The CEOs Possession

Veil asked the windows to be rolled down and she reveled in the feeling of the cold air caressing her face. She put her hands outside the car, her fingertips having an alluring tug with the air. Veil was in control more than half the time, but it made her only feel worse.

Withdrawing her hand, she sank into the seat, thinking about how difficult it was to be the driver of her life in real-time. She was in a tug with the cosmos, yet it kept flinging her in every direction. First, it was her father who had fallen ill at a moment when everything wasn’t rosy, then her hunt for a job that almost took a whole year.

“Where’s your mind at, Veil?” Orleans’ voice fleeced over to her and she shook her head subtly.

“It’s just one of those days,” she breathed, sinking further into the seat.

“Is it your boss again?”

“No,” Veil answered, shaking her head. Although it was indisputable that Anders was a lot of things, she couldn’t pin this on him. In fact, he had made things a tad better for her by ensuring she got this job as his secretary. The day of the interview was sure one of the best days of her life.

“Mr. Rodriguez isn’t the issue,” she continued, smiling weakly. “I’m just tired and need a break.”

“That’s why the lounge is a great idea,” Orleans said, taking a corner. “It’s not as crowded as the ones in town, so we should be able to hear each other over the sound of the music.”

Veil chuckled and nodded. “I don’t really frequent these places, but I’m willing to make today an exception.”

Orleans pulled up in front of the lounge, and a valet came over to get Veil’s door before Orleans could do it. He gave a grim smile at the valet who seemed to have had a terrible duel with acne in his teenage years and lost.

Nodding in appreciation, Orleans walked ahead of Veil, uncertain if she would let him hold her hands. The neon lights above the lounge flashed its name at them, and Veil chuckled at the irony of the situation.

It read “La Vida es Ahora” but for Veil, it didn’t feel that way. She resonated more with the feeling that her life was kept at a standstill, with the only exciting thing happening being the drama in her life.

They walked into the lounge and found an empty booth in a dark corner, sliding into it. Orleans called a waiter over and asked for vodka, but Veil wanted shots. It had to do the trick.

“Are you certain about that?” Orleans asked, concern laced in his tone. “Maybe you should go for something lighter. You mentioned you worked on weekends.”

“I’m not going in tomorrow,” Veil muttered. “I’m certain Kingston Group can do without me for one day.”

Orleans chuckled and shook his head. He kept his hands on the table open, hoping to get around to it tonight without scaring Veil off. She barely seemed to notice his hands as she looked around the lounge, searching the faces around.

“Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?” Orleans asked when it became clear he wasn’t going to get her attention that way.

Veil toyed with the idea of telling him she was sexually attracted to her boss, even when she knew it was the worst thing to ever do, and that her father needed to have surgery in a few weeks or else he wouldn’t make it.

But as Veil opened her mouth, the cosmos seemed to make the decision for her as the waiter chose that exact moment to walk back to their booth with the drinks balanced in one hand.

Veil smiled up in appreciation, and the waiter’s eyes lit up. He looked at her hair all wavy on her back, then back at her face.

“Don’t forget to use the lime with your shots,” he said in a sexy Spanish accent, arranging it carefully before her. “Is it your first time?”

“No.” Veil chuckled lightly. “But I’m not much of a drinker.”

“Then maybe I should get you a bottle of water too. It will be on the house.”

“That would be so nice of the house,” Veil blurted without thinking, then burst out laughing almost immediately. “I’m sorry! It just…”

“It was funny actually,” the waiter agreed, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as he watched Veil. “I’ll get the water and come right back.”

When the waiter left, Orleans withdrew his hands from the table and plastered a smile on his face. He would try again some other time when a waiter didn’t piss him off.

“Was he just flirting with you?” Orleans teased, adding cubes of ice into his glass.

Veil shrugged like a child. “I could barely see it.”

“You liar,” he scoffed. “I’m sure he’s going to return with his number, along with the bottle of water. Maybe he would even forget the water.”

“An excuse to come back more times than normal,” Veil explained, laughter in her eyes. It felt great to take a break from her life.

As predicted, the waiter returned and Orleans fell quiet. He watched with hawk eyes as the man slipped over a sticky note along with the water and smiled at Veil.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“Can I get water too?” Orleans suddenly mentioned.

The waiter reluctantly looked at Orleans. It was the first time that night he was looking at the other side of the booth and the surprise that registered in his eyes soothed Orleans.

“Master Orleans!” The waiter said at once, taking a respectable step away from Veil. “I didn’t realize…”

“My water.”

Almost bowing low till his head reached the table, the waiter hurried out of their presence to do Orleans’ bidding.

“What was that?” Veil asked, laughing. “I thought he was going to pee in his pants.”

“My mom owns the place,” Orleans threw casually. “He knows I can end his job here. But of course, I wouldn’t do that.”

Orleans added the last bit quickly so he wouldn’t look like a monster to Veil. But she wasn’t even thinking about that. Her mind was on Anders, and suddenly, Veil wondered how the family dinner was going for him.