To Not Love Mr. Perfectly Fine

9

ARYAN

Four days. That was the most Ira took off from work after her accident before she joined again two days ago. After dropping her home that night, I visited her almost every day while returning home from work in the evening. Every day she would greet me with the same scowl on her face, and ask me to stop visiting as she was okay.

But until I figured out if what happened that day was just an accident or intentional, I wanted to make sure she was all right. She lived alone in a studio apartment which was a forty-minute ride from our office. Although her building looked well secured, there was no harm in checking. Besides, without her around the office to give me death stares and scowls while I tried my best to make her smile, my day felt incomplete.

Being a CEO was no joke, but my thoughts of her were never-ending. She had effortlessly become a part of my routine that I looked forward to.

As I stepped on the ground of The Vintage Garden, I saw shiny white tent strips hanging around for a setup that was yet to be constructed properly for Rainbow's annual book fair event. Decorating props were lying everywhere, as the event team worked with the labors. But that wasn't what I was here for. My eyes were searching for a certain brunette who was working here with the event team.

"All the invitations have been sent. Mrs. Chauhan hasn't RSVPed yet, but the rest of the people..." Pragya, my secretary, updated me on the progress of the event that was in less than a week. But I was only half listening to her. It wasn't until I found who I was looking for, I dismissed her.

The fact that I had finally made it in her good book, filled me with a surge of excitement and sheer joy. My steps had an extra swing as I made my way to her, but they slowed as soon as I saw somebody else beside her. A man. And she was laughing at something he said.

She never laughed like that around me.

A foreign sensation settled somewhere deep down my stomach. I couldn't pinpoint what it was, but it sure did make me feel a little bit sick. A low frown took over my otherwise neutral face.

"...you don't say! I never thought that would happen." She laughed again. The sensation intensified. Now it felt more like somebody had placed a burning candle too close to my chest, and I ground my teeth.

"Right. You know, you haven't changed much. Apart from the fact that you've become more gorgeous." The man said, to which she smiled.

Great! Now, I have a tent man to give me competition.

I cleared my throat and they both looked at me. "What's so funny guys?" I asked in an utterly cold voice with a cold smile plastered on my face. Ira gaped at me for a few seconds before she said, "I didn't know you were visiting."

"Well, I am now. Who's your friend?"

Her brows moved, but before she could speak, the tent man extended his hand towards me with a smile. "Hi. I'm Sagar. Event specialist of Star Events."

If it weren't for the people around, I would have very much liked to knock that smile off his face. "I see. How's the work going?" I asked, taking his hand before throwing it like a bag of garbage. If he realized I did that on purpose, his face didn't show it. "It's coming along. Ira has been a great help, as she always has been to me. Right, Ira?" He looked at her. "You're simply exaggerating." She cooed, and her cheeks tainted pink.

Oh, for fuck's sake.

I glared at him, which worked to shrink that wide grin on his face when he looked back at me. If looks could kill people, he would have been on a stretcher by now. But unfortunately, they didn't.