Irresistible Boss Succumbing to Your Touch (Maria Anita) novel Chapter 3

Lexie’s POV

I was anxious about my first day at work. Being Patrick's assistant didn't excite me, as I knew he would fire me at the first opportunity - he only tolerated me because of my brother. But I was eager to see him again; it had been so long since I last saw him when I was nothing more than a teenager. I spent the whole night thinking about it.

"Lexie!" I heard my brother calling. "Are you daydreaming?"

"Sorry, just a bit distracted. What did you say?" I really hadn't heard anything he had said.

"That I'm driving you both there and back, and don't even bother complaining." Flavian was like a father giving orders to his teenage daughter; it was almost funny.

"Oh, whatever..." I replied, drifting back into my thoughts, barely noticing time passing as we automatically made our way to the office.

"Lexie, you're distracted today. Is everything okay?" Manu put her hand on my shoulder and examined me at the company elevator door.

"Must be because you and my brother won't let me sleep," I teased her and watched her turn red. It was hilarious how easily embarrassed she got. "Flavian isn't that young anymore, Manu, be careful not to give him a heart attack." Manu turned completely red, and I started laughing.

"You silly, your brother is still quite young," Manu said, looking at the floor.

"Morning, girls!" Rick joined us. "What's today's gossip?"

"Manu's going to kill my brother with a heart attack from too much bedroom exercise." Rick looked at me with wide eyes.

"Lexie!" Manu was scandalized.

"And we thought the detective would break Little Key in half, but she's the wild one in the couple." Rick joined in the teasing, and Manu buried her face behind the folder she was carrying.

"That's right, Rick, little Manu is giving the detective a run for his money. Every night, mind you. And for hours. It's impossible to sleep in that apartment," Lexie laughed.

"If you want, I can rent you a room in my house. Only the newest monk in town lives there," Rick joked.

"Monk? I don't know about that, Rick. You're a hottie and ooze testosterone. Soon that house will look like a brothel with all the women stripping for you." Manu looked at me shocked while Rick burst out laughing.

We arrived at our floor and I settled into my new office. Rick gave me several tasks to work on and went to his office. The work was great, exactly the kind of thing I liked doing, but I was still anxious about seeing Patrick again. And it did not take long - he walked in as if he could not see anything in front of him, going straight to his office without even responding to my good morning when he passed by my desk. He did not even look at me.

The rest of the morning went on like this, with him locked in his office, Rick passing me work, and my stomach turning cold knowing he was behind that door.

I went out to lunch with Rick and Manu, and when we returned, we stayed chatting at Manu's desk.

"Rick, I think you need to meet new people. You can't stay at home brooding over the past," Manu tried to cheer Rick up.

"She's right, Rick! Look, PH and I are going to a bar on Friday to drink, chat, and see good-looking people. You should come with us, it'll be fun," I invited Rick.

"That might be good. But who's PH?" Rick asked, confused.

"He's a friend who studies with Manu, super nice guy, very upbeat and fun," I explained to Rick.

"Yeah, I think it'll be good. I'm in, Lexie, count me in," Rick accepted, and I jumped with happiness and clapped excitedly.

And it was at that moment that Patrick and Alexander stepped out of the elevator. I cannot deny that the two of them together are breathtaking, two extremely handsome men full of charm.

"So, Patrick, how do you like the assistant I hired for you?" Alexander asked when they stopped in front of us, and I felt the blood drain from my body.

"Who?" Patrick seemed not to understand.

"If that's the case, is there any way nobody tells him who I am?" I felt a tiny glimmer of hope.

"Alexander is probably telling him right now." Rick stripped away that minimal hope I was clinging to.

After almost an hour, Alexander came out of Patrick's office and stopped at my desk.

"How many years had it been since you last saw each other?" Alexander asked.

"Twelve years," I replied simply.

"He didn't recognize you." Alexander laughed, but I didn't find it funny. "How long will it take this idiot to realize who you are?" He was enjoying this. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

"You didn't tell him?" I hadn't expected that.

"Of course not. I'm going to let him play the fool for as long as possible." Alexander laughed. "Please, let him figure it out on his own."

Suddenly, my hope returned! If he never discovered who I was, I would never be more than the efficient assistant who does her job and that's it. I could keep my job for a long time. I just needed to convince Flavian not to tell him and would need to hide from Patrick outside the office.

"If you don't tell, I won't tell," I whispered as if we were making a secret pact.

"I won't tell!" Alexander laughed. "I'll talk to Manu and Rick. Imagine his face when he finally figures it out." Alexander left my office laughing.

Part of me was satisfied about not being recognized, which would give him a chance to judge me based on my work and not fire me for being his friend's annoying little sister whom he hated. But another part of me was hurt by this, by being so insignificant that I wasn't even remembered.

I spent the rest of the day with that little sting of hurt from being forgotten nagging at me, while Patrick remained locked in his office. When would he remember? Or better yet, would he remember at all?