Namjoo blanked. Her mind transitioned into an empty slate.

Noticing his hand was still extended Namjoo touched it on autopilot. The warmth of his hand relayed a message that he was real and she wasn’t fantasizing the impossible.

Too amazed Namjoo couldn’t conjure anything to say. Introduce herself like she should. just went slack.

His smile just grew throughout her silence. Namjoo didn’t know what to think. How to think anymore.

He was, actually, very handsome. If breathtaking was taken literally, now was it.

The CEO let go of her hand replacing it with something else. Feeling plastic Namjoo looked down discovering a single red rose tucked inside a plastic sleeve.

“The flowers,” he said, “they’re from me.”

What?

“I’ll get you new ones tomorrow,” he explained, “but keep the rose.”

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He saw her first.

He always saw her first.

Starting from her resume. The day she first walked into the building. Watching from the sixth floor as she grinned more excitedly than the anxiousness tremoring through her, walking among the hires flocking toward the elevator. He saw her when she walked into the cafeteria. Joining the flow and copying them when they stood in line to order their food, shuffling through her bag for her wallet at the checkout line.

The intern who possessed some kind of bubbly air. Pretty swaying hair. Young and ambitious.

Sehun had an inkling for her.

And she was pretty.

Today he learned she looked better up close.

Majority of the designers came in male form. Tough and macho and obsessed with feminine forms, so it wasn’t often a young female would want to join the gang of dominant males.

His heart pitter pattered as he rode the elevator down to his office. The entire sixth floor. Replaying the way Namjoo paused before peeking over her shoulder when he left. Catching his eyes one last time before the elevator doors closed.

He couldn’t help but smile.

Crossing the linoleum flooring Sehun headed toward the two dome doors. The floors were so waxed that the golden lights bounced off the walls creating a mirage, leaving an impression of a gold empire. Those who had the chance to come up here always left with their jaw dropping.

Behind the dome doors was his suite-like office. A magnificent dark and almost red maple desk stretched out on his right. Situated behind it was an in-wall bookshelf. Textbooks from university, business management studies, psychological books about how to maintain a business, studies on moguls, and hidden among them fiction and tall tales. At his desk a huge leather comforter on four wheels waited for him.

The rest of the area opened up to a flat screen TV hooked to the wall. His brilliant set of furniture placed on either side of a shiny rectangular coffee table. Always swept clean in order to maintain its glossy appearance. In here was a kitchen. Fridge, oven, an electric smooth top stove, all the way to kitchen ware and tools, cupboards and drawers of spices and ingredients. Ordered, bought, whatever.

Down the winding hallway was yet another kitchen connected to its own living quarters. A bed and bath were available. Previously installed two years past for his own convenience. Sehun did occupy it from time to time when his schedule became intense and traveling to and from home was not an option.

In fact, the communications office had been on the sixth floor before he acquired enough money to move them up to the eighth floor and remodeled the particular sixth floor for himself. Sehun thrived on privacy. Solidarity others might call it. But he liked spending his own time without hindering others.

Moving over to his desk he sat down. Clicked through his computer screen to preorder tomorrow’s flowers. He would pick them up on his way to work. Deliver them himself. It was only be meaningful that way.

Flowers, to him, were one of earth’s most beautiful gifts to the living. Such honest and genuine gifts he wanted to share with someone.

Namjoo deserved that honor.

He grinned thinking of her. And the mere thought heightened his mood, especially when he remembered her shocked expression when he showed up. After yesterday’s incident Sehun had decided there was no point being secretive. He had really wanted to meet her, too.

He wondered if introducing himself as her CEO had worsened his situation. Making his position known didn’t always allow him to hold the advantage.

He didn’t want Namjoo to hold constant formality with him. Maintain that distance between employer and employee.

Sehun wanted to learn more about her. Have conversations. Hoping it could grow a relationship between them.

He liked her.

At the beginning he hadn’t known how to proceed, but now a perfect opportunity had presented itself.

Knowing how fragile relationships between people could become, he shouldn’t let this slip from his grasp.

On impulse he grabbed the company telephone and made the call.

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The CEO…

He had to be kidding…pulling her leg or something.

This just had to be a joke. Namjoo couldn’t believe it.

Her eyes went wider the second she entered her office. New flowers. Again.

How much did it cost to get new ones every day? The affordability was, once more, not a flat joke. Bouquets cost an arm and a leg these days. Only a rich man or woman could afford new flowers daily.

Namjoo staggered from the flowers on the center table to the vase on the windowsill. Trekking over to her desk. Amplifying the bewilderment flying through her.

It didn’t make sense!

How was the CEO so young?

Quickly attempting math Namjoo figured out that it hadn’t even been a decade since this new athletic brand had been launched. Unless the CEO came from a rich family…

Kim Namjoo didn’t know rich. She came from a middle-class family with two working parents. Everyone in her family worked and budgeted on a daily basis in order to get through another day, month, year. Even fifty-something year old parents were still employed.

Why the flowers?

Namjoo stared at the vase of blooming funnel-shaped Amaryllis. Then the rose she was still holding.

Why the flowers?

Questions and curiosities flooded her, like some dam collapsing because this kind of happening was not normal for her.

At lunch she mindlessly poked at her food. Unable to focus on the topic of conversation at her table. All day the CEO and flowers occupied her thoughts.

Namjoo glanced at the elder man she was sitting next to. Currently interested but not participating in some chat between the other men he didn’t look at her at all, but Namjoo needed to ask.

“Have you ever met the CEO?” Namjoo leaned forward to ask.

He turned surprised. “Who? The CEO?”

“Who are you talking about?” Interested now another co-worker’s attention them.

“She’s wondering about the CEO,” the elder man told.

The closest people shook their heads. “As far as I know, he’s so busy you’ll never see him. Once in a while he’ll attend functions and conferences in the building, but you won’t even know who he is.”

The other guys shrugged before returning to their chat leaving Namjoo to dwell.

If the CEO was that low profile…

Namjoo wasn’t sure how she felt knowing that. If hardly anyone knew him then what was he doing leaving her flowers every day? Should she be scared?

Namjoo couldn’t decide by the time she got back to her office. Trying not to look at the flowers she resumed work. Struggling to shove these new discoveries and worries that came with it to the back of her head. Not important she kept repeating to herself. In the first place, she was only here as an intern to gain experience and learn about the fashion world, so that when she embarked on her career path she would know how to evaluate and process the industry.

No way was she here to find a rich husband or a boyfriend.

The dreadful knock came half an hour before she was due home. The bald marketing manager who owned one of those walled offices filled her doorway with his grandpa figure.

“The CEO wants to see you in his office.” He announced.

That again. Her mind blanking. Becoming an empty canvas.

She didn’t know how to speak.

“It’s on the sixth floor,” he continued during her momentary silence assuming she understood. “Just go through the big doors and you’ll be there.”

Why? it came too late to be asked vocally. The marketing manager had already disappeared. Namjoo’s mouth went dry.

Was she suddenly in trouble or something? Why was she being called to the CEO’s office? For the first time?

Quivering with anxiety, Namjoo left her desk and rode the elevator outside her door for the first time. Pricking at her thumbnails because it was impossible to be still. Usually a person was called to the boss’ office for one thing. They were in to be told off, because it was hardly good news. She was like a student being called to the principal’s office right now.

The elevator came to a stop and opened with a hiss. Namjoo stared outside into the wide corridor. Empty. Silent. So…gold.

Namjoo’s eyes sped past her in search of what should be the reception desk where the secretary sat or someone. There was no one.

Weird.

Uncertainty buzzed through her. Digging her fingers into her thumb she stepped out. The lights seemed to glow ominously. It was like she’d stepped into some other universe at work. It didn’t quite make sense. Namjoo just couldn’t piece it together.

She glanced down her left to see a marked restroom. Then down her right to finally recognize the two doors mentioned to her. opened into an oval. Forced to tilt her head back in order to take in the tall dome doors. The CEO had really gone out to make his office majestic if not to boost his ego.

Blinking really fast to remind herself why she was here, Namjoo dragged her feet forward. Unable to figure why she was being called to his office.

Inhaling a deep breath to steady herself, Namjoo raised her hand to knock on the thick door. Not sure if he could hear her from inside, if knocking at all even mattered. She couldn’t tell if she heard him answer back, so taking her best guess she twisted the knob and poked her head in.

An extremely spacious area opened up in front of her. No one was there, so she glanced around a bit. Hearing movement she turned her right to see the man from this morning moving in his chair upon her entrance. His firm lips curved.

Pushing his chair back, he stood. Namjoo’s heart rapidly paced behind her ribcage when he walked toward her. Grabbing the door, he opened it wider to invite her inside. So nervous Namjoo couldn’t say anything as she slid a step forward. Then the door closed and they were alone.

“Come sit with me.” he passed her.

Namjoo’s senses went on lockdown. The words incomprehensible suddenly.

Pausing when he realized she hadn’t followed, he glanced back at her. He was so maddeningly handsome Namjoo didn’t know how to react.

She couldn’t meet his eyes.

He was her boss.

He was too striking to be real.

Why was he talking to her?

Why was she even here?

“Come,” he gently touched her arm urging her along.

Awkwardly sitting down, Namjoo’s back stayed parallel with the couch. The CEO sat across from her. Her eyes darted down to the shiny table, because she didn’t know how to look him in the eyes.

Noise filled the room and she turned to see the television coming to life. Some expensive flat screen so large it hung off the wall. Namjoo cocked her head interested and more curious why there was a television here in the office. Suddenly engrossed in what was showing. A rerun of some family sitcom she had once been interested in. Distracted she forgot for a split second where she was at all.

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Sehun had waited all day. Though all day gave him enough time to do a sweep through of his office. Ensuring there was fresh food in the fridge. That there was beverage readily served if craved. Most importantly, that the place was clean and dusted and breathable.

Had he sweated? Was the smell off putting?

He had sprayed cologne on just in case and some air freshener throughout. He’d gotten the message through to the manager earlier that morning. Then the rest of the day as he signed papers and ok’d briefings, he had eagerly waited for Namjoo. Pulling her half an hour early from work would be a neat break for her. Plus, he wanted to be alone with her to break the ice. Sehun would go about it slowly. Starting on work grounds so she felt safe and when she trusted him more, they could take another step.

Now was so far so good.

Namjoo had relaxed an inch or so. Her eyes feasting on the television. Seeing her absorbed in the sitcom made his heart race as he stole the chance to look.

The satisfaction made him smile. Giddy inside.

Sehun quickly turned away when Namjoo’s big round eyes landed on him. The burn of her gaze melted through the side of his profile and he nearly stared back. Then the emotion came again and he wanted to burst out laughing, because he was enlightened. Thrilled she was sitting right across from him.

In order to escape the bolt of joy, Sehun got up and walked into the kitchen area. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Oh…no, actually I think I should be going,” Namjoo scurried up. He turned to see her already on her feet and looking uneasy. It panged a corner of his heart.

“I’ll walk you,” he offered.

“No, it’s ok,” Namjoo looked away awkwardly.

Deciding it couldn’t end like this he walked toward the door and opened it, waiting for her. Of course, she might have to go home. Maybe her parents were waiting for her. To know their daughter returned safely. Or she might have other errands to run before sunlight ended.

Sehun walked with her down the hall toward the elevator.

“Um…thanks,” Namjoo glanced at him when they reached.

“I’ll go with you,” he insisted pushing the button for the elevator. “The team would have left the office by now, so you’ll be alone.”

She didn’t refute this, because she knew it was true. If there was no reason to do overtime workers would want to leave on the dot.

The elevator opened and he stepped inside with her. The second the doors closed Sehun soaked in the thought of them alone again. He stole another glance. She probably didn’t know this was the only elevator he ever took, because it passed her office always.

They arrived at her office, but he didn’t go inside as she gathered her belongings. He spotted the rose lying on the center table. Conscious of it when Namjoo walked by she grabbed it and stuck it inside her purse. He tried not to let his happy smile become too obvious.

In the elevator again, he suggested, “If you don’t mind, I could give you a lift home.”

“I…uh…have a car.” her eyes darted back and forth, from him to the wall but never stayed on him longer than two seconds.

When the elevator landed at the underground parking lot, he doubted he could go with her further. Yet he still had to wonder, “Can I still walk with you to the car?”

The doors widened, waited. Five seconds and he his arm out again to keep them open for her.

“Ok.” The sound was almost admissible, but he caught it and the fast shooting of her eyes on him. His heart beat a little harder when he walked up the stairs with her. Imagining that everyday she took these steps to work and back to her car home. A walk with her was even nicer in reality.

A halfway down the ramp and Namjoo turned. Extending her arm to show him, “This is my car.”

He glanced at the brazen blue vehicle. At the license plate. Engraving it in his memory.

“Thanks,” she said, “for walking me.”

A brief moment of quiet passed. He noticed she hadn’t quite met with his eyes the entire time, like she was afraid of him. He had expected it.

“It’s Sehun,” he said. “Just Sehun.” Taking note of the slight movements of her lids he waited. When she looked up at him, he continued, “To you, I’m just Sehun.”

***The things he's doing and the things she's thinking xD