Someone was knocking at the door to her suite, but the groggy eyed Mia could just not find it in her to get up and get the door.

She had practically strewn her luggage across the room after arriving yesterday night, and had fallen face first onto her bed,only falling into a deep death like slumber at four in the morning,clothes and all.

She willed her aching body to just get up, but whenever she made the move to, she would fall again on the bed like a sloppy drunk.

Her phone chose that moment to ring, making her wake up with her groan.

"What? "She snapped upon receiving the call, not caring for who was across the line.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine. "Casey said sarcastically.

"Why won't you just let me sleep? "

"It's nine in the morning, sister. Get a grip on yourself. "

Mia checked her watch.

"Holy crap. "

"I know, right? That's the longest you've slept all week. "

The person on the door kept knocking.

"Let me see who's at the door, okay? I'll call you later. "

"You do that."

Casey hang up, paving way for Mia to go check her door, finding an annoyed Malik in her presence.

"Why weren't you answering the door? I thought something bad had happened. "

He said, clearly frustrated.

Mia ran a hand through her hair.

"I'm sorry, I was just really tired than I thought I was. "

Malik's face softened.

"It's okay, I just wanted to remind you we're meeting at the conference room in an hour to commence things. "

"Oh.Oh, I totally forgot. "

Mia smacked her head.

"I'll be there, I'm just gonna take a quick shower. "

"Okay, we'll be waiting. Don't forget to take breakfast. "

"Oh, I will. "

Malik left,and Mia was tempted in the littlest bit to continue sleeping, but she more than anyone else knew she had no time for such pleasures.

She proceeded to take a cold shower that jerked her senses to life,and viewed the text on her phone from Casey telling her what to wear.

She shook her head and smiled.

Casey had all but spend the previous evening lecturing her on what to wear, what to do and panning out what she claimed was the 'mastery of seduction',and Mia knew she was having way too much fun with all this.

She put on the royal blue off-shoulder dress Casey had recommended, and proceeded to apply on her signature red lipstick, which as Casey claimed, was the weapon of seduction.

She took some time to take in her reflection in the mirror,and was pleased by how she actually looked on the outside, a strong confident woman who knew what she wanted in life and had an idea of what she was doing, but cringed at who she was on the inside, a void mess.

She smiled.

Her reflection smiled back at her.

Time to be brave.

************************

Jace watched from his seat as she walked into the large room, a little blush creeping up his cheeks.

If there was one thing Mandi and Mia had in common, they both knew how to look flawless, one more than the other.

But it could be his view was biased, he was an infatuated man after all.

Get a grip on yourself. He kept telling himself, something he seemed able to say more than do.

She barely glanced at him as she strode from table to table,chatting up her employees, and occasionally, oh so gracefully, throwing her head back to laugh at something someone said, looking so angelic.

Jace was sure every man in this room was worshipping at her feet,with him being the clergyman.

This was just so incredible.

Three weeks ago, if anyone had asked him if he had intentions of getting himself a girlfriend or settling down, he would have shunned their inquisitive heads away in a wave of a duck's tail.

But now, oh boy.

He could practically see himself siring eleven kids, plus one, buying a castle by the hill, three limousines,and hiring ten maids,all for one person.

He chuckled a little to himself.

This was not him.

"What's so funny, sweetheart? "

He turned abruptly at the sweet, sweet voice, behind him, cramping his neck in the process.

"Ow."He cried, clutching his neck in pain, and all but wishing the ground would open agape and just swallow him, bones and all.

This was way too embarrassing, almost like farting in the presence of your crush.

Mia looked like she wanted to laugh, but was trying to keep a straight face.

"Are you okay? "She asked, coming around, and Jace took his eyes off her for a second only to realise everyone was staring at him.

"I'm fi-ow."

Oh, the pain.

"You don't look too good, buddy. "Mia touched his neck, sending jolts of electricity on the already tingling sore skin.

"I'll be fine. "Jace managed this time, trying to play cool.

"Looks like you need an ice pack. "Peter,his head constructor said.

"I'll go find you one."Mia offered.

She really didn't want to, I mean, seeing someone you hate suffer even in the smallest bit was satisfactory, but the guy seemed to be in deep pain, though he didn't want to show it, and this was not the kind of pain she wanted from him.

This was just merely stealing a baby's candy,and she wanted so much more than that.

"I'll... I'll come with you. "Jace stuttered.

Oh no.

"Sure."She smiled like it was no big deal.

She didn't even have an idea of where she would begin.

***************

Ten minutes later, she was pressing the freezing ice pack onto his neck, while he was wincing and squirming like a little baby.

"Hold still. "She said for the fiftieth time.

"I'm trying. It's just so- ouch!"

Mia rolled her eyes.

This was so tedious. At first it had been funnily satisfying seeing him try to break his neck looking at her, then becoming stiff from pain, to biting his lip from the cold of the ice, and now it was just plain annoying.

She was so absorbed in tuning him out she didn't see his hand go up to her arm, then caress it down to where she was holding the ice on his neck.

Mia froze, maybe even more than the ice itself.

She looked up to his dark eyes,locking their gazes, and for a minute she was taken aback by the look in them.

The look of a man sincerely falling in love.

She swallowed, and even second-guessed her entire plan. Was she really willing to break his heart?

Dad. Mom.

Of course she was.

She smiled,and Jace knew he was in for it.

He observed the flash of emotions that drifted across her eyes when they touched, locked gazes, and how it had disappeared in a minute,being replaced with her signature empty eyes,and her charming smile.

He wanted to look away, to not show his desperation, but he kept looking at her,her delicate and beautiful features, her reflection of a strong personality,strong enough to might have been carved by Michelangelo's hands.

"You neck is all better,yeah?You don't look like you're in that much pain anymore. "She laughed, her breathy laugh.

"I.. "Jace wanted to say it, but didn't know how.

"I... "

Mia lifted a finger and placed it on his chin.

"Use your words, big boy. "She whispered, looking at him from under her eyelashes.

"I... I want to ask you something. "He managed.

"Yeah? "

"Will..aaah....will you have dinner with me tonight? "

There.

Mia cocked her head and stepped back.

She peered at him with her piercing gaze and a little smirk on his lips.

"Mmmh.What makes you think am single? "She played.

Jace's colour kinda drained.

Oh. my. God. What if he had just assumed it all? What if he had just thought of her as his soulmate, destiny and thought that he would just ask her out and things would fall in place, you know, next thing they're getting engaged and getting married, and going to their honeymoon to Bora Bora Island and buying a house,and then having kids and going to school meetings and taking their kids to vacation at Air BnB...

"Jeez, breathe. Am as single as they come. "Mia chuckled at his frozen expression, but knowing she had succeeded with this one.

"You are? "Jace mumbled, suddenly feeling stupid.

How come he had a plan mapped all over his head?

"I am. "Mia smiled.

A moment of awkward, sexually tense silence passed.

Jace scratched the back of his neck.

"So...uhm.. will you? "He asked, referring to the date he just asked her out on.

Mia continued giving him that tempting sly smile.

She would have gone out with him,he looked all cute like a little boy who just realised he had a crush on his English teacher.

But she knew to get all in, she had to play hard to get.

"I don't know, will I? "

She turned and headed back to the conference room, leaving Jace in a cold sweat.

********************
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