Flirting with the CEO

After five years, I couldn’t believe that I returned to Green Town, a community with five-star hotels, luxurious apartments, and condo units. When it comes to the hospitality industry, Green Town has everything! Green Town has a casino, a yacht club, and of course, it has a resort with crystal blue waters and fine white sands with first-class accommodation, food, and drinks.

Of course, not everyone can enter Green Town. It’s exclusive for people with money and influence. My boss had to sell his soul to the devil to get an appointment with the new CEO of Salcedo Group, Mr. Lance Salcedo.

Green Town, which was established on the outskirts of a busy district, was a true example of a modern metropolis. In addition to its appeal, it was set against a background of ever-clear sky, which has shaped the city since an overwhelming majority of buildings have been constructed with glass and light features to mirror the blue sky's aesthetics.

A great deal of attention has been drawn to Green Town because of its excellent recreational facilities. Countless cultures have left their stamp on international relations, and as a result of their presence, the community's character is truly unique.

Hundreds of cafés, ethnic restaurants, and pubs provided a wealth of gastronomic options. At the same time, those looking for something different may go sightseeing, participate in sports activities, or visit art galleries.

Perhaps, if it were accessible to everybody, I would see many people loitering in the streets or in front of the building used as headquarters for Salcedo Group.

A deep sigh escaped from my lips when I entered Mr. Lance Salcedo’s office. I couldn’t help but become nervous on our first meeting after the breakup. It has been five years, but my chest felt tight as I recalled the event of that night.

“Did you anticipate a seductively attractive secretary with a voluptuous physique behind this desk?”

I was stunned at the secretary’s question because I wasn’t expecting a seductively attractive secretary with a voluptuous figure but rather an older woman in a navy suit with white hair and red lips. The man’s haughty tone was insulting and slightly degrading!  

 “Good morning. I have an appointment with Mr. Lance Salcedo,” I informed him after ignoring his baseless rant.

“Your name, please?” he asked.

“It’s Alexa Manrique, sir.”

Suddenly, he stopped checking his schedule and stared at me for a moment. “You are pretty,” he announced, and I just smiled. It was unexpected!

“Thank you,” I replied. “Is he already in?”

“My boss is not here,” he answered.

“What do you mean? I was supposed to meet him today,” I told him.

“He took a few days off, Miss Manrique. Is it urgent?”

“Yes, of course!”

The man checked his wristwatch and said, “I think you can manage to catch up with him if you are fast enough. He’s probably on his way now to the yacht club,” he announced.

“Are you authorized to tell me about his location?” I inquired.

“Yes, he ordered me to tell you. Good luck, Miss Manrique,” he smiled mysteriously, but I had no time to dwell on it. “He is not a patient man, so you should move quickly,” he added.

“Many thanks. I'm going right now.”

I hurried to the elevator and took a quick peek at my wristwatch. I was in panic mode, so I ran towards the parking lot, and as soon as I got inside my car, I drove like a maniac.

It was reckless, but I had to meet him before someone else took my job!

“Are you looking for someone?”

I was startled when someone tried to converse with me as soon as I arrived at the yacht club. “By any chance, did you see Mr. Lance Salcedo pass by?”

“Yes,” he answered briefly before adding, “You must be Alexa!”

I studied his appearance after he mentioned my name casually, but I didn’t recognize him. “Do you know me?”

“No, but Mr. Salcedo instructed me to take you to the island. Oh my, he described you perfectly!” 

I rolled my eyes at him because I knew that he was only trying to flirt with me. “Do you think I will fall for your tricks? Nice try, mister!” I glared at him before walking away, but he grabbed my wrists. “Excuse me, sir, but you’re hurting me!” I complained.

“I’m sorry, Miss Alexa. I should have chosen my words better,” he apologized.

“Alright. How can I trust you?”

“You can call his secretary,” he suggested.

A few minutes later, I was grateful that the weather cooperated with our journey to Isla de Salcedo. Everything within the boat spoke of money—a lot of money—and I was unsure if it was part of Green Town’s asset or the new CEO's personal property.

“I hope you don't mind, but who owns this yacht?” I enquired of the guy in a Hawaiian shirt, which was unbuttoned and exposed a good deal of his tanned skin, particularly around his chest and down to his flat belly. He raised his thick brows as he noticed I was staring at his toned figure.

“It is mine,” he said emphatically.

I believed it belonged to Lance Salcedo, but I was incorrect!

“Ah, this boat is for hire?” I thought it was rented since he did not attempt to claim it as his own while ferrying me to Isla de Salcedo.

“No, but my brother informed me that I was obligated to escort you there. How do you know him?” He inquired while his gaze travelled over every inch of my body, inflicting a sense of violation on me.

I’ve seen Mr. Ethan Salcedo on several occasions along with his wife, the heir of Vera Group, but the man before me looked different. “Perhaps, are you illegitimate?” I knew it was insensitive to ask, but he didn’t look familiar!

“Yes,” he answered without any hesitation. “And you must be special to be allowed on the island,” he added with pure malice.

I clenched my fingers over my chest and locked my gaze on the guy who had undoubtedly thought the worst of me. “I am not a slut if that’s what you are thinking at the moment,” I informed him.

“You're defensive, Miss,” he answered before leaving me alone. When he returned, he brought bottled water and gave it to me. “Stay hydrated,” he advised.

I was thirsty, but I was afraid to drink it. It was just too risky!

“Can you tell me when we will get to Isla de Salcedo?” I enquired because he made me feel nervous.

“Do not fear; I will not harm you, or Lance will kill me.”

I couldn't let go of my guard, despite his assurances that I would be secure with him. “I am not scared, sir,” I lied.

“If you feel unsafe with Lance later on, just phone me, and I'll come to pick you up.”

“Do you think he would hurt a woman?”

 “Sometimes he has an uncontrollable impulse to hurt people,” he replied.

“You must be joking!” When he reported that the new CEO of Salcedo Group was aggressive, I refused to trust his judgments.

“Confirm it for yourself, Miss,” he said. “There it is!” He said excitedly while pointing his finger to a distance.

“What?” I inquired.

“His island,” he replied.

I creased my brow while trying to check the island, but all I could see was a lengthy boardwalk leading to a red-roofed bungalow.

“From here, you'll jump and swim all the way to the boardwalk or the villa, whatever is most convenient for you,” he announced.

I was speechless! “Are you serious?” I asked him because I couldn’t swim at all.

“Did I scare you, Miss Alexa? I was only kidding,” he said.

“You should not have made that swimming joke!” I reprimanded him, and he laughed.

“Do you have an aversion to the ocean?” he mocked me, and I was frightened that he'd push me into the sea as he grew closer.

“Stop!” I shouted at him.

 “Hey, I'm not going to hurt you!” he yelled back.

The last sentence astounded me since it was identical to the words Lance said into my ears the first time we made love, and yet he did it.

I assessed the distance between my position on the deck and the ocean, then observed something had been put between the boat and the boardwalk for walking.

“Hmmm, alright,” I said as I followed him, and then I saw that there were other people on the yacht. I didn’t see them earlier! “I thought you and I were the only ones aboard the yacht.”

“That is absurd! I do not sail without my crew,” he replied.

He strolled with me until we reached the boardwalk, where he said his last farewells. “Are you interested in accompanying me to the house?”

“Miss, he dislikes crowds. Have a wonderful time!” He stepped out and made his way back to his sailboat. He waved his hand at me from the top deck and signaled with a hand motion that he was just a phone call away.

I flashed him a warm grin as I began my stroll down the boardwalk to the villa. Lance became even more enigmatic due to the details I got from his brother, Liam Salcedo. If I had known he wasn't at the workplace, I would not have worn high-heeled shoes to a private island! My blisters from the long trek were troubling me, and I wanted to sit down immediately.

From the exterior, the bungalow seemed to be magnificent. It was made of red bricks and decorated with mahogany-colored wooden ornamentation. Small, half-rounded windows light up the home. They’re arranged in an asymmetrical design to give it a more modern feel. The structure forms an L. The expansion continues onto a covered patio that wraps around half of the home and provides additional living space. Decorative black ceramic tiles are used to cover the low, rounded roof of the building. Grass surrounds the home, and the plot has a large tree in the middle with shrubs on each side of the home.

I crossed my fingers and waited for someone to answer the door before pressing the doorbell. My eyes wandered to the doorknob as someone from within the villa turned it, and I prepared myself to see him for the first time.

Slowly, the door opened, and a grin formed on my lips. I saw his strong hand grasping the doorknob first, and as my sight shifted to his face, I stopped breathing and gazed at him.

“Lance…” I yelled out his name. He seemed puzzled to find me in his doorway, but his uncertainty was nothing compared to the astonishment I felt when I recognized the guy, I had met five years before.

“What brings you here?”

He questioned my purpose for coming, which was not what I anticipated from him on our first encounter in a long time.

My heart bled as the agony he'd inflicted poured through my veins, and I felt driven to scratch his eyes. He remained the same callous guy who abandoned me in the middle of the night and forced me to walk a mile to the jeepney stop.

I stepped back and shook my head with shock. “I'm sorry, but I can’t do this.”

I couldn’t look at his eyes. This was wrong.

I believed I could handle it with ease and professionalism. This was also wrong.

“You’re already here,” he replied with indifference in his voice.

“I can always go back where I came from,” I replied as I took my phone to call Liam Salcedo. When Liam did not answer the phone, I strolled away from the house and towards the boardwalk, mentally calculating the number of blisters my feet would have to endure…again.

“Alexa, stop!” When he called me, I came to a full halt.

When I heard his voice calling out to me, I paused in the center of the boardwalk, completely pinned in place by his words. I shook my head to clear my brain of the haze that had come over me after seeing him for the second time and attempted to collect my thoughts. Because I was under stress, I persuaded myself to put my personal grievances toward the guy aside and focus on my job.

I breathed deeply and gently turned around to face him, concentrating on my grin the whole time. “You have no clue how shocked I am to know that I’m going to work with you, sir. Please accept my apologies for my previous actions.” I tried to be disinterested, but when he returned my grin, I was having such a difficult time keeping my heart under control that I had to clear my throat.

“I understand what you're going through, and I sympathize with your emotions,” he said, and I rolled my eyes at his praises. “By the way, you look amazing,” he added.

Was it necessary for him to use the same phrase he used five years ago?

“Thank you, and you don't seem to be in too terrible shape yourself,” I replied.

“How are you doing, Alexa? It's been a long time since we've seen each other.”

“I'm terrific, but you have no right to ask me that,” I told him.

“Pardon my manners, Miss Manrique,” he said, and then he gestured that we should go back to the villa before the sun’s ray would toast us alive.

Silently, I followed him, but it wasn't easy to walk faster with a blistered foot. “You can go ahead, sir. I’ll take my time admiring your island,” I lied, so when he stared at me, I felt uneasy. “Go ahead,” I repeated.

“Stubborn as always,” he mentioned before lifting my body from the boardwalk and carried me back to his home like a sack of potatoes.

“Put me down!” I hissed at him.

“Shut up,” he replied in a hushed voice. “Or I will throw you into the water,” he issued a threat.

Automatically, I shut up and let him handle me like a cargo. For the love of God, it was embarrassing, especially when he carelessly touched my softness.

When we reached his doorstep, he opened the door with no difficulty at all. “I can walk now,” I complained, but he carried me up to his living room and deposited me into his oversized sofa.

“Sit down,” he ordered, and then he kneeled in front of me.

My eyes blinked several times at the thought of receiving a marriage proposal from my ex-boyfriend! “What are you doing? You can’t do this, Lance!”

“Let me check your feet,” he said, and before I could react, he took off my shoes, and then he gently massaged the soles of my feet.

I groaned at the comforting massage, but as soon as I realized who was doing it, I almost kicked him in the face. “That’s enough,” I said, but when he looked up, our eyes met, and no one dared to look away first.

I thought I was over him!

It turned out that I was still attracted to the bastard! What a horrible turn of events!

Lance then rose to his feet, a shake of his head signaling his readiness to go. He didn't even bother to express regret! “I heard from my secretary that you’re a reporter now,” he said.

“Something like that,” I replied.

“Can you guess how excited I was when I learned that you set an appointment to talk to me,” he stated, and his cute grin was bothering him!

“At least one of us was excited,” I told him.

“Where have you been, Alexa? I’ve been searching for you all these years,” he lied once again.

“Really? Wow, that’s amazing. Do you think you can fool me again?”

“I’m not trying to fool you,” he replied, and I sneered at his response.

“If you say so,” I replied. “I’m going to set up my equipment; kindly let me know once you are ready,” I announced that I wanted to get it done as soon as possible.

“Don’t be haughty, Miss Manrique, if you want me to proceed with it,” he issued another threat. “Come and join me for breakfast.”

“Thank you, but I'm already full, sir.” I declined to have a meal with him.

“Shouldn't you make an effort to be courteous to me?” Lance inquired, and his pupils constricted.

“If I don't act properly, are you implying that the interview will be cancelled?” My nostrils flared with wrath as he nodded his head in agreement! “That is extortion!” I yelled out loud!”

“You're absolutely correct,” he confirmed.

“You haven't changed at all!” I should have known better than to say that, but the words had already been uttered.

His ultimatum was, “Join me for breakfast, or you'll regret it,” he said once again.

Even though I was staring him down with daggers in my eyes, I was compelled to follow him to the kitchen. I attempted to keep a professional approach while speaking with him. It was clear that he would not treat me in the same manner, and his conduct just served to reinforce my fears.

Upon entering the dining area, I anticipated seeing numerous uniformed kitchen staff members serving him. Still, Lance was alone, and his meal seemed to be something that regular people usually have for breakfast.

“Hotsilog? Are you unable to find someone to make a nice meal for you?” I mocked him for his food choice because it wasn’t healthy! Hotsilog was a morning dish composed of rice, sunny side up eggs, and hot dogs.

“What the hell is wrong with it? They are well-cooked,” he continued, gesticulating with his palm for me to sample it. “It’s just you and me on this island,” he added.

“No, you’re lying,” I exclaimed in disbelief.

“Are you concerned about being alone with me at this point?” He asked with a wink.

 I frowned at him and said, “Of course not!”

“After breakfast, you are welcome to explore the island at your leisure. Let's schedule the interview for later in the afternoon,” he added as he rose from his seat.

“Mr. Salcedo, we definitely can’t do it!” I complained when he mentioned rescheduling the interview.

“Why the hell can’t I?” He responded with a question.

When he inquired, I was at a loss for what to say, and I didn't respond either. “Are you attempting to make my life more difficult?” Finally, I had the gall to ask him about my inner fear.

“No, I'm simply not in the mood to answer questions right now,” he rushed out of the dining room and into the hallway. Before he went, he told me, “You can take photographs if you need to while I’m taking a shower.”

Who would do the dishes?

Anyway, I followed him into his living room and pulled my camera out of my bag. He told me he wasn't available now, and no matter how much I like his chesterfield couch, I couldn't simply sit in his contemporary living room and relax like I wanted to while waiting for him.

Oh, wait, he explicitly said that I was permitted to photograph him and everything inside the house, so what's holding me?

To win the struggle against myself, I redoubled my efforts and photographed everything I could discover in his property, except for his bedroom, which was off bounds.

“May I see the photos?”

When Lance returned into the living room and took a seat across from me, I looked at my laptop's backup file for any errors. I couldn't focus since his fresh aroma was overwhelming my senses.

The man’s wet hair reminded me of the time when we did it together in the shower. I had to shake my head several times to dismiss the erotic scenes playing inside my head.

“Later,” I replied to his question, and he just nodded.

“Can you tell me what you like to eat for lunch?” He asked while staring at me intently.

It was impossible not to swear when it became evident that he attempted to prolong the interview by utilizing delaying tactics. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I glared at him, but the darn man had the nerve to glowered back!

“Now tell me what you want to eat,” he said in a calm voice, but it was extremely authoritative!

I almost quivered in fear because of his commanding tone of voice. However, he has no idea what I was made of! I came up with a plan to make his life a little bit difficult and said, “I am not going to eat until this is over.”

“Alright,” he said.

I was aghast at his response because it wasn’t what I had expected to hear from him. “I'm baffled as to why you're doing this to me, Lance.”

“Doing what?”

Why don't you apologize for your actions in the past and go on with the interview?” I told him what I was thinking, and he burst out laughing.

“Alexa, you're still the same innocent young woman I met five years ago! I don't see any need to apologize since it was the greatest option at the time,” he responded and broke my heart once again.