I ran into Michael when I got back to the company.
I saw him when I was about to go into the elevator, but I did not talk to him since he said we should keep a distance when we were in public.
I originally wanted to wait for him to step outside before I entered, but to my surprise, he tugged me into the elevator and closed the door behind us.
“Aren’t you heading out?”
I was confused.
His silence elicited a frown on my brows, but before I could say anything, he pulled me into his arms and dipped his head, giving me a kiss.
My eyes widened in shock at his sudden gesture and my mind went blank. His kiss was gentle. I almost felt like he was kissing someone he genuinely loved.
Michael pushed me against the wall and continued kissing me.
My heart raced in excitement and fear. I was worried the door might open and people might catch us in the act, but kissing him in the elevator also gave me an inexplicable thrill.
Just as I was hoping for more, Michael pulled away from me. He looked much more collected now.
I was suddenly at a loss for words looking at him. He had always acted in unexpected ways that startled me.
“I’ll be out for the afternoon. I’ll see you after work. Make sure you go home right after work.”
The way he talked sounded as if he was ordering me, but there was also a subtle smile on his face at the same time.
I would be lying to say that I was completely unfazed by his charm. I could not help but wonder if I really had a special place in his heart, or was everything just a fling for him.
I secretly hoped I meant something to him.
“All right, I’ll be home early.”
I nodded stiffly after some time. My mind was still hooked on the thought of our relationship. He had no obligation to treat me this nicely if there was nothing serious going on between us. But, if we were really a thing, I did not understand why he wanted to keep our relationship a secret.
I really had no idea what he was trying to do. After getting an answer from me, Michael pressed a button on the elevator and walked out.
I stared at his back as he walked off and slapped myself back to reality. I had to stop myself before I got carried away. It was ridiculous for me to even think Michael and I might end up being in a serious relationship.
I dived right into work after I got back to my seat. I busied myself with work the whole afternoon as time flew by quickly.
After work, I went to a nearby supermarket to buy some ingredients so I could make some of Michael’s favorite dishes. It had become a habit for me to cook him dinner. I was not even sure if I would be able to wean myself off this habit if we were to break up one day.
Michael went straight to shower after he got home. He was exceptionally particular about his personal hygiene.
After he was done, we sat down at the table for dinner. Although my cooking was not splendid, he would always finish off everything I cooked.
When Michael was done eating, he took a napkin to wipe his mouth.
“Go get ready. We’re going to the mall,” he said softly, looking at me.
“What do you need from the mall?” I asked out of curiosity.
I felt Michael had been behaving differently. Back then, he would be so paranoid about us getting spotted by other people when we were out. I could not believe he was actually asking me to go to the mall with him.
“You’ll know when we get there.”
Instead of telling me what he wanted to buy, he left me hanging and guessing.
“What if someone sees us?”
I finally asked after much contemplation. I darted my nervous gaze at him, awaiting an answer.
“It’s normal for someone like me to have women around me all the time.”
Michael shot me an indifferent gaze.
What he said made sense. Given his wealth and status, women would be flocking to him all the time. But, it still made me wonder why he was suddenly fine with people seeing us in public.
With this question burning inside me, I decided to get to the bottom of it despite knowing Michael was a testy man.
“I thought you’ve always wanted to keep our relationship a secret?”
“Don’t you think you’re asking too many questions, Anna Garcia?”
I could tell he was annoyed by the look on his face and his tone.
I pouted my lips in dissatisfaction and kept quiet.
After washing up, I got changed and went out with him.
He brought me to the biggest mall nearby and held my hand as we walked in. That was the first time he did so, and it gave me butterflies in my stomach.
His drastic change in attitude made me doubt if all this was real.
I could feel the scrutinizing gazes of the people around us as we walked into the mall. Everyone was looking at Michael. He was like a shining star in the crowd.
Of course, I did attract attention from some of the men, but it meant nothing to me. Michael was all I cared about.
I followed his lead until we came to a store in the corner. A flush of heat rushed up to my cheeks when I looked at the store.
“Why did you bring me to a sex toy store?”
I pulled him by the arm and looked at him awkwardly. There was no way I was going in.
“We’re here to buy sex toys of course.”
Michael lugged me in, glimpsing at my shy face.
I pushed his hand away and shook my head adamantly.
“I’m not going in, Michael. We should leave.”
Never in my entire life had I gone to a sex toy shop. It was too embarrassing for me.
