CHAPTER 11 - FLIRTING WITH THE CEO

I sighed deeply because there was nothing I could do to assist Lance, even if he hadn't asked for assistance. “I understand,” I told him. Dimitri has been kind to me, and I didn’t want to pressure him into doing something he didn’t like.
I tried to smile at the man with furrowed, wild eyebrows and well-groomed brown hair that gently dangled from a wild and handsome face. In their sockets, his piercing brown eyes were placed attractively. After a gunshot wound created a mark that stretched from just under the right brow to the opposite eye and terminated on his top lip, he was left with the weight of his departed loved ones. Nevertheless, Dimitri remained good-looking throughout the years.
For a brief moment, I set my cup aside, mixed the eggs for cooking, and looked at Dimitri. “I had a one-night stand,” I informed him. I believed that he deserved to know what happened to me last night. After all, we were close friends.
“Pardon?” Dimitri was shocked and insisted on hearing the words from me again.
"I had a one-night stand with my ex-boyfriend,” I confessed, but I couldn’t look at him in the eyes. I was embarrassed to let him know, but he ought to know!
“So, that's why you want to take a few days off,” Dimitri said, smirking as he set his cup down and stared at me.
“Yeah, you got it right,” I said monotonously, expecting him to yell at me, but when I looked at him, he was still staring at me. ” I cocked my head in his direction, my brows furrowed.
“There's no need to feel bad about it. Usually, it happened,” he reassured me, and I assumed he was speaking from personal experience. Dimitri was a year or two older than me and had previously been married, so I knew I could count on him for relationship advice.
“However, I'm powerless to stop myself! Dimitri, I'm sick of myself!
“That's understandable, but blaming yourself won't help you.” Dimitri reminded me that it had already happened and that crying over spilt milk was pointless.
I took a deep breath and thanked him for his wise words for the umpteenth time. Dimitri was a decent person, but I couldn't understand why my mother despised him so much. If only I could teach my heart to love him instead of the other way around, life would be easier for both of us.
While I was busy preparing for breakfast, his phone rang, and I saw how he snapped his brows before taking the call. I gestured for him to be in the living room if he wanted some privacy. When he followed my suggestion, I could only shrug my shoulders.
The eggs were done. The fruits were sliced, and new cups of coffee were prepared. Overall, the table was set. So, when Dimitri returned, I motioned for him to take a seat. However, he shook his head to refuse.
“I have an urgent appointment,” he said.
“I understand. Go ahead, then, and don’t let me stop you,” I said.
“Can I take a rain check for breakfast?” He inquired as he made his way towards the main door.
Of course, I followed him because I had to secure my place after he left. “No problem,” I told him.
Since Dimitri refused to have breakfast with me, I opted to skip it too. I wasn’t mad, but tired. That’s all! So, I returned to my room to get some sleep.
I couldn't just forget about what happened between Lance and me, no matter how much I wanted to. When I closed my eyes, the memories of how he made love to me last night stayed with me.
I couldn't get him out of my system, so I planned on taking drastic measures to keep him out of my thoughts and life. However, before everything else, I felt I needed to get some rest, so I forced myself to sleep.
Later in the afternoon, I woke up to the constant ringing of my mobile phone, and I tried to take the call, my eyes widened in surprise! It was Lance Salcedo, and he wouldn’t stop calling my number! In the end, I had to turn it off.
As soon as I woke up, I had to change my phone number to stop him from calling me!
I was supposed to take a day off, but I changed my mind. When Monday came, I went to work as if nothing happened. For me, it was just an ordinary day. Nothing special! However, my colleague treated me as a big-time after the article about Lance Salcedo became viral.
“Are you too preoccupied?”
“A little bit, but why?” I asked as I set down my anti-radiation glasses on the table and looked up to see Dimitri standing nearby.
He suggested, "Let's talk in the office."
Even though Dimitri's office was on the top floor, his actions perplexed me. Instead of coming down to my working station, he could have just called and saved himself some time. Although I was aware that my colleague's gaze was fixed on us, I chose to ignore it and adjusted my dress before following him.
“Do you have a problem with your phone?” ” I inquired as we boarded the elevator to the fifth floor.
“Why do you inquire?”
I reprimanded him, “I would appreciate it if you would just call me next time instead of coming down,” and he only shrugged off his shoulder.
“You look gorgeous in your dress today,” he said while staring at my outfit.
The Black and white combo has always been my favourite, but it was the first time that Dimitri commented on my outfit. Sounds unusual and weird! “I am serious about my statement earlier. Give me a call if you want me to come to your office instead of picking me up from my workstation,” I repeated.
“Do you still have concerns about the rumours? ” He inquired as we made our way to his office together.
“Of course, I am! All of my suitors backed down because of the rumour that I was dating you.” I lied.
“Would you like me to put your photo on our front page with the caption that you're looking for a boyfriend?” He joked, and my laughter reverberated throughout the empty hall.
His office was large and designed to perfection. Dimitri was initially opposed to it, but he couldn't say no when the interior designer showed him the prototype. He had the best view of the metropolitan district, and the oversized sofas and chairs in front of his table were his favorite part.
In Dimitri's visitor's lounge, his secretary served us a refreshment, and I slumped on the oversized leather sofa. “Are you planning on increasing my pay?” I smirked as he shifted in his seat and became solemn.
“Can you do something for me this afternoon?” He asked.
“Sure,” I replied, even if I had no idea about the assignment. “Tell me the details about the assignment,” I asked.
“The CEO of Salcedo’s Group will hold a press conference later, and I heard that someone was coming to help that guy out of the current scandal,” he said.
I furrowed my brows in confusion because Dimitri’s information wasn’t detailed enough. “I don’t understand, sir.”
“His fiancée is coming, and I heard from a reliable source that he was dating the President’s daughter,” he explained.
“The president? As in the President of this country?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“But he has no daughter!” I insisted.
“An illegitimate one,” he answered and gasped in surprise.
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Anyway, I trust in you, Alexa, and I know that you’ll be able to get a scoop even if we’re not invited to attend the press conference,” he went on to explain.
“Did I hear it correctly? We are not invited, but you want me to cover the event, is that right?” I asked, and he just nodded his head in understanding.
“I think Layla can do it better,” I suggested.
“I insist that you do it,” he announced.
I slumped back in my seat, uneasy at the prospect of discussing a certain topic, one of which included Lance Salcedo. Dimitri looked at me as if I'd sprouted horns, and I responded by arching my brows.
“I am not going,” I decided.
“Aren’t you curious how his fiancée looked? I know you’re curious, Alexa. Come one, and you may leave now to make some preparations,” he commanded.
To be honest, I wanted to strangle Dimitri's neck! I massaged my head while trying to calm down. I got to my feet and prepared to leave. “What is the point of talking to me if I have no say in the matter?” I stormed out of his office, yelling, "Just email me the details about the press conference."
I retrieved my belongings from the office and went home early after my conversation with Dimitri in his office. My mood had been ruined, and I was afraid that I would vent my frustrations on some of the employees, which I did not want to happen.
When I got Dimitri's email about the press conference, I was already in the comfort of my bedroom, and I cursed out loud when I read the schedule. I got out of bed because I only had a few hours to prepare!
I cursed Dimitri silently for putting me in such a precarious situation!
Due to a lack of sleep, I awoke with a slight headache and went straight to our kitchen to get some coffee. As she watched me prepare two cups of coffee, my mother's thin eyebrows arched. Before she could say anything, I told her that coffee is life, and she shook her head in disbelief.
“What’s bothering you, Alexa?” She asked.
“Ma, can we just talk later?” I took the cup to my room and started to prepare for my assignment.
The press conference would be held at the Salcedo Hotel, which was not far from my home, so I took my time preparing for it. I was certain that prominent press members would be present, and I didn't want to appear shabby.
I took a cold shower to reawaken my senses before deciding on an appropriate outfit for the occasion. Attending a press conference was nothing new to me, but it would be my first time in a conference room with Lance, his brother Ethan, or even Liam.
I admired myself in the mirror for looking chic and sharp, dressed in a white long-sleeved blouse and checkered grey trousers. I dislike wearing high-heeled shoes, but my outfit wouldn't look right with flat sandals, so I went with beige ones. I turned around several times in front of my mirror to make sure I looked good from every angle.
When I arrived, there were a few reporters already there. I was not supposed to be there, but I was willing to use everything I had just to get in.
“Alexa?”
The voice was unfamiliar, but I turned to check who dared to call my name when I hurried towards the function room where the press conference would be held. For a moment, I stared at Liam Salcedo because he looked different from the last time I saw him. “Wow, you look great in your suit,” I complimented on his appearance.
“Oh, of course! It’s an important event for the family,” he responded.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Did you come alone? I read the article, and I was kind of sad after reading your name on it.”
“I’m sorry. I just did my job,” I explained.
“The evidence was convincing, but there was no truth in it, Alexa.”
“What do you mean?” I inquired.
“Hmmm, are you here for the press conference?” He inquired.