MY BADASS SECRETARY

CHAPTER 5

Ryke is laughing inside. He never thought Hendrick would invite him for lunch. He was angry earlier but after seeing the notorious CEO is just looking down at the floor, he finds Hendrick adorable when he is embarrassed and his ears are turning red. Ahhh, this Lion King is a beast yet acting cute right now.

Hendrick on the other hand wanted to disappear, wishing the floor would open and eat him. He keeps cursing himself after admitting his lousy alibi, he doesn't want to be caught by Ryke being jealous of the new employee. He feels his earlobes are turning pink now.

Hendrick and Ryke are just staring at each other, no one speaks at all. They are just listening to their own hearts and sensing their own feelings. Finally, Ryke breaks their silence when he realizes his boss is not yet having his lunch.

“So let's go!” Ryke clasps his palms and looks at Hendrick who is still collecting his thoughts.

“W-where?” Hendrick asked.

“Let's have lunch together, you said you want to have lunch with me.”

“Ah, yes yes.” Hendrick composed himself and started to walk to the door and asked Benny to drive them to his favorite restaurant.

While inside the car, Hendrick is just silent, while Ryke is just looking at the window until they reach the restaurant. The waiter guides them to a reserved table. Ryke became suspicious.

“Mr. Hendrick, did you plan this?” Ryke is about to pull the chair but Hendrick stops him and helps him until he sits down.

“No, I did not.” Hendrick lied but it's obvious.

“Thank you. I can manage myself, Mr. Hendrick.”

“Just let me, it won't kill you.”

“Are you starting again, Mr. Hendrick?”

“Nope. What do you want to have?”

“I want spicy foods. Any spicy will do.”

“What else..?” Hendrick asks again while he is selecting his own food that is not spicy on the menu.

“Sweets.”

“Ok.”

After ordering the food, the two become quiet again. Since Ryke hates silence and his mouth can't steady without talking, he starts to talk.

“Mr. Hendrick, why do you hate eating in the cafeteria?”

“I don't hate it, I just don't like the much-crowded place.”

“I got your point.”

“What about being serious, why aren't you smiling?”

“There's no reason to smile.”

“Even I am smiling at you?” Ryke then smiles sweetly, showing his signature bunny teeth smile.

Hendrick just looks at him more seriously, without expression.

“Come on, Mr. Hendrick, try to smile. Hmmm, you will smile.” Ryke keeps teasing Hendrick until Hendrick's lips form a slight smile in the corner of his lips.

“Ahahah, you smile Mr. Hendrick, I saw it. It makes your face glow.” Ryke compliment. Hendrick ear tips quickly turned pink that obviously didn't escape from Ryke's eyes.

The food has been served and the two start to dig in.

“Mr. Hendrick, you don't eat spicy foods?” Ryke asked when he noticed he was not touching the spicy foods.

“No. I am not into spicy foods. Not good for me.”

“Mr. Hendrick, it is so delicious, come, try this one, it is really good.”.

“No.” Hendrick rejected him.

“Ok, I won't force you, Mr. Hendrick. But this is the last time I will have lunch with you.” Ryke is about to put down the spicy tofu he wanted Hendrick to have but Hendrick quickly stops him. Hendrick takes a deep breath as defeated and Ryke smiles widely from winning this simple tease he made.

“Ok, ok. Let me have it.” Hendrick is trying to reach the spoon from Ryke's hand but Ryke doesn't give it to him but instead makes his hand steady.

“Just open your mouth, Mr. Hendrick.” Ryke ordered.

Hendrick unconsciously opens his mouth and follows the order of his secretary. Ryke shoves the spicy tofu in his mouth. Hendrick almost coughs from the intense spice from the chili flavor.

“Here, drink it.” Ryke picks the goblet of water and gives it to Hendrick.

“Thank you.” Hendrick's eyes and face are red now. He really can't stand the spicy food.

Ryke suddenly panicked looking at Hendrick's condition, he stands up and stands beside Hendrick and rubs his back with his left hand while fanning Hendrick's face with his palm.

“A-are you ok? I'm sorry Mr. Hendrick, I won't let you eat spicy food anymore.” Ryke continuously rubs Hendrick's back. Little did he know that he is making the CEO feel weird and uncomfortable because of the indirect contact of his secretary's hand on his back.

“I'm ok..just continue eating. I'm sorry, I am not really into spicy foods.” Though he wanted to let his secretary know the reason behind it, for now, they cannot talk about it especially in front of their meal.

Ryke gets back to his chair and finishes the remaining food. Hendrick is fine now but Ryke is feeling guilty.

When they finished, they headed back to the car where Benny was waiting for them patiently and smiling widely when he saw the two approaching happily.

“To the company, quick!” Hendrick ordered the driver which made Ryke's brows furrowed in curiosity. He is observing Hendrick inside the car, his fist is formed into a ball and when he looks at Hendrick's face, his forehead is bead-sweating but the face is still cold as ice and natural.

Benny drives as fast as he can. He can sense something, his boss is not ok. As they reached the building, Hendrick didn't wait for Ryke and ran to the lift as fast as he could and left Ryke dumbfounded in the lobby. What's with him now?

Ryke walks to the other lift and gets in thinking about what is going on with Mr. Hendrick. When he reaches the CEO's office, Benny is already there at his working table. He is curious and since he knew Benny has been working for Hendrick for how many years, he dared to ask.

“Benny, what happened to him?” Ryke asked in a whisper voice covering his mouth by the back of his palm.

“Mr. Wilson, what did you eat earlier?”

“Just a simple menu, I eat spicy foods, my favorite.” Ryke said innocently.

“Did you ask him to eat spicy foods?”

“Ahm, yes....w-why?” Ryke suddenly feels nervous.

“Mr. Hendrick is not eating any spicy foods, it's not good for him.”

“What do you mean, Benny”

“He is experiencing an irritated stomach every time he eats spicy foods,” Benny explained, which made Ryke's eyes widen, and cover his mouth with his two hands.

Acute Gastritis!

“Oh my god, Benny. I am doomed!”

“Did you force him to eat, right?”

Ryke didn't answer at all and quickly ran inside the CEO's office and went directly inside the bedroom and found the bathroom inside it. He gulped and knocked on the toilet.

“Mr. Hendrick...are you inside? Are you ok?” Ryke leaned his left ear to the door of the toilet, he didn't hear any voice but instead a loud sound of diarrhea. Hendrick growls as he releases the bad thing that made his stomach grumble.

Ryke covered his mouth when he heard Hendrick speak while releasing the loose bowel.

“You are dead meat, Ryke!!!”

Ryke walked away from the toilet door while tiptoeing, biting his lower lips. Oh s**t! I am really doomed. Did I go too far? Why didn't he warn me earlier?

Suddenly, Ryke's phone rang. It's a call from Hendrick.

“Tell Benny to prepare the car and call my brother. And you, help me out of here!”

Ryke runs to Benny and relays the instruction and goes back to the toilet. Hendrick came out of the toilet feeling weak and his clothes and whole body was smelly. Ryke covered his nose but Hendrick gave him a death glare. Ryke removes his hand from his nose and helps Hendrick to walk properly. When they reach the lobby, Benny runs to them and helps Hendrick to ride in the car.

Hendrick was admitted to the hospital owned by his half-brother, Jerson Davis. Ryke invites Jerson Davis into his office.

“So, you are Ryke..” Jerson Davis smirked.

“Hi Doc, I am Ryke, Mr. Hendrick's secretary.” Ryke introduced himself properly.

“I wonder how you trick my brother into eating spicy foods.” Jerson Davis asked while chuckling.

“I didn't trick him, he rejected me but when I told him I won't have lunch with him anymore, he agreed to eat the spicy food.” Ryke explained. Jerson Davis smiles and raises his hands.

“Calm down Mr. Wilson..or shall I call you Ryke? Just call me Jerson.”

“Jerson, I'm sorry. I didn't know that he has allergies to spicy foods. He told me that it's not good for him but I didn't know that eating one spoon of spicy food will lead to his condition right now.”

“It's not your fault Ryke, though you'd been part of it, it's his decision after all. If he is really firm in his decision, he will not accept it even if you told him you will resign if he will not eat it. But don't worry, he is fine, he just needs to use strong medicine, he can't stand the continuous pain because his intestine skin is thin and bleeding. Next week, he can go back to work. I will send him to his house tonight. Ok.” Jerson Davis explained Hendrick's condition.

Ryke sighed. He felt guilty. Hendrick risked his life because of his teasing. He went back to the office and fixed the schedules and collected the important files and read them carefully.

When he's done, he checked the time and realized it's already six-thirty in the evening. He remembers Hendrick must be home now according to Jerson Davis. He asks Benny about Hendrick's address and he quickly goes down and drives his car fast. He dropped by a flower shop and bought a bouquet of yellow flowers.

When he reaches Hendrick's house, Benny is already at the gate waiting for him. Benny knows the guards will not allow Ryke to enter so he needs back up.

Ryke was fascinated and amazed at how big and elegant Hendrick's house is. He didn't explore the house much, Benny guided him directly to the living room and introduced him to the butler. The butler brings him to the master's bedroom door and leaves.

Ryke is hesitant to enter the room at first but his hand is getting numb now from carrying the bouquet. He took a deep breath, he knocked at the door first and twisted the doorknob.

As he entered the room, the light was on. He saw Hendrick leaning his back on the headboard while reading books. Hendrick is expecting him already since Benny informed him earlier that Ryke is asking for his personal address.

Ryke was just standing at the door when he heard a cold voice.

“Why are you standing there?” Hendrick asked.

Ryke slowly walked towards Hendrick's bed and greeted him.

“Good evening Mr. Walters, how are you?” Ryke smiled and bowed his head and placed the bouquet with a get well soon card on the vacant nightstand. The butler transferred it to the vase to place it properly inside Hendrick's room before he let him bring it up.

Hendrick continues to read his book without responding to the person in front of him. He didn't even throw a glance at him. Ryke feels awkward and uncomfortable with the way Hendrick treats him so he decided to do his purpose. To apologize from the bottom of his heart and leave.

“Ehm, I am sorry if I forced you to eat spicy foods, I didn't mean it. From the bottom of my heart, please forgive this insensitive secretary of yours.” Ryke bows his head again and hoping Hendrick will respond but to his dismay, the person is not moving his head to look at him. Ryke's heart clenched in pain. He never felt this kind of pain. Being ignored and making him feel he is not existing and invisible.

“Get well soon....” Ryke mumbled while his shoulders dropped and started to turn his back and walk out towards the door but before he could step further, a loud voice echoed inside the room.

“Where do you think you're going, Mr. Wilson?” Ryke almost drops his heart and holds his chest. He gritted his teeth. Why does this lion suddenly speak and make his heart jump out of his chest? Ryke turns his back again and faces Hendrick with a naughty plan in his thoughts.

“Oh, Mr. Walters, I thought you were blind and mute.”