead. But, she quickly brushed the thought off as she thought it was impossible.

She smiled back and said, “Thank you Damian. I’ll tell you when I have time”

In that moment, Damian gazed into Amara’s hazel eyes, seeing her beautiful eyes become dull. She had slight dark bags under them and her slim shoulders being too thin for his desire. Her long jet black hair still luscious as before as they rest on her hips, making him want to embrace her if he can. Despite the change, she was still beautiful in his eyes.

The lonely appearance of Amara right now threatened the bundled up feelings Damian had for her to burst out of its cage. He realized that this was the moment. This was the moment Damian had to confess the love he had for the past 3 years.

As soon he opened up his mouth,-

Ding

The sound of the elevator interrupted again. Damian cursed the elevator under his breath for ruining his confession.

“Damian?”, Amara asked softly.

“Yes, hermosa?”, he answered.

“Umm, you can let go of me now. We need to get out before the elevator closes” she said. They can feel gazes of their coworkers on them as they stood in the elevator for a minute straight. He looked at the stares with his pissed off eyes, and they quickly averted their gaze and went back to work.

“Ah, right. Let’s go”, Damian said as if nothing happened. He leaded the way to their desks.

They walked along the aisles of desk and parted ways to their designated spots, "See you at lunch, hermosa", he said as he winked goodbye.

She giggled in response. But felt a strong death stare from somewhere. She looked around to see who it was, but everyone was glued to their work. Amara arrived at her desk and sat on her chair, the sign “Divisional Sales Manager” greeted her.

She searched for the documents needed for the conference in her computer. The sound of her name being called was heard. A woman with shoulder length auburn hair wearing a tight fitted black dress called her, “Amara, Mr. Santoso is calling you to his office”

“Okay, thank you Janice”, Amara said. Janice replied with a roll of her eyes and sneer as she strutted back to her desk.

Baffled by her attitude, she sighed. After all these years, she still wouldn’t figure out why Janice reacted that way to her, "Another day, another problem”

*****

¹ Hermosa means beautiful in Spanish

² Señorita means Miss, as in unmarried woman

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