Maya stared at the cup of coffee, apprehensively not only because she doesn't like black plain coffee in fact she knew that's what she needed at this point but she was trying to wrap her head around how nice her new boss Jared was.
Like wasn't it illegal to be this understanding and goofy, yet have so much money in your account? He made Tyler who she had thought the absolute goofball seem like a scowling monster in his charcoal black sweatshirt and denim shorts.
"I'm supposed to be giving you this." She muttered a few seconds after muttering a quick thanks and taking in a gulp of the much-needed caffeine.
She felt violated in the least. They had just taken a short break after talking to the marketing team. It'd been hours of hearing strategies and so many promotional sites, watching so many PowerPoint advertisement pitch, her ears bleed and her eyes were blurry.
"You are not my assistant. That is Maria's duty." Maya craned her neck to search for his assistant who was on an internship program and a fumbling clumsy mess.
Maya didn't know if it was just Xavier's bad influence, but it seems weird that he spoke to her so softly, despite her reoccurring errors, and knew all the workers by their first name. Despite how persistent Xavier had seemed to keep her as his assistant, then she knew she would have been sent out of his life and space if she did half the mistake Maria did.
Misplaced files, forgot important documents, space out in the middle of a meeting where she was supposed to be taking the minutes and Tyler had even impatiently commented on how she should try not tripping on her foot when he had asked her to get coffee for everybody during a meeting, a day before. Like, how could someone in a day do so many mistakes? It seemed like a superpower.
"I told Maria to go home. Seems like she has a lot on her table and everyone is so tense. Besides I'm so scared that putting a tensed Tyler and Maria in a room is a recipe for disaster." He gave her a little smile, "Tyler is short-tempered when tensed, and let's just say Maria gets even more clumsy."
Tyler is a sweetheart compared to Xavier, she wanted to quip in and then ask him how they get money in this establishment when they had such a friendly staff relationship going on but instead, she sipped her coffee staying mute.
"I know you worked for Xavier, so you probably think I'm crazy for keeping someone like Maria around as a personal assistant. Inefficient, incapable." He took the empty seat next to her and she wished that it was time to make a brief stop to the media house for another long deliberation. Anything in the world to avoid the conversation that was about ensuing that was sure to paint her as a perfect fit for Xavier matching his cold personality perfectly.
And maybe she was, she fought the urge to snap at Jessica constantly and almost slapped herself in the face when she did making the girl tremble and she bet cry at the restroom she usually run to afterward. It seemed natural demanding excellence and perfection, just like Xavier had constantly demanded of her and had pushed her till it'd become a damn challenge to her, and then she had done that but somehow now she wasn't in his world, she was in the real world, she knew she was a bit messed up and worst, she wasn't even apologetic about it.
"Yes," she mumbled too tired to come up with a pathetic lie, or perhaps she couldn't tell, but it seemed she was tired of running from her newfound bitch attitude.
He grinned at her and she rolled her eyes internally. So he was going with the good guy, nothing gets to me reply?
She emptied the remaining content of the black strong coffee into her mouth and tossed the disposable cup into the recycle bin next to her.
"You know that I don't like black coffee, not like I'm expecting you to know or make this a routine." She arched a brow, "But giving a woman you think is cold and bitter, black coffee, the judgment in your eyes is just pure obvious."
She scoffed even as he had an amused smile on his face like she was saying a joke.
He was a sugary sweet guy, saccharine type too. The man ticked off all her picket fence criteria. She could see him as a dad, as a loving husband yet that alone put him off for her.
He was too predictable, too nice, too sweet, too understanding. She wanted brooding, demanding, angry sex against the Kitchen island, she wanted filthy.
She sat up straight, eyes flashing wide open in alarm, she wanted Xavier, always had. It was freaking sick to even live with a guy with such a strong sexual air in the air and yet miraculously have not had anything to do with him sexually. Denying them both the truth, their truth.
She needed to fuck him out of her system. They needed to at least be in bed once then maybe she could focus on landing herself a sweet man like Jared, focus on starting a family. Maybe this was just a phase and after a taste, it'll be lame.
"Are you okay Maya?" She blinked to notice concerned eyes looking at her making her blush Scarlet red as she realized the peevish thought she was having in front of her boss and even more how ridiculously wet she was right now, she clenched her thighs.
Thank you frickin Xavier Salvador, even when you are not with me you torture me somehow, she thought to herself.
"You suddenly seem flush like you __"
Their eyes met and she quickly averted her gaze. She knew he was no fool, he could tell she didn't look flushed, she looked aroused. Like she was going to have a fucking orgasm just thinking of a man, just remembering how hot and talented his tongue was in-between her thighs.
"I'm fine and I'm sorry for my outburst," she couldn't meet his gaze, red with shame, "Being stressed out and tired makes me a shitty person."
"No, it just makes you human," he gave her a little smirk even as he leaned in conspiratorially like he wanted to tell her a big secret, "Being shitty is me, thinking of strangling puppies when I'm angry."
She gasped in mock horror, a smile on her face, "That is Antichrist."
They both laughed, leaning into the lounge chair looking straight ahead.
"I won't even lie. I've been anticipating to also meet Tyler's allegedly stereotyped devil of a step brother's fiancée."
She shrugged, that was expected and she got that a lot now it was normal.