Chapter Six

"What does he want with me"

"Does he want to fire me?"

"Maybe he no longer thinks I deserve the position"

"Or he wants to discuss office matters with me"

"I think I should apologise. I was wrong to have ghosted him after all"

"What if he doesn't even want anything to do with me" these and many more were Ivy's thoughts and she felt like her head was about to explode as she made her way to Richard Stone's office for the second time in one hour. She could feel sweat beads trickle down her neck as she knocked on his door.

"Come in" she heard him say from the opposite side of the door in his deep and masculine voice

"Oh my God, he has made up his mind," Ivy thought, as she opened the door

"Miss Jakes" he murmured in acknowledgement

"I'm sorry" Ivy blurted out

"Sorry for what?" Richard asked her, confused, holding her gaze in a way that made her forget how to talk

"I promise to do my best on this job. Please don't fire me" Ivy continued, settling her eyes on a spot on his chest so she would not be flustered by his direct gaze; she was determined that nothing would take her job away from her, especially not now that she had been promoted - a feat she had worked towards all her career

"What are you talking about?" Richard inquired, confusion still evident in his voice

"I-i know you are not happy with me and you have every reason to fire me"

"Can you just go straight to the point?" Richard asked, getting impatient

"T-the letter" Ivy stammered hoping that he would somehow change his mind

"Oh, the letter" it was Richard's deep throaty laughter that brought her out from her thoughts

Ivy didn't think that listening to someone laugh could be so soothing. It sounded melodious - like the music she never wanted to stop listening to

Wait.

"Why is he laughing" Ivy thought

"You just gave me every reason to laugh"

"Oh my God, I said that out loud. There is certainly no hope for me" Ivy mumbled

"What is the content of this letter you talk about?" Richard asked her, his voice laced with amusement. He sure was enjoying watching her squirm under his gaze

"Ermmm, I-i'm not sure" Ivy muttered, realizing that she had not even opened the letter she was so bothered about. Ivy shakily peeled the brown envelope that had suddenly become heavy in her hands open; she took her time to carefully unfold the neatly folded sheet of paper to read through

"Yes?" Richard urged, his eyes dancing with amusement

"It says I have a conference to attend" Ivy whispered, wishing the earth would cave in and swallow her; her skin becoming crimson as she remembered the display she had put on earlier and how foolish she must have looked

"That's right, we have a conference to attend and I need you to prepare for it"

"Alright, sir- we? Did you say we?" Ivy fumbled with her words

"Yes, miss Jakes, we are both going to attend the conference. Do you have a problem with that?"

"N-no, not at all sir" Ivy replied to him as she made to leave his office

"Check your mail for the necessary documents you need to prepare for the conference"

"Alright sir," Ivy said in a rush, relieved to finally leave his office, and get away from his scrutinizing gaze

"And, there is no need to address me as sir now, is there?" Richard said, still steadily looking at her; He thought she looked timid and shy, the direct opposite of the outspoken and strong-willed woman he had met and became fond of in Vegas. "You can call me Richard", he added, as if sensing her discomfort and confusion

"Yes sir, sorry R-Richard", Ivy said so quickly, like his name was a flame that would burn her tongue if she said it for too long

As Ivy made her way out of his office, she could feel his eyes on her; she sighed in relief as she finally closed the door behind her. Her mind wandered back to the time they spent together in Vegas; she had liked every single moment they shared- from the first time she set her eyes on him, to the time they both danced to the music that played in the club without any care in the world, to the time they spent together in his suite talking about everything and nothing, and the drunken kiss they had shared; she remembered vividly the feel of his lips, the way his lips moulded perfectly with hers like they were made specifically for each other.....as Ivy thought of these events, she could only hope that he had been too drunk to remember as they now had to go on this conference together.

As Richard sat at his desk in his office, his mind wandered to the week that proved to be the most interesting week he had experienced in a long time- the week he spent in Vegas. He had gone to Vegas to oversee the yearly matchmaking event he organized anonymously to raise funds for charity. What he didn't expect was that he would meet a woman that would become the centre of his thoughts. He recalled how it seemed like time had stopped, and the only thing he could see was the beautiful lady in a little black shiny dress that had just stepped into the event arena. He had never seen such gorgeous olive skin, with a smile so captivating....and oh the most elegant dentition he had ever laid eyes on. His eyes followed her every move as she made her registration and proceeded to the seat assigned to her. He watched as she interacted with so much respect and the way she laughed freely- a genuinely happy smile

"What is that lady's number?"He directed the question to Ty, the guy in charge of the event

"Fifty-three sir" he replied, wondering why he needed such information

"Match me with her

"B-but sir, you are not supposed to take part in the event"

"Just do as you're told "

Now had to go on a conference with this same lady....and as her boss