In Love With My Rival

CHAPTER FIVE: I am the boss,

            Monday came faster than Ava Lauren expected. No, she was not upset that the weekend had passed. She could not do anything about it because she did not hold the time. In fact, she was happy she had to report to her office again. She wished it was always working days so she could not think about anything else, especially about the fact that she felt alone. Working made her forgot about things that bothered her.

            It’s her escape from everything.

            Mason would be with her again after she gave him a break from his job as her personal assistant and secretary to take care of his ill grandmother. There was a workload of papers waiting for them at the office and she was happy she wouldn’t be as busy as she was the last weekend when Mason was not there to help her. Things were easy with Mason. She trusted the guy. She believed in him. He knew exactly what he was doing and she had the initiative to do things. That was the reason why she loved him in the first place.

            Yawning, she stretched out her arms and legs and ad slowly sat up on her bed. She bent her back and sighed in relief at the satisfying cracking sound of her knuckles when she stretched her arms above her head. Her silk peach nighties hiked up, showing her silky smooth legs. Just staring at her own legs stressed her out. Her skin, body, almost everything about her was to die for, but she did not have time for going out with someone. She did not have time to dress up for dates and look like a happy woman in a relationship. She only got to do that when her father had some guy to set her up with.

            It was funny how being single stressed her out when it was really her choice or more like her promise. She had a number one priority and that was her family. She had to make her parents proud, especially her father. She just felt like she had to meet all her expectations.

            With that thought, she swung her legs on the side of her bed, letting her feet touched the wood-tiled floor. Her hands were on her sides, at the edge of the bed, as she looked up at her ceiling just to relax the muscles on her neck. They were so tensed and a cold shower was calling out for her. Was it strange that she loved cold things?

            Anyway, as she sat there, she suddenly spaced out, just staring at the ceiling. She was not sure what she was really thinking about. It just happened sometimes in the morning when she woke up. No, she was not contemplating about going to the office. She just needed time to start her day.

            “Ugh…”

            She groaned, blinked several times after letting out a yawn again before finally getting up from her bed and headed to her bathroom. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled like an i***t when she realized she looked beautiful even with her messy nest hair and slightly squinted eyes. Her lips were a little dry and chapped, but that did not lessen her beauty at all.

            “I’m beautiful… Yup, I am. You’re beautiful, Ava.” She patted her glowing morning cheeks.

            She scoffed at her arrogant thoughts before stripping off her nighties and getting in the shower. She turned the water to cold and let it fall over her body. Relaxing, she thought. She applied her bath essentials, rinsed off, and stepped out of the shower. She wrapped a white skimpy bath towel around her body before proceeding to her huge walk-in closet to get dressed in her not so normal work attire. The room looked even bigger than her bedroom. Wardrobes, cabinets, and drawers were everywhere.

            Her eyes scanned the huge wardrobe of fashionable and elegant executive outfits that were arranged into color-coding. They stopped on red. Monday for red? She shook her head, disagreeing with the color. Red was a too bold and sexy color for Monday, she thought. She decided on peach, a soothing color to start the weekdays at work. The chiffon dress was every elegant. It had a long see-through ruffled long sleeves. The hem reached just above her knees. The neckline was a little bit low and almost showed her cleavage but decent enough. She slipped out of her towel and dressed up, completing her look with white strap heels. She also put on a pair of pearl earrings and her silver necklace with a white pearl pendant. It was given to her by her mother on her twentieth birthday. And she treasured all the gifts given to her by her parents. She wished she had a sibling.

            Smiling to herself, she applied a pinkish nude lipstick and thickened her lashes more with mascara even though her lashes were already naturally thick and curled. She sprayed her vanilla and floral-scented perfume before picking up her black Chanel handbag and walking out of her closet, out of her room, and completely out of her house. She rode the elevator down to the basement parking lot where all her luxury sports car were waiting for her. All she had to do was choose which one to ride on and that was what she was doing right now. Her head moved from side to side as she thought about what car to pick. Her eyes landed in her army green Dodge Challenger. The car was cool. It was one of her favorites. She loved that car.

            With a wicked excited smile on her face, she got in the driver’s seat of the car of her choice and turned the ignition on. The engine roared to life making her even more excited. She adjusted her butt in the cushion before pressing her foot on the gas, making a swift backing and turn before speeding out of the basement.

            Before completely making her way to the company, she stopped by Starbucks to grab some breakfast. She had her sunglasses resting above her prominent cute nose, chin up, as she waited in line to order something. The famous café was not that packed. Arms crossed over her chest, she turned her head to the side, to the right to be specific, and saw a woman smiling over the phone. Through her tinted sunglasses, her eyes squinted and her forehead creased as she frowned at the blonde woman. She looked a little bit older than her. Maybe around twenty-seven, she guessed.

            The age was not her main problem, but the fact that the woman was directly slapping it to her face that she was alone and unhappy.

            Not forever.

            Her thoughts argued, more like wished? She had to change the phrase. It had to be this way…

            Hopefully not forever.

            She rolled her eyes at the thought but bit her lip in frustration. Why was she even thinking about it? Even if she was frustrated at her own hopeless romantic wishes, she could not take her eyes off the woman who was biting on a blueberry oat cake as she held her phone with one hand and smiled at the screen.

            “Awe, baby…. I love you too...”

            Her eyes under the glasses widened in disbelief. Her jaw clenched as well as her hands on her sides. Seriously? She thought. The couple seemed to be in a long-distance relationship. She thought again. Her morning mood was so fine until she walked in and hear the overjoyed voice of a woman in love. That woman even made kissing sounds and pouty lips.

            No respect.

Yup, just another woman in love.

            And you aren’t that.

            The bitter voice in her head said.

            Yes, I am not that. It’s not like I want a love life.

            The argument with her bitter inner self kept going on and on until someone brushed past off her shoulder and she almost tripped backward on her heels. It caught her off guard that she completely forgot about how hopeless romantic she was as a woman. It was just a good thing that she was good at wearing heels and she got to balance herself before she would make an embarrassment for herself and fall on her butt. Angered, she turned around to shout at the man perhaps, but it was already out of the café and walking down the street.

            “Damn it.” She silently hissed.

            Should I follow him? I just want him to apologize.

            “Ugh…” She bit her annoyance when all she could see was the man’s broad back clad in a black leather jacket and those sexy legs in faded blue jeans. She wished she have seen his face so she could teach the man a lesson when she bumped into him again. He was holding a grande drink. She wished she could run after him, grab his drink, and pour it on his shirt. Would it be enough?

            That’ll be too much. You’ll burn him.

            “Excuse me, Ma’am.”

            The voice of the male barista pulled her out of her thoughts. With a heavy heart, she cast her eyes away from the retreating man who did not even say sorry to her and turned to the barista who was ready to take her order. Sighing, she chose to cool off. She would be late if she would go after the man.

            “Espresso. Grande. The name’s Ava.” She simply said.

            “Right away, Ma’am.” The boy smiled at her and started making her drink.

            It did not even take that long and the barista was done making her drink. “Here you, go.”

            She had paid for it already and was about to turn around and go back to her car when she thought she wanted something to eat with her hot espresso. “Blueberry oat cake.” She said, taking her drink with her name written on the cup.

            “Oh, sure.” The barista smiled. “Here.”

            “Thanks.”

            With that, she grabbed her order and walked out of the café and to her car, but not before rolling her eyes at the ‘woman in love’ again. When she reached her car, she placed her breakfast on the passenger seat and buckled herself up before speeding on our way to the company.

            She was stuck in the traffic when suddenly, her phone rang and Mason’s name appeared and on the screen.

            “I’m stuck in traffic.” She told him.

            “Good morn– What? You need to get here as soon as possible. Zeus Martins is here at the lobby waiting for you.” Mason sounded nervous.

            “Oh, God. Tell him to go away.” She sighed, rubbing her temples as she waited for the traffic to move. The blueberry oat cake was a scam. It was not helping.   You haven’t eaten it yet.

            Why Zeus Martins? Why?

            She was not asking for Zeus Martins. Just… no way…

            “Are you serious? I just can’t do that.” Mason’s frantic voice echoed in the car. “That’s…” He trailed off.

            “That’s what?”

            “Disrespectful.”

            Ava rolled her eyes. “Tell him I was the one who ordered you.”

            The cars before her finally moved and she could not help, but laugh at her assistant’s reaction. “I’m more than serious.” She pursed her lips. She was clearly amused by Mason.

            “No, you’re not. Why are you laughing? This is Zeus Martins with a beautiful bouquet of fresh red roses in his hands, waiting patiently for you with his whole loving heart.”

            “Exactly. Tell him to get lost already.”

            “Oh my God. You’re kidding me. I just can’t do that. Why don’t you talk to him?”

            “You think I’m not serious, huh? Give him the phone then.”

            “Wait. You’re really going to do it? Ava Lauren. This is Zeus Martins.” By now, Mason seemed to be so anxious and frustrated.

            “I know and I don’t give a damn. Let me talk to him.”

            “Where are you? Are you near yet?” From the sound of Mason, it was no doubt that he was anxious too.

            “Yes, I’m almost there.” She wanted to laugh, but she held it.

            “Good. Talk to him personally.”

            Her mouth hung open in disbelief when Mason ended the call just like that. He just hung up on her. Oh, no. She closed her eyes and groaned in frustration.

            “I’m the boss!!!” She screamed when she finally got in the basement parking lot of the company building.

            There’s no good this morning.