Chapter 20 WE CAN BE A FRIENDS

Mary Ann was smiling after the call with John. She felt relieved. All the worries were all gone upon hearing his voice. For the past couple of days, she doesn't know what to think of. John wasn't contacting him and she started to get worried especially that he is in an unfamiliar place.

She wanted to confront him but when she heard his voice, she pitied him. He sounds exhausted. She wonders if he got any sleep while looking for his sister. She is thankful that finally, the two have already reunited with their mother.

She could see in John's face every time they talked about his little sister that he was worried about her. She could see that John is very close to his sister and that he loves him very much. He is ready to search the whole Italy just to find her and bring her back to their family.

His sister is very lucky to have a big brother like him.

Her day brightened up when she received his call.

John knew that Adrian can't refuse his request. He is like a big brother to Adrian and everything he asks him he never says no.

Adrian was very kind.

Among the three of them, he admits that he was the most naughty. Alex and Adrian don't go to clubs but he always drags them. He always asks them to go with him and they cannot refuse.

Alex and Adrian are both focused on their studies. Both are heirs of their parents' business unlike him.

He was able to build and establish his business because Adrian helped him.

He suddenly remembered Alejandro. They haven't heard any news from him since they parted ways after graduation. He is wondering how their friend's business is going now. Alejandro Smith.

He was in Italy for a few days but he forgot to contact his friend. He was so busy looking after his sister.

He dialed another number to call. He needs to check the business that he left behind while looking for his sister. He did that before taking his nap. He feels really exhausted.

Mary Ann was busy typing on the keyboard of the computer when Adrian arrived.

She noticed him approaching and she stood up then, greeted him. "Good morning sir." She said with a smile on her face.

"Good morning," Adrian glanced at her, "Mary Ann, can you please bring me a cup of coffee in my office?" He asked and then went inside his office.

Without any second thought, Mary Ann stopped whatever she was doing and stood up to make a coffee for her boss.

Knock... Knock...

"Come in.." Adrian said.

Mary Ann went inside of the room with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Adrian turned to her as he was standing looking outside the building as if thinking.

"Put it on the table," he commanded, pointing to the table in the center of the couches.

Mary Ann put down the coffee at the top of the center table.

While Adrian approaches, "Mary Ann, please be seated, I want to talk to you." He said in a gentle voice.

Mary Ann suddenly felt a bit anxious. Why would her boss suddenly want to talk to her? His boss looks serious. Did she do something wrong? Did she mess up a report?

She quickly sat opposite her boss.

Adrian spoke again, "Mary Ann, from now on, just call me Adrian if no one is around us. Let's not be too formal when nobody is around. John is my friend and once you both get married, you will call me by my name."

Mary Ann blushed at what Adrian said.

Did he know that John was courting her?

She felt a bit embarrassed that a close friend of her boss was courting her but John is so persistent.

She just bowed her head in great shame. She cannot say anything to her boss.

"Alright, also, starting today, every time you go home every afternoon, you have to wait for me. If I am busy and I haven't noticed the time, just come into my office and let me know. Don't be shy, okay?" Adrian said to her." Don't hesitate to come in and ask me. I promise that I will never get angry. I will be dropping you home." He added while looking at her and taking a sip in his coffee.

"Every morning, someone will come and pick you up. As much as I wanted to, I can't wake up so early in the morning. This is what we need to do until John is back from Canada." He continued.

"But sir, you don't have to do that. I can manage myself. But, thank you very much for your kindness." She said in a very shy voice. She doesn't know whether to get mad at John because she already told him earlier never to talk to her boss. Even if Adrian is his friend, he is still her boss." You don't really have to do this besides John isn't my boyfriend yet." She objected. She cannot allow her boss to pick and drop her. She is his personal assistance for goodness sake!

"I'm sorry Mary Ann. I cannot say "No" to my best friend. Right now, you are my responsibility, before and after work. You are a company's responsibility during working hours, and that is my promise to myself and my best friend. If you don't like this, then, you better complain to him when he comes back. " He said softly but with an authoritative tone.

Mary Ann was stunned, Mr.Romano was polite but at the same time very domineering. She doesn't know what else to say. No matter how she refuses, he is insisting like John.

"Did you understand me, Mary Ann?"

Mary Ann startled, "Yes, sir." She just said to agree because she doesn't have any choice.

"That's great. You can go back to your work now, and please exactly twelve-noon order food for us! Any food you want for lunch, we will eat together here in my office."

"Yes sir, she stood up, Sir I'm going out now to continue my work."

Adrian nodded, "Go ahead," and he took the cup of coffee with him.

The woman finally went out of the room. Adrian doesn't have any choice but to do it in a dominating way. If he won't sound firm the woman will surely refuse it which she obviously is doing but she doesn't have any choice when he uses his authoritative voice.

Mary Ann walked out of the room and finally sat down again at her desk. She is just staring at her computer screen. She closed her eyes. She doesn't know whether to laugh or cry about what just happened in her boss's office. She wished the ground would just open and swallow her because of so much embarrassment.

John didn't listen to her. She knows that he only cares about her but he didn't even consider that Adrian is his boss.

"What's going on with John? He is so demanding," she said to herself.

He even used her boss to take care of her. He asked her boss to pick her up in the morning and drop her home every afternoon. Goodness. Her boss insisted that she couldn't refuse.

He isn't yet her boyfriend but John is becoming too protective of her to the point that he even asked her boss to do such things. If Adrian wasn't her boss then she would love it but of all people, John asked him to do it and she was left with no choice.

At lunchtime, Adrian was distracted by the knock on the door.

"Come in," he said without looking in the door's direction.

"Sir, the food is here," Mary Ann was holding two paper bags of takeaway food.

"Okay let's eat," Adrian stood up and went to the table. He didn't notice that it's already lunchtime. There were a lot of papers he needed to review and sign.

While Mary Ann was unpacking the food and putting it all on the table, Adrian was already sitting in front of her.

Mary Ann sat on the opposite of Adrian.

Mary Ann felt a bit uncomfortable in front of her boss because of their conversation earlier. She can't still move on with the idea but no matter how she tries to refuse, her boss won't listen to her.

"Mary Ann," her boss called her. "Please, don't be shy when you are with me. I am not just your boss but I am John's suitor. He is my best friend. We can also be friends." Adrian said to her with a smile. "I know you aren't comfortable with what we have discussed earlier but I cannot say no to John. Let's just do that while we are waiting for him to come back. I think he should be back after a couple of days." Adrian added.