8 The painting

After Gordon Zhou left, Charlotte washed up the dishes and put away the leftovers. She packed some of them into a thermal container for lunch the next day.

She went to the washroom and filled her tub with warm water and lit a lavender scented candle. As she soaked in the tub she marveled that a day that had begun in such an awful way could end so well.

That morning she had been afraid of Gordon Zhou's anger. That evening he was a dinner guest in her home. Her head spun when she tried to wrap her mind around how that had happened.

Before she'd even applied for the job at Rising Sun she had heard of Gordon Zhou's cold, harsh, and domineering personality. But she needed a job and he was offering one she was more than qualified for, so she'd swallowed her fear and applied; and though it was true he was introverted and cold, she didn't find him to be harsh or unkind. She truly thought there had to be more to him under the surface than the descriptions others had for him. She wanted to draw him out and know him better.

"Oh Charlotte! What are you thinking?! You can't have a crush on your boss! Especially not on the first day!"

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Gordon rolled over in bed and stared at the clock. At this rate he wasn't sure if he'd ever get to sleep.

He'd never felt so conflicted in his life. When it came to business he was decisive, confident, and powerful. He had an aura that silenced his biggest opponents. Today, after meeting Charlotte, he felt terrified. Before her he was self conscious, vulnerable, but hopeful at the same time. These feelings frightened him and made him uncomfortable. He didn't want to deal with these feelings so he decided he'd push them from his mind and strengthen his reserved behavior like always.

That is, until the next morning when she knocked briskly and immediately entered his office.

"Good morning!" She called cheerfully with a smile.

"Good morning." His tone could have frozen water but she ignored it. She approached his desk with a coffee cup from the shop downstairs and sat it in front of him. He looked at her in confusion.

"It's to replace the one I spilled on you yesterday. It's black. I wasn't sure how you liked it so I didn't add anything. And if you'll give me your dry cleaning bill I'll pay for the shirt I stained." Charlotte explained.

He stared at her for several moments and finally said, "one cream and two sugars."

She blinked several times in confusion.

"It's...it's how I take my coffee." He said in a low voice.

"Oh! I'll take it to the break room and adjust it accordingly." She said, grabbing the coffee and running out.

He stared after her as if in a trance. Her emerald green dress hugged all of her curves perfectly and showcased her long, white legs. Her soft fragrance lingered behind her. He was going to go mad.

He didn't notice his assistant enter his office and stare at him in shock. The absent minded smile the CEO wore was unprecedented. Suddenly Charlotte came back with his updated coffee.

"I hope this is better. Oh! Am I interrupting the two of you?" Charlotte asked.

Gordon motioned for her to approach. He reached out to take the coffee from her and brushed her hand. He felt her hand tremble. His eyes shot to her face. Her eyes held a tenderness that caused him to hold his breath.

"I hope you like this one better." She said gently. He swallowed hard.

"I will. Come back later and discuss the painting." He said in a low and tense voice. She nodded and left. He kept his eyes on her until she disappeared. His assistant looked on in disbelief.

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Charlotte spent the morning working steadily. There was a knock at her open door. She looked up to see a young woman holding some papers.

"Hey! You're new here!" The woman exclaimed.

"Yes, I'm Charlotte Xia. The new secretary." Charlotte introduced herself.

"I'm Rachel Gu. I work in accounting." She said.

"Nice to meet you! What can I do for you today?" Charlotte asked.

"Purchase orders for Mr. Zhou to sign. Can you give them to him please? And would you like to join me for lunch in the canteen?" Rachel asked.

"Yes to both." Charlotte said with a smile.

After Rachel left, Charlotte took the purchase orders to Mr. Zhou's office and knocked.

"Enter!" He called out.

Charlotte approached his desk and placed the purchase orders near him.

"These need your signature." She said.

He picked up a pair of gold rimmed glasses and glanced over them. Wordlessly he signed and handed them back to her.

"Thank you." She turned to leave.

"Miss Xia! His sharp voice held a trace of panic.

"The painting." He said simply.

She stopped and sat on the sofa across from his desk. He quickly joined her on the sofa and turned to her.

"Tell me what you have in mind." She began.

He pointed to the wall behind his desk.

"I'd like something to fill in that space and catch attention when people enter. I like the landscapes you painted." He elaborated.

"Is there a particular landscape you'd like? A particular color scheme?" Charlotte asked.

"That I'll leave to your discretion." He said simply.

"Do you mind if I come back after lunch and measure the wall space? I need to know the dimensions of the canvas to prepare." Charlotte asked.

"Of course! I'll have my assistant bring a step ladder and measuring tape." Gordon promised.

"See you after lunch then?" Charlotte asked.

He started to ask her to lunch but the words stuck in his throat.