I mind with a capital a M. Why is he putting me in this position? What is he up to?
Once again, my suspicion of Ryan's behavior flared, but I don't call him out; instead.
I smiled falsely at the two pairs of eyes watching me—One pair like the ocean and the other pair like the stormy night.
I smiled with my teeth bared at them.
"Of course not. I mean, what is a third wheel between the Boss, the assistant, and the crazy fiancée?"
The other part I didn't say out loud. Not when I just got this job.
Ryan flashes me his famous smile that appears once in a blue moon, revealing those beautiful twin depressions on his cheeks. "Let's go, guys," he says, like we are friends going out for drinks.
Melissa shoots me an evil glare that says I am going to fuck you up, and then runs after Ryan.
How the bitch runs in those heels is a mystery. I could barely walk in mine, and Ryan forbade me from wearing heels in the office.
I am glad he did. Those loafers he bought are super comfortable.
As soon as she reaches him, she hooks her hand into his elbow, but this time Ryan doesn't shrug her off.
Yah! I popped my arms sarcastically at the fact that I am about to have lunch with a woman who hates me and a man I hate.
Reluctantly, I went after them, dragging my feet in the process.
At the company's underground garage, as we near what looks to be Ryan's car, I wait for some huge man with a clean-shaven head and beefy muscles to pop out and open the door for us.
Don't ask why I imagined his driver like that.
Anyways, not even a rat popped out. Ryan walked around the Range Rover, opened the passenger side for his fiancée, but not before he barked at me to stay, like I'm a dog.
Of course, I stayed. He is the boss after all.
After tucking Melissa in, he came back to my side and opened the door for me. He doesn't move, but stands in a way that our skin would touch when I get into the car.
It did touch, and it made me breathless, but I ignored it.
The car ride to the restaurant was fun, and I mean that in the most sarcastic way ever. The tension was like a fourth person inside the car with us.
I could feel Melissa's eyes on me through the side mirror, but I used my phone to act busy.
When we arrived at the posh restaurant, the concierge hurried out to welcome us. The guy bows to Ryan before waving his hand into the restaurant to usher us in.
It is a Korean restaurant. I haven't eaten in one before. Despite the circumstances, I felt pumped to eat here. I have always wanted to try Korean dishes.
The concierge leads us through the warm restaurant, with its Korean artistic and traditional touches, and seats us by the window with a sea view.
From the layout of the place, it is obvious that it is a seafood restaurant.
The restaurant is beautiful. I kept gawking around as we walked. A few people were inside having their meals.
A guy who seems to be of East Asian descent sits by himself at the centre of the room. There is another group, a couple, having what seems to be seafood stew.
My stomach growled silently at the delicious aroma filtering into the room from the kitchen.
When we get to our table, Ryan pulls out Melissa's chair for her, and she thanks him with a beautiful, radiant smile, her eyes full of love.
Ryan's smile in response was a little stiff, and I didn't see the same adoration in his eyes as I saw in Melissa's.
What is the deal with these two?
Anyway, I didn't wait around for Ryan to pull out my chair as he did with the car. It is not as if he is marrying two wives.
I pulled it out and sat down.
Ryan and Melissa sat on the same side, while I sat across from them, directly across from Melissa.
Yeh!
Hopefully, the blonde doesn't stare my food into my windpipe.
With Melissa's abrasive attitude, I now understood why some of the employees gave me a pitiful look when Ryan introduced me as his assistant.
I never did ask what happened to the previous assistant.
Did she get fired or murdered by the blonde? She seems very possessive of her man. Seeing every woman as a threat.
I wish I could tell her that she has nothing to fear from me. Ryan is the last man on earth I will get in bed with.
For a few minutes, we looked over the menu, and afterwards we ordered.
As soon as one of the service employees walked away with our order, Melissa started the conversation.
Without having an idea what she was going to say, I poured myself a glass of water and lifted it to my lips.
"So, Mira, is it?"
Why is the bitch acting like she doesn't know my name?
"No, Lyra," I politely correct after swallowing a sip of water, a fake smile perched on my lips like a bird.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
What the fuck! I choked on my second sip of water. "Sorry," I apologized to them after the coughing fit that followed, when, in actuality, I wanted to wrap my hands around the blonde's neck and squeeze.
Damn, she is fucking annoying, and I know the damn question is not as innocent as she made it seem.
I could feel Ryan's eyes boring holes into me like he, too, would like to know.
Would telling the bitch it is none of her business be too rude?
In the end, I decided to go with honesty rather than deflection.
"No." For some reason, I felt as if I should be ashamed of my single status. After all, I am almost thirty and have never had a boyfriend.
But that is foolish. I will not feel ashamed of myself because of this bimbo.
I focused my attention on the glass in my hand, using it as a shield against the scorching stare pouring from the individual across from me on the left.
Damn! Is he trying to set my face ablaze?
Melissa snorted loudly at my response. "Come on, Nina, don't tell me a girl with looks like yours doesn't have someone?"
She makes it sound like she is paying me a compliment, but when it landed, it seemed all wrong. I couldn't help but feel slightly insulted, and she is probably forcing the issue because she thinks her boyfriend is interested in me.
She should relax. I am not interested.
And your heart is not racing like a Formula One Mercedes when he looks at you, my mind adds sarcastically.
I ignored it, obviously, focusing on the blonde across from me, who struggles to remember my name.
"I am sorry to disappoint you," I grumbled in a low voice, wondering where the hell the waiter and our food were. I am so ready to move on from this conversation.
"Nah, that is not possible." She shakes her head before leaning slightly toward me and whispering. "Is something wrong with you?"
She looks at me all innocent, like the damn conversation is not contrived to make me appear weird in Ryan's eyes.
Fuck her!
I stiffened. Her words hit close to home. Yes, there is something wrong with me. I am scared of intimacy. Since the incident seven years ago, I haven't been able to have sex.
And it is hard to have a boyfriend if you are not going to provide sex.
"Melissa, stop prying," Ryan scolds, his voice harsh.
Shocked by his sudden intervention, my eyes snap in his direction, and I find him busy with his phone, not even paying attention to us.
Then how did he know I needed saving?
"Baby, chill. I am just having a nice chat with my new friend, Liza." She smiled at me, her smile full of thorns. "You don't mind, right, Lila?"
Is there a particular reason why she can't get my name right? It is a four-letter word. How hard can it be?
I bared my teeth at her.
"Then find something else to discuss. For instance, why don't you tell her about the new spa place you discovered last week? I am sure Lyra would love a place where she could relax."
I look at the blonde. She looks too flashy and expensive. I don't think I can afford to spa at the spa where she spas.
Luckily, before either of us could make any commitment that we most likely never keep, I spied our waiter coming with our food.
Saved by the food.
My excited look piques Melissa's interest, and she turns to look.
The waiter is almost at the table. I began to salivate as the delicious aroma from our order hit my nose.
I readjusted myself on the seat, getting ready to have my food placed before me, and when I looked up, I watched in horror at the rain of food heading toward me.