Beautiful Rose (Elixir Billionaires #1)

7. Rose

7

ROSE

“This legit looks empty,” Kristy says at the absence of the usual line at Steamy Beans, the café opposite our office building.

“It’s because we’re an hour early.” I drag myself to the counter in a huff.

It’s not that I have a problem getting up at six in the morning. In fact, my first morning alarm is set for six. But I do need two hours to get all my tasks done. Brush, floss, twenty minutes of stretching, shower, breakfast, and I’m ready at eight. But at six thirty this morning, while I was just setting up my yoga mat, Kristy stormed into my room announcing that we’d be leaving in thirty minutes.

“Why are you so grumpy? I’m making a new habit today.” She points to the book in her open handbag on healthy habits, which ironically, I gifted her last month on her birthday.

What was I thinking?

“I’m grumpy because I had to rush through my morning schedule and skip my stretching and hair wash.” I run a hand through my small ponytail. “My hair feels oily.”

“Your hair looks good.” Kristy pulls my hand away. “Don’t you see? Today, we can sit and enjoy our coffee in the café? It’s empty.”

“You left home early to…sit in a café?” I’m seriously confused. “Wasn’t the habit about starting work early?”

“The habit was to reach work early.” She points in the direction of the office building. “We are almost there.”

Before I can call her out, she turns to the smiling barista and places our order of two latte macchiatos and a blueberry muffin for herself. Thank God, I had time to get my breakfast right.

When we grab a corner table, I sit across from her, facing the chalkboard wall as she takes a chair facing the door.

As the time passes, the café starts to buzz with the usual morning sounds, voices of people placing their breakfast orders, the front door continuously opening and shutting.

“Are you seriously not going to talk about yesterday?”

This is the third time she’s asked me this question since she caught me smiling with Zander.

“I told you already. I showed Zander my findings and he was pleased.”

Remembering our meeting, a warm sensation fills my chest and flows everywhere through my body until it settles into my fingertips and toes.

“He looked more than pleased.” She wiggles her eyebrows, probing me to say more. But when I don’t take the bait, she looks me in the eye, straight-faced. “You were smiling at him— with him.”

“I know. Believe me, I’m equally surprised.” I fix my glasses and rub my forehead, trying to find the next words. “Toward the end, it became easier…talking to him. I wasn’t as anxious as always. It was…different with him.”

I’m distracted when a shadow appears behind me, my nose tickling as it takes in the woodsy scent with a hint of vanilla.

“Hello, Ms. Asher.” Zander appears in my full sight. “I hear the coffee’s good here.” He tips his take-away cup in Kristy’s direction.

“Hello, Mr. Teager,” Kristy replies in an overly chirpy tone. “You heard right.”

Turning to me, he says, “It’s nice seeing you again, Ms. Marlin.”

His lips curl and a beautiful smile lights up his face. My eyes transfix on that dimple for a second before giving him a nod and hiding away from his mysterious, warm gaze.

“I hear our girl left you speechless yesterday.”

My eyes widen at Kristy’s unnecessary remark. Why does she have to say that?

I grab my coffee mug and bring it closer to my lips, just so I don’t have to speak.

“Rose is a woman of few words,” she continues. “You might have noticed that.”

What’s up with her?

Usually, she jumps into discussion whenever there’s a chance I might become the center of attention. But today, not to my liking, she continues to babble about me.

“Yes. I’m finding out that everyone here has an outstanding work ethic.”

“And to that note”—Kristy glances at her watch and then at me—“I gotta run to a meeting. I can leave Rose to your company if you like.”

W-what’s happening?

By the time I stand, grabbing my half-empty coffee mug, Kristy has already exited the café.

“Ms. Marlin, do you mind?” Zander slips into Kristy’s empty chair.

Why is everyone so fast?

I’ve hardly had time to place my cup back on the table and he’s already comfortable in the chair.

“Um… ”

“Just one cup?” He tilts his head to the side. “Until you finish yours.” He smiles, and something warm fill my insides.

I pull on my shirt cuffs and nod, looking away. The nervous hammering in my heart is familiar, but today, it’s beating to a foreign beat.

I sit back, and in nervousness, gulp the remaining coffee.

“Would you like a refill?” He cocks his head toward my now-empty cup.

Crab.

“N-no if that’s okay with you. Actually, I already had my one morning cup.” My hands hide under the table as I rub them over the denim of my jeans. “I…get anxious when I have too much caffeine.”

And isn’t that the understatement of the century?

“Excuse me.” Zander takes out his phone from his breast pocket. “Hello. I’m near the building. Can you postpone?”

My eyes widen. Is he postponing a meeting because of me?

Looking right back at me with a very serious face, he speaks into the phone, “Sixty minutes? Thanks.”

The call ends.

I shiver under his piercing gaze. “You didn’t…have to do that.”

“I’m asking for your sixty minutes, Ms. Marlin. I promise, not a second more.”

I nod, surprised to see he’s concerned about my time more than his.

“You were telling me about your coffee habits. So, only one cup, huh? You have good caffeine restraint, then. Most days, by the time I reach work, I’m on my third cup.”

“Three is too much. You can have anxiety and…insomnia.” The words are out of my mouth before I realize. I snap my lips together as he considers me with that piercing gaze. “I’m…sorry. I’m normally not so…opinionated. In fact, I’m never opinionated, and…definitely not so verbose.”

I clamp my mouth and eyes shut. I always have a hard time speaking, but with him, words are rolling out of my mouth like someone has possessed my tongue.

When I open my eyes, I find Zander staring at me. As our eyes meet, the now-familiar feverish feeling is back.

“You have a beautiful voice, and I like you verbose.”

The way his words are spiking my body temperature, I’ll certainly have to use the cold compress in my office.

I look away, not sure what to do. When I peek a glance at him, he’s staring at my hands on the table, which are busy tugging on the cuffs of my shirt. My grip on the fabric tightens.

He clears his throat, pulling my attention back to his face.

“You did great work yesterday. I’m really impressed.”

“Thanks.” My heart swells at his approval.

When I look away this time, it’s not because of the usual nervousness where I want to run away and hide from everything, but it’s a weird flutter in my heart that makes me almost dizzy, and something inside me wants this to continue.

Zander clears his throat once more.

I’m too distracted—with him, with the way I feel around him, with my newly found flutter.

“If you don’t mind, I’m curious about something,” he says, breaking the weird silence.

And here it comes.

My stupid brain tells me he’s about to ask all the usual questions.

Why are you so weird?

Why do you look so frightened?

But I hold onto my dazed feeling for just another second and nod.

“You work on live code release alone?”

His question catches me off guard. I’d hoped he would ask something other than the usual.

I still for a second, letting the relief sink in.

Maybe he doesn’t find me weird after all , a small voice in my head whispers.

He looks at me patiently, his brown eyes soft, so different from all the pictures of him I’ve seen over the years.

I don’t have time to frame a reply to his unexpected question, so I give him my honest thoughts. “I think… I enjoy the feeling of working under pressure and stress.”

“Did you just say you like to work under stress?” One of his perfectly shaped eyebrows arch, and a playful smile appears on his lips.

Crab, so much for speaking my mind.

“I-I mean, it reminds me of my hackathon days…at the university.”

“Aha, got it. You’re an adrenaline junkie.”

“What?” My eyes pop out, and I gulp so loud that I’m sure he heard it. “No. Not at all. I’m not an adrenaline junkie. In fact, I’m everything minus an adrenaline junkie.” I’m just blabbering now.

“Relax, Ms. Marlin, I know what you mean.” His lips curl into a smile, and I swoon over the dimple that appears on his left cheek once again.

How can someone be so dashing?

His skin is bright, and the light stubble of facial hair makes him look like a model from a fashion magazine cover. He has a beautiful face—square jaw, pointy nose, full lips, captivating brown eyes, and long lashes.

He’s wearing a charcoal gray suit and a cherry-colored tie. The deep red fabric peeking between the lapels of his jacket steals my heart.

It’s the color of the flower that has given me its name.

My very first happy memory.

He rakes his hand through his hair—his perfect hair. Obsidian black, no strand out of place. How would it be to run my fingers through it?

W-what was that thought?

Sweet Sugar.

“Does your mind wander a lot, Ms. Marlin, or am I that boring?” Zander smirks, interrupting me from making a mental canvas of him.

Ship. How am I not quivering in my seat while brazenly eyeing my boss? Okay, I’m quivering, but not in the usual way.

Why does he give me a weird sense of comfort?

“Is it rare?” he asks, and I realize I’ve spoken the last words out loud.

I lower my gaze. What do I say to this?

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be intrusive,” Zander whispers. “ You are… ”

My mouth dries as I wait for his words.

How will he finish this sentence? I try hard to silence the voice in my head, which thinks the worst of everything.

“Beguiling.” His grip on the coffee cup tightens as if he doesn’t like his words. But when our eyes meet, a slow smile builds on his lips.“If it doesn’t offend you, I have a request to make.”

Hearing his hesitant voice, my hands falter where I’m circling the rim of the coffee cup with my index finger.

“Yeah?” I don’t know where he’s going, but I’m curious.

“I’d like to know you better. After all, we do share a mutual love for Wolverine.” His smile wavers a little when he adds, “We could be good friends, don’t you think?”

“Um…I don’t know…what to say?”

“I’m a decent man, Ms. Marlin.”

“I’m sure you are, Mr. Teager.”

“If we’re to be friends, you might want to call me by my name.”

“Ah, yes. I guess you should too.”