Chapter 41 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“Perhaps you want the position of CEO’s wife?” Benne asked, making Celsie choke on the chip she had just swallowed, “Sorry,” Benne said, seeing how his question had startled her.

Celsie quickly reached for the bottle of water he had brought with him and gulped down some. She blinked back the tears which had gathered in her eyes before looking at him, “How is that a position?” Celsie asked in a choked voice, and cleared her throat before repeating the question.

“You will move up the ladder in the company if you marry the CEO. Has that thought never crossed your mind?” Benne asked, keeping his tone light and easy.

“Sorry to say, but that’s a shallow way of thinking. I’m not interested in marriage, and if I was, I wouldn’t marry a man just to move up the corporate ladder,” Celsie said with a shake of her head.

“Don’t tell me you want me to marry him so that I can get you a position in the company,” Celsie asked with eyes narrowed suspiciously, but with a playful smile on her lips.

“Wow! You must have the superpower of reading minds!” Benne exclaimed dramatically making her giggle.

“Anyway, I’m sure you’d like to get back to work soon, so I should get out of your hair,” Benne said, but before he could stand up the door opened and Harry walked in, carrying a box.

He was taken aback when he saw Benne’s new look since he had not seen him since the previous day after he went for his makeover, “Hello sir!” Benne stood up and greeted with a polite smile.

“This is your driver?” Harry asked, ignoring Benne and turning to look at Celsie.

Celsie couldn’t help wondering why he was asking, when he had been the one who had introduced Benne to her, “Yes sir. He brought me lunch,” Celsie explained, hoping he wasn’t going to scold her for letting him into her office.

“Now I see why you were uncomfortable with him working for you,” Harry said, looking at Benne from head to toe with disapproval, and Benne subtly glared at him, “Maybe I should speak to the CEO again about changing him, on your behalf?” He asked making Celsie wince.

Why did he have to bring it up? What if she hadn’t told Benne about it the previous evening? Would Harry have exposed her this way? Celsie reasoned with displeasure, “Not at all sir. We have resolved our differences and we are okay. I’d love him to remain my driver,” Celsie said, making Benne look at her with a big smile, and he bowed at her politely.

“If you say so. I will just leave this in Mr. Delgado’s office,” Harry said handing the box to Benne for him to follow him.

Benne dutifully carried the box which he knew contained his disguise outfits as he followed Harry into the office. Once they he walked through the door and shut it behind them, Benne dropped the box on the table and punched Harry’s arm.

“Ouch!”

“So you’re my boss now, huh?” Benne asked, glaring at Harry who was now laughing merrily at the little drama he had played.

“I was trying to make it more believable. She wouldn’t suspect a thing,” Harry said before looking at him with disapproval once again, “I can’t believe you actually did this. You look like a thug.”

“A handsome thug. You have no idea the number of ladies I’ve turned down since I had this makeover,” Benne said, grateful his office was soundproof, and Celsie couldn’t hear them.

“They just want to sleep with you, not take you home to meet their families,” Harry pointed out.

“At least they want to sleep with me, when was the last time anyone wanted to sleep with you?” Benne asked dryly as he opened the box.

“So what? I should get a makeover so that I can have ladies queuing up for my bed?” Harry asked with a straight face, and Benne shot him a glare.

“You wouldn’t dare. You’re the face of the company, so you have to always look responsible.”

“Yeah. Yeah.”

“This feels like my hair,” Benne observed as he lifted the wig and beards.

“That is why it is called human hair. I’m sure even you knows that much,” Harry said dryly as he lifted the pack of contact lens in the box.

“Whatever, I need to step out now before she starts getting curious. Make sure to lock the office with your key while leaving. I’ll come in through my private elevator later,” Benne said as he carried the box into the mini room in his office, and placed it inside a tiny closet where he usually kept extra clothes for days he overworked and slept at the office.

They both walked out together and Harry gave Benne a stern look once they were back to Celsie’s office, “Make sure you don’t cause her any trouble. If she so much as complains about you one more time, I’ll do all I can to fire you,” he threatened before walking away.

Benne bowed to him before looking in Celsie’s direction. He noticed that she had finished eating and had cleared her desk, “I will be waiting outside,” Benne said with a small smile.

“I’m sorry about what Mr Harry said,” Celsie apologized guiltily. If only she had not reported him to begin with, Harry wouldn’t have been so hard on him.

“It’s okay. I should be thanking you for letting me keep my job. By the way, about getting a medical test, I’m not sure you need it,” Benne said, feeling he owed her that much since it seemed like she was genuinely worried about it.

“I don’t?” Celsie asked hopefully.

“You don’t,” Benne said with a nod.

“Why not? Did you get tested?” Celsie asked before he could turn to leave.

Benne scratched the back of his head, wondering if he should tell her the truth or not, “Why don’t we talk about it when you’re done with work? We could spend the evening at your place or mine talking and seeing a movie,” Benne suggested, and Celsie looked at him for a while before nodding her head. At least that was much better than leaving the house.

“Later then,” she said with a smile, and returned her attention to what she was doing as he walked away.

Benne sighed once he shut the door behind him. He didn’t make any move to walk away, but rather stood there staring at the door like he could see through it. He wished he had been able to confide in either Harry or Bryan about what had happened between them that night. Unfortunately he couldn’t. It was Celsie’s private business, and he wasn’t sure he wanted them to know what had transpired between them. That meant he had to handle this himself.. Perhaps telling her nothing had happened between them would change some of her opinions about him.

Bryan’s eyes felt really heavy when he opened them and saw that it was mid-day already. He had binge-read Sonia’s novel until past 6 AM, and now he wanted nothing more than to sleep all day. He reluctantly stood up from the bed, remembering that he was going to call the publishers of Sonia’s novels.

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