Bittersweet Pleasure

Chapter Two

Picture: Eric Belanger as Claudio Narváez

The telephone on top of his counter rang again after the last call he had a minute ago. Daniel answered it and like always, it was the secretary of one of his boss' business partners. The woman on the other line had a seductive tone in her and he immediately guessed that whoever this woman was no doubt more than just an assistant.

"Thank you, I'll schedule a meeting for them on Friday." Daniel replied before settling the phone back to its place.

He sighed, feeling his stress aching in his temples. He looked at the hanged clock on the wall and he smiled seeing that it was already lunch time.

Daniel set up the phone on idle mode and went to arrange the pile of document papers on the table. His office place was similar to that of a reception counter, and he liked it compare to a small one.

He grabbed both his wallet and phone the minute he was done, and proceeded to go down the escalator on the other side of the room. He transferred from one escalator to another until he reached the ground floor where one of his colleagues was waiting for him. He sighed again upon spotting that it was Lara from the same department as his other friend, Peter.

"I heard from Peter that he met a Spanish Satan earlier this morning?" she snarled at him.

"He did." Daniel replied, shaking his head because he could imagine himself being lectured by this woman the entire lunch break. Lara was his and Peter's best friend – also their mother hen – and she will hunt down all those who hurt her babies even if that person was their CEO.

She frowned, "I hope that man didn't do anything to him."

"Trust me, he didn't." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he strode towards the entrance door. He could feel her trailing behind him until both of them were outside of the building. Lara was walking beside him in a sensual catwalk that seemed to appeal every man's animalistic lust from the distance.

But not Daniel, he didn't look at his friend in that way.

They soon made it to their choice of restaurant spot and ordered their usual cuisines. The pleasant instrumental music inside the establishment soothed the tiredness from Daniel's body and he moaned as he munched on his delicious grilled steak. His best friend from across the table bit her lip upon hearing the alluring sound.

"Good gracious! Please stop moaning like that or I'll jump you, gay or not." she said as she pointed her fork at him but the man simply ignored her comment.

"If you don't mind, can I ask you something?" Lara changed her tone into a staid one.

Daniel grimaced, not liking the sound of it, still he nodded.

"Is there something that goes on between you and him behind closed office doors?" she stared at him intently, waiting for his reaction that would confirm her suspicion but the man did not react at all, instead he continued eating his meal as if he heard none.

"Nothing," he imparted.

"I don't feel like believing it," she instantly countered back, "I noticed something that shouldn't be there when you look at one another and I can't help but–"

"Lara," he cut her off, "I understand where you're coming from but really, there isn't anything going on between us. He's my boss and I'm his subordinate, nothing more and nothing less. I don't look at my boss that way and I'm sure you're aware of that, right?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I am but you?... are you aware of that yourself?"

Daniel shook his head as he conceded defeat because he knew that no matter how much he reasoned out to his friend, the woman would just use his own words against him until he spill out the beans – but as much as he wanted to be honest to her, some things are better left unsaid – and the incident in the elevator this morning was one of it.