Nicolas leaned back onto his desk, running his hands along his cheeks. The room went silent after hearing the door close. Seven didn't know what to think. Web Baze asked for both of them at the party.
How irresponsible.
Seven let out a soft exhale, turning his attention to the CEO whose appearance just screamed exhaustion. Dark bags under his blue eyes. His eyebrows furrowed, and his lips were pale as snow. Dehydration and insomnia, his cheeks red from the tension he put in his hands. The assistant frowned, turning his head slightly, "You alright?"
"Thank you." Nicolas interrupted, dropping his hands onto his desk and staring at his assistant. Seven's eyes widened a bit, hesitating a nod, "For- for what?"
Of course, Seven knew what Nicolas intended when he said that. He knew that Nicolas wouldn't have been able to make up an excuse when someone you fear is standing before you, yelling... screaming in your face.
"For sticking up for me."
Seven's heart dropped. Hearing the sadness in his voice as he gave Seven a cheap smile that was supposed to look genuine. Ochoa nodded again, "It's not like you could've told him the truth anyway, right?" Seven chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood, "We both would've been fired."
Nicolas gazed down, fixing the rich watch on his wrist. His hands trembled, but his posture was clean and elegant. It reminded the assistant of when he was in high school, taking an exam. Sitting on the desk with a clean posture, his back straight and chin held high... everything was fine until the eyes would look down at his hands that gripped the pencil, shaking; sweating.
Though, knowing the reason behind Nicolas's empty response to his father, Seven did what he did was right for his boss. Ochoa put the pieces together and assumed Nicolas was flat-out scared of the man screaming in his face. Picking up the fact that Nick has dealt with being told his mother's death was his fault, Serene could understand why his father was scary in his eyes.
In Nicolas's eyes, he wasn't scared. It was more disappointment in himself for making his father angry. He has never felt like running from his father, but more learning to improve himself to his father's expectations.
"Right," the CEO responded softly, "Still, you didn't have to make up an excuse for what I did."
Seven frowned again, shaking his head lightly, "Sir, out of respect, I think... I truly believe that as your assistant, I should be able to assist you whenever I see you struggling with something. Is that not what I'm supposed to do?"
Nicolas picked his head up, his eyes scanning the male's freckled face, giving him a short smile, "Of course," he nodded, "I don't expect anything less."
Seven smiled.
Nicolas let out a huff, turning around from his desk and walking around the wooden furniture, his hands sliding on the edge as he walked behind and towards his leather chair, "Are you going to attempt to convince Web Baze again?"
Seven threw his hands behind him, standing in a straighter position to appear professional again, "Of course. The chairman has asked me to do so. Even so, it was my fault that what happened last night ruined the company's chances of-"
"Stop." Nicolas interrupted, his eyes shooting a glare at the assistant, "Your fault?"
Seven's posture eased up, his shoulders falling a bit as he gazed at the person sitting in front of him, "Uh- yes?
Nicolas nodded, leaning onto the desk and setting his elbows on the table, interlocking his fingers and setting his chin on them as if he were interested in Seven's explanation, "You want to explain?"
Seven's eyes grew, not expecting the question. For a second, Serene had hoped to hear an 'I'm kidding' from his boss. He didn't want to explain, especially why he believes it was his own fault that the Web Baze meeting was ruined. But alas...
nothing was said by the CEO.
Serene gulped, looking down at his black plain shoes, "I think, from my perspective, I should be just as responsible as you, sir... if not, more. I was also aware of the fact that doing a drinking game during a donation party was inappropriate and I expected we'd both regret it after a while. In essence, what we did last night went against every rule in the handbook especially since we were supposed to meet WebBaze. I could've let you drink more, it was no problem. However, because I drank with you and because I followed you up the stairs..." Serene looked up, his eyes furrowed, "I was clearly at the wrong and ruined the possibility of coming on good terms with WebBaze."
Seven let out a quiet exhale as if he hadn't taken a single breath throughout his explanation. Nicolas's expression didn't change. He kept his position and gazed at the assistant.
Usually, Ochoa would have been panicking and overthinking everything he had stated just like the day of his first meeting. However, looking at it, that was business-related. If he had said something that was wrong, he'd be fired. Right now, Seven was stating his reason. His reason as to why it was his mistake.
"So," Nicolas started, still not moving, but his eyes were gazing at the ceiling as if he were thinking about his next words, "that's a good explanation and a good reason as to why it was your fault." His eyes fell down back to his assistant, smiling, "However, most of it is completely biased, come on, Ochoa," he said with a slight chuckle escaping his lips as he leaned back onto the spinning leather chair.
Serene raised an eyebrow, watching the man relax, "Bias? How so?"
"You've favored me in everything you said. You think I'm going to fire you?" he scoffed again, moving away from his desk, staring at the ceiling again, only this time he was spinning around on the chair.
"You shouldn't be more responsible than me. Maybe when it comes to making me coffee or running my errands, but everything else is on me. When we go to meetings, I don't expect you to speak for me unless it's something simple like the time at the seafood restaurant. I'm your boss, so I'm your superior which means I should be just as responsible as my father. What happened at the donation party was my fault. I let my emotions get to me and decided that 'drinking my feelings' was my only option to get through the party." Nicolas stopped spinning, now looking directly at the assistant, "What handbook are you reading exactly that says we-"
Serene dropped his hands, breaking the proper position he was keeping this whole time, "Sir, we slept with each other!"
"Yes! We did!" Nicolas grinned, standing from his chair, "You didn't answer my question though... what handbook did you read that states the boss shouldn't sleep with his assistant?" Nicolas leaned in lightly, keeping his ocean eyes on Seven's confused expression. Nick blinked, moving his ear to Serene as if mocking him and telling him 'I'm listening'.
Though, Seven didn't answer.
Nicolas leaned back, sighing, "I shouldn't have initiated the drinking game and I definitely shouldn't have led you upstairs where I... kissed you." Nicolas raised an eyebrow at his assistant, smiling, "Where I pinned you and bit you and touched you and-"
Seven's heart raced, looking down at the floor again, avoiding eye contact with his boss, "Mr. Anderson!"
Nicolas watched his assistant's cheeks grow pink, making his smile fade, "See," he commented, "I initiated everything so it's my fault." Nicolas sat back down in his seat, letting out an exhausted sigh, "Besides, it's not like you can't convince WebBaze again, right? I have all trust in you, Mr. Ochoa."
Seven gulped down the embarrassment and tension he felt throughout his body. He understood where the CEO was coming from but did he really have to remind him of everything they did that night?
Though, what Ochoa didn't know was that Nicolas was setting an example. He did force the assistant to drink, and then he was the one that made the first move on the kiss. Saying those things and having Seven react to it was the only way Nicolas can prove that it was his own fault that everything happened that night.
Cars honked outside the building, filling the silence in the room. Seven's legs felt weak as he gazed down at the files on the CEO's desk, waiting for something to happen because he certainly didn't have enough confidence to speak.
Nicolas' phone vibrated in his pocket, grabbing the attention of the two associates. Seven looked up at Nicolas, seeing his boss view the message that he had just received. His eyebrows raised, pressing his dry lips together as he viewed the message. Turning off the phone, the CEO rolled his eyes and dropped his head back onto his chair.
"Something wrong?" Seven asked, putting his hands behind him again.
Nicolas closed his eyes, relaxing on his chair, "No. Nothing important," he answered, "Check your schedule for today. There are some errands on there I need you to run for the rest of the day."
Serene squinted at his supervisor who seemed unbothered for a moment. He nodded lightly, took out his own phone from his pocket, and went through his notes app.