Chapter11 A Mistaken Decision

The first race of this season was held in mid-March at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne.
In early March, the team held a season-opening meeting.
All the members of the team gathered in the company's lobby, crowded together, surrounding Caesar who stood in the center.
He was wearing a complete deep blue suit and gave a speech of about ten minutes in front of everyone.
There were occasional whispers in the crowd, countless eyes cast towards Caesar, filled with doubt or observation. Since Caesar's arrival, the entire team had been restructured and everyone had to bear higher pressure than before.
On his first day at the Ferrari team, Caesar made it clear that the budget cap would be used more for improving the race car and the drivers. This meant that the team could not afford to have excess staff, and department had to be prepared for layoffs.
There would be fewer staff, but the pressure would be greater.
Now, the moment of the new season's beginning had finally arrived, and everyone was waiting for the results of this year's races. Many people were hoping to see Caesar's failure; they didn't like this young man who had taken up the manager position at such a young age, nor did they like the pressure and crisis that came with Caesar.
The meeting was short, and when it ended, Caesar announced that Friday would be Casual Friday, and everyone could dress casually to work and leave early in the afternoon. Caesar had booked the most expensive bar in Modena and invited the entire team as a celebration before the start of the new season.
On Friday, the office atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious. Since the morning, James had set up a "camp" in the pantry and chatted with different people.
Knowing that she was an intern and couldn't relax at this moment, Grace was the only one left in the public relations office, drafting templates for responding to unforeseen circumstances after the race.
She studied all the unforeseen events that required an official response in the past five years of F1 races and compiled the PR responses from each team that year.
Today, nobody had much focus on work, so Grace took this opportunity to do some of her own research.
Laughter and happy voices occasionally came from the pantry. Caesar walked past the door, greeted everyone, and then grabbed a cup of coffee and left.
His steps were steady as he walked to the door of the public relations office.
Inside the spacious office, bright and clear sunlight shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was quiet inside, with only the sound of Grace typing.
On Casual Friday, she didn't wear a shirt and a skirt, but instead wore a black dress.
Two wide shoulder straps lay on her thin and slender shoulders, and the dress had a simple and smooth cut, ending just above her knees.
Underneath the desk, her black high heels were revealed.
Her brown coat hung on a rack on the other side of the office, next to a black knitted scarf. Grace looked up in a senseless tension.
She saw Caesar standing at the doorway, holding a cup of coffee and looking at her.
Grace's heartbeat stopped in an instant, and she quickly stopped typing, wanting to get up and ask Caesar if he was looking for her.
But Caesar waved his hand, telling her to stay in her seat. He had now taken off his suit jacket, and the sleeves of his white shirt were neatly folded and draped on his slender, powerful forearms.
He placed the coffee cup on Grace's desk and spoke in a friendly tone, "Why aren't you chatting with the other colleagues outside?"
In the quiet and spacious office, the door was wide open. Grace felt a slight nervousness, perhaps due to those sexual thoughts.
But in an instant, Grace suppressed those thoughts. This was the company, and right now he was her boss. She had to remain professional and diligent.
The owner said that he believed Caesar would not mistreat any hardworking employee.
It was quite miraculous how those words of the owner took root and blossomed in Grace's heart. As Grace looked back at Caesar, she felt a calmness.
She gently smiled at Caesar and said, "I don't have much work today, so I'm taking the opportunity to organize all the PR documents from the past five years for the whole fleet. And then I plan to create PR response templates for different unexpected events.
That way, by the start of the season, I think I will feel more confident."
Caesar looked at her computer desktop. He stood to the right of Grace, and his left arm naturally rested on the left side of her chair's back. Caesar leaned over slightly, almost enclosing Grace. Grace remained still, her body frozen.
Caesar scrolled down the document on the computer at a slow pace, but Grace found it difficult to fully concentrate. He was just too close.
The cool, faint scent of his perfume permeated the air and filled the surroundings. It was as if breath she took was like an overdose of an aphrodisiac.
And yet, Caesar didn't have any skin-to-skin contact with her, but Grace could clearly sense the heat emanating from him. It was a warm, enveloping heat that wrapped Grace tightly.
She struggled and cautiously breathed in some oxygen to maintain a semblance of rationality.
But her mind was too easily drifting, and she thought about the punishment the owner had given her. "Invite Caesar to my house for a cup of coffee."
And it had been almost a week since that punishment was issued. The only relief was that the owner hadn't reminded her.
"Grace."
Caesar called her name again. Grace suddenly snapped back to reality, and her volume unconsciously raised, "Yes!" Her gaze immediately turned to Caesar beside her, and her shadow was reflected in his deep blue pupils. "You were lost in thought," he said.
Grace had to admit defeat: "Sorry, I... I'm still a little nervous."
"Because I'm here?" he asked.
The longer Grace spent with Caesar, the more her fear of him gradually diminished. She took a silent breath and said, "Because... I'm afraid you'll fire me."
There was a moment of silence in the air.
Grace immediately regretted her not-so-funny truth.
But Caesar stood up and looked down at Grace, his gaze filled with a faint smile.
Grace immediately let out a sigh of relief and smiled as well.
"Sorry, my joke wasn't funny," Grace said.
Caesar raised an eyebrow. "I found it interesting. I appreciate your honesty."
Grace's heart inexplicably warmed, but Caesar had already taken back the coffee cup he had put on her desk.
"It's Casual Friday, relax a little."
He was ready to leave.
Grace's breathing became smoother.
She smiled, "Okay."
Caesar glanced at her one last time and took a sip of his coffee.
"Send me the completed template next week."
Grace immediately replied, "Okay."
"Grace, you're doing great."
He finished speaking and left the office without hesitation.
The office fell silent once again, and Grace could only hear her own anxious heartbeat.
But her lips couldn't help but curl up into a smile, hidden behind her hair, a hidden blush spreading across her unseen cheeks.
-
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the entire team convoy headed to the bar.
Caesar had booked the entire place, with free drinks and food for everyone.
They all shed their seriousness and rigor from work and transformed into experienced night owls.
Tequila and whiskey flowed endlessly, and the five bartenders behind the counter tirelessly mixed one cocktail after another.
James was a social butterfly, and Grace followed him, engaging in lively conversations with different people.
They naturally consumed a fair amount of alcohol. It was rare to have someone treating them, so they went all out on the expensive drinks.
Grace had always been curious about alcohol, but she never had the opportunity to drink. Firstly, she was always alone, and it was unsafe for her to get drunk without someone to take her home. Secondly, alcohol was too expensive, and she couldn't afford it.
However, tonight she felt a bit reckless, as Caesar had mentioned that all Ubers could be reimbursed, and he would personally arrange for each lady to be driven home.
So Grace sampled different types of alcohol, struggling to pronounce their names, but still taking a small sip to taste the flavors.
The atmosphere in the bar was exceptionally lively, and she could no longer distinguish whether her dizziness was due to the drinks or her excitement.
The party continued towards midnight, but not many people were ready to call it a night.
Grace went to the restroom for the second time, confirming that she had indeed had too much to drink.
Although she wasn't feeling uncomfortable, she felt a bit lightheaded and her steps were a bit unsteady.
She bumped into James as he walked past,
"James immediately went to find Caesar when she said she wanted to go home first, and asked him to arrange a driver to take Grace home. Grace sat in a quiet corner of the bar for a while. When someone approached her, she looked up and saw Caesar.
"I... you...where's James?" Grace's brain started to slow down.
Caesar had a coat hanging on his arm, and with his other hand, he helped Grace stand up.
"He has found a car for you, and I will take you there."
"Ah, I see." Grace's tone became slow and lingering at this moment. Because of the alcohol, her eyes also carried a hint of confusion. Her demeanor appeared soft and seductive as a result. She stood up and naturally leaned against Caesar.
The bar was still bustling, and Caesar led her towards the exit.
Taking the elevator to the underground parking lot, Caesar placed Grace in the front passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. He walked around the car and opened the driver's door.
The interior of the car was warm, and the high-quality leather seats heated Grace's body, making her feel drowsy.
When she woke up again, she noticed that the scenery outside the car window became particularly familiar.
Her thoughts slowly became clearer, and she turned her head to find that Caesar was looking at her.
"You...you brought me back?" Her condition had evidently improved compared to when they were in the bar earlier.
Caesar nodded, "You left early, and the driver hadn't arrived yet."
"Mm." Grace acknowledged, nodding obediently, appearing very well-behaved. "Then, did you not drink?"
"I don't drink."
"Ah, I see." Grace suddenly thought of something, causing her to laugh.
The overhead light inside the car turned on, casting a warm yellow light on her face, highlighting her delicate facial features and small, upturned nose.
Perhaps due to having consumed a lot of alcohol, her lips now had a thin layer of shimmer.
She laughed for a while before looking back at Caesar.
"Thank you for bringing me back. If you don't mind, can you come to my house for a cup of coffee?"
Caesar silently looked at her.
"It's already very late."
"Yes," Grace even nodded, "but...it has been a long time."
Her thoughts seemed to come and go in waves.
"Please come to my house for a cup of coffee, Caesar."
"Aren't your roommates going to mind?"
"My roommates? You know I have roommates? Oh, she won't mind, we've talked about it before."
"Grace, are you sober?" Caesar asked in a deep voice.
Grace candidly shook her head, "When I'm sober, I don't dare."
Surprisingly, she then reached out and held Caesar's forearm.
"Please come upstairs and have a cup of coffee. I will personally make it for you."
At this moment, Grace was so close, yet she remained oblivious to her own appearance.
She held onto his arm with both hands."
Her body leaned forward, her soft breasts squeezed below the black collar, her wet eyes fixedly staring at him.
Caesar stayed quiet for a while, then turned off the engine.
Grace's room was the second bedroom of a two-bedroom apartment, with a bathroom attached. Caesar followed her in and gently closed the door.
Grace kicked off her high heels and ran to a small table.
Caesar looked around the room.
There was a bed with a pink coral fleece blanket, and a small table that wasn't very big.
On the wall at the end of the bed, there was a full-length mirror with a soft carpet underneath.
Caesar's breathing slowed.
Watching Grace rummage through boxes and cabinets, she squatted down and opened a box, searching for the expensive coffee beans she had bought specifically for Caesar.
But perhaps the squatting position was pressing on her bladder, and she suddenly stood up.
When she faced Caesar again, Grace's expression became somewhat shy.
She crossed her legs and whispered, "I... I want to use the bathroom first."
After she finished speaking, sShe ran barefoot to the bathroom.
The bedroom was quiet for a moment, and then Caesar was certain that she was completely drunk.
Because the sound of water, clear as day, was coming through the open door and falling into Caesar's ears.
He could almost imagine her appearance, with her underwear falling to her knees, her skirt lifted and folded at her waist, thighs clenched tight, and then warm water released from below.
Soon, the sound of flushing and handwashing came from the bathroom.
Grace came out.
Caesar thought that she was too drunk.
Otherwise, why would her underwear slip off her legs and lie quietly at the entrance of the bathroom while she ran out barefoot?
"I'll make coffee for you now!" Grace ran back to the table to look for the coffee beans.
Caesar sat down on a nearby chair.
He wondered if coming upstairs with her tonight was a mistake.
Because the crotch of his deep blue trousers was already uncomfortably tight.