by Marian Tee
“Oh hon, even if I stop talking about him, you’ll still think about him.” Maggie shook her head ruefully. “Whether you admit it or not, you pinned a lot of your hopes on that guy, and after finding out he may have a kid---”
“He does,” Vivian said stubbornly.
“You’re still reeling from the discovery,” Maggie finished triumphantly. “It’s no good running away from your thoughts, Vi. I know from experience. You just need to embrace the pain---”
Vivian mumbled her answer as she munched her toast.
Maggie frowned. “What?”
Hurriedly getting up from her seat, Vivian drank the rest of her coffee before answering, “I said, I don’t even get what you mean about embracing the pain. I told you, Mags. Stop using too pretty words that seem to say one thing but mean the other. It makes my head hurt.”
Taking her bag from the couch, she slung the strap over her shoulder and waved goodbye to her friend. “See you later, and yes, dinner and dishwashing on me tonight.”
“No need, I’m going out on a date.”
“Eric?”
Maggie snorted. “Eric who?”
She gasped. “Maggie!”
“I get bored easily, so sue me.”
Shaking her head, Vivian said with a sigh, “Just take care, and try not to take break any hearts tonight.”
“Yes, Mom,” she heard Maggie call out to her teasingly as she stepped out of their apartment.
Running down the stairs, Vivian shook her head at Maggie’s flippant attitude towards the other sex. Why couldn’t she find it just as easy to move on? She remembered her roommate’s advice, which she honestly still didn’t get. Did embracing the pain mean allowing the tears to fall while she listened to love songs or watched Romeo and Juliet?
That would only make her more depressed and get her to slow down at work.
She shook her head to herself.
No, it was just better to keep pushing all thoughts of him to the back of her head while she focused on her work. She had to just keep pushing and pushing until she completely forgot all about him.
It was a good plan…until she made it to her second job and saw the crowd that had formed in front of the lobby’s announcement board.
That was weird, she thought. At five in the afternoon, most of the people were usually in a hurry to leave. Possibly, the newest announcement had just been posted. Tiptoeing, she tried to see what they were all staring at but when it proved impossible, she reluctantly turned away and headed to the employees’ entrance at the side. When it was her turn to clock in, Vivian asked the lady guard, “What’s going on, Gloria?”
The fortyish blonde shrugged. “Oh, it’s just the usual M&A.”
Although neither of them had a business degree, hanging around over sixty hours a week around corporate professionals had them well versed in their bosses’ language, and Vivian nodded in understanding. M&As or mergers and acquisitions could be good or bad, depending on who was taking over.
“You know how it goes,” Gloria was saying as Vivian moved aside to let other employees clock in. “Negotiations are kept hush-hush then when money’s been exchanged, boom! People come to work and they have no idea they’re about to be laid off.”
Shifting on her feet, Vivian asked curiously, “So which company is absorbing which?”
“Some kind of billion-dollar technology firm called LV is taking over---”
“Louis Vuitton?” Vivian blurted out in surprise.
Gloria rolled her eyes. “I wish it was that exciting, but no. It’s also European, though. Italy, I think. All the info’s on the board, as well as a list of names that the bigwigs want to meet.”
“And the company being absorbed?”
Gloria blinked. “Oh, so you really don’t know anything about it?” She gave Vivian an uncomfortable smile. “It’s your company.”
Vivian gasped. “What?” The company she worked for happened to own the entire twenty-story building they were in, and she hadn’t heard a single peep that it was in trouble.
From behind them, a male voice asked regretfully, “You’ve heard then?”
Recognizing the voice, Vivian immediately felt her throat tightening in shyness. As she turned around to face the newcomer, she saw Taylor Bainbridge smiling at her. Of medium height and with sandy brown hair, Taylor was extremely attractive and only a year older than her. He was also considered one of their company’s rising stars, which was why she wasn’t surprised when the other office cleaners were again shooting her nasty looks upon seeing him talking to her.
Trying to ignore the way Gloria was grinning so knowingly at her, she managed to keep her voice from croaking as she asked, “Did you know about it, Mr. Bainbridge?”
Taylor’s lips twitched. “Every time you call me that, it just cracks me up. It’s almost like we didn’t go to the same high school.”
She smiled weakly. “Company policy, you know.”
“I understand, and to answer your question…” He looked at her guiltily. “I did hear about it, but it was just a few days ago.” Taylor sighed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you, though. It was classified information.”
Reddening at his belief that he owed her an apology, she stammered right away, “Y-you didn’t need to tell me anything.”
Taylor cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I’m sure your name isn’t on the list so…”
“I’m glad…” Her voice trailed off as she tried but failed to think of what else to say.
They stared at each other.
Gloria coughed after a moment, saying, “You know, you two can catch up with each other at a different place. Sorry Mr. Bainbridge, but you’re holding up the line.”
Following Gloria’s gaze, Vivian colored when she saw that the other woman was telling the truth. But then she saw something else---
Behind the long line of maintenance employees waiting to clock in was a man in a pinstriped suit, light blue eyes blazing with what could only be fury.
Gian.
Without thinking, she whirled around and walked away.
He was even more handsome than she had allowed herself to remember, Vivian thought despairingly, and so much sexier. Her chest heaved when she remembered the way he had stared so angrily at her, and Vivian’s fists clenched.
Taylor came after her almost immediately, asking in concern, “Are you okay? You turned pale all of a sudden.”
“I…I…” I had just seen the guy who I almost fell in love with? The same guy who happened to be married and with a kid? Mentally cringing at the idea of revealing to Taylor just how foolish she had acted over a guy she barely knew, she said instead, “It might be my migraine.”
He frowned. “Do you want me to take you to the clinic?”
She shook her head hastily. “No, it’s okay, I’m used to it, umm, coming and going.” She couldn’t quite meet Taylor’s eyes as she uttered the lie. They stepped inside the elevator together, Taylor taking the initiative to punch the buttons for their floors.
“Tenth, right?”
She nodded.
“You sure you’re alright?”
She made herself look at him and forced a smile, saying, “Thank you for being so nice to me---” Although Taylor returned her smile, it was one that didn’t reach his eyes, and her voice faltered.
“Vivian…”
She watched him take a deep breath, and she bit her lip hard at the sudden urge she had to run away. But then a moment later, the doors opened to her floor, making Vivian almost sigh in relief. “This is me,” she said awkwardly, all the while forcing herself not to just bolt out of the elevator like she wanted.
“And so it is.” Although Taylor’s voice was pleasant, his eyes were intensely focused on Vivian, and a shiver of awareness ran down her spine.
As she turned her back on him and stepped out, fingers suddenly encircled her wrist from behind, and she stiffened. A moment later, Taylor was standing right next to her, his breath tickling her hair as he muttered, “I thi
nk it’s time we cleared the confusion and I lay it all out in the open once and for all.”
Vivian’s eyes widened.
“I’m not just being nice when I talk to you and spend time with you, Vivian. I like you. I’m attracted to you, and I want you to go out with me.”
Taylor’s grip on her wrist loosened.
By the time she found the courage to turn around, the elevator doors had closed and Taylor was gone.
Vivian tried to forget Taylor’s surprise admission as she went to the locker room and changed into her second uniform for the day, and surprisingly she succeeded. What her mind still had trouble forgetting was how much of an idiot she had been with the other guy.
This totally proved it, she thought glumly. She had the worst taste in men.
As she tied her hair, she went to check the to-do list for today and saw that she had been assigned to clean the first four floors, which included the lobby. Wheeling her trolley out of the storage area, she headed to the service elevator and upon reaching the lobby, she saw that the crowd in front of the announcement board had already thinned.
Good, she thought. I can just maybe sneak a peek and see what all the ruckus is about.
Parking her trolley on the side, Vivian patiently made her way to the front.
She read the list of names absently, even knowing that she was too unimportant to warrant the bosses’ attention. They probably didn’t even know she existed---
And then she saw it.
Vivian whitened.
Vivian Day, to report to Human Resources immediately
She tried reading it several times just to be sure she wasn’t imagining it.
She wasn’t.
That really was her name.
And HR wanted to talk to her?
Why?
Walking back to her trolley like a zombie, she wheeled it in front of reception, and ignoring the way the receptionist wrinkled her nose in disgust, she said haltingly, “I saw my name on the list.”
The blonde’s thin brows arched. “Are you certain?”
“I wish I wasn’t,” Vivian mumbled, “but I am. It says I’m supposed to go to HR?” She knew where the department’s office was, but company policy requested every inter-department visit to go through reception for record keeping.
“Your name?” the blonde asked as she reached for the receiver.
“Vivian Day.”
The blonde nodded. “Hold on.” Her tone was brusque, but it changed quickly enough when her call pushed through, turning sweet and friendly as she asked if there was an appointment for Vivian Day. When the call ended, she glanced at Vivian and, turning her nose up, she asked, “You know where HR is?”
Naturally, Vivian thought, since I’ve been cleaning the entire building for almost a year now. But since she wasn’t ever the type to make waves, she only allowed herself a small nod.
“They’re expecting you.” The receptionist’s tone had become brusque again.
“Thank you.”
The receptionist made a show of ignoring her as she turned away from Vivian and started swiping on her phone.
Vivian knew she should be used to it by now, but the truth was…she didn’t think she ever could be. Turning away, she pushed her trolley back towards the elevator, wondering all the while why some people thought her job was demeaning. Was it better she robbed banks instead?
After returning the trolley to the storage area, Vivian went straight to her superior to let the older woman know about HR’s request to see her.
“You’re sure it’s your name you saw?” Beth asked, but her tone was more worried than surprised.
Vivian gulped. “It’s a bad thing, isn’t it?”
“Of course not,” the older woman said quickly. “It’s simply…unusual.”
An idea occurred to Vivian, making her pale as she asked, “Do you think it’s about the…incident?”
After a beat, Beth said firmly, “There is no use jumping to conclusions. Just go and meet with HR and see what they want.”
Right, Vivian thought numbly as she again made her way back to the elevator. No jumping to conclusions, she warned herself. But it was easier said than done, and by the time she did make it to HR, she was an emotional wreck inside and secretly convinced that somehow that man had gotten her fired.
Knocking on the door, she said in a croaking voice, “It’s Vivian Day, sir.” She had never met the head of HR before, but the nameplate on the door at least clued her in on his gender.
When no one answered, she knocked again, and when nothing still happened on her third attempt, she finally tried the knob. It turned easily, and as her heartbeat sped up, she made herself open the door cautiously before taking one nervous step inside the office.
Closing the door behind her, she quickly scanned the room and saw that a man was seated behind the desk and facing the window.
“Sir?”
When the manager didn’t answer, Vivian was momentarily torn. What if she got into deeper trouble for waking the man up? But if she left, what proof did she have that she had tried to meet with him?
I’ll just try one last time, she thought and slowly and nervously moved forward until she stood just a few inches from the table.
“Sir?”
The man on the chair finally swung around to face her.
Vivian stumbled back in shock.
Gian?
Blood rushed to her head, and a combination of too little sleep, too little food, and the fact that she had always been anemic had her swaying. A moment later, the world started to sway with her.
In her blurry vision, she saw Gian jerk to his feet, his voice abrupt as he demanded, “What’s wrong, Vivi?”
She wanted to yell at him to stop calling her that, anger rising up inside of her.
But it was a mistake.
She felt even fainter now, and her vision became even blurrier.
And now, the world was spinning too fast…until everything went black.
Chapter Three
When Vivian woke up, she found herself lying on a couch, staring up at a pale grey ceiling. For a moment, she was confused, unable to tell why she was lying down and feeling so weak. But then her memory returned, and she shot up to a sitting position---
Pain struck her temples, and Vivian groaned.
“As your medical history tells me you’ve been anemic for quite some time, you should know by now that any sudden movement will only make you feel worse.” The words were uttered in a cool but familiar tone, and her heart twisted with a love-hate sense of recognition.
Gian.
She knew she should acknowledge him, but she couldn’t – or at least not until she had figured out what was the proper thing to say. She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt his gaze sear her, and mortification filled her at the way her body was starting to stir to life at his presence.
It had been so long, she thought helplessly, and all this time she had really believed she would never have to see him again. But here he was, still gorgeous and sexy, and just having him so close was making it hard for Vivian to forget exactly why she was mad at him.
Luca’s lips twitched as he watched Vivian deliberately avert her face from his. Beautiful stubborn Vivi, he mused indulgently. It was good to know she was still acting as he predicted, and it was even better that she was just as exquisite as he remembered.
It had almost been a week since he had last seen Vivian, and it was the longest time he hadn’t laid his eyes on her since the first time they met. From the very first day, there had been something about Vivian Day that had called out to him. It could be her green eyes, which at times seemed as pure as his daughter’s. Or it could be her adorably tongue-tied awkwardness, the kind he had once thought impossible for today’s modern women to still show. Then again, it could also be something basic, such as the way the sight of her lush dark hair made him imagine countless times of how it would feel, to have those silky strands wrapped around his fist as he pulled her towards him and made
her obey his bidding in the bedroom. And then there was the generous curve of her breasts, which even the androgynous fit of her uniform failed to hide – ah, those beautiful breasts of hers had always made Luca hungry to devour them.
It could be any or all of those things, but in the end, they all paled in significance after he found out how foolish she could be when it came to love.
She was possibly the biggest sentimental fool he would ever have a chance to meet, he acknowledged in amusement, and that was a good thing.
Only Vivian Day would think buying an expensive coffin and burial plot was a valid reason for approaching a loan shark.
And only a woman who thought like that was someone Luca was willing to consider trusting with the care of his daughter.
A memory slithered into his mind, and his lip almost curled as he remembered the scene he had caught earlier. One of the reasons he had been willing to take things slow and easy with her was that he had believed he was the only one who had her in his sights.
He was clearly mistaken, but it was not a mistake he would ever repeat.
When she shifted on the couch to face him again, he asked in a teasing smile, “Are you done ignoring me?”
Vivian shrugged mulishly even as her cheeks turned pink at the realization that he knew exactly what she had been trying to do…unsuccessfully.
“How are you feeling?”
“Okay…” This time, she took great pains to rise slowly and carefully, and her efforts were rewarded when the world remained still and upright. She tried looking at him, but as soon as she did, her breath caught and she knew it was a big mistake.
Fudge.
He was really too good-looking for her to remain sensible, Vivian thought morosely as she tore her gaze away. She should leave now, before he could sweet-talk her into---
“My full name is Gianluca Valencia.”
She didn’t speak, even as she wondered why he thought he owed her the truth now.
Luca wasn’t surprised when her face showed no recognition. It was also as he had expected, and he clarified softly, “I own LV.” Her head jerked up, and he met her shocked green eyes calmly. “As you have no doubt deduced, I am also the new owner of the company you’re working for.”
