"So how long will we have to wait for this client?" I asked from across the very pleasantly dressed "high" table of the restaurant.

...Very lame joke... I know... so moving on...

"She's not all that important, but what are you eating?" he replied, quickly taking up the menu and pretending to look through it. I know this because no one can read that fast.

"Did you just say she's not all that important?" I rose an eyebrow, confused for a bit, but then he didn't answer so I knew that he had.

I glowered at him.

"Riddian, it is past eleven-- at night, and you have me out here unwilling, waiting for a not-all-that-important lady?"

He rolled his eyes, only pushing my menu closer to me.

"What are you eating?" he repeated, and I almost snapped.

"Are you seriously just going to-"

"I'm thinking about the strip steak..."

"Riddian-"

"Strip steak? I really don't know," I heard him say to himself and I had to fight the urge to not throw my fork at him. Instead, I bit my lip and made the wise decision of picking up the stupid menu and then scanning through the numerous dish names.

After some time, Riddian, deciding that he had given me enough time to choose, asked again. I rolled my eyes and finally chose to answer.

"The Carter Drear Beef sounds ni-" I began answering when my eyes bulged and my lower jaw fell. "Is that the price?" I whisper-yelled as my eyes caught the figure beside it. I looked back at Riddian and he wasn't looking at me. He was completely unfazed by my dramatic display of broke-ness or just chose to ignore it. Even with two months of his very high pay, I wouldn't dream to spend so much on one dish!

"The Carter Drear Beef it is then," he murmured and then lowered his menu to ring a tiny bell on the table. I quickly slapped my hand over his, halting the chiming and with wide eyes, turned to my companion.

"What are you doing? I can't afford this!" I hissed at him, but it seemed at though I hadn't stopped his ringing in time as a waitress was beside us seconds later.

"Good evening, how can I help you sir, ma'am?" she nodded to both of us. I smiled nervously and withdrew my hand from Riddian's. He gave me a small side glance and then proceeded to tell the woman that I wanted the beef and some kind of chicken dish for himself. When the woman stepped away, I almost killed him.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" I asked. "I don't want the beef anymore, I'm no longer hungry!"

"You're not paying for the food Ms. Harrington, I am," he finally admitted.

My jaw dropped again, but closed slowly as he quickly added.

"It's a business meeting so of course I have too."

I looked at him suspiciously.

We were meeting a client so it was a business meeting... and rightfully, this is the company's expenses so I really shouldn't pay for it... but I don't know... something seemed unsettling about all this.

I hummed to myself and then prolonged out loud,

"Riiiight."

You know what, nevermind! There was no way I would be letting this opportunity go, so I shoved my menu into his face making him jump back a little. I started pointing all over the place at whichever dishes sounded tasty enough and then gave the brightest smile to my employer. 

"You don't mind do you?" I asked rhetorically, sighing in delight. He rolled his eyes and I smiled dreamily down at my place, imagining the plates before me already. I saw a twitch on Riddian's lips but then he looked away to check his watch. That reminded me to do the same and I found that it was 15 minutes past eleven.

I frowned.

"What time did you say the lady was arriving?" I asked curiously.

"She was supposed to be here when we arrived..." he mumbled in response. "But I'll go call her."

"What? Why? Aren't I suppose to do that?"

That seemed to catch him of guard because he was suddenly searching for something to say. Now I was really suspicious. So of course, you know what he did next. He put up his security poker face and said, "Don't question my actions Ms. Harrington."

Then he left the table and the hall. I just shrugged, not in the mind to question his behaviour since I already knew what the problem was.

Bipolar, remember? Bipolar idiot who did suspicious things that if questioned, would turn the sane mad. I would not meddle in his affairs... at least not all the time... or just this time... I'll at least wait until he gets back...

:*:*:*:*:*:*:

As I took my final bite of the food, I glanced at Riddian again. He immediately set down his utensils and gave me an exasperated look.

"What?"

"Nothing," I shrugged.

"Then why are you still staring at me?"

"The client just cancelled last minute?" I asked crossing my arms.

"Yes Ms. Harrington. These things happen," he told me and then called for the cheque which he kept his word and paid. It's not like I wanted to depend on him, it's just that I couldn't afford what I just ate and drank and who was I to turn down free food?

We left the restaurant and I was surprised to see that it wasn't midnight yet.

"Am I going home now?" I asked once we were inside the car and he was starting the vehicle.

"We have to make a stop somewhere and then we'll go back to the office. After that you can go home," he replied and I felt my jaw fall to the floor.

"I hope you know that I won't be coming in to work tomorrow," I told him, looking out the window as he pulled othe road. I didn't hear a thing but when I looked over, I saw a little smile on his face.

I threw my hands up and sunk into the seat. This is what I was talking about. Now he was smiling? I decided on not speaking to him for the rest of the night.

:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:

"Now what were you doing there?" I asked as we drove off the sidewalk again from the place Riddian had said we needed to stop.

"None of your business so don't ask," he replied immediately and I couldn't refrain this time, I slapped him on his arm.... His very muscular and strong arm...

I knew it had been a bad decision even as I did it but you know those moments where even though you know how bad the concequences of something may be, you do it anyways because you can't help yourself? This was one of those moments, but that didn't matter to my boss of course as I felt the car jerk to a stop and then his head slowly turned towards me.

"Did you just slap me?" he asked with surprisingly wide eyes.

"I'm sorry but it had to be done," I whispered, and then sunk even more into my seat.

"You just had to slap me?" he asked as if I was talking stupid.

"Yes! I'm sorry but your attitude really stinks! I really don't like you sometimes!"

"Excuse me? I'm your boss, you're not supposed to like me. That's apart of the rule of a boss-employee relationship. You're supposed to go home complaining about how you don't like me because I'm a pain," he said matter-of-factly, and I almost questioned how many books and movies he'd seen on this.

"Oh don't worry, I do! You don't make it hard to do so." I fake smiled back.

"I don't know how you have friends," he muttered driving again.

"Well I know why you don't!" I hissed, crossing my arms and flashing my head away from him.

He scoffed.

"You think I don't have friends?" he asked almost with humour.

"Who are they? Jalessa?"

"Well I can tell you that they are more than the two you have," he gave his snarky reply.

"Hey I have four, okay?"

"Oh wow, that's so much."

His deadpan maximised his sarcasm and I rolled my eyes. "You would know, you only have one remember?" I muttered to myself.

"You know what-"

I turned back to him just as he started speaking but then he stopped and only shook his head. A simple smirk crossed his lips. I rose an eyebrow.

"What's that look for?" I asked curiously.

"Don't you worry about it Ms. Harrington. Don't you worry," he glanced at me and all of a sudden, the car sped up, just a little and I felt my heart race. I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath, wanting it to be over quickly when I felt the car slow steadily. I looked over to see Riddian giving me small, curious glances, but then I turned away. No more words were exchanged between us in the car.

:*:*:*:*:*:*:

I sat up when I felt the car stop again. We were before the office.

Riddian first grabbed whatever he had bought from our last stop, from the backseat, and then joined me on my way up to the office.

When we finally reached, Riddian left the bag by the desk and then opened the curtains behind it, followed by the doors. The balcony was now on full display for me who was still standing by the office door by the way.

Riddian then made his way outside, into the almost blue light which was being cast down by the moon. He stood by the railing, looking out over the city just as he had the last time we were out there, and the scene was so picturesque I was almost afraid to move, thinking it might all disappear.

As if drawn, I felt myself moving towards it all. Riddian and the moonlit balcony. It didn't take long until I was standing next to him, looking out and over the city just as he was.

It had been beautiful the last time I had seen it like this, but this... this was so much more. The lights on almost every building before us, the moving traffic even at this hour... Everything just looked magnificent and I felt so full being so high up here and getting to see this.

I looked over at Riddian to see his eyes closed. I couldn't help staring.... well at least until he muttered,

"Something the matter Ms. Harrington?"

I looked away quickly, my cheeks burning.

"Why are we here?" I decided to respond.

"You don't like up here?" he asked opening his eyes to look down at me.

"I never said that-"

"You didn't answer my question."

I rolled my eyes at his chosen way of answering and gave a small chuckle.

"Yes. Up here is pretty nice Riddian," I smiled, "but you still haven't told me why we're here."

"Do I have to tell you everything-"

"No, you barely tell me anything-"

He cut me off with a look and I bit my lip and then showed a small smile. I was smiling a lot tonight.

"Well you barely tell me what I ask you to tell me," I corrected myself and he surprised me by agreeing through a nod.

"I can't say that isn't true, but you can be a bit noisy you have to admit."

I gasped at his bluntness and all of a sudden I remember something.

"Speaking of being nosy, I have a bone to pick with you mister," I pointed a finger at him. "You saved my number as Homicidal-and-busybody in your phone?"

His eyes narrowed accusingly.

"How do you know that?"

I gasped loudly.

"You mean it's true?" I asked in a crazed whisper.

"It depends. Who's your source?" he asked, inching a bit closer as if he could stare the answer out of me. 

"Your housekeepers," I said crossing my arms. 

"They lied," he replied smoothly, relaxing again until he heard me call the housekeepers' names. His shoulders tensed and he straightened his tie. "Yes, it's true then."

I pouted and leaned over the balcony railing again. 

"Am I that bad?" I asked out of the blue.

"What?"

"Of an assistant? Am I that bad of an assistant?" I clarified. He turned away from me and sighed. 

"No. You're still learning so I guess you're not that bad," he told me making me smile. "But then again, its been two months and you'd think you would've gotten the hang of things. You're still disrespectful and I've had better behaving assistants-" He stopped at the look on my face. "But you're not all that bad."

I gave him a nod just for conversation sake but he seemed to pick up that his answer had dampened my mood.

"Um.. are you cold?"

As if on cue, a gust of wind suddenly blew at my arms and face making me shiver and realise that indeed, I was. I wasn't wearing the normal jacket suits that day, I was wearing a short sleeved dress instead and I was starting to regret this decision. 

"Here," I heard Riddian say, bringing me from my thoughts to see him holding out a pretty sweater towards me. I rose an eyebrow at this. 

"Okay where did you get that?" I asked with a small chuckle. 

"Don't worry about it."

"Oh no, I am going to worry about it. I'm the only girl here and that's not my sweater. Also, Whitney and Jalessa are the only other females that you know and I would trust and they are... a little bit too much to wear that. That means that belongs to nobody I know so in conclusion, there is no way I'm putting it on."

Riddian jerked his hand out towards me a second time. 

"Ms. Harrington put it on. It doesn't belong to anyone. I bought it a while back for Whitney but then I realised, as you so appropriately put it, she is too much to wear this and so it has been in my office since then," he explained and that made sense to me so I gave him a final wary look before I took it and put it on.

"Oh. Thanks then," I murmured buttoning a few of the buttons. Though it wasn't the glamorous type that Whitney would wear, I loved it. It was soft to the touch, like a teddy bear, and was cream coloured so would probably look nice with whatever you put on. Still, I don't know if I should feel honoured he lent me this or what...

"Oh and there's something else..." I looked over to see Riddian going inside again. When he returned, he was holding a muffin. I looked at him with uncertainty.

"A muffin?" I asked confused, taking the pastry. It looked like blueberry and fresh at that too.

"Wait," he said and then pulled out a candle and match too. I looked at him with wide eyes.

I was in shock. 

"You... you know that it's my birthday."

Author's note

Three chapters for youuuu!!! Happy New Year!!!🎉🎉❤️❤️ Thanks for continuing on this journey with me and I honestly hope that everyone has a safe and prosperous new year! Please show your love with the star below and have a wonderful rest of night... or day, depending on where you are.😇

Until the next,

S4_angel💕