Chapter Eighteen

Zoe POV:

"I need to tell my friends we're dating," I said to Philip as I placed his cup of coffee on his desk. Guilt had been eating me up because I hadn't told them yet and I felt they should know about me dating our boss. Another part of me felt it wasn't their business and we had to keep it quiet. Still, they were my friends. They told me about their love lives, and it wasn't fair that I was keeping mine secret.

"Thank you," he said. He took a sip and placed the cup down. "What friends?"

"Dani and Will," I replied. "Maybe Kevin too," I shrugged.

"Kevin? That guy likes you!"

"How did you know that? I never told you."

"I'm a guy and it's so obvious he likes you," Philip said. "But do Dani and Will have to know? I mean, the more people know, the more word gets out that we're dating."

"I trust them, they're not going to spill," I argued.

Philip sighed. "Fine. You can tell them. If they say a word, they're fired!"

I laughed. "You wouldn't do that."

"Yeah. They're good. Don't tell them I said that though," he warned.

"I will!" I threatened with a mischievous smile.

"You wouldn't dare," Philip said.

"I would."

"Zoe!" He warned.

"I have to get back to work, boss." I began to walk out of his office and added a little sway to my hips. I stopped when I got to the door and turned to see if he was checking me out and he was.

"Don't tempt me, Zoe or you won't be able to walk for the rest of the day."

His threat sent chills down my spine. As much as I wanted that, I had to get back to work.

"OK, boss."

Dani, Will and I headed out to our favorite spot for our lunch break. Kevin couldn't come with us because he had a lot of work to do.

"Guess what, guys?" I said after taking a sip from my drink.

"What?" Dani and Will asked simultaneously.

I took a deep breath. "What I want to tell you is so huge and it has to be kept a secret for some personal reasons."

"You're dating, Philip," Will said and my mouth was left agape. He and Dani burst into laughter.

"How the hell did you know?" I asked. "Are we that obvious?"

"No, it's not obvious. It just…we know you," Dani shrugged. "We're not dumb, Zo. Come on!"

I was beyond astonished. "Wow!" That was all I could say, and they burst into another fit of laughter. "It's not funny, guys. Wait, who else knows? Does Kevin know?"

"No, I don't think so. It's just us," Will replied.

"The moment I saw you get into his private elevator, I just knew it, girl!" Dani said with a mischievous smile.

"I know, right?" Will chipped in. "Philip never lets anyone use that elevator. Only his father and Mark. You! You used it on your first day! That was a sign."

"Yeah. Maybe hiring you as his secretary was just an excuse to see your face every day."

I blushed. "I think so too."

"Aww, look at you. So in love. How did you do it though? Spill, girl. Because for a second, I thought Philip was never going to fall in love or settle down. That man is hard as a rock!"

"He just couldn't resist my charms!" I flipped my hair.

"I know, right?"

"No wonder he said you guys were good," I said and realized I wasn't supposed to say that. Oh well, I didn't promise Philip I was going to keep my mouth shut about that.

"He said we're good?" They asked simultaneously.

"Don't tell him I told you though. He playfully threatened to fire you two if you tell anyone then I told him he wouldn't do that and he was like 'yeah, they're good,' so there you have it! Your boss thinks you two are geniuses."

"I'm going to pass out," Will said as excitement shone in his eyes. "He's right though."

"Yeah, he is." Dani flipped her hair. "I just knew you're getting that good sex because girl, you are glowing!"

"Dani!"

"What? I speak the truth. But to be honest, I'm so happy for you," Dani smiled.

"Thank you," I smiled back.

"Who else knows about you two?" Will asked.

"Mark and Philip's Dad," I replied.

A wave of relief hit me. It felt like a heavy burden was lifted off my shoulder. We finished up our food and headed back to work.

"Have you told your friends?" Philip asked.

"Yeah," I replied. Guess what?"

"I can't guess, just tell me."

"They already knew! I can't believe those people." I shook my head.

"For real? Were we that obvious?" The look of surprise on his face was funny.

"I asked the same thing. They figured it out on their own."

"Well, I hope nobody else figures out anything."

"Nah, they won't," I assured him.

I hoped nobody else figured this out, but if they did…oh well, let the whole world know Philip MacArthur is my man and he's off the market!

The rest of the week, Philip and I continued to keep a low profile until Sunday morning when I woke up to see us on every blog post!

"Oh my God!" I jumped out of my bed and paced the floors of my room, panicking.

There were pictures of me and Philip that were taken yesterday when we went on a date. Who the hell did this?

My phone rang and I picked it up imediately. "Philip…"

"Calm down, Zoe," Philip said calmly.

"How are you so calm?" I asked as I continued to pace the room.

"The deed has been done. I knew this was going to happen sooner or later anyway. How are you? Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not. Paparazzi are going to be here any minute!" I wailed.

"Relax, babe. It's a Sunday morning. Some of them haven't even woken up yet and some will go to church. If you don't feel comfortable, I'll send Mark to come pick you up. Relax, okay? Take a bath and pack a few things. Mark will come pick you up in a few minutes."

"Okay. What about my aunt? We have to go to church."

Philip sighed. "Your aunt can go to church but not you. Come here and we'll go to church together. Mark and more bodyguards will be with us. Paparazzi might not even follow us around since it's Sunday!"

"They work on Sundays when they have to!" I argued and Philip burst into laughter on the other end. "It's not funny," I whined.

"Relax, Zoe. I would search for the person who did this but it's not worth it. Even if they take it down, it’s too late."

Philip was right. Panicking wasn't going to solve anything. I peeked through my windows and the coast was clear.

"I don't see anyone suspicious."

Philip laughed. "You see. Call me if there's a problem, okay?"

"Okay. I love you," I said.

"I love you too, baby. Don't spend all morning panicking that you forget to eat breakfast, okay?"

It was my turn to laugh. "Okay."

We ended the call.

I went to brush my teeth and take a bath. I ended up dressing weird for church. I covered my face with a veil and put on shades. Everybody kept glancing at me weird, but I couldn't care less. I had to protect myself from those nosy people.

"You look like a weirdo," Aunt Emilia said when church service ended.

"I'm protecting myself," I told her.

"Then you should have put on some armour and brought a sword with you," she joked.

We got into the car, and I took off the veil and the shades in one swift movement. Thank God the windows were tinted. How could I continue to live like this? Oh well, Philip would figure something out, I was tired of worrying.

The next morning, I opened my door, ready to leave for work and a camera flashed in my face. They were a bunch of people outside my house. I shut the door and made sure to lock it just in case those crazy people tried to force their way in.

What the hell!

"What's going on? Why did you shut the door so loudly?" Aunt Emilia asked as she emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands with a piece of cloth.

"They're a bunch of crazy people outside!"

Aunt Emilia peeked through the window. "Oh my God, how did they find out where you live?" she asked in disbelief.

"These people are so crazy. They can track me down wherever I go. I need to call Philip."

I searched for my phone in my bag and found it a few seconds later. I dialed Philip and he picked on the third ring. "Philip, there's a problem!"

"Good morning to you too. What's the problem?" Philip asked.

"There's paparazzi outside my house!"

"Stay inside, okay? I'll send Mark to come pick you up and Zoe, calm down, will you?"

"You're used to this but I'm not," I said calmly this time.

"I understand but panicking is not going to solve anything. Be calm, baby," Philip advised.

"Fine." I took a deep breath. "I'm calm now."

"Good. Mark will be there soon. I have to get ready for work. I love you," he said.

"I love you too."

As promised, Mark arrived later with another bodyguard, and they helped me out of the house and into the car.

I let out a sigh of relief when I was finally inside the car, safe. "They're so violent!"

Mark snorted. "Believe me, Philip has been through worse."

"Whoa. If being a celebrity means having paparazzi following me around, I would rather live a quiet life and remain unnoticed."

"Well, you are dating Philip MacArthur, it's a little too late for that now," Mark said.

Mark drove us to the office. The other bodyguard never said a word throughout the ride.

***

Philip POV:

"You're dating Zoe?" Clinton asked over the phone as I stood by the window, checking for Zoe.

"Yeah," I replied.

"It's about damn time! Why didn't you tell me though? I had to find out from a freaking gossip blog!"

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"It's okay, man. So, when is the wedding?" Clinton asked.

I laughed. "What wedding? Calm your balls down, Clinton."

"You two would make cute babies, though. Just saying. Are they already flashing the camera lights in her face?"

"Of course. I had to send Mark to pick her up."

Clinton burst into laughter. "She needs to get used to the new life."

I saw the black SUV and I was relieved. Zoe came out of the car and walked hurriedly into the medium. I could already see that she wasn't liking this, and I felt bad.

"I don't think she likes this at all," I said to Clinton. "I have to go."

"Alright. Bye."

Zoe burst into my office a few seconds later. "Oh my God, I'm so glad I made it to work alive."

"Don't be a drama queen, Zoe."

She plopped down on the couch. "You should have seen the stares I received at the ground floor. I think I have to get used to this life."

"Clinton just said the same thing," I told her and plopped down beside her.

"Clinton? He already knows? Why am I even asking? It's on every fucking gossip blog! Oh well, at least all the ladies out there know you're a man."

"I think I'm beginning to like Possessive Zoe. Let's go on a vacation and come back when all this has died down," I said as I ran my hands through her hair.

"What about work?" Zoe asked.

I sighed. She was right. "Fine. I need my coffee, though," I reminded her.

"Oh, I forgot. Give me a minute." She stood up and returned with my cup of coffee.

I took a sip and placed it down. "Those guys are going to remain at your house for a while. You need to stay somewhere else for now."

"That's true, but I don't have anywhere to go," she said.

"You could stay at my house," I suggested.

Zoe smiled. "Are you using this as an excuse to make me come over?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Probably," I replied.

"But what about Aunt Emilia?"

"Aunt Emilia will be fine and she can come to stay with us too until everything dies down," I said.

"I know her, she won't want to leave the house no matter what. I'll talk to her about it, though. But I think those guys will give up by tomorrow."

"Maybe. Maybe not. But if they come there tomorrow, I'm sending Mark to bring you to my house."

Zoe laughed. "Okay. Who's the other bodyguard though?"

"Carlos. He works part time, only when I need him," I replied.

"He didn't say a word, he just sat there like a robot," Zoe said and I burst into laughter.

We both returned to work. I called Mark to tighten the security around my house just in case any photographer was planning to camp there and also around Zoe's house for Aunt Emilia.

At the closing hour, I accompanied Zoe home to check if the coast was clear, but I knew they would be back tomorrow. Those people never back down easily. I went in with Zoe to speak with Aunt Emilia while Mark remained in the car even though I told him he could come too.

"I need to keep my eyes on the area," he had said in his bodyguard tone.

"Philip, it's so nice to see you again!" Aunt Emilia pulled me into a hug. She reminded me so much of my mum.

"It's nice to see you again."

"Have a seat. Join us for dinner," she offered.

"Thank you, but I'll be leaving soon," I said. "I need to ask for your permission," I began.

"For what?" Aunt Emilia asked.

"Those reporters will get more annoying, so I thought I’d suggest that you and Zoe should stay at my house till everything dies down."

"I'll hit someone with an umbrella if they try to take a picture of me, so don't worry about me. Zoe can go with you if she wants," she said.

I smiled at her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Why don't you have a snack while we wait for Zoe to finish taking her bath? She spends forever in the bathroom. I have some carrot cake," she smiled.

"I can't say no to that."

Aunt Emilia chuckled and went into one kitchen. She returned with a slice of cake and a glass of pineapple juice. "Here," she placed it on the table in front of me. "Where's your bodyguard? Doesn't he want to come in?" She asked.

"He's watching the area," I replied.

"Oh, such a diligent man,'' she said.

"I know, right?" I took a slice of the cake. "You're going to make my wedding cake," I told her, and she chuckled.

"Do you have plans of marrying Zoe?" She asked.

"It has crossed my mind a couple of times, but I don't want to rush things," I replied.

Aunt Emilia smiled. "For some weird reasons, I wanted to hear that reply. You're a good man, Philip. Zoe is so lucky to have you."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Don't mess things up, or I'll hit you with my umbrella. Trust me, that umbrella is pretty strong. It has been with me for years, and it's still in good shape," she joked.

I chuckled. "I wouldn't want that."

Zoe came down the stairs dressed in her pajamas. I ran my eyes over and looked away before Aunt Emilia would catch me ogling at her niece.

"What were you guys talking about?" Zoe asked.

"Aunt Emilia said you could come with me tonight," I told her.

"What about you?" Zoe asked her aunt.

"I'll be fine here, Zoe. Stop worrying about me, that's my job," Aunt Emilia said.

Zoe sighed. "Fine. Let me go change and pack a few things."

"You don't need to change," I said.

Zoe looked at me like I said the most absurd thing. "You want me to come with you in my pajamas. Are you for real?"

"You're going to be in the car. Who's going to see you?" I asked.

"He's right," Aunt Emilia asked.

"Fine." Zoe pouted and went back upstairs. She returned with a duffel bag. "Call me if there's a problem," she told her aunt as we walked out the door.

"I will. Be safe, baby girl," Aunt Emilia said.

"You too," Zoe said before we got into the car. "Hey, Mark."

"Hey, Zoe. How are you?" Mark asked as he started the car.

"I'm fine, what about you?"

"I'm good. Sit tight. It's going to be a long ride. I saw a black car tailing us on our way here and he's following us right now," Mark said and I looked behind us. "If he's going to tail us, he should be more subtle than that."

"Why's he following us?" Zoe asked.

"I didn't know but I have a bad feeling about this, so I'll make sure he doesn't know where we are heading," Mark said.

I looked at Zoe to check if she was scared. Surprisingly, she wasn't.

I covered her small hands with mine. "Are you okay?"

"I'm worried about my aunt," she replied calmly.

"Do you want us to go back and get her?" I asked.

"Can we?" she asked.

"Sure. Philip, can we turn around and go get Zoe's aunt. I don't think it's a good idea to leave her there," I said.

"Me neither." Mark made a turn and headed back to Zoe's house.

"Why are you guys here? Is there a problem?" Aunt Emilia asked.

"There's someone following us, and I don't think it's safe for you to be here," Zoe said. "Come with us, please. I'm going to die of worry if I leave you here."

Aunt Emilia sighed. "Fine. Give me a minute."

She went upstairs and returned with a small bag. "Let's go."

We got into the car and hit the road, checking for the man every now and then.

"I don't see the car anymore. I think he knew we saw him," Mark said.

I let out a sigh of relief. I looked back at Zoe and Aunt Emilia. "Are you two okay?" I asked.

"You all need to stop worrying," Aunt Emilia advised.

We arrived home and I was more than relieved. "Tighten the security around the house and arrange for more bodyguards," I told Mark.

"On it, boss," Mark said and left to have a phone call.

"I need to go to bed," Aunt Emilia. "Can you two stop worrying? It's going to make you age faster."

"Let me show you to your room."

I led her upstairs and showed her room. "Make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you very much."

I nodded and left her to have her bed rest. I went downstairs to meet Zoe. "Are you okay, babe?"

"Yeah," she nodded, and I believed her. "Thank you for everything."

"Anything for you. Come on, let's get you to bed. My room or a guestroom?" I asked.

"You're not seriously asking me that?"

"I was kidding." I held her hands and led her upstairs.

Tomorrow, I would find out why that bastard was following us.