Sixteen.

Jake's POV

"Sir, your 10 o'clock... Miss Chester is on her way up." I nodded as I tried to hide my excitement and nervousness. "She is said to have a partner with her sir. Should I let them both in?" A partner? Is it a female or a male?

"Send them in as soon as they get here." I told her. I had expected Amanda to leave after receiving my response, but she stayed.

"Sir, permit me to make an input." I gave her a nod to go ahead. In the years she had worked for me, one thing was for a fact, Amanda doesn't interfere in my affairs except when it becomes necessary.

"If I were her, I might slap you sir when I walk in here." I raised a brow at her words. "There is an obvious chemistry between you two, and for the longest time since..., you smiled genuinely and it is not because your friend is busy making a clown out of himself or because his wife stopped by to check on you. Do you realize how happy it made me when I saw you two together the last time she was here, but you reassigned her and now, you suddenly want her back here working with you?!" She seemed to be trying to calm herself before she continued.

"If you are still uncertain about your feelings then, let her go back to Mr. Sanders. You shouldn't hurt the young lady that way. Your mom raised you better. Even an old lady like myself is this upset, I can only imagine how Miss Chester must be feeling." With those words, she marched out of the office without waiting to hear my reply.

Amanda had been one of the youngest staff who worked here while I was a teenager. Although she is in her fifties, she doesn't look it. When I took over as CEO, dad suggested I keep her by my side.

He said she would be the best person to keep you in check.

We have worked together for several years now, and he couldn't have been more right.

'I should prepare my cheeks for a slap then.' I smiled but the knock on my door made the smile clear off my face almost immediately.

"Go in," I heard Amanda say as she held the door open but instead of Zandia walking in, a lady who isn't her walked in. This must be her partner.

As though seeing the question on my face, she smiled. "Powder room." She said. "Zandia, she stopped by the powder room." She added looking around the office.

"By the way, I am Sam... Samantha Chester. Zandia's big sister and sort of business partner." Now that explains the slight resemblance. If she is family, I should be on my best behavior then.

"Hello Samantha. I am Jake." I stood up out of reflex as I gave her my hand for a handshake.

"Of course I know that, I mean your name, not your face obviously," she chuckled nervously. "No one knows your face, I don't mean everyone, of course, those close to you does, but not the media. I am talking nonsense right? I think I should shut up." She blew out air from her mouth which was quite funny.

"Please sit."

"Thank you. And your office, I must say it looks perfect. You know, how I imagined a CEO's office to look like."

"Thank you." I smiled in appreciation.

"I promised Zanny I wouldn't do this, but then, I mean there was this joke about you possibly looking like a troll which you don't look like. If your face is called a troll, I wonder what a lot of us will be referred to as. So why? Why do you avoid the camera so intensely?" A reporter, I see?

"I just love to live life as it comes daily." My family had gotten rid of the media from capturing my face because they wanted me to live as normal as I could, at least till I was grown enough to choose the life I wanted for myself. And when I finally grew up, I didn't want the media and blogs to be in my business so I kept the restriction going.

"Wow. But do you think..." She suddenly coughed awkwardly as she heard the door being pushed open. Zandia walked in looking just as beautiful and confident as she had been during our first meeting. Her hair was neatly packed and I wondered how gorgeous she would look if I pulled the band from it. Her trousers fitted her perfectly, those thick hips of hers that had been haunting me every night were perfectly highlighted.

"Hello, Mr. Zaid." Her voice brought me back from my thoughts. Formal... Too formal.

"Zandia." I tried smiling as I hoped she would realize I wanted us to be just as casual as we had been with each other.

"I was surprised to find out I have been reassigned to work with you." The accusation in her tone wasn't unnoticed.

"Yes, I had been preoccupied with some things so I had to send you elsewhere temporarily." That wasn't a total lie. I just didn't realize my sending her to Sanders would be temporary.

"I think I should use the powder room. Please excuse me." Sam and Zandia shared a look before she left the room.

"I am sorry. You are angry and you have every right to be. Truthfully, I doubt you will want to work with me right now, so if you want, you can work with Amanda instead. I just wanted to talk to you." I wasn't dense to not know she might hate my guts now. And as tempting as it is to put myself under her nose, I wouldn't want to become a distraction for her while she works, and neither would I like it if she saw me as a bother.

"Thank goodness because I wouldn't like to work with someone who probably hates me." Hate her? Where is she getting that idea from?!

"Why would you..."

"Why wouldn't I huh? You see me and walk the opposite direction, you foking  pretended like you do not know me. So why shouldn't I assume you hate me?" She glared at me. She looked so angry and fierce and all I could think of was how beautiful she looked right now.

"I don't hate you Zandia. Far from it actually. When I said I sent you to Sanders because I had to deal with something, well what I needed to deal with was the memories of a certain brunette who had been invading my thoughts. If I am anything towards you, then it will be that I am addicted to you Zandia."