Harper's POV
I finally opened the door. I had been standing in front, fidgeting for almost five minutes.
I was scared or embarrassed...? I had no idea.
I was not ready to handle him, too, after his father. He was seating comfortably in his chair, massaging his temples with his eyes closed.
He told me to sit without opening them. I started to get nervous, so I started babbling about whatever came into my mind.
"I failed. It's not that I did not prepare well. It's just that it was my worst day, okay?"
he didn't stop me, so I kept talking.
"You know that everyone has that one day, right?"
he was listening, waiting for me patiently or, was he sleeping?
Because he hasn't moved a muscle.
"Mr. Roy...?"
I called him to gain his attention. I was surprised again when instead of asking me why I was yelling in his office, he gave a tired chuckle.
"You really came prepared, aren't you?"
In that instant, he opened his eyes, and I realized how tired he was. His eyes were bloodshot, and the dark lines under his eyes were starting to become visible.
"Did you bring your final proposal?"
he asked me, and I shook my head because I had no idea what he wanted to talk about earlier.
He took some files from his table and handed them to me.
"Don't lose hope yet. We might need your proposal, so choose in that file a few people we'll work with and tell me after deciding."
"Really?! Thank you so much, Mr. Roy. "
he managed a nod, but he looked lifeless. "Are you okay? "
I subconsciously asked and mentally scolded myself.
"I will be fine, but thank you. I will be taking a nap. Tell me when you are done."
I stood up preparing to leave.
"Where are you going? Ooh I almost forgot to tell you. We'll be doing much of the work here because it is confidential. Avery will give you more details so, for now you can wait for me here I will be nearby."
Without wasting another minute, he punched some codes, and I was surprised to see a room.
"So he sleeps here sometimes. "
I thought in bewilderment. My shock was visible on my face, but I was still gawking shamelessly.
It was a proof of how little I knew about Roy's, and it was going to be difficult for me to gain anything.
**
It has been almost two hours, and Damon was nowhere to be found.
He has disappeared behind an invisible door, and he was not back yet. I was doing my best to stop thinking about how he usually slept.
Whether he slept fully clothed or... I was really shameless.
But it was not my fault.
I was bored, and the hormones were not helping.
I wanted to check the time but I recalled that I had left my watch in my cubicle so I reached for my phone. I was shocked to find that it was past six in the evening.
The closed curtains distracted me from checking knowing that It was getting darker. I switched off the lights and opened them.
Approaching the floor to ceiling windows I gaped at how beautiful it was watching New York at night from Roy's.
Maybe it was because I was on the last floor. It was breathtaking. I closed them again and decided to call Damon.
The call didn't go through. I decided to call Avery, his personal assistant, to ask for what to do, but her number didn't connect too.
I waited for other thirty minutes, but I got no response, so I decided to check where he disappeared earlier. I closed the office from inside first and proceeded on knocking on the invisible door.
There was a small crack that meant that he had not closed the door completely.
When I got no response, I opened the door wide and saw a massive bedroom, and the first thing I saw was a sweating Damon who seemed to be in a nightmare.
I rushed to his side and tried to wake him up, but I froze when I felt how his body was burning.
He was having a fever, and I was seated in his office waiting for someone who was as good as dead.
But wait, why am I even worried about him?
I was supposed to be singing that it served him right.
But I mean... his father was the one at fault, right?... well maybe that justified why I was a little worried, he was my boss after all.
I shook him a little, but he did not respond. I turned on the light and looked for something to help because Avery's phone was still off.
I saw another door to the kitchen. It looked as if it was used often. I used cold water to put down his temperature a little.
A while letter his phone rang. I was hoping to find Avery's name on the screen, but I saw another name of someone called Diana, and I hesitated to answer.
Was she his fiancé? Because many times I did forget that he had one.
Ooh Harper, you are so hopeless.
When it rang for the second time, it was a different name. Ralph. His name Rang, a bell, as someone he was talking to him once when I was in his office and they seemed close so I picked up the phone.
"Hey asshole, when will you come out of that damn office of yours?"
I should have laughed in that situation, but I didn't.
"I'm sorry, but Damon is not with the phone. "
There was a pause on the other line as if he was digesting what just happened.
"Who is this?"
His voice turned business like, and they kind of sounded the same.
"I'm someone at the office. That's not important right now because Mr. Roy is having a fever."
I suddenly added for him not to ask me many questions. He paused.
"Are you Harper?"
He asked in a concerned yet controlled tone. I had no time to wonder how he knew my name, though.
"Yes. Are you coming to look for him?" I asked hopefully.
"I think that it won't be necessary for now. "
He didn't sound as if he was joking though.
"What do you mean by that? Your friend is having a fever alone in bed at the office with a stranger, and you are saying that it won't be necessary for you to come?"
ooh well, that didn't come out well, but whatever.
I didn't really mean that kind of sleeping but anyway I was getting pissed.
I was expecting to be scolded, but instead, he sounded amused.
"A feisty one he got there. Tell him that I will see him in the morning before work."
And he was gone.
Just like that, leaving his friend in the hands of a stranger.
**
I opened my eyes forcefully and sighed.
"This was a long needed sleep. "
I thought and gave a satisfied smile. I didn't want to open my eyes.
Not long after, the smile froze on my face.
I had to work. I looked for my phone under the pillow but I found nothing. It was on a close dressing table. I cursed.
"Holly shit. "
I couldn't believe that I slept until ten in the morning on a working day.
I abruptly sat up, but I was met with an unfamiliar place.
The room was a plain master bedroom. The closet was filled with suits and other unfamiliar clothes.
My mouth hung open. I started to recall what happened last night and screamed inside.
After putting his fever down, I kept waiting for someone to show up, but I ended up falling asleep.
I spend the night in a man's bed. bed.
Not just any man, my boss's bed.
I was DOOMED.
I hurriedly found my shoes and my coat, which was hanged in the closet as well as my phone. I tried to sneak out as I heard no movement from the office.
To my best morning luck, I was met with two laughing faces. I recognized one as Damon. I closed the door immediately. Embarrassed.
I recalled the asshole from the last night. Right.
The other man was Ralph.
Damon's POV
I was laughing hard on one of Ralph's jokes when we were interrupted by a sound from the master bedroom, and we paused.
Harper was trying to sneak out after finding out the state she was in, and it was so funny. I smiled when she immediately closed the door in embarrassment.
When I turned to my asshole friend, he was grinning like an idiot and I already knew that he was going to give me shit.
He and his fiancé were really alike.
I take it back what I said about him.
They deserve each other. Sneaky as hell,
"Don't you dare say a word," I threatened.
Instead of doing what he's told, he started laughing hard that I almost threw the coffee mug I had at him.
"come on?! I haven't said a word, and you are already looking as if you can
murder me in a second. "He smirked.
"Ralph, seriously?! Just don't. Except if you want to start something with me. Remember that Avery is a minute away. "I threatened him with one person I know, and he raised his hands in surrender.
"Stay here, I will be back in a few. "
I warned him and went to check on Harper.
I didn't want a report of someone who jumped through the window.
I found her sitting on the king-sized bed, face in her hands, but she abruptly stood up, guilty on her petite face.
"I'm so sorry for falling asleep in your... I mean for..."
she paused as if contemplating for the best term to use, but I bit her to it.
"you actually don't owe me any apology, but I do owe you one. Sorry for keeping you up all night without notice. "I started to roll up my sleeves.
She patiently waited for me to finish.
"I had no idea that my restless night could lead to that, so thank you. "
A relieved but still embarrassed nod was the response I got from her.
"You don't have anything to be embarrassed about. Apart from those annoying friends of mine, no other person knows that you spent the night here. "
I tried to ease the mood, but her eyes widened instead with, and I was taken aback again how beautiful she was.
"you know Avery, right? Her and her fiancé you saw in the office are the only ones. You don't have to worry about any rumors. It's not as if anything happened. "
When I commented on something happening her face flushed, and I grinned.
She was going to relax.
"you can take a shower before leaving. Avery brought some new clothes for you. You don't have to go to work in the same outfit as yesterday. There is an unused towel and a toothbrush in the bathroom, suit yourself."
She mumbled a thank you then disappeared in the bathroom.
I toasted bread and fried some eggs for a simple breakfast, then warmed up milk. I noticed that I've run out of groceries.
During the whole time, I did my best to fight the urge to imagine her in my bathroom.
Naked.
And it was not far from where I was preparing her breakfast.
... FLASHBACK, Damon
When I woke up in the middle of the night, my pajamas were drenched from sweating. I tried to move my head, but there was a wet towel on my forehead.
I turned on the desk lamp and almost cursed out loud. I was met with a sleeping Harper, her legs dangling on the side, and she was at the edge of the bed in an uncomfortable position.
She had one heel on, another might have fallen off.
I took a moment to digest what was happening because it was a condition I had never imagined to be in, even for one second accident.
"How the hell did I end up falling in a deep sleep, let alone having a fever."
I scolded myself in thoughts, but I had no answer to that either. I checked the time and saw that it was past one in the morning.
I gathered the sheets well after taking off her remaining heel. I tucked her under the covers, securing her head on the pillow.
She murmured something incoherent and moved a little closer to my warm body.
She snuggled too close to get warm easily, and I started to regret the day I was born.
Contemplating for a while I decided to use the couch for the next few hours just to make sure.
I woke up early and relaxed and ooh, how great it felt. I abruptly sat up, recalling that I had someone who slept over.
I approached the bed from the side her head was facing and settled in front of her. It was my first time watching her that up close.
She was unbelievably beautiful.
She didn't look her age, though. She didn't look like a mature woman of 24 years.
Instead, she had that beauty of a 20 years college girl.
Too young for... wait what was I considering?
I can't believe you Damon. You are engaged you idiot.
I tried to remind my stupid brain.
She tried to turn on the other side, but her long black hair made it difficult for her, and she gave up with a sigh.
I smiled.
I watched as her long dark hair spread beautifully on the pillow and subconsciously tucked some strands of hair, which was in her face behind one ear.
God, she was going to be the death of me.
At least I can blame Avery for that, right?
I watched how she was sleeping soundly and was brought back to earth by a buzzing phone. It was not mine. It was hers, and Avery's name was flashing on her screen.
I put it to silent and checked mine also to find different missed calls. Many were from Diana, and I sighed.
In that moment, I imagined her coming to the office unannounced as usual and found a woman in my bed. I shook off the thoughts and decided to check other missed calls.
There were two from Avery and one call which went through from Ralph, the asshole. Checking the time, it was not that late, so I concluded that he did talk to Harper last night. I hoped that he didn't mention anything stupid.
I went in the kitchen to find something to eat while talking to Avery in a hushed tone.
"What's up?"
I asked, pouring cold milk in the bowl full of cereal and sitting on a stool.
"Where is she?"
Was the first thing she asked, and I rolled my eyes.
"I have no idea of what you are talking about. "
I tried to play dumb but I already knew that Ralph told her everything or she talked to Har last night.
"ooh please?! You know damn well what's going on here."
Her voice carried impatience, and I grinned. Impatient Avery was easy to tease, but I had a favor to ask instead of that.
"You can guess her size, right? Get something on your way here she is still asleep, so don't try to call again. "
She caught up easily on that.
"Running errands for you on your first night. Why, though? Don't tell me... "
I stopped her mid-sentence before she could utter another word. "Don't. Just don't for once. Keep your weird thoughts to yourself. "
I pleaded with her and hung up immediately.
A while later, when the office door opened , I was welcomed by a grinning Ralph with the package, and I was starting to regret asking Avery for help.
.... END OF FLASHBACK.