A long day

Melody took a deep breath and kicked off the presentation. She spoke about all the various aspects of the proposal including details about the project's goals, objectives, budget, timeline, resources, method, and more, but Morgan was as quiet as a mouse, just staring down at the document in his hands.

What's with the eerie silence? Melody was used to his angry outbursts, but his sudden calmness was just creepy. It's terrible!

And then it happened when she was leaning in over the table, pointing out some charts in the document in his hands, when... well, something happened.

"Their schedule for the attainment of the first stage is a bit..." Melody paused in the middle of the sentence, her breath caught a little as she felt his fingers lightly touch hers. She was taken aback, because in all their two years of working for Morgan, he had never once laid a finger on her. It can't be on purpose!

His touch was like fire, sending heat straight through her clothes and into her skin. She was all tense and jittery, like her insides were turning into goo. Her brain was like screaming, "Whoa, back off buddy!" but her body had other ideas, "Hey, that feels nice, don't stop!" So, she had to make a tough choice and awkwardly yank her hand away, clenching her teeth in the process.

With a little cough to clear the air, Melody powered through the rest of her presentation with what little energy she had left.

Once the presentation was done and dusted, Morgan flipped open the folder that Melody had put together for him. Even though she kept his schedule all organized and up-to-date on all her techy gadgets, Morgan still liked having a handy little memo with the important stuff.

And as usual, Melody tried to keep it sound fun.

"Oh yes, Mr. Blodwyn. I forgot to tell you that they just called from the Mayor's office," said Melody. "They want to postpone the meeting time to later at 18:30."

Morgan snorted in annoyance and tapped his finger on the table. "Well, I guess so it can't be helped. It looks like tonight will be too late to come home, Melody."

"Isn't that always the case?"

Morgan raised an eyebrow at him while he typed the password into the computer. "Occupational risk."

It was a long day.

Boy oh boy, what a day it's been! It felt like it just went on and on, and on. It was one of those days where you just want to crawl onto bed and forget the whole thing ever happened. But alas, tomorrow is a new day!

Melody handled a bit of trouble at one of the construction sites, covering up rumors of a potential takeover Morgan was preparing and avoiding questions from reporters about him and his girlfriend.

Rumors had been circulating for months about their planned engagement and marriage in the near future, but Melody told them in no uncertain terms that Morgan's private life was his personal matter and that Xicorra Corporation had no information about it.

Not that he's going to talk to me about that, Melody thought. Morgan was the epitome of ruggedly chiseled elegance and Melody loved to see the glint in his eyes when he was passionate about an idea or creating the perfect business strategy. But he hardly ever talked about his relationship with Sarah. Not when Melody saw that the man was also involved in relationships with many other women.

Over the years working here, Melody has learned not to interfere in her boss' personal matters or she will lose her job.

Melody knocked on Morgan's door around 9:00 p.m. to tell him she was going home. "Mr. Blodwyn? Do you need anything before I come home?"

Melody was taken aback to see Morgan seated in one of the leather chairs, instead of being behind his desk. The view of the city's skyline, illuminated by distant lights, was breathtaking. Despite his typically harsh features, including a sharp nose and thick hair, Morgan's lips had a softness to them that seemed out of place on a man.

His office was grand, with large windows that provided ample natural light and a stunning view of the city's towering skyscrapers. The framed photo of Morgan and Sarah on his desk was a frequent point of interest for Melody. Sarah looked radiant and happy in the picture, perfectly complementing Morgan. However, every time Melody saw pictures of them together in newspapers or on social media, it stirred up a painful feeling inside her.

She swallowed nervously. It was a constant battle for her to resist the temptation of breathing in his alluring cologne or witnessing that rare, restrained smile that he occasionally gave.

Morgan sighed and looked at her. "Melody. Sorry I kept you here for so long." He insisted to call Melody's name when they were alone or after work hours.

"No problem, Mr. Blodwyn. Is there anything I need to do?"

As Morgan paused, Melody thought about when she started working in this office and was first sent to Morgan's room, when the man glanced at her and she felt threatened from head to toe.

"No," he said softly.

"Okay, Mr. Blodwyn. Have a good night," Melody said, but hesitated in the doorway. Morgan appeared uncharacteristically flustered and uncertain, leaving Melody unsure whether to leave or stay.

"Wait a moment!" Morgan set his wine glass down on the marble counter. "Would you like to stay a while? I know I have no right to ask you."

Melody comprehended that Morgan was in need of someone to talk to, a listener to alleviate his weariness. Therefore, she acknowledged his request and nodded. As Morgan smiled at her, small creases of concern formed at the corners of his eyes.

Melody approached Morgan unsteadily and he was pouring himself a drink, but when he looked at her, he stopped and offered her a drink as well.

She declined politely, explaining that she had never consumed alcohol before and didn't want it to mess her brain and common sense. Instead, he gave her a diet coke from his minibar, which she gratefully accepted with a smile.

As she sat on the plush couch, the smooth leather grazed against her bare legs covered only in black stockings. She couldn't help but notice the contrast of her short gray formal suit against the luxurious furniture of Morgan's office. Despite the discomfort of the situation, Melody tried to maintain a professional demeanor, focusing on the matter at hand.

Morgan reclined in his chair and gazed intently at Melody. "You don't have a problem with working late and always coming home so late?" he asked.

Melody shook her head. "I completely understand the situation, Mr. Blodwyn. Other than that, what other options are there?" Melody asked, tilting her head slightly.

Morgan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Honestly, not many. I could delegate some tasks to others, but I don't trust them to handle it as efficiently as I can. And I can't afford to fall behind schedule."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Well, I'm willing to help however I can."

His lips curled into a small smile. "I appreciate that, Melody. You're proving to be a valuable asset to the team."

Her cheeks flushed with pride. "Thank you, sir. I'll do my best to assist you in any way I can."

"What I meant before was about going home and seeing a loving husband every night," says Morgan. "A settled life. Adorable kids. A dog that greets you at the door."

Melody raised her eyebrows. "That would not be satisfactory. What made you think that it would satisfy me?"