Date The CEO.com

Chapter 153: Mind if We Take this Elsewhere?

"You really need to be aware of where you are touching."

Eve's face paled.

He was right. She wasn't thinking about where she was dustingjust that she needed to remove the flour. They were evident on his vest and on his pants. Her instincts told her to start there. Where could she have

Her face had gone completely white.

"It was an accident!" Eve defended, widening her eyes. Did she really? She had no memory of it. She would have noticed something if she had. It was a conspicuous spot after all. Heat rose up her neck and into her cheeks.

Had she really!

Ambryan sighed. He let her hands go and turned around. He figured Evangeline needed some privacy at what just happened. Hopefully, it could lessen the awkward atmosphere. He attempted to remove the flour but they clung to his clothes like glue. 

"We can't go for a stroll like this," he said after a while. He angled his body back in her direction. His gaze flickered towards her clothes. "And you don't look any better either. Do you want to change here or do you want to change somewhere else?"

Eve knitted her eyebrows. "Somewhere else?"

"My penthouse is not far from here."

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Full blonde fringes covered a woman's forehead. She pulled down her sunglasses to reveal a pair of teal eyes. Leather soles of oxford shoes tapped against the floorboards. Her low ponytail swung behind her neck. 

The store representative assessed her clothing.

Each piece of her all-black suit had been tailored to her measurements. They had been ironed to withstand any possible creases from physical activities. Her dark presence contrasted against the bright and pastel colors of the dress shop.

'Get her something purple,' the words repeated in Wen's head. She blew a raspberry and continued to search for a good one. She could ask the help of the store representative but it would be better if she looked by herself first. 

Another woman walked to her side. Coffee skin and raven hair wore a similar black suit. Green flecks slithered across her cyan eyes like garden vines. She followed behind Wen and looked through the clothes.

"What do you think?" Nanzie asked out of the blue.

Wen glanced in her direction, thinking she held a dress. "About what?"

Nanzie shrugged. She took a step forward and went through an entire rack of blouses. "About the relationship of our employers, of course."

Wen stiffened. Her nostrils flared as she resumed her search. Her voice came out crisp and blunt. "I don't think it's our place to comment on it."

"We won't be interfering. I was just curious since you have been there from the beginning," Nanzie explained. She valued her job but there were times when she felt like she had lost herself. Talking about nonsensical topics helped ease that feeling. 

Was it bad to have her own thoughts on the situation?

"It's still none of our business," Wen reminded her. If they developed strong opinions, it could hinder their work. They must never interfere unless it threatened the lives of their employers. 

Speaking of opinions out loud was the first step in that direction.

She pulled out a wine dress. The skirt ballooned a bit and ended just around the knee. "What do you think of this one?"

Nanzie shook her head. "Too red."

Then, Wen showed her a different dress.

She scrunched her nose. "That would make her look like a table."

Wen nearly groaned. She hadn't shopped for a dress in years. Imaginary dark clouds surrounded her. Why did her boss just have to say he was counting on her for this assignment?

Nanzie rubbed her back, grabbing the last dress on the rack. It had short bell sleeves and a wrapped skirt. The flowery fabric flowed like water. "How about this one? I think it looks good on a lady boss."

Wen lifted her head up. The dress was simple but it showcased elegance. She nearly cried from the success of their search. Nanzie had been such a blessing to her. "I'm very glad that you're here with me."

Nanzie chuckled and tossed the dress over her shoulder. "No problem."

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Once they reached the car, Nanzie chose the passenger seat. She had been the driver on their way to the shop. It was Wen's turn to drive. "Forget about your current opinion. I want to know what you wish for them."

Wen paused from buckling her seatbelt. It seemed that her companion wouldn't let this topic go. She heaved a sigh and turned on the engine. "I sincerely wish they find happiness."

Nanzie scanned the parking lot, finding nothing to be out of place. "Have you ever dug into her private life even without orders?"

"Why would I do something against my employer's instructions?" Wen shot back. It wouldn't be right to do anything if it wasn't part of the agreement. To honor it was part of the job. How else could Ambryan maintain his trust?

"Answering my question with another one, I see." Nanzie chuckled again. Before Wen could say anything else, she nodded her head towards the nearest exit. "Come on, we can't leave them for long."

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"Remind me again why we're here?"

Eve stood at the end of a short hallway. Blue skies greeted her sight from the other side of the window. Her jumper dress and boots had suffered the most from the 'incident'. She even thought about covering the other spots in flour, considering that could mask her disheveled look.

Unfortunately, Ambryan would still want to change. The tiniest stain could put him off. It came to the point where the office had a spare suit inside a closet. 

Ambryan walked ahead. He took off his watch. It was the easiest to clean but a bit of powder could have slipped inside. "My secretary is on her day off. I don't call her as much as possible and ask Wen instead to fulfill tasks I'd normally give to her. Since she and Nanzie would be out for a while, the penthouse is the best place for security."

"But we have two entire teams of security." Eve stepped further inside, one foot at a time. 

"It still poses a risk. Enemies could strike if they saw Wen and Nanzie without us."

"I see."

Ambryan gave her one last look before disappearing to his bedroom. "Make yourself comfortable."

Eve bit her tongue. She couldn't remember the last time she set foot in this penthouse. It had the same floor to ceiling windows of the CEO Office. An ivory carpet laid beneath a modern sofa set that surrounded an obsidian table. 

Her visit only happened because the document needed an original signature.

She recalled how fast her heartbeat sped at the time. 

Her current one could rival it. 

Soft fur brushed her black boots. Eve didn't pay it much attention. Her footwear had thick layers of cloth. She could hardly feel the sensation. Instead, she headed for the sofa and chose the one that had its back towards the master bedroom.

The feline hopped to her lap as soon as she sat down.

"Kiri!" Eve yelled in a whisper. 

The albino cat sat on her hind legs. Her long bushy tail swung over Eve's knees. A tiny smile stretched on her lips while she stared at the visitor. It's been a while since she saw a face other than her hooman's.

"Meow!" 

"Aw, I missed you too."

Eve picked the cat up and cradled her like a baby. Her heart melted at the warm welcome. Just like before, all her nerves had evaporated. She even stayed a few minutes longer just to pet the feline.

"Meow!" Kiri rubbed her head against Eve's chest. She sniffed the latter's scent. Something masked it but there was no denying that this was the same person from that time. Eve had brought the best tasting can of tuna she ever had in all her cat lives.

"Evangeline" Ambryan interrupted. Two heads turned towards him. His eyebrows shot up from the display. Tucking his hands in his pant pockets, he said, "I see you met Kiri."

"Meow~" his cat affirmed. She stayed in Eve's embrace and laid her body sideways. Her tail continued to sway, indicating how comfortable she felt in this position.

A tinge of jealousy pricked Ambryan in the chest.

"We're getting acquainted." Eve defended. She pulled Kiri closer to her face and rubbed their cheeks together for a second. Her lips stretched into a bright smile. "I hope you don't mind. You did just disturb our discussion."

"And what sort of discussion are you having?"

"If you really go to sleep after sending a good night message," she lied. The topic did appear in her mind whenever she saw how much work he had done over the weekend. The only living thing that could answer that was the ball of fur in her arms.

She suddenly hoped her lie could be the truth.

"Well, I have a better topic." Ambryan held the backrest of the sofa. "I decided not to change yet since we'll continue making the cookies. Why not start it now? I'm sure Kiri would helpby watching and not getting in our way that is."