His Lovable Klutz (Completed)

Segment Thirty-three.

♥ What's this Feeling? ♥

      Stefan was sitting on his bed, his back propped up against a stack of pillows as he typed away on his laptop. The soft glow from the screen illuminated his face, the only light in the dim room. His fingers moved quickly across the keyboard, the tapping sounds filling the otherwise quiet space.

      Suddenly, his phone buzzed beside him on the bed, breaking his concentration. He glanced at the screen and saw a notification from a contact labeled Ludicrous Cook. It took him a second to remember that this was how he'd saved Coby's number after one of their more ridiculous kitchen arguments.

      Curious, he picked up the phone and opened the message. It read:

      Hey Mr. Reynolds, just letting you know I won't be coming back tonight. I'm spending the night at a friend's house. See you tomorrow!

      Stefan scoffed, a smirk playing on his lips. "Spending the night out, huh? How nice," he muttered to himself, shaking his head slightly.

      He tossed the phone back onto the bed with a shrug and returned his focus to the laptop. His fingers resumed their rapid dance over the keys as if the interruption had never happened. The room fell back into its familiar silence, the sound of his typing the only noise breaking through the night.

      The following morning, the sun had barely begun its climb into the sky when Coby returned home. She entered the house quietly, her mind still buzzing from the previous night. She half-expected the place to be empty, assuming Stefan had already left for work. But as she walked into the living room, she was surprised to find him sitting on the couch, casually flipping through a magazine.

      Stefan was dressed sharply in a crisp white shirt and dark trousers, looking far too put together for someone who had spent the past couple of days bedridden. His brow furrowed slightly as he focused on whatever article had caught his attention, but he didn't seem to notice Coby at first. She wondered why he hadn't gone to work yet—it was already late morning.

      "Morning, Mr. Reynolds," Coby greeted him cheerfully, trying to gauge his mood. "How are you feeling today?"

      Stefan didn't even look up. His eyes remained glued to the magazine as he coldly asked, "Where are you coming from?"

      The sudden frost in his tone made Coby pause. She blinked, not expecting the question to be delivered with such icy precision.

      "Uh, from a friend's place. I told you last night that I wouldn't be coming back."

      Stefan finally looked up, fixing her with a piercing gaze that made her feel like a kid who'd just been caught sneaking out past curfew.

      "Why would you leave the house without informing me first?" he snapped. "And more importantly, why didn't you come back on time? Because you decided to stay out all night, I couldn't have breakfast this morning."

      Coby's eyes widened in disbelief. "You couldn't make yourself breakfast?" she shot back, incredulous. "When I left, you were still in bed. If you were that hungry, you could've made yourself something quick."

      She was about to say more but suddenly remembered why Stefan couldn't cook or go near the stove. Her voice faltered as guilt washed over her. She glanced down, realizing how thoughtless her words had been.

      Stefan's harsh expression didn't soften. He slammed the magazine onto the coffee table and slowly rose from the couch, walking toward her with deliberate steps. There was a coldness in his eyes that made Coby's stomach twist with unease.

      "I could have made myself breakfast?" he began, his voice low and menacing. "Do you have any idea how irresponsible it was to leave without making sure everything was in order? This is your job, Coby. You're paid to be here, not to run off whenever you feel like it."

      Coby's guilt deepened, but before she could respond, Stefan's gaze dropped to her arm. His brow furrowed in confusion and concern—something rare for him.

      "What happened to your arm?" he asked, his tone shifting as he reached out and took her arm gently in his hand.

      Coby blinked, following his gaze to the small cut she hadn't even noticed. "Oh, this?"  she said, surprised by the sudden shift in his demeanor. "I must've gotten it when I... uh, when I got into a fight at the bar."

      Stefan's eyes widened slightly. "A fight? At the bar? What the hell were you doing fighting in a bar? And whose house did you stay at last night?"

      Coby was taken aback by his barrage of questions. "Why do you care?" she blurted out, genuinely confused. "I mean, it's no big deal. Audrey, my friend, needed me, so I stayed with her."

      Stefan cleared his throat, suddenly avoiding her gaze. "I'm not concerned about you," he muttered, almost defensively. "I just need to know what kind of... trouble you're getting yourself into."

      Coby raised an eyebrow, watching him carefully. "Right. Well, I'm fine. Anyway, give me a few minutes, and I'll whip up something for you to eat."

      "No," Stefan said abruptly, shaking his head. "Don't bother. I'll be attending a party later, and I need you to accompany me."

      Coby's eyes widened in surprise. "A party? Me? No thanks, I hate rich people's parties," she said flatly, already turning to head toward the stairs.

      "You're coming with me," Stefan ordered, his voice firm and unyielding.

      Coby didn't stop. "No, I'm not."

      Stefan narrowed his eyes. "I'll double your salary."

      Coby stopped halfway up the stairs, doing the quick math in her head. If he doubled her salary, she'd be bringing in $16,000 by the end of the month. She hesitated, wondering if he might go even higher if she held out.

      But she still refused. "Still not worth it," she said, though her tone was wavering.

      Stefan crossed his arms, his expression growing darker. "Fine. Triple. And that's final."

      Coby turned slowly, her eyes wide. Triple? That would be $24,000. There was no way she could turn that down. With a resigned sigh, she nodded. "Alright, fine. I'll go."

      "Good," Stefan said, his voice laced with satisfaction. "Get a dress ready. We'll leave this evening."

      Coby hesitated. "I don't have a dress."

      Stefan gave her a long, exasperated look before shaking his head. "Of course, you don't," he muttered under his breath, already mentally adding a stop at a high-end boutique to their evening itinerary.

      Coby just shrugged, turning to head back upstairs, leaving Stefan shaking his head in frustration and amusement as he returned to the couch.