Mary
I try hard not to roll my eyes as I watch Zee constantly steal looks at my boss, billionaire Nicolaas Verhaege.
He's exceedingly good-looking, but in a Robocop-sort-of-way. He's just so...rigid, and for the life of me I can't see why any girl would find him attractive.
But...of course that's just me being a little bitchy.
The truth is, I've been around long enough to know Nicolaas is anything but boring in the bedroom.
Since most of the women he dates stupidly assume I've got the hots for my boss, they tend to talk a lot about Nicolaas' sexual process whenever I'm around.
I think it's supposed to make me feel jealous or threatened, but the only thing they've managed to do is give me more reasons to believe that Nicolaas will never be the right man for Zee.
Then again...what do I know?
I've only been working at V&V for over three years while Zee has been infatuated with him for a decade more or less.
Maybe there's a chance they'll eventually end up together....never mind if I also know for a fact that she's not even his type.
The women Nicolaas likes to date tend to be petite and voluptuous brunettes while Zee is the exact opposite: she's tall, slim, and blonde, like Sleeping Beauty come to life.
If you think about it, all the odds seem stacked against her, and sometimes, I just wish I had the courage to break the truth to her.
But since I don't...
Nicolaas' phone suddenly rings, and as soon as he excuses himself out of the boardroom, Zee quickly swings her chair sideways just so she can smile at me rather giddily. "Did you hear what he said earlier?"
"I totally did."
"He said I'm amazing."
Actually, I specifically remember Nicolaas describing her work as amazing, but why nitpick on words, right?
So I just smile and say nothing.
I hate lying, but I hate the thought of hurting a gentle soul like Zee even more.
The other girl starts to say something else, but this time I'm unable to stay focused. Nicolaas has returned, but it's the person entering the boardroom behind him that has all of my attention.
Stone.
He's my other billionaire boss, and he also happens to be Zee's older brother.
I watch him take his usual place on the table, and it's my turn to feel nervous and giddy as I watch him fold his powerful length into the leather chair.
Like Zee, I've also been nursing an infatuation for years.
The only difference is that I'm much better at hiding my feelings, and so when Stone suddenly turns my way and asks if I have my list of influencers ready...
"Yes, sir." My voice comes out polite and steady even as my heart's already banging away like it's got a marathon to win.
I hand over my list, all the while careful not to let our fingers come into contact. I'm infatuated, not desperate.
Stone starts flipping through the pages. "This is good."
Now I know why Zee has selective hearing. When it's the guy you're crushing on who's dishing out a compliment, you find yourself twisting the words into something you'd rather hear.
Like...even though I know it's my work Stone's complimenting, what I actually hear is Stone saying I'm good.
Like maybe, good enough to be his girlfriend—-
"Mary?"
Shit.
I clear my throat. "Sorry, what was that again?"
"I asked if there's anyone on this list that you know personally?"
"There is, actually." My brows furrow. "Would that be a problem?"
"No, of course not. I just want to know who the person is so we can make sure his or her—-"
"It's a her," I feel the need to clarify even though I know Stone won't give a damn.
"Her then. Let's make sure her name's included in the final selection."
The trust he shows in my judgment makes me feel all warm and gooey inside, and I have to lower my head, just in case my pleasure accidentally shows on my face.
Deep breaths, Mary.
I wait until I'm sure I've regained control of my hormones before glancing up—-
Shit.
While Stone is still busy going through my list of candidates, Nicolaas is looking at me rather thoughtfully, and I can't help but worry I might've unconsciously given myself away.
Realizing that I need to distract him, I say the first thing on my mind.
"There's only one person I know who's on the list. She's a self-published erotica author—-"
And just as I hoped, I see Nicolaas' expression immediately changing into one of interest at my words.
Thank You, God...and sorry for this, Che-Che.
"An erotica author?" And now even Stone sets the report aside to look at me. "What does she have to do with our product?"
"She has a YouTube channel—-"
"To shoot porn?" Stone asks warily.
I quickly shake her head. "It's not that kind of channel. It's mostly about self-publishing as a business actually, but her most popular vlogs tend to be day-in-the-lifes. She got her silver play button early this year, and while her subscribers are currently at 200K, the views she gets tend to be double that in average."