Chapter 5: Chapter Four

Athena

I curse under my breath as I throw one of my pillows toward any direction since I am still half asleep. The pillow landed nicely on the ground with a light thud. I sigh before turning to my side and try to fully let myself sleep in peace once more.

The noise bothers me again as it keeps on getting louder and louder. The noise of someone clinking glasses. It keeps getting closer and closer, but I don't really bother opening my eyes since it doesn't concern me much. If a robber is in my house, then I'll just tell them to take what they want as long as they don't disturb me sleeping.

A loud thud blasting through my eardrums, making me scream loudly. When I open my eyes, I see Alex holding a pan and a spatula. He is grinning evilly at me. Our foreheads bumped into one another, leaving me groaning in pain, ''What the actual fuck, Alex?!'' I shout.

He rubs his forehead with his hand, ''Well, it took you long enough to wake up.'' I see his blue eyes brightening, and I just end up staring into his eyes without him noticing. The way he's holding the pan and the spatula makes me want to laugh, but I didn't. Alex caught me staring, and our eyes meet in an instant.

Unfortunately, he has to ruin the moment, ''What are you looking at?'' He snaps before throwing the pan toward me, hitting my arm in the process. I glare at him as I push the pan away from me.

''How did you get in?'' I cross my arms over my chest, and when I caught him staring at my chest frequently, I immediately drop my arm and pull the covers closer toward me, ''Pervert, get out!'' I stand up, walking toward him.

He laughs, putting both of his hands up in surrender, ''It would be a waste getting out after all the trouble I've gone through getting in.'' His height somehow intimidates me, but it doesn't matter. I push his chest using my index finger, but he didn't budge.

''You are not invited, so get out.'' I pull his shirt, trying to drag him out of my room, ''Alex!'' I use both of my hands trying to pull him, but he just crosses his arms as he rolls his eyes, ''Get out.'' I groan in frustration.

Alex pulls me by my arm before wrapping his hands around my waist. In an instant, I am closer toward him, and my hands move up to his chest immediately. Our faces are inches apart when I look up into his eyes. They are demanding. I can feel his fingers soothingly rubbing my back. I feel the sudden comfort.

Without me noticing, he is moving closer and closer toward me. I can see his head leaning in, but his eyes are still gazing into mine. I am somehow locked. I can't move or resist his touch. When we are close enough that our noses are touching, he moves to the side until his lips brush my earlobe, ''Do you want to play a game?'' He whispers seductively.

My eyes widen before turning my head to face him. Our faces are really close to each other, and I can see his eyes staring at my lips. I love how his hand wrapped nicely around my waist as if they could leave burned marks if they make contact with my skin.

''No,'' I smirk playfully before pushing him away. He ends up chuckling as he runs his fingers through his hair. I love how messy his hair looks but neat at the same time. His hair is straight, yet they move in different directions, giving an illusion of curly hair.

''I want you to get out,'' I add.

''I'm not going anywhere.'' He sits on the couch, grabbing the remote control.

I sigh, ''I don't even know how you get in, and I don't even care right now, but I want you to get out. I want you to leave.'' But when I find him ignoring me and just focus on the screen, I hit the back of his head, and he curses something that isn't entirely clear, ''Alex, get out.'' I say, pretending to be angry. He turns his head up, looking at me, but he glances at my chest first before meeting my eyes. I know he's just doing that on purpose because he gives me a playful wink.

''You're sexy when you're angry.'' He winks again, ''And crossing your arms is a bonus.''

''Oh my lord,'' I hold onto his shoulders, ''Why are you here anyway?'' I end up sitting beside him.

Alex peeks at me, but he looks at the screen again, ''Well, we have an event tonight, and I might as well spend the day with you since I have nothing to do during the day.''

''I have work, Alex.''

He looks down at his wristwatch, ''Well, you have fifteen minutes left, and wouldn't you know it, you'll be late already.'' I see him grinning at me as if asking me to skip work and spend the day with him, but I can't. I have to meet Joanna. Well, she has been calling me, leaving me messages, but I can't find time to respond.

''Shit.'' I curse before running toward my bedroom. 

I hear Alex chuckle from behind, but I slam the door shut.

I manage to change into a Carolina blue shirt with pink, white, and silver small stripes skirt that ends nicely above my knee. I grab my white blazer from my walk-in closet and a pair of light pink pumps. When I am done wearing them, I take my handmade necklace and pair it up with a rose gold stud bracelet. I find them all matching with my nude colored nail polish.

Looking at myself in the mirror before letting my hair down loosely. I put on light makeup before grabbing my light-colored clutch that matches my pumps. When I'm all set, I walk out of my bedroom to find Alex chewing on my chips. I roll my eyes as I walk toward the front door, ''Just don't make a lot of mess.'' I say before turning the doorknob.

''Let me drive you.'' He replies, and he is already standing up, leaving the chips on the coffee table when I turn around. Alex glances at my outfit before looking at my face.

''I can walk, you know.'' I immediately walk out, leaving him behind.

But his footsteps bothers me, ''You're running out of time, Athena. You have five minutes left,'' He says from behind causes me to stop walking. I turn my body to face him.

''Just... go inside and lock the door,'' He grabs me by the arm as soon as I try to walk away, ''Alex, I'm already late, let go of me.''

''Not until you agree to let me drive you.'' His blue eyes shine brightly, especially right now. I can't seem to resist his cologne. They are haunting me, making me want him more, and making me want to jump on him right now, right here. He really did a great job of choosing colognes.

''If you resist, you'll be late.'' He adds, ''Four minutes left, Athena. Make your decision.'' His grip on my arm loosening little by little as if he knows I could just kick his groin and walk away, but this time, I know I wouldn't want to be late.

Joanna wouldn't be happy. Me arriving late, me showing up on the news, being the front cover of some magazines, me kissing Alex. She won't be pleased. So let's not make her pissed by arriving late. I sigh deeply, and Alex can sense that I am finally giving up, ''Fine.'' I mutter, and he lets go of my arm.

''Let's go.'' He grins as we walk toward his car. Once we get inside, we both buckle up, and he starts to drive toward Published.

When we arrive, I immediately unbuckle, and when I was about to open the door, Alex locks the door. I groan before turning to look at him, ''What the hell?'' I raise an eyebrow.

He smirks, ''A kiss on the cheek.'' I see him lifting his index finger, pointing at his right cheek.

My mouth ends up turning into an 'O' shape, ''No, unlock the doors.'' I turn to look at the door again, but he's not unlocking them, not until I kiss him on the cheek, ''Come on, Alex. I'm already late!''

''One kiss, that's all.'' He shrugs before holding the steering wheel, ''I don't mind waiting.''

I groan mentally, ''Fine.''

When I lean in, I find him smiling at me. Just as my lips are inches apart from his cheek, he turns his head so that I would be meeting his lips instead. My lips end up kissing his, and he grabs my neck so that he could deepen the kiss. My eyes end up shut just like his. We both let our lips move in sync. I remember the first time I kissed him in front of the bar, it feels the same, but this time, it's more demanding. Yet, it's still the same soft kiss.

I find myself moving my arm around his shoulder, pulling him toward me.

Alex didn't seem to object either. He just ends up licking my lower lip. I gladly let him in, and before we know it, our kiss became passionate. It's like we couldn't stop, and none of us wanted to. I feel his hands moving down to my waist, tugging at my blazer, wanting to take it off, and before I know it, the blazer ends up on the steering wheel. It doesn't matter if people are watching us because both of us don't really care at this moment.

I am pulling at his hair, making him groan lightly. His lips move down to my jawline, leaving soft kisses, and my head lifts, giving him better access to my neck. When his hands end up rubbing on my bare thighs, I thought he was going any further. To be honest, I don't mind. Oh, jokes.

But he just has to end it there. He stops kissing me, and when I open my eyes, I find him grinning playfully at me. He teased me, for sure. I see him clenching his jaw when he looks at my lips, but the grin doesn't disappear.

''You're five minutes late, babe.'' I eye his red swollen lips as he said that.

I blink a few times before the words he said processed in my brain. What the hell? How long did we kiss? I groan before pulling at my blazer, which is on his steering wheel, and put it on. I find him unlocking the doors, and I grab my clutch as soon as I step out, ''Don't call me babe.'' I say before closing the door.

I walk at a fast pace, entering the building.

When I arrive on my floor, I see Joanna walking and when she sees me, ''Athena!'' She calls out my name.

''Um, hey, Joanna,'' I mutter.

''Why is your hair in a mess?'' She raises an eyebrow at me.

My eyes widen, and I immediately run my hand through my hair, taming it again. I can feel my cheeks heat up, just remembering the kiss Alex and I shared earlier. It wasn't rough, but it was passionate and soft enough to make me remember how good it felt.

''Okay, I don't want to know what happened. Follow me to my office.'' She starts to walk away and I just follow behind her.

Once we reach her office, I sit on the chair opposite her. She sits on hers, facing me. 

''Would you mind telling me now?'' her eyes burning into mine. I can feel how she's not happy.

''Telling you... what exactly?'' I fake a chuckle, but she didn't move away, ''Okay...'' I mutter under my breath.

''What happened between you and Alex? How did you guys meet?'' She throws both of her hands up in the air, ''This is nonsense. I can't believe this. I mean, you said you don't know him and you end up kissing him?''

''Well... I actually don't know him, Joanna.'' I shrug, ''I met him at the bar.''

''You met him at the bar?'' She raises an eyebrow at me.

''Yes,'' I reply. I can still remember him smiling, chuckling, and laughing at me. I can still remember the way he looked at me when I was talking nonsense. I can still remember how he looks deeply into my eyes and how he breathes in deeply. I remember him clearly, but the details were faint.

''Enlighten me.'' She points at her laptop. I turn to look at the screen, a photo of me kissing Alex in the car. Wait—wait a moment. Isn't that a few minutes ago?! How did things end up on the internet so fast?

The picture shows that Alex is kissing me passionately as he holds me by my neck and my hands on his chest, more like pulling him closer. There are five pictures of us kissing nonstop. I can't believe someone caught us and that it would end up on the internet so soon. I look up to see the title.

Alexander Herrera caught being comfortable with the mysterious woman. Who could she be?

I look away from the screen to find Joanna staring at me intensely, ''Look... something happened, okay?'' I say.

''What exactly happened?'' She closes the laptop with force.

''You see. After the night at the bar, we kissed. So the next morning, everything seems to appear at the news, magazines and gossip channels, so his manager decided that it would be good to pretend that I am his fiancèe—''

She cuts me off, ''Fiancèe?!''

''Let me explain.'' I hold my hand up, stopping her and she sits back down, listening, ''So we have to get married in two weeks. The marriage ends after The World Cup does. I didn't want to go on with the agreement but... well, I have no other choice.'' I shrug.

''But that doesn't explain the whole kissing.'' She smiles, tauntingly.

''It just happened. I'm a human with needs, and so is he. Nothing more, it was just a kiss.'' I act like it's not really a significant matter to me but to be honest. It's quite a big deal. I'm not the one to kiss anyone I like. I have been loyal to my ex-boyfriend, and he's the one who cheated, so...

''I don't think I can work with you anymore because once he reveals who I am tonight at the event, the press will question where I work and stuff, it will end up being a big deal if they find out that I am reporter myself,'' I explain more.

''Wh—what?'' She blinks a few times, not really believing that I am quitting my job.

''You heard me, Joanna.'' I breathe out, ''Even if this is just a deal, I can't make it be any worst.''

''But—''

I cut her off, ''No buts.''

''Wait, no.'' She stands up, ''I have an idea.'' And she snaps her fingers in front of me, making me widen my eyes at her sudden change, ''A great one.''

''Okay... what is it?'' I raise an eyebrow at her.

Sometimes Joanna's idea could end up being stupid or irrational. Sometimes it doesn't make any sense, so I have to listen out so she could explain to me. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

''We'll pretend that you quit, but you are actually working for me. You will get gossips, news, and anything about Alex. You will inform us of everything. You will tell us if you are going on a date to send a few reporters to take pictures of you. This way, Published could rise and get new news first!'' She claps her hands as if she just thought about a great plan.

I roll my eyes, ''It seems like I'm... deceiving him?''

''No, no.'' Joanna sits back down, ''Just do this for me. I'll pay?''

It's true, though. It's not that I have feelings for him, and everything is strictly business. Nothing bad will happen. He won't find out if I do a great job. I'll just make him believe that I have quit my job as a reporter, but one thing he doesn't know is that I am actually working behind his back... getting info about him.

Sounds like a plan.