Author's POV

“ baby i’m sorry…..please listen to me for once “ it was Maya’s ex boyfriend- Ruben who was pleading to Maya while following her every step.

“ Ruben, do not create a scene…..this is office “ Maya snapped at him with sheer irritation. From the moment she stepped into her office canteen for a coffee break, her ex boyfriend began to bug her to consider patching up again with him. 

Maya looked around her and found a few other staff staring and glancing at them, indeed Ruben was creating a scene. 

Turning around looking slightly miffed, she shot a sharp glare at him “ what the fuck is your problem?” 

“ you…i mean i want you back….please….” his come out softer than she expected. The moisture in his eyes tried to convince her to reconsider the patch up. After dating him for almost six months Maya knows a little about him, and one of the main things is that Ruben isn’t a guy who will cry easily. Emotions aren't his thing, and she never saw his eyes going glossy and weak for someone, until now. 

But again ? She is Maya. not a soft hearted, emotional fool who would forget that this is the same man who dumped her for another girl.

It was two months ago, When Maya decided to propose to Ruben and take their dating into the next level. She wanted a relationship with him, during the time of dating Ruben seemed like the one for her. Of course sex was always mindblowing with him, but other than sex she saw something more in him. The way he always sought her consent even for a hug or kiss made her believe that his respect and admiration for her, is also a form of love that she always searched for in every other man she met. Besides, she always knew that he liked her, more than she liked him. Knowing that only added more confidence in her to propose to him, and she did. She proposed to him, he couldn’t be more happy. 

For a whole month, their relationship went good and smooth. They looked good together, and the office staff began to talk about them as an ideal couple until Ruben began to give more attention than he should have to his junior intern- Ella. 

Within a week, the news of Ruben and Ella’s affair spreaded all over the office. Burying her instincts and gut feelings deep down Maya still wanted to believe that Ruben wouldn’t cheat her ever. But  one day  when Ruben himself confessed that he’s attracted to Ella and likes her more, Maya walked out of him not before throwing a punch on his face. 

Though she is known as a strong and sassy woman in her circle, she is still a human with blood, flashes and emotions. After that, it took a few days for her to deal with her disappointed and dejected self. 

And now when Maya is over with her feelings for him, Ruben is back pleading to take him back. 

She knew this day would come but she didn’t know that it would be this soon. 

After the break up, Ruben was seen roaming with Ella openly. But as expected their attraction didn’t last long as Ella got another hot guy from the same office. Nevertheless she didn’t think twice before dumping Ruben. Well, Karma is a moron. 

“ Baby please…. Forgive me for the stupidity I did…I promise I would never ever leave you for someone else….i swear on god “ hope of getting together was dripping in every single word he spoke.

Maya glanced at the coffee in her hand, for a moment she thought of throwing the hot coffee on his face but the very instant she got control over her anger and calmed herself down. She knows she can do that, but she should not as it’s her work place and losing her cool here means providing gossip about her to her colleagues.

So, considering her mental peace Maya took a few deep breaths before saying “ look Ruben…you and i…..it’s over long ago….and after all the insults and betrayal you did to me, would it be fair to myself if I draw myself in the same mud again ? i can’t disrespect myself Ruben…..so stop pulling this stunt…..and get a life man “ with that  Maya turned around and walked to the empty table, to have her warm coffee, which might get cold in a few minutes if she didn’t finish that.

Ruben stood like a statue with an inscrutable expression on his face. 

Maya passed a glance at him while settling down on a chair. Looking out of the glass window she was trying to divert her mind. She needs a fresh breath of air, but she also can’t take an off from work as it’s monday and there are loads of work waiting for her.

Few seconds passed and by her peripheral vision she saw him leaving the cafeteria. 

“ Finally, “ she breathed out in relief. 

Roaming her eyes around she made sure that now the staff and other people who were present in the cafeteria got back to their own business rather than gawking at her.  

She could feel her heart thumping against her chest, she was anxious. No matter how hard she tries to pretend to be unbothered by Ruben’s stunt, she is still affected though. 

It’s her third break up, and by now she made a self note of never getting into another relationship anymore. She always had this low thought that she is not made for relationships and love. Hence she always kept pushing away these attachment feelings for mens that are close to her. And yet, her feelings and emotions betrayed her three times by letting herself indulge in relationships. The break up was hard for her, and to deal with the first break up she had to thought of a solution. And the solution was, to date another man. But when her second relationship also failed, she learned her lesson that, she should never date another man just because she wants to get rid of her ex. By the time she started to date Ruben, she become an expert in relationships  and dealing with the pain of break ups. She wouldn’t rush, she wouldn’t ignore the red flags, she would take as much time as she wanted to know about her feelings for the man, then only she would consider the likes as well. Nevertheless, her skills and expertises didn’t help her much this time. Anyway this time it wasn’t her who turned out to be the one with toxic traits, which is the only positive thing she could think about.

“ relationships sucks man !! “ she mumbled under breath and held the coffee mug to take a sip but stopped instantly and looked up when she heard a faint voice beside her. 

“Hey.. “ Maya’s face lit up with a wide smile as she saw Asher, her teammate standing near her 

table with a light smile, his tall and muscular body never failed to please peoples eyes, including Maya. he’s a sight of prepossessing. 

Both of them have been in the same team, which allows them to have a casual chit-chat in between break times and work. Asher had always been a good person to her, but she doesn’t know why. 

Asher is a guy who has gotten ample amount of female attention in the office. His spontaneousness and bewitching blue eyes is one of the highlights among female staff. 

“ hey….. Can I take this chair ?” he asked instantly, and licked his lower lips as if he was nervous. In Between he glanced at both of his hands which were holding a two coffee mug on each. The tightness of his crisp white shirt sleeve around his biceps is easy on her eyes as her eyes followed the length of his arm. Her mind automatically went on a wild imagination of him working out, showing his muscular naked upper body that looked as if  dipped into glycerine due to the sweat beads rolling down through his olive skin. 

Her wild imagination made her gulp unknowingly which was surely noticed by Asher who frowned at her.   

Shaking her head slightly she looked at him “ Of course you can, “ said Maya, looking around as she found some of the tables that were empty and wondered why he wanted only this chair. 

“ Thank you. '' He sat on the chair, right in front of her and pushed one coffee mug towards her and sipped from the other one he had with him. 

With a gently smile Maya politely told him“ Thanks, but i already have one “

“ I know that, but it’s been a while since you bought that, and i’m sure by now the coffee would have become a cold coffee without ice in it “ he replied with a glint of smile in the corner of his lips. 

“ ohh, so you were watching that drama “ The stability of voice suddenly dropped. 

“ can’t deny since it was going on in the middle of the cafeteria in front of the audiences “ he spoke ingloriously. 

She hummed in response while placing back her coffee mug, which had become cold. 

“ hey….don’t feel bad……it’s okay……embarrassing moments happen once in awhile….don’t think much about it “ he gave a lipped smile, along with his genius words. Asher is well aware of her whole  history with Ruben and he genuinely wanted her to stop feeling bad about it.  

For some reason his smile brought sudden calmness in her, being working in the same branch for years Maya can say that she knows Asher, somewhat. 

Maya could feel her heart gripping a good rhythm of beating, “ Thanks' ' she smiled and took the coffee mug that he offered her. In Fact she badly needed some hot fluids to calm her nerves but the mental exhaustion made her slothful to move and get another hot coffee.  

“ my pleasure “ his eyes glinted. 

She was displeased to realise that his warm smiles melted her miffy side so effortlessly. 

This is not for good, she thought. 

*****

Jenny’s cabin

“ Nia, get me a black coffee ” ordered Jenny over the intercom while her eyes were fixed to the laptop screen. 

Monday being the most cruel and hectic day for her, Jenny didn’t even get a few seconds to spear on morning coffee. As she was already late Jenny took a quick bath and changed into her office attire. Fixing her hair and make up in the car while she was on the way to the office, Jenny literally ran a marathon to reach her office.

After attending the first scheduled meeting with her team only she breathed in relief, because this is her first day of working on the new  project by herself without her father’s interference and she wants to be the best in her work. 

After going through some paperwork, she realised that she missed her first coffee in the morning . That means, now she would need a black coffee to boost her energy and slap the sleepiness away. Well, this is her way or more likely to say her habit of having coffee. If she missed the first coffee in morning, she would companset that with drinking a black coffee later whenever she gets time in the whole da., Due to her belief, that the bitterness in the blackcoffee will remind her the importance of the sweet and perfect first coffee that she would have drank to smoothen her soul, only if she woke up a little early. And to avoid having bitter black coffee after missing her first coffee, she will wake up early the next  morning just to have her normal first coffee with the right amount of milk, sugar and coffee.  In a way, this habit motivates her to wake up early and do better for herself. Might seem silly but works for her like a motivation.

After a couple of minutes she heard a slight knock on the door, which disturbed her focus from the numbers she was seeing in files to figure out the quotations. 

“ Come in “ she said without looking up knowing that it must be Nia. 

“ Nia , take the files with you and analyse them carefully…i need a detailed profits and loss report on it by tomorrow  and yeah thanks for bringing coffee….. Leave that  on table “ she said still not looking up, and when she didn’t got any response in return She looked up and, 

“ Fuck !! , YOU “ 
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A/N

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