Office Diaries - Chapter 73

WHAT?

Hearing the secretary’s name, the object of his jealousy, Liam’s smile vanished, replaced by a cautious expression.

“Oh yeah?” he asked casually so that the ȧssistant would tell him more.

To be honest, he didn’t want to hear Marian talk about Jay Co or any other man, but Ken said that in order to be sure that there was nothing between them, he had to hear the words from her own mouth. Even if this hurt him, he would persevere. He would ask. He would know.

“You and Secretary Co are pretty close,” Liam commented casually and she nodded.

“He’s like the baby sister I never had— I mean brother,” Marian said making Liam’s ears as big as Dumbo’s, his eyes blinking as if he couldn’t believe what he just heard.

He was, after all, bracing himself on finding out that his secretary and personal ȧssistant indeed had something romantic going on.

“Brother?” he commented as casually as he could again. He wanted to check if he heard right, though deep inside he was praying that it was the case.

Marian nodded but then hesitated.

“What’s wrong?” Liam asked and she frowned.

“I’m sorry, I- shouldn’t be talking about personal matters,” she said embarrassedly and Liam waved her embarrassment away.

“It’s okay, I’m the one who asked,” Liam ȧssured her. “In fact, I’d love to know more about you – I-I mean about you and Secretary Co since you guys have been working with me for quite some time now,” he said hastily, nearly kicking himself for the slip.

“I see,” Marian answered and nodded politely. “Well, I grew up with my cute little cousins so when I was young I always wanted to have a brother for a change. I mean I have a younger brother but he’s in the US. When I got to work with Secretary Co, I got my wish,” she continued. “Secretary Co, on the other hand, is an only child so I think that’s why we hit it off,” she added and watched as the boss’ face brightened. He seemed happier than he was earlier.

“Brother, huh?” Liam murmured as he nodded enthusiastically. “I actually thought you guys have a romantic relationship going on,” he added and laughed as Marian’s eyes widened like saucers.

“Good God no!” Marian was aghast which all the more made her boss pleased. “He’s really like a brother to me, and if Jay’s going to have a romantic relationship at all it would be with food,” she continued comically making him laugh.

“Secretary Co’s a very interesting person then,” Liam commented and Marian’s eyes widened in an epiphany as she studied the president’s expression as he talked about her junior and she slipped into silence.

Thirty minutes after, Marian was sitting in front of Jay’s table with her elbows propped and her hand supporting her chin. Her face looked serious as she watched her junior happily open the take out packages from the restaurant he and Liam went to earlier.

“Oh my God, I’m so happy,” Jay announced as he opened one box and smelled the delicious aroma of the Italian takeout.

After eating, Liam asked the waiter to wrap several orders for the secretary and the president happily helped Marian with the packages too on their way back to the office.

“I’m touched. Our boss is really such a nice guy,” the secretary continued making Marian all the more forlorn. “What’s wrong big sis? Why are you looking like that?”

“Nothing,” she said and then frowned. “No, actually there’s something,” she said as her frown deepened. “It seems our boss made our lives miserable earlier because he was jealous,” she stated and it was Jay’s turn to frown.

“Jealous?” he asked and Marian nodded as she sighed again.

“It seems he’s in love and seeing us together made him angry earlier,” she said softly as she remembered how she was being punished earlier with all those shopping bags.

“In love? Jealous?” Jay asked and she nodded.

“Well, he spent our lunchtime asking a lot of things about us,” she added and the secretary’s eyes widened.

“Oh, congratulations then,” he said with a full smile, and Marian scowled at him.

“Jay Co, you’re really dense,” Marian said impatiently, making her friend frown again.

“How come I’m dense?” he asked and the older one rolled her eyes heavenwards.

“Because I just discovered our boss likes men! The one he’s in love with isn’t me. It’s you,” she deadpanned making Jay standstill, the box of food falling on the floor with a plop!

“WHAT?!”

==

It was terribly freezing… but it had nothing to do with the temperature.

“If there isn’t anything else sir, I’d take my leave,” Marian James announced as soon as she placed a cup of steaming coffee on her boss’ table.

Liam frowned at his personal ȧssistant’s cold attitude but didn’t say a word as she gave a small bow and left. Ever since the day they went out which was five days ago, the rapport which he thought they had built vanished like it never happened. Worse was that Marian only became more distant.

Frosty, yes that was the word the young president had been looking for. Lately, Marian James was living up to her reputation as the Ice Queen, being coldly polite to anyone most especially to him. Liam was at a loss about what brought such change.

A knock on the door made him look up and sighed as he called for the person to enter, and when he saw who it was, his frown deepened.

“Here are the documents you asked me to work on sir,” Jay Co broadcasted as he crossed the room and placed the said papers on his table. “Is there anything else?” he asked stoically and the president decided he’s had enough.

Aside from Marian being her usually cold self, his secretary had gone and absorbed some of the coldness too. What was weird was that the typically very close relationship between Jay and Marian was nowhere in sight for days now.

Now that he’s okay with his secretary’s closeness to his PA, the two suddenly stopped talking which was driving their president nuts thinking of the reason why. When Marian and Jay were in the same room, the two acted like strangers – cordial to each other and utterly professional. One who had known their chumminess to each other would really wonder why they’re acting like that.

Liam frowned. He heard Jay and Marian still went home together though. So what was the problem?

“No, I don’t,” he answered as he studied his secretary’s face. “But I do have something I need to ask, though this might be a little personal,” the president said and he watched as Jay Co blinked, absorbing his words. “Will that be okay?”

His secretary was thoughtful for a while before he nodded and Liam propped his elbows on the table as he placed his hands together, thinking.

“Are you and Ms. James fighting?” he asked softly and his secretary only blinked at him.

“No sir. Why would we fight?” the young man asked back and the president shrugged.

“Because the two of you have been acting really strange these days,” he replied.

“I apologize for saying this sir, but I think you are just imagining things. Ms. James and I are close as usual,” his secretary said innocently which made his president all the more convinced that something was indeed up.

“Are you sure?” he asked and his secretary nodded.

“Definitely,” Jay Co answered readily. “Am I dismissed?” he asked and Liam wasn’t able to do anything but let him leave.

He was still unconvinced though. What the heck’s wrong with those two? His answer came an hour after in the form of his best friend and executive, Ken Park.

“What’s up?” Liam asked upon seeing his friend’s amused face.

Ken chuckled as he shook his head. “I didn’t know your personal staff can be so cute,” he said which made the president frown.

“What personal staff?” he inquired. He had no other personal employees other than his cold PA and secretary.

“Who else? Secretary Co and your PA, the Ice Queen,” Ken answered as he became thoughtful. “Well, I think I shouldn’t be calling her the Ice Queen anymore,” he added thoughtfully as he tapped his chin. “I heard some employees started calling her the Princess Dreamy.”

“They what?” Liam was confused. “Why are they calling her that?”

“Well, it seems your PA’s been floating around the building doing her job perfectly as usual. This time, however, she’s got this ‘dreamy’ expression on her face which people find very beautiful, sending off those lovely pheromones all over the company. I think she’s got a fan club now and it’s bigger than yours.”

“WHAT?” Liam stood up, a scowl plastering on his handsome face. “What the heck’s going on?”

“Why?” Ken asked, studying his displeased friend. “What do you mean what’s going on?”

Liam sighed. “Secretary Co and my PA aren’t much on speaking terms when I’m present,” he answered making Ken frown.

“How come? They’re just fine when I saw them earlier. In fact, the two of them are together right now. Marian just ran against the wall and is sporting a bump on her head,” he said as he pointed at the door.

“Really?” Totally confused but wanted to get to the bottom of things, Liam crossed the room towards the door. It was high time he confronted those two.