Mr. Love Queen's Choice: Time Stands Still In Your Arms

The new gardener

Victor rubbed his eyes and buried his face in his hands. When he looked up he saw a big plant passing by his door, laughing in a twinkling voice. He blinked with confusion and shook his head.

A week later he was walking back to his office after lunch with Goldman.

'Sir, have you met the new gardener girl? Everybody seems to be talking about her lately.'

'Not interested.' Victor grumbled while scrolling through his messages.

'Everyone says the plants look a whole lot better since she's taken over.' He lowered his voice. 'And that she is really cute.'

'I suppose you have too much free time if you've got time to waste on idle gossiping.'

'No, not at all, sir.'

'Good. You are supposed to arrange a meeting with the finance operations leads if I'm not mistaken.'

'Yes, boss.' Goldman nodded eagerly and hurried away.

Victor was about to dump the leftover water from his glass on the plant on his desk when he noticed a sticky note on the pot. There was a little frog using a leaf as an umbrella drawn on it with a message. Please don't water this plant! - The gardener. He tossed the note in the bin and poured the water on the plant.

Throughout the following weeks the plants kept changing on his desk and the notes kept appearing as well.

Please, don't blast the AC on the plant! - The gardener. Followed by a shivering cat in a scarf doodle.

Plants don't drink coffee! - The gardener. And a doodle of an owl with a mug.

Those short messages and the little doodles lifted his mood every time he found one so he kept doing what he wasn't supposed to.

One morning an angry little bunny figurine was sitting on top of his files with yet another message. Stop pouring things on the plants! - The gardener Victor chuckled and put the figurine in his pocket and poured his juice into the plant pot.

...

He stayed in the office until late at night to finish reviewing an important proposal. Eventually, he fell asleep on the sofa. He woke up early in the morning. He was hurrying across the hall, checking his e-mails when he bumped into something.

'Agh!'

Victor heard a cry. He shot up his head and realised, he bumped into a ladder. The woman standing on top of the ladder lost her balance and he already knew she was going to fall. She literally fell into his arms.

'Hey, you almost killed me.' She huffed.

They stared into each other's eyes for long seconds. She had really intense light brown eyes. Suddenly, he got a strange feeling in his guts. He paused time without realising it but it had no effect on her. Evolver? She noticed that the ladder was still hanging in mid-air.

She gasped. 'You...?'

'You cannot tell anyone about this. Understood?'

The girl swallowed hard and nodded.

'Y-you can put me down now.' She said in a tiny voice.

He put her down. More like dropped her.

'Ahem. Thanks.' She nodded. 'Even though it was your fault in the first place.'

'Don't get in my way next time!' He grumbled.

'Look where you are going next time!' She retorted.

'Do you know who I am?'