Nice try Mr.CEO

chapter 8

That night, Mark didn't come home till practically 3 AM. I stayed up to text his mom about her panic attack to let her know that if she needed me, I'd be there with Mark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Next Morning~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had woken up with Marks' arms wrapped around my waist, letting me know that everything was ok and that he got home safely. His almost unshaven chin rubs against the side of my face, as he softly snores.

Slowly removing his arm from my waist, I slip out of bed to prepare for work. Trying my best to not wake him up from his peaceful slumber. Seems like he had a rough night. I hope his mother is alright.

After breakfast and getting dressed, I rush to my car, hoping to not be late to work. I had promised to arrive at 8 AM on the dot, and it was already 7:45. The roads weren't too crowded, so as soon as I reached the interstate, I hit the gas some more to reach work on time.

As I continue to speed, I slowly begin to realize my car isn't speeding, but more like it's slowing down... driving to the side of the interstate, I stop the car. After hearing a sputter and clank from inside the vehicle, I pull the key out and try reinserting it.

3 sputters, 2 clanks, and a very frustrated groan later, I'm getting out of my car to go and pop open the hood. As I open the hood, steam begins to rise from the car and I'm forced to back up a bit, waving the steam away from my face.

After all the steam cleared, I finally saw that my engine had died and I was stranded on the side of the road.

"Excuse me, Miss? Is everything alright?" I hear from behind me. Oh, fuck no, not today. Not again. Fate, it's official, I hate you.

I try to cover my face with my hair as I duck back into the hood. As steamy as the engine was, I would rather face that than face the smug look I will probably receive from the douche that's practically standing next to me.

"Oh, Nat." I hear. I could already sense the smirk on his face.

"Yes, Mr.Volk- um I mean Alexander." I turn to face him once it's obvious he knows it's me.

"I never knew you were a mechanic. It seems like you know the car so well. Did you break down?"

I give him a look that says, 'no shit, why else would I be here.'

"Sorry~," he raises his hands in surrender as his eyes widen. "I'm assuming you're heading to the office. Would you like a ride?"

As I stare at him and weigh my choices, I could stay here and call triple-A, then come in late to work without an excuse. Or, I could take up his offer, call triple-A from his car, and then come into work late with an excuse- in the form of their CEO, but ew, that could go wrong in so many ways.

I just nod to his response and shoot him a quick 'thank you'. he nods in response, a smirk still plastered on his face. Opening his car door, his hand and face beckon me inside. A silence fills the car as his chauffeur begins to drive. Wait, how can he afford a chauffeur if he only co-owns a small grade dental business?

Turning to look at him for the first time this whole time, he's staring at his phone with an almost dissatisfied frown on his clean-shaven face. His brown hair falls a little bit over the side of his face as he quickly types something. The straight black suit that he's wearing looked like it was just ironed-only a little bit and his tie looks crooked.

"Are you done checking me out, princess?" he raised an eyebrow at me.

I snapped out of my stare.

"I-I was not checking you out, Alexander," I say stubbornly. Who does this man think he is! I wouldn't be checking him out, I was just... looking. "I was just... staring out the window on your side. That's it." I huff.

"Sure princess, whatever you say." he goes back to looking at his phone.

"Would you mind just calling me Natalina if you must?" I say all prime and proper.

"I think I'm good, princess." He responds and looks up from his phone with a small smirk playing on his lips. I roll my eyes and just turn back to face my window. After calling triple-A and watching the scenery outside my window speed by for a couple of minutes I begin to think.

Just how much trouble am I getting in for being late? It's only my second day and not even Sam will be able to help me. Wait, who am I kidding? I am legit sitting next to the CEO of the company. He could vouch for me. He could do that, but I can't ask him. I'm not going to ask him to vouch for my own misfortunes.

"That's where you're wrong princess. You can, and I know you will." his voice invades my thoughts.

"Huh?" Ok, how did this creepy man find out what I was thinking about...?

"You do realize, you were muttering right." His face plasters a smile and then his facial expression changes to a scary one with an almost frown. "How am I creepy, Miss Natalina?"

I sit there shocked, it's the first time that he called me by my normal name! Forgetting that he just asked me a question and all sorts of boss and employee etiquette, I gave myself a mini dance party to celebrate him not calling me princess.

"Princess, why are you dancing? You look like a chipmunk having a seizure." I stop dancing as I turn to face him, with my mouth wide open.

"Excuse me?! A chipmunk? Having a seizure?!" I exclaim angrily in disbelief.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, a cute chipmunk." He shrugs.

My eyes widen as I stare at him. The driver calls out that we have arrived and sure enough, the office was standing right in front of us.

"Thank you for the ride Mr.Volk, but I must be going now. I have work to attend to. Have a nice day." I say very formally with a strict face. Alexander's face almost falls and he looks like he's ready to pout. I open the door of the car and quickly rush out in fear of someone seeing me exit his car and assuming something. I am not that kind of person and I never will be.

Beginning my brisk walk towards the doors, I hear him calling behind me.

"Natalina, Nat, Lina." I hear him call out multiple nicknames as I try to speed up to avoid bringing any more suspicious eyes of my coworkers. As I finally enter the building, I hear the one name that I was hoping he wouldn't say.

"Princess! Come on, don't be mad at me! You know you can't stay mad at me forever. What, so I called you a cute chipmunk. I don't see any wrong in that!" he calls out in front of everyone.

I freeze. My skin turns to ice and I know that Liza is staring me down.

First, my car breaks down, then I get picked up by Alexander, and now I'm getting mentally killed by my boss. I can tell today is going to be a great day.