I get a surprising amount of work done now that I not paranoid about my life being over. I've decided that I'll let this "relationship" ride out, and then at some point in the next few weeks I'll tell Emily things just weren't working out and we called it quits.

That scenario feels better than being fake dumped by a guy that is turning out to be pretty great. Not only is he incredibly hot but he's kind too. This whole thing is not going to help my small, developing crush at all, but at least he is willing to help.

During lunch, I shamelessly Google his name. Because of course now that I have a name for the face, I can't help myself.

His picture comes right up. The professional portrait looks a lot better than the one on my phone but it feels like it's missing something. His eyes, under the professional lights, appear to have a brownish-reddish hue, calling to mind dark rust, but they're too flat like there's nothing behind them.

I read up on his qualifications – and there are many. He graduated high school early, attended various universities to get his Masters's in various fields, most prominently in business. Ran a few departments within the company before being promoted to the top. Those who interacted with him at work say they appreciated his business savvy but they had learned rather quickly to stay out of his way.

I puzzle at that. He's been nothing but polite to me, even downstairs when he had every reason to blow me off.

"I suppose it can't hurt..." he had said. That's not how a heartless businessman speaks to people he doesn't know.

When lunch ends, I have to tear myself away from my reading and carry on with work. There's so much to do, I don't look up again until the lights dimmed.

"Oh," I say in surprise.

"It's been a while, Hilary," Ryu says, his handlebar mustache twitches in amusement. "I thought I'd broken you of this habit."

Content with the work I'd done – my first full day in a long time! – I turn off the computer and gather my things. "I'm going, I'm going."

The elevator doors open and I smile when I see The Man from Upstairs. Kai. I've got to get used to saying that.

He puts his phone away. "It's nice to know now that your smile is genuine,"

"Did it not look genuine before?" I ask, stepping in to allow the doors to close.

"I thought you were smiling because of me."

"I was,"

He arches a brow. "But you didn't know me,"

"I knew you were a person who could presumably see me and therefore, I smile to be nice." I'm slightly put off by the idea that he thinks I was trying to allure him all those other nights, and only because of his name. Like I would ever be so superficial.

He doesn't answer. Is he not impressed by my friendliness? Listen here, you arrogant rich boy -

"Was your cousin ecstatic with the news?"

"She was," I stop to think, "satisfied. I don't know if she'll ever be happy for me, no matter what I do."

"Competitive family," Kai nods.

"What would you know about it? I read that you were the only child,"

Now, he eyes me with curiosity. "You looked me up?"

"Well, I had a name so I did some research," I reason. "What if Emily asked me your favorite food and I said fish but it's well documented that you hate all seafood?"

"You would have been revealed as a fool you are,"

"Exactly," I agree with a wave of my hand. "Wait, did you just call me a fool?"

I see his cheeks fight to restrain a smile. The elevator dings and then opens on the first floor. Like every time before, he waits for me to step out first. Unlike before, this time he also steps close behind me and we walk out together.

His car is waiting for him and I briefly hope he'll ask if I needed a ride.

"You won't find it in any article," he pauses to say, leaning in close as if we're sharing a secret. Which, I guess, we are, "but I love a good steak."

I feel my heart pick up at his low tone. He leaves me there and continues to his car, the driver opening the door for him, and then they drive off into the night streets. Almost a minute passes before I remember I need to call for my ride.

~/~/~

The next morning is brighter than the days previous. As I step out of my front door, the crisp air fills my lungs with motivation. I am going to have a great day, I tell myself. I am going to get a lot of work done and do a good job for my company. There's no problem I can't handle today.

Being so caught up with what I can only call jubilance, I forget to turn my talk radio on and simply enjoy the sounds of the city around me. The birds chirp as they flit from one tree to the next. There's the sound of bells from doors opening and closing, and children's laughter as they run past me, their too-large backpacks bouncing up and down on their backs. So many things I never paid attention to before.

Even my building seems more welcoming as I stroll up the steps. The spring in my walk brings me back to my first days working for them.

And why not? I had a problem, a huge one by all accounts. It could have blown up in my face in fifty different ways. But somehow it all worked out.

The CEO of one of the highest-ranking companies in the country agreed, seemingly out of nothing but the goodness of his heart, to pose as my fake boyfriend for a short time. And, bonus: Kai being who he is will add to the devastation I feel once we're over and I can probably avoid my cousins for even longer.

I couldn't have dreamed of a more perfect conclusion.

So, what do I have to feel downcast and pitiful about? Everything will work out in the end.

When I reach my desk, something feels off, as though my area has been disturbed. Everything appears right after first glace, but I can't shake the feeling. After looking around carefully, I see just barely sticking out from underneath my keyboard is the corner of paper I didn't recognize. I kept my desk immaculate so there shouldn't be any scrap paper laying around. I scan around to see if I could find the person who left it, fearing that this is a prank. Pulling it out, I find that it is a small blank card with nothing but an e-mail address handwritten in neat, elegant print.

hanadran

Did I know anyone named Hana? Shuffling through the names and faces of everyone I know in the office, I come up blank. It has to be a joke, right?

Unsettled, I set the card aside and return to my morning routine. Digging in with both hands, I work quickly through my large inbox worth of work, effectively clearing things out without much trouble. There is something about mind-numbing paperwork; sure, it takes very little brain power but it is all-consuming if one would only sit down and do it.

I look pointedly to the cubical to my right. Brooklyn sits in his chair, leaning back with his arms crossed behind his head as he daydreams out the window. How he managed to get the corner cubicle after only being here for six months is beyond me. My bitterness isn't just that the corner slot had the window view. It's also a foot and a half larger than all the other cubicles in our row.

That's prime space that he's just using to drift off into the clouds.

And he does it every day.

He is also one of those that starts packing up ten minutes before our shift ends.

I hate him.

Cracking my neck, I go back to work. Nothing would ruin my day. I have no problems.

None.

At lunch, I go through my personal email while I munch on a sandwich I brought from home. The area is quiet for the first time since the start of the day while everyone congregates in the break room.

My inbox is completely boring, mostly promotions and spam. I'm not upset but there is a part of me that wouldn't mind having someone to reply to. I have fifty-five minutes of my lunch hour to fill, after all.

Then an email pops up. This one from an address I hadn't ever seen before but immediately recognize.

khiwatari from his company's email.

The subject line simply reads "use the other email" and the rest of the message is blank.

What sort of clandestine stuff is he into? Does he think someone is spying on him? Through me? And what "other email" is he talking about?

I stared at the cryptic message, my sandwich halfway to my mouth as I try to process what I am supposed to do with it.

The other email?

Is he Hana? No.

But...maybe?

I pull out the card and slowly type each letter of the email into the contacts bar. In the subject bar, I write "this one?"

Thinking of nothing else to add, especially since I don't even really know who this is and I could be giving my email address out to a complete stranger who will come and murder me in my sleep because you never know what kind of information people can extract from a simple email, I hit send and hope I didn't just sign my own death certificate.

The email comes back in under two minutes. The subject line is the same but there's a new message.

You're a lot of work. I thought it would be upsetting for you if I suddenly knew your email so I gave you mine but you couldn't even figure that out.

That was it. No greeting or 'Have a great day,' not even a name. Just another insult to my intelligence.

I set down my sandwich and placed my fingers on the keyboard, each stroke of the letters intended to make him bleed.

Well, sorry to break it to you but finding a random email address with no context at your desk is just as creepy as someone emailing you without you having given them your email. Thanks for the consideration but try harder next time. You should have just asked for my email in the elevator. Like a normal human.

As soon as I hit send, I click away from the screen. What am I doing, back talking to a CEO? Even if it's not my company, he has enough influence to have my job – and realistically my entire life – ripped out from under me with only a few phone calls.

Instead, I focus on my sandwich. It is a good sandwich. I got the proportions of meat and cheese just right.

There's a sharp ping and I jump. I hesitate to look, knowing that there's probably a scathing reply waiting for me. It has to be done. Clicking back over, I open the email.

I'll be sure to do that next time, he writes first. The text is plain and gives no indication of tone but I get the distinct feeling he's being sarcastic.

Beyond that, I want to remind you that no one other than your cousin is to know about our agreement. If you think someone else may know, please use this email so that I can get ahead of any potential threats or rumors. It wouldn't be good for either of us if they got out to the public.

The words of his message leave a sinking feeling in my stomach like the world has opened up under me. My eyes read over the last sentence again and again. While he says it wouldn't be good for either of us, something tells me what he really means is that it won't be good for me.

And he wants to remind me? When had we ever discussed the rules of this agreement before? I try to think back to our conversation in the elevator, but that seemed pleasant enough. I avoid thinking too deeply about the chills he gave me in the lobby before he left.

Before that, there was only the conversation we had while Emily stood off to the side. He agreed to help me...

"I suppose it can't hurt but you can only tell your cousin and no one else. I hear any rumors and I'll ruin you."

That's what he said.

I'll

Ruin

You

I dive for my phone, opening my messages. My fingers fumble over each other as I type a message for Emily; one that sounds cool and collected, exactly the opposite of how I actually am.

I know it's probably obvious, but just to be sure, please do not tell anyone about me and you-know-who. We're still not public yet and I don't want to stress him out.

Once I am pleased with the message, I send it over. Emily isn't a gossiper but she isn't a secret keeper either and it can be difficult to navigate around her.

Did he ask you to keep it a secret?

Hmm. What a weird question.

Just for now while we get to know each other

Hil, she writes back, including a sad face emoji, if he's asking to keep it a secret, don't you find that a little suspicious? Are you sure this is a real relationship and he's not just using you? He is Kai Hiwatari after all...

Of course. Of course, she would try to take something that brings me a little bit of joy and turn it around to create doubt. How could I not see this coming?

It's real, I text back. I know I shouldn't be doubling down on a fake relationship but I can't help it. She brings out the worse in me. Maybe I can as Kai if he would be willing to let this go on for a few extra weeks. Maybe if I make myself seem pathetic enough. Just don't tell anyone, ok?

Whoops

What do you mean, whoops?

I already told Queen. Which means King also knows.

What? I don't know how to convey how upset I am.

Don't worry, it's just us four. And Michael, of course. I'll tell them to keep it on the "down-low" - winky face - and once your very-real relationship goes public, it won't be an issue. Right?

I ignore the multiple digs in her message to focus on the fact that King and Queen knowing is not optimal. Emily is one type of beast but they are a whole different breed. If they're told not to say anything, the next thing they'll do is rent a blimp and a megaphone or hire sky-writers. Emily knows this.

I'm not equipped to play this game. What was I thinking?

I send a final message to Emily telling her to wait on talking to them. This is getting out of hand and I should let Kai know before it goes any farther.

Looking at the clock, my lunchtime is up. I could send an email to him but what would I say? Maybe taking a page from Emily's book and just reply with "Whoops"?

"...I'll ruin you."

No, this news is best delivered in person so he can see how remorseful I am. But that requires getting away from my desk and getting upstairs without my bosses knowing. Also, I need to get to his office without his personnel finding me.

I slip away from my desk and walk slowly past the empty cubicles. Of course, lunch is over but everyone is still lingering in the break room, wasting company time. I reach the elevators and almost press the button to go up when another thought hits me.

I could take the stairs. There will be less security and chances of me getting caught.

Quickly, trying to look like I know what I'm doing but yet keeping my head down so that no one can identify me, I head towards the staircase and push the door open. The winding flights go on and on for days downward, but up is a short hike. Though my heels don't make it super comfortable. Within minutes, I come to his floor. It has to be his floor because it's the last door before the roof.

My hand settles on the cold metal of the handle and I give just the slightest pull to see if it will open. It does. I let out a breath so slowly, scared that someone would hear otherwise. Peeking my head through the opening, I look around for anyone who can stop me.

I can't see anyone but I do hear people talking. It seems like everyone is in their offices, doing the work they should be doing. Must be nice.

Leaving the stairs, I immediately notice that their offices are not set up like ours. Instead of cubicles filling the open space, the middle of the room is dedicated to a giant conference room enclosed with glass panels and offices to each side. It's clear that the staff up here is much smaller than my office and there's not much of a chance I'll be able to sneak around without notice.

At least I'm dressed in a plain black skirt and a white button-down, so I look the part. I could say that I'm new and got confused about which floor I needed.

"What do you think you're doing?"

I whip around, hands at my sides and back ramrod straight. "I'm new!"

"What?" The man before me is not what I was expecting at all. Dark skin contrasting with stark white hair, he almost reminds me of my cousin King. Except this guy is all kinds of buff. And tall. Even dressed in a suit, I find it hard to believe he's here for desk work.

"I'm new?"

"Then why'd you come up the stairs?"

"I like to exercise?"

"Why are you saying that like it's a question?"

"Because I'm confused?"

He opens the door for the stairs and points towards the top. There at eye level – his eye level, that is – is a sign that reads Hiwatari Enterprise.

"I didn't see that," I say. Which, I realize uncomfortably, is the first true thing to come out of my mouth all afternoon.

He holds the door open for me and waves his arm as though he is excusing me.

"Actually," I look over my shoulder to the offices, wondering where I will find Kai so that I can warn him. "I have a meeting with Kai Hiwatari."

He tilts his head. "Why didn't you just say that?"

I blank.

He arches a brow, waiting. He doesn't believe me in the least.

"Look, Kai knows me. Just let him know Hilary is waiting for him and you'll see. It's important."

"Well, I'm not confused. I'm head Hiwatari's security and I'm in charge of who gets to see him, so unless you've got something a little more convincing than that, I'm not letting you anywhere near him."

I stare at him, completely stumped. His eyes watch my every move. Testing his reflexes, I twist my hand and sure enough, his eyes track the movement before coming back to my face.

Do not run, I tell myself. You'll be a spectacle of embarrassment and Kai will never talk to you again.

"Just please go get him," I beg.

"You think this is the first time a girl's come up here, hoping they'll catch his eye?"

I gasp. "I would never! I actually have some self-respect."

He laughs, mocking me. "Clearly."

"I'm serious. Look, this is already embarrassing enough. I have a very important message to give him and if I don't, then everything will be ruined and it'll all be because you stopped me,"

"What are you doing?"

For the second time, the question makes me turn around. This time, standing there is none other than the man in question, hands tucked into his pockets. He does not seem happy to see me if the sour look on his face is anything to go by.

Chapter 3! What'd you think? I'm still having a lot of fun writing this and can't wait for you to see what's coming. I hope you're enjoying it enough to stick around.

I'm sorry if there's any mistakes or if things are confusing to read between the emails and text messages. FFN's limited formatting can make it difficult. I've also learned that ffn doesn't like email addresses even if it doesn't include an actual "at" sign...

Next week I'll update on Wednesday, 11/25. Have a great week - Konix