233: 044 PLAYFUL MOOD

044 PLAYFUL MOOD

What happened to the man who hates me? I ask myself, intently watching him until he vanishes from sight.1

Wasting no time, I settled on the swivel chair, and began to ease the clutter of paper works on top of my desk. 

I was looking forward to our little date tonight.

"You should have seen the look on Scarlet's face when Lucas got near you after this morning's meeting ended." Samantha began. It was our coffee break and we chatted for a while with a cup of steaming coffee in our hands. "She looks like a baby who's favorite toy was taken from her." She added, imitating Scarlet's face. Watching her almost made me choke on my coffee. "She looked green with envy and I swear I saw murder in her eyes when Lucas grinned at you."

"Lucas and I just talked about having dinner together. It's not a big deal, you know." I told Samantha who in return shot me an incredulous look.

"Not a big deal? For all I know, the entire employees in the whole building are talking about it now."

"Let them talk. At least they have something to entertain themselves today." 

"Have you noticed anything different with Mr. Alexander lately?" Samantha unexpectedly asked, awakening something that resembled curiosity and intrigue inside me.

"No." My inquiring gaze met hers. My frown deepened as I asked her. "Why do you suddenly ask?"

Samantha shrugged her shoulders. "He seems to be so different from the Mr. Alexander I'm accustomed to."

"I Hate to disappoint you but he's quite the same. I will instantly know if something in him has changed since we are living in the same home." 

Samantha wasn't convinced with it. "You're right but have you realize he might be the same on your point of view but different in ours? Let's be honest here, you can't see what we do." She reasons, trying to prove me her point.

"So what does that mean, Samantha?"

"Well, perhaps he was in—" 

"In love with me? No! Of course not." I gasped before she could finish her words off. To hear such words from her lips almost made me gag on my coffee.

"It's an assumption, not a statement." She told me with a shrug.

"That makes no difference to me, Sam. Assumption or statement, it's highly unlikely to happen. Our divorce is no secret to anyone. Everyone knows we are going to separate soon once the divorce process is done. He couldn't possibly be in love with someone like me."

It completely blew my mind thinking someone as intelligent as Sam thinks Lucas Nicholas Alexander is in love with me.

"There's a chance he is," Sam continue to hold her ground.

"No, he ask for divorce, I signed the papers, and that's it." I stressed the words with finality.

"Are you in love with him?" 

Samantha's sudden and unexpected question completely rendered me speechless. It took me long enough to answer, "No." The answer barely came out of my lips.

"That's obviously a lie." She grinned at me as she rose from her seat with the empty cup of coffee still in her hand. "Look into the mirror and say those words, Alexandria. You can fool yourself but not someone who's looking straight in your eyes."

"Break's over. I'm going back to my desk." She added, escaping my sight as fast as she could.

Sam's gone and yet I'm still staring blankly ahead, wondering if I'm that easy to read like an open book.

I'm still sorting out some papers on my desk when there was a soft knock on the door. "Just come in," I called out without tearing my gaze off my work thinking it was just Samantha returning to pick something she might have forgotten inside the office after I sent her home.

The door opened and closed again.

Samantha remained standing on the door. I could feel her intently watching me. "Is there a problem, Sam?" I raise my head to hers. However, it was not Samantha's face who I found myself staring into but Lucas'.

"Are you done?" He sank on one of the upholstered chairs before shifting his gaze back to me.

"Not yet but I'm almost finish." I stop for while to give him an apologetic look. "Are you fine waiting for a little while?"

"Don't mind me, I can wait even if it takes you an hour to do that." His lips stretched into a smile, making my heart somersault inside my rib cage.

Damn. I should have told him to wait outside. I thought to myself as I found myself rattled and distracted by his hot gaze.

Silence lapsed inside the office. 

Taking a deep breath, I refused to allow his presence to faze me. I restrained my attention from wandering elsewhere and continued my job.

Finally finished with my task, my eyes lifted to his only to discover he was still looking at me.

My cheeks heat up. "Stop looking at me like that, will you?" The words smoothly flew out of my lips before I could control my tongue.

"Why? Is it wrong to look at you the way I wanted?" He was surprisingly gentle with his words. He wasn't offended either which is a huge relief to me.

"No. It's just that—"

I fall deeper into you each time you look at me that way. I thought to myself, biting the bottom of my lips. 

"What?" He urged me to continue.

"It's making me uncomfortable especially when I'm drowning in a pool of paperworks."

A chuckle emerged from his lips.

"I see, I'll be waiting for you outside then. Don't take too long or else we will have to stay the night here in the office doing more than just paperwork."

"In the name of the Lord, I rebuke you. Get your perverted soul out of Lucas' body." I said the words with my hands cast forward as though I'm trying to drive a bad spirit away.

"Five minutes left. If you don't come out after your time is up, you know what happens." The smile on his lips grew wider. He winked at me before making a beeline straight to the door and closing it behind him.

Two minutes later, I was already out of the door, my clutch bag in my hand, and ready to leave.

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