Christopher was sitting in his office, he touched his lips, smiling, thinking of Chloe who had almost cried just now and wanted to tease her even more. There was a message lighting up the screen of his phone from Shane: how was I as an actor? Professional, ain’t I?

Christopher checked it and replied not bad to him.

Everything he had told Chloe was actually true, and he hadn’t liked the fiancee.

Fortunately Shane showed up half way through it. Everything seemed to have turned out well though the whole story had been quite tragic.

While at the fourteenth floor, a real buzz was created.

“I just saw Mr. Cleveland kissed Chloe!” Lucy screamed out the breaking news. Everyone quieted down and looked at her, eyeing her with a big question mark on their head. Lucy nodded her head like hard, meaning she was serious!

“God! I’m officially jealous now!”

“It turns out Mr. Cleveland does like younger girls like her! I didn’t believe it when you told me before...”

“Oh la la! They do have been spending a lot of time together recently but being caught kissing in the office is probably the first time!”

“Hear hear! I guess Mr. Cleveland just cannot pretend anymore, hah hah hah...”

Laughters and jokes were filled in the whole office while Chloe, who was standing at the door, just couldn’t look at them.

“Guess what they are doing now?”

“what do you think? A man alone with a woman in the same room, like a log tossed into the fire, burning with flames of course!”

“Maybe there will be soon good news of a shotgun marriage!”

“Chloe is good! She has been in the company for like what? One month? And now Mr. Cleveland has been in her pocket. We should definitely work harder!”

“Oh! Chloe, why are you standing here?”

“...”

“...”

“I...”

Chloe walked in. Suddenly she seemed to start to understand why all these movie stars bitching about the gossip news on social media about themselves. Wha ridiculous assumptions they were making!

“Firstly, there is really nothing going on between me and Mr. Cleveland, secondly, everything has happened to me about Mr. Cleveland these days, is purely accidental, thirdly, stop making groundless assumptions, and last, I think you should be getting going with your work now! If I really end up with him, I’ll tell you myself, but at least at present there is nothing going on!” Chloe was helpless, after she spat everything out, everyone was staring at her like they were seeing a ghost. Technically speaking, they were staring behind her.

Chloe turned back and saw Christopher stood there, like his usual cool self.

“Mr. Cleveland...”

“Now get me a cup of coffee.”

“Oh, sure.” Chloe took the order and walked into the lounge. While she was focused on Christopher’s coffee, she thought to herself back and forth about that kiss. If it could really persuade Shane out of his doubts and let it go, then she’d be the good one and do Christopher the favor. Though she still thought herself to have been taken advantage of, but in modern world, what a kiss could mean really! Chloe patted her face into clear-headed and paid her attention to the coffee.

“I’m still working on it but soon I’ll get her. Keep the good work everybody. Lucy, could you please give me the files sent by Mr. Lee?” Christopher reached out his hand and Lucy handed him right away.

Everyone in the office just looked at him, holding their breath. It seemed that they all suddenly became petrified, as it was hard to put down the shocking feeling that the news brought them.

Christopher fingered though the files, waited for her to come out with the coffee from the lounge then he took her upstairs.

“why were they all looking at me like that?” Chloe broke the silence first, meaning that the kiss just now had been no more than a show and in the past!

“I have no idea.”

“...” That felt terrifying, unsettling, she thought to herself.

After work, Christopher insisted so hard on driving her home and Chloe just couldn’t say no so she let him. They ‘lived together’ anyway, so she believed he was a righteous man and took him upstairs into her apartment and poured him a cup of water.

Cherie had cleaned up everything and left before Chloe got off work, and the bed was made neat. Chloe felt so lucky that Cherie didn’t messed her room all up.

“I’m sorry I don’t have a fridge here so I ain’t got no drinks for you.” Chloe said in a shy way, a simple room is simple in every way, she thought. However, Christopher found it quite comfortable and felt like he was the owner.

“It doesn’t matter for me, no big deal.”’

“OK, um... care for staying for dinner?”

“Yes, great.”

“Then I’ll cook.” Chloe went to the kitchen, cleaned and chopped some groceries they bought on the way back home earlier and cooked several dishes soon.

There was an awkward silence in the air and Chloe was bit of nervous, which Christopher could see but he didn’t say anything. After they finished dinner, Christopher helped her with the cleaning, and stood beside and watched her wash the dishes. She looked a little clumsy and appeared slightly nervous. Maybe it was because he was there, Christopher thought.

“Are you still afraid of me?” Christopher asked.

“No, of course not, I’m just not used to being watched like this when I wash the dishes.”

“Then get used to it.” Christopher joked, grinning like a devil, and looked kind of different from what he usually was. Chloe eyed him in a loss, then, he pinched her cheek.

“...”

He didn’t leave until Chloe washed all the dishes, put them away and did some cleaning. He met Cherie at the door and said hello.

“Holly shit! Why did he come back with you tonight?” Cherie closed the door after she entered and yelled out.

“He drove me back, and stayed for dinner.” Chloe answered like it was nothing and handed Cherie an apple.

“Now it looks like the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!” Cherie sighed with admiration and took out some desserts from a bag, which cheered Chloe up so much! It was her favorite strawberry flavor!

“I don’t mean to get into his heart anyway...” and she thought about what happened today, the kiss, his insistence on driving her home earlier, and what he had said to her at the sink, all of which were quite confusing!

“it doesn’t matter if you want to get into his heart or not, as long as someone wants to get into yours!”

“You are the daughter of someone influential in the underworld, gossiping surely doesn’t suit you. what if someone knows about this side of you?”

“I got to do what what I want to do!” Cherie paused, acted like I’m the boss here and you should listen to me, which amused Chloe, “so, he is really not your type?”

“Are you staying tonight?” Chloe changed the topic.

“Yes, is he coming tonight?”

“Noooooo! What are you thinking!” Chloe felt helpless. Why is it all about Mr. Cleveland?

They watched a movie together on her laptop before washing up and going to bed. They could always find something to talk about, so not until late at night did they stop and fall into dreams.

Chloe dreamed of Christopher kissing her softly and whispered I like you into her ears. Not until dawn did she wake up in confusion and patted her face, “gees! what kind of dream is it?!”

She got up like tiptoed, and dressed up, then wen to work quietly. They new apartment was farther from the company, so she had to get up earlier every morning.

“Good morning, Chloe!” when she was in the elevator, Chloe found everything became weirder. Why is everyone greeting me?

Even weirder was on her desk, some snacks! All were her favorite.

So she guessed that her colleagues must have misunderstand her words yesterday again! Nobody is interested in truth now?

She went to the fourteenth floor after she packed them up and shared all of them with his colleagues. They were wild with joy, guessing that she must being try to bond with everyone and pave her way to be Mrs. Cleveland! That was something you’d love to hear and see!

For the following days in succession, Chloe did the same with the snacks. However, she thought nobody would ever admit who had sent her the gift, so she didn’t even ask.

Soon Shane and Yvonne’s wedding was approaching. the day before, Christopher took Chloe to the mall to pick out outfit. Still, Chloe felt very uncomfortable, but since she had made a promise, there was no turning back.

“What about this one?” After changing into the eleventh dress, she felt fatigued.

“No.” Christopher gave the order and she went back into the dressing room for the next one.

Chloe felt suffocated with clothes piled up before her. shopping had never been such a hard task for her!

While Christopher stood outside the dressing room, frowning too.

“No, too much back exposed.”

“No, too short...”

“So Mr.Cleveland, should I help Miss Elwood try every one on?”

“Yes.”

“...”

So, she felt into depression after trying one after another on. Why has he picked so many but not even one was pleasing to his eye? She started to question herself, is it my body? Or my face? They do not match the dresses? But the one I wore to the benefit auction was perfect and looked great.

“Mr. Cleveland, what do you want me to look like?” Chloe was confused, but Christopher only looked at her and checked up and down.

“I’m not sure...there is one more, try it on...”

...OK.” Chloe went into the dressing room again.

It was lilac gauze, the hemline was just above her knee, so her thigh didn’t expose. There was shiny stone on her belt, the V-neck barely showed her cleavage. Conservative but elegant, and expensive of course.

Christopher was not so impressed when she walked out because she had tried on so many. Now this one was actually what he wanted, nothing exposed too much, that was what he was looking for.

“This one then.”

After she had tried on so many dresses made of less cloth, this one actually became acceptable to her. The showing of cleavage was not an issue anymore, she just stood before Christopher like that.

“Beautiful.”

“...” Chloe flushed. They stood before the mirror together and looked a perfect couple. Then Christopher asked for a pair of shoes, which were also lilac.

“let’s go, I’ll drive you home.” Christopher paid for the outfit generously and Chloe couldn’t believe the number, ten thousand dollars for a dress and a pair of shoes?

“...”

Chloe elbowed Christopher right after they left the mall and whispered, “that dress and these shoes, so expensive! Ten thousand dollars!”

Christopher looked at her in all his seriousness and stroked her hair, “I think it’s wroth it.”

“But...” ten thousand dollars! That was like her one year’s salary! The more she thought about it, the crazier she found rich people were.

The trees were flashing back outside the car windows. Suddenly Chloe felt that magical things happens every second in the world, like, she had ridden in the car for so many times and the man driving was no one else but her boss. With this in her mind she fell asleep, her head fell over Christopher’s shoulder. Fatigued she was!

Christopher pulled the car over when they arrived home and waited for quite a while. He watched her sleep, docile as a puppy. Chloe didn’t realized she was asleep on his shoulder until she found her neck stiffened and opened her eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry Mr. Cleveland!” Chloe apologized in a hurry and checked the time. It was twelve already.

“ I think I’ll have to stay here tonight.” He said it like he had stayed here so many times as he turned to her and smiled before he got off the car. “Get off now,” he opened the door for Chloe by the way, who was still sitting shocked in the car.

She got off with the bags of her dress and shoes, and Christopher took his own suit and shoes with him too and they went up stairs.

Chloe was puzzled in the deepest that why Christopher could make no stranger of himself in such a natural way and followed her upstairs. Why? Por que?

However, Chloe dared not to say a word of rejection and opened her door for him like a servant.

“...” I’m a such a wuss!

“Where do I sleep?” Christopher looked around, he was six feet and one inch high so the sofa was to small for him, and he looked to her bed.

“You can sleep on my bed, I’ll be on the couches.” Chloe felt embarrassed, she had slept together with Cherie on her bed but they were both girls, so there were nothing weird or inconvenient, but now here came a guy, which meant inconvenience plus small space.

“why not just sleep on bed with me? I don’t think the couches are big enough for you...” Christopher looked at the two couches both in the shape of a palm. It just wouldn’t make any difference no matter how you put them.

“...Um...I think... I’m fine...”

“OK then.” Christopher went into the bathroom.

Hearing water splashed in the bathroom, her heart started to pound and imaginary pictures that should be covered with mosaics came into her mind for no reason, and she shook her head to push that away.

The water stopped and Christopher came out with only a towel around his waist, Chloe covered her eyes as soon as she caught the sight.

“I’m actually quite confidence in my shape, you can look, I won’t charge you.”

“...” she felt she had been teased.

“OK, I’ll go to bed now, you should hurry too.” Christopher climbed into bed and turned around, “ oh I almost forgot, you like sleeping naked.”

“...” Chloe flushed even more to her ears, if there had been a pit in the ground, she’d happy to bury herself in it.

“OK, you’d better hurry.”

Chloe went into the bathroom quickly with her pajama and washed herself up in ten minutes. When she walked out, Christopher seemed to have been asleep, with his back to her.

Chloe tiptoed, finding a blanket and pushing the two couches together, and curled herself onto it. It was impossible to sleep like this! But Mr. Cleveland had already been on her bed, so that was a no for her.

Ten minutes later, Chloe pushed the couch back to place and sat on the one to the left. She pulled her blanked up and decided to sleep sitting.

She fell asleep at last but felt her body floated up and landed onto a flat place, where her body could rest. Chloe smiled in her dreams and went on sleeping.

“Good night.” Christopher held out his hand and pulled her into his arms gently and fell asleep too.

In the middle of the night, a key was trying to open the door. Christopher woke up and put his guard on out of instinct.

“Chloe!” Cherie yelled out and started to climb onto her bed with stinky drunk breaths. She fumbled round and found a man’s body, which sobered her up like a bang on the head. Christopher turned to her with fierce eyes, which scared Cherie off the bed. She left the room with the feeling that a tornado had roared past in her mind.

Cherie closed the door and managed to straighten herself up at the landing. She looked at the key in her hand and suddenly felt so happy, like her daughter was finally going to be married.