Adaline's POV
It seems like my sigh of relief only lasted for a moment. When Tessa and I entered the cafe, it felt as if the weight on my shoulders came crashing down, akin to a collapsed roof.
"Why is he here?"
It's not strange to see Sir Altezza with Duncan, considering Duncan is his assistant. What puzzles me is why they-Tessa and I-ended up having lunch with them. Why would someone of Sir Altezza's status have lunch with employees like us? Did Sir Altezza plan this intentionally?
It wouldn't be odd for Duncan to have lunch with Tessa since she is also his girlfriend, but why did Sir Altezza have to join? I wanted to ask them for an explanation, but I chose to remain silent for fear that Tessa might become suspicious. Until now, Tessa is unaware of the secret agreement between Sir Altezza and me.
And is it just my imagination, or is he smirking at me? Does he know that I sent the message on purpose to avoid his order to meet?
Now I can't move a muscle. I just need to act as if there's nothing between us because I'm confident that Sir Altezza won't reveal our secret to Duncan, right?
But Duncan seems to be laughing at me as well. Does he already know?
And why did they-whether it's Duncan or Altezza-choose a round table as their seating? Why didn't they pick an empty square table? Instead of sitting next to each other, they could have sat facing each other. Clearly, it's because I need to maintain a distance from that man. The one who always makes me nervous and my heart race.
'Oh God, I don't want to die young from a heart attack, especially one caused by embarrassment and nervousness because of that man.'
Altezza sat to the left of Duncan, and Tessa automatically took the seat to the right of Duncan, meaning I had to sit next to the man I was avoiding.
'What else can I do besides placing my butt there?'
Although I was extremely reluctant to do so, I couldn't openly avoid it at the moment.
'And what other drama am I going to witness today?'
I chose to just observe the three of them discussing Altezza, who didn't mind office romances between coworkers. I was aware that in some companies, especially large ones, relationships between employees were often discouraged due to concerns about productivity and employee performance. Moreover, if such relationships ended, the office atmosphere could become tense and awkward due to cold wars.
I also knew that many relationships ended with mutual insults and tears from one of the partners. Some companies-many, actually-even banned employees from marrying each other. If they got married, one of them would have to resign. But it seemed that Coskun Company didn't have an issue with any of that.
"But my friend here is a bit different," Tessa's words made me raise my head and refocus on their conversation. 'Is she referring to me? In what way am I different according to Tessa?' For some reason, I felt my cheeks heat up instantly.
"So, during your time working here, Miss Adaline has never been involved with any fellow employees?" His question hit me hard. Summoning the courage, I raised my head and looked at his face; he seemed to be grinning in my direction.
'I didn't see it wrong, did I? Is he mocking me now?'
"In the three years I've sat next to her, Sir, she has never shown any interest in looking at any male colleagues. Even though many tried to catch her eye, your employee here always paid no attention. I even tried to set her up with a few guys, but instead of succeeding, they ended up chasing Adaline until they gave up out of exhaustion because they never got a response."
'What? What is Tessa doing? What does she mean by saying something like that?' I could only bow my head and continue eating.
I tried to tune my ears back to their conversation. For God's sake, Tessa has indeed been doing what she just mentioned. Playing matchmaker and introducing me to several men who were her acquaintances, whether they were Coskun employees or not. And I did what she mentioned as well, but why did she have to bring it up in front of him?
'Tessa, why are you treating me like this?' Suddenly, I felt the urge to kick her thigh hard because the pinches I had been giving her weren't making her stop talking. Or should I stuff her mouth with a tissue? But the tissues were close to Duncan, making it hard for me to reach them.
"So, Miss Adaline has quite a few fans, huh?"
I didn't want to comment on that question, nor did I want to look at the asker. I was sure the man was now sitting upright and looking at Tessa seriously, as if he was very curious about everything concerning me. Perhaps he would use it as material to mock me.
"I'm a fan of gossip, you know. Why hasn't this news reached my ears? I'm intrigued. Is my employee really that famous?"
I could sense a playful tone in his deep baritone voice. But once again, I tried not to care, even though my ears had been heating up and ringing since earlier.
"Let alone you, Sir. Every time I mention that A, B, C likes Adaline, he always says he doesn't believe it himself. My friend is naturally shy and sometimes lacks confidence."
Oh, I really wanted to bury myself. No, I should bury Tessa instead. Who cares if Duncan later cries and mourns for his chatty girlfriend? At least if I bury her, I'll be spared from embarrassment.
"There's even one of your employees who always brings back souvenirs for Adaline every time he travels out of town. But even though that guy persistently pursues Adaline, she's adamant about rejecting him. Even though he's still single, stable, and quite handsome."
Okay, this time Tessa went way overboard. What is the girl trying to say with all of this?
"Really?" I knew the man was looking at me again. One of his eyebrows raised, and his eyes sparkled with amusement. What could I do but lower my head even more?
"We should also be cautious if Miss Adaline here gets a husband." Those words made me choke suddenly. Tessa patted my back, and Duncan handed me a tissue. "Yes, I mean, the future husband of Miss Adaline should be very careful in taking care of her. Because if his vigilance drops even a little, there might be another man who takes her away," he continued with a flat tone.
Reluctantly, I looked in his direction, wishing I could glare at him. But how could I? Right now, in front of Tessa and Duncan, he was my boss. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to be impolite to him. But really, my hands were itching to smack him.
'Why does he enjoy teasing me so much?'
"I'll go to the bathroom for a moment." I stood up and excused myself from the three of them. My irritation had reached its peak. I didn't know if I could bear listening to Tessa's chatter again or not. This was also the reason why I hesitated to talk about my situation with Sir Altezza in the past few days.
I didn't do anything in the bathroom. Initially, my intention was to avoid the three people sitting at the round table. So, I just washed my hands and returned from the bathroom.
The cafe's restroom happened to be at the far back, separated from the main area of the cafe. As I came out, I was quite surprised to see the man standing in front of me.
"S-Sir?" I was startled, of course. If he intended to go to the bathroom, he wouldn't just stand there in front of me, right?
"Yes, Miss Adaline?" The man greeted me back with his mischievous smile.
"Are you going to the bathroom?" I asked hesitantly. The man just shrugged. "The men's restroom is over there." I pointed towards the door not far from where I stood on the left side.
"I know where it is, Miss," he said again.
A moment later, he pulled my arm away from the bathroom and walked towards one side of the building, quiet but well-maintained.
"Do you think I really want to go there?" He asked between his pulls. His grip on my hand wasn't too tight, but it wasn't loose either, making it not easy for me to let go.
"There's something I want to discuss with you, but it can wait a few moments," he said, then released my hand. "So, may 'your future husband' ask about the man who's so persistent in chasing you?" He raised an eyebrow.
I swallowed my saliva. Oh God, being so close to this man, catching the scent of his expensive perfume, why does it make me feel such a strange sensation? I dare not even look into his eyes and can only stare at the light brown buttons on the man's chest in front of me because that's how tall I am in front of him.
"Miss, are you listening to me?" he asked again. His large hand reached for my chin and slowly lifted my head. Unwillingly, I swallowed saliva again because I was too nervous.
His golden eyes, which I never thought I would be able to see, were now very close. Moreover, the sunlight made this scene even clearer. His long eyelashes looked very curly from this close. And his thick eyebrows. 'Stop, Adaline, how can you admire his face at a time like this!'
"W-who do you mean, Sir?" I refocused my thoughts on his question.
"The man Tessa mentioned earlier, I'm sure you haven't forgotten, Madam. And I hope you're not pretending to forget," his voice sounded more like a murmur.
"I don't know," I replied honestly. 'Okay, I know. But I can't tell this man, right? Where can I put my face?'
"How could you not know?" He asked again, probing.
"I really don't know, Sir."
"Ah," he muttered again. "Is it because many have often sent you gifts? So, you can't distinguish them one by one?" His words sounded cold in my ears, and that tone always made me shiver in fear. It feels like you're unwell, your body feels sore, and then cold water touches your skin. That cold feeling is what I felt when I heard his question just now. Luckily, I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, so he couldn't see the fine hair on my arms bristling.
"N-no, it's not like that," I replied. I wanted to cut my tongue off at the same time. Why does he always make me stutter? Even though I don't have a speech disorder. Damn!
"I mean, many office employees-your subordinates-are genuinely kind and often give 'us' souvenirs." I tried to emphasize the word 'us' to him. Because in fact, it's not just me who often receives gifts. Tessa, Mrs. Jessica, Agnes, and even male staff often receive presents. 'Damn you, Tessa, because of her everything becomes confused like this!'
"Alright, just say it, I believe you." He said, straightening his standing position again. "But if there's ever a man who insists on approaching you after we get married, you have to tell me. How about that, Madam?" It wasn't a request but an order.
But what else could I do? I could only nod my head.
"And now, I want to know. Do you have any plans this weekend?" I furrowed my brows, trying to remember. Then I shook my head. "Alright then. This weekend, I will introduce you to my family.
"So, on Friday evening, I'll take you home and ask for permission from your mother. Prepare your clothes for the weekend. And just in case, also prepare your work clothes for Monday," he commanded again.
"Where are we going, anyway?"
"Kansas. There's an event we have to attend. And I will introduce you to my family there."
I swallowed my saliva again. The words 'introduce you' uttered by that man really scared me. The man was about to turn around, but I pulled the edge of his jacket first.
"S-Sir?" Oh God, why do I always stutter like this? I cursed myself.
The man refocused his attention on me. I looked up and stared directly at him. I had to be brave! How could I always feel nervous, scared, and cautious in front of him if I were to be his wife?
"Yes?" the man asked as I remained silent.
"W-will your family like me?" Finally, the question came out.
The man grinned at me. He walked closer while I tried to step back. 'Don't! Don't get close to me!'
The scream echoed only in my head. The man tilted his head, looking at me carefully, while the grin never left his face. Then he nodded his head.
"It's not hard to like you," he answered casually. Then he walked away.
I leaned my back against the nearest wall. My knees felt weak. Even the casual answer from that man somehow felt frightening to me.