What makes you think that? She wanted to yell in his face, but those words incited a bit of rage.
The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them,
"I don't know what you want from me, but I don't know you, Sir." She said it as calmly as she could.
"You don't?"
There it was in his tone, denial. Now, to cement her lie,
"Nope. As I said, you're confusing me with someone else. I don't know how many times I'm going to reiterate that. I'm very tired of this back-and-forth. It's time for you to move on or carry on looking for this mysterious woman."
He seemed to think for a bit; was he finally going to relent?
"Then let me test it out."
Test? How? What was he on about now?
"Test what out?"
"To see if you are not the woman I'm looking for, that I'm mistaken as you say."
"How so?"
"Let me kiss you."
Ayla gasped in shock. Was she dreaming? Had he just asked to kiss her? She now noticed how close they were once more.
She needed some space from him,
"What?" She managed to let out.
This man that could bring any woman to their knees, and yet here he was wanting to kiss her?
Her of all people, was he out of his mind?
"You heard me." He was firm in his response.
She shook her head frantically, not wanting to consider it at all!
"I can't, I mean we can't. I'm your employee, and that is against the rules. The company comes first and so do the rules, as I......….."
He cut her off,
"I'm the CEO, I make the rules, and an exception will be made."
Ayla was astounded at his words, he wanted to make an exception for... for what? For her?
"That is not even necessary, Sir; my word should be more than enough."
"But it isn't."
"It should be, Sir. This is a work environment and should remain that way."
"If I don't want it that way?"
She swallowed; maybe he had issues with being wrong? Was he willing to go that far?
"Is this about proving a point?"
"What point would I want to prove?"
"You tell me, Sir."
He seemed to be exasperated with her, but so was she.
"This could be simply solved, Ayla."
"You are right, I am your employee, nothing more, nothing less."
"Ayla, just tell me the truth."
"The truth about what?"
"That night."
"Nothing happened."
"May I cut in?"
They both turned, and it was another senior. Ayla breathed out in relief,
She pulled her hand from Xavier as quickly as she could, "Not at all. Excuse me."
She made her way back to her seat, and other employees came to her.
"Are you dating Xavier?" Delia asked.
"No, I'm not!"
They all nodded. "Don't worry about it, Ayla. We believe you."
Ayla wondered why she would be worried.
"Her, dating the boss? There is no way! That is a crime on its own." Another girl replied.
Now, where did she come from? Was it necessary?
"Then why does he keep on seeking her out, and you can see how he watches her." Said Carrie.
They all seemed to take in Carrie's words, as weirdly appreciative as she was thanks to her friend who saw her dating someone like Xavier, but she groaned inwardly about the unwanted attention that she had brought to her.
"Tell us." Said Antonella.
"No, I don't know why he keeps on looking for me. I might remind him of someone he knows."
"Definitely not in the love department." This time, it was Shelly.
"What do you think?" Carrie asked her.
"About?"
"Do you think he views you as a love interest?"
She remembered his words, clear as day, asking to kiss her.
"No, he doesn't."
"Carrie, you have drunk too much." Another girl added.
"I haven't, I don't think."
"Are you sure? Because you are sounding a bit crazy, thinking that Ayla of all people has a chance with the boss."
"Even if he wasn't the CEO, if he was a regular guy, he wouldn't go for her."
"Yet he is sparing her time now?" Carrie hit back.
"Because he a caring man, he is leading by example, that he includes everyone."
"My theory is that he knows that every girl in here wants to dance with him, so what is the best choice? To pick the latter." This time it was Claire and when had she arrived?
Everyone seemed to be eating her words, and could see that Carrie too was being sold on the story.
"You are a genius, Claire, same with the camp. You need to be more courageous, Ayla." Another girl added.
"Courageous?" She asked, wondering now what the hell that had to do with anything.
"Yes, show the boss that you can stand on your own two feet and that you are not sad."
"What makes you think I give off that?" She replied.
"If the boss keeps on coming to check up on you and giving you special attention, then it just shows." Another employee added.
Who were all these people on her case?
"No, I don't. Maybe he is the one with the problem, not me."
"The CEO has the problem?" Antonella replied.
She shrugged, "You never know."
"Yes, sure he does, but not you........" Another employee replied in a mocking tone.
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