Monday came through and Diamond was having a rough morning. She had to give induction to the new kid in the company, Janelle Jackson, a dark chocolate skinned woman with a bounce in her step and a smile that could melt snow. She was the new Human resource assistant and Diamond was tasked with showing her around the company and telling her about the company that is Logan Gold Towers. She was fortunate to have been given the induction by Orlando himself and he told her everything he thought was important for her to know, unlike with Janelle she passed her a book she needed to read which contained the history of the company and what she needed to know about the Human Resources department.

Arriving to the cafeteria, Janelle was amazed with how posh the place actually was, it screamed money and she couldn't contain her excitement.

"I think I am going to frequent this place." She informed Diamond. She loved that there were couches, and comfortable chairs around the tables where people could just unwind during the one break and just be at peace.

"I know right?" Diamond smiled as she checked time on her wrist watch, she didn't want to miss the very important shareholders' meeting at ten o'clock and wondered where the hell her boss was. It was thirty minute after nine in the morning and the man hasn't reported for duty.

Just yesterday they had a weird conversation where he asked her to play pretend that they were dating and she refused, she suggested he come up with another plan to salvage the hotel he so badly wants without having to fake anything with her.

She didn't want to be in a relationship, at least not yet, not this year or the next hell not in the next five years and being in a makeshift one, a pretentious one wasn't so appealing to her. She said no and Orlando was upset by that and well he didn't show it. He simply nodded, talked to the contractors at his house and drove her back to her place without saying anything further.

She wondered where the hell he was and also if he was upset or angry with her. This was her life and it wasn't a joke to men.

She wasn't going to let men come and use her however they wished and however they wanted just to leave her bare and heartbroken again, she had to protect herself seeing no one else was going to.

"You keep checking the time, in a rush?" Janelle asked, looking over at Diamond and taking a liking to her. She was dressed in formal clothes, looked poised and yet treated her nice, she expected someone bourgeois but was surprised when Diamond even shared a few jokes with her as she took her around.

"Did I mention to you that I'm an assistant to the C.E.O? He has a very important meeting soon and I haven't heard from him. Speaking of the meeting, I need to set up the boardroom, come on I'll take you back to your desk and I will see you around lunchtime." Diamond walked Janelle to her desk and there the HR manager was glad Diamond did her that favour as she now would take over and assign task and duties to the young lady who seemed eager to work.

After setting up the boardroom, placing the necessary files on the rectangular table and placing refreshments on the side table, Diamond locked the boardroom and went back to her desk.

She called Orlando again and he didn't answer his phone just like the hundred times she has called him before. A call from the reception alerted her that the board members have just arrived and are making their way up.

A smile placed on her lovely face, Diamond ushered them to the boardroom and watched as others shortly arrived. They were very punctual, that was a norm in the firm. Tardiness was not excused at all and yet the man of honour, the man who set the tardiness law was yet to grace them with his presence.

Sitting down and the clock hitting twenty past ten, Diamond was asked with a million of question as to where Orlando was. Part of the board members was Mr York senior himself, Orlando's father who was once the C.E.O of the company and now the chairman of the board.

"He will be here; he is supposed to have been here on time. I will go and check what exactly is keeping him up. It must be really important as he knows not to miss this meeting, he has been looking forward to it since last week." Diamond lied with a poker face. She excused herself and bolted out of the room like someone set her on fire.

She was angry at the fact that Orlando didn't even bother to check with her and let her know whether to cancel the meeting or hold it together until he arrived. If he is not dead, he better be because she was going to wring his neck with her little hands.

She pressed the private elevator button that led to his penthouse and waited as it came down. She used the emergency key he gave her and let herself in. First thing she met was the take away packages scattered on his coffee table.

His shirt was lying carelessly on the floor, his pants thrown on the couch as if the person was in a haste to take them off. There was an empty bottle of his Irish whiskey tilted on the table. Her heart was beating frantically against her chest, was he with another woman since she rejected his crazy proposal? Her mind ran wild with crazy thoughts she was conjuring up.

She wondered, her heart constricting. She couldn't understand exactly why she felt the way she felt, she and Orlando were colleagues who got carried away two times and meant nothing to each other.

Her legs carried her towards his bedroom and she knew a part of her wanted to see for herself that Orlando will always be Orlando, sleep with any girl he wanted to sleep with and move on about his life.

Knocking on the door, she heard no motion or noise so she let herself in. She could feel her muscles relax and let the breath she has been holding out. Sprawled on his bed in nothing but boxer shorts was Orlando. He looked dead but if you looked carefully, the rising and falling of his chest alerted that there was life in him.

"Orlando?" Diamond called out, shaking him a little but he didn't move; he didn't budge. "ORLANDO WAKE UP!!" she screamed and his eyes fluttered open.

"Wake up Orlando, what the hell man?" she looked at him, her nose flaring.

Orlando with his hands over his head simply turned and looked up at her. Damn him he looked so handsome even when he had just woken up. For a moment their eyes met, she softened up. He always had that effect on her, his look only; set her body alight and calmed the tigress living inside of her.

She shook her head as if to come back to reality. She was beginning to think of how those abs felt under the soft palms of her hands. How those nipples would taste like.

She couldn't think straight when in his presence and she wondered exactly how she managed to reject his proposal last night. She could be waking up next to him every morning and be blessed by the God's best created features the man had. His toned body a plus.

"Barry." He breathed, not believing he had gotten himself drunk until he had to drag his body to bed. He was glad he made it to the bed as it was such a mission last night. He was totally out of it. He was so cut up that diamond refused to help him, he was so used to her always being there for him that he didn't take her rejection all too well; he saw the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

"Board members are in the office, waiting for you. And you are here passed out. What is wrong with you?" Diamond asked him and watched as his eyes widened at the realization.

She sighed and shook her head. "Grab a quick shower, I'll get you dressed, you will eat after the meeting. And brush those teeth like it is the first time." She told him as he hurried to take a shower. She chose a suit for him to wear.

"I'll let you dress up, be downstairs in two minutes." She left him and he nodded and went to get dressed. Oh how could he be so daft as to forget the important monthly meeting with the board? His father was going to skin him alive.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting. But like I have predicted, Mr York was held in a little bit of a situation. The elevator to his penthouse was stuck with him in it. But it is fixed now and he went up to freshen up. It has been two hours and I had no idea." Diamond lied and everybody just nodded in understanding except Mr York senior who was gauging her like a hawk.

Diamond had left a side note for Orlando in his office as she knew he'd have to pass there first, telling him what lie she was going to spin.

"My apologies ladies and gentlemen. I was in a little bit of a tight situation. My private elevator wasn't working and I couldn't get anyone on time thought the emergency intercom. Thank you for waiting." He walked straight ahead, looking fresh but his eyes a little swollen and a little red but he was good to go. It could pass off as being flushed from being confined in a small elevator for hours.

The meeting began and Diamond set to take notes. Everything went smoothly and Orlando winked at her, throwing her one of his charming and dazzling smiles. She blushed profusely and exited the room; eager to get away from the crazy man that somehow knew which buttons to press.

After lunch time, Orlando asked Diamond to his office. "Lock the door." He instructed her and she looked at him, his eyes were hooded.

"No." she deadpanned and remained rooted by the door. She wasn't going to lock the door and walk towards Orlando. He didn't own her and her body wasn't his to use as he pleased.

"So you're rejecting me again?" he asked, walking towards her. She was held captive by his gaze; it was burning a hole through her soul.

"You crushed me last night and I lost my shit Diamond." Hearing her name roll of his tongue like smooth velvet did nothing to calm her raging nerves. "Yeah, I thought you had my back... but I was wrong." He reached her and he caged her in, his arms on each side of her head. She forgot how to breathe, her breath was caught in her throat and she was scared of breathing.

The look on his eyes was dangerous, caused an exciting thrill through her but it was still dangerous. "I didn't... I mean..." she tried speaking but nothing came out.

Orlando rested his head on his forearm, almost as if on the crook of her neck. He took her scent in, what the hell was with this woman? He couldn't keep to himself. He always wanted to touch her, kiss her, make love to her and hold her. Why was that?

"Orlando?" Diamond called out and he snapped his head back and looked at her. His gaze was warm; his green eyes were so beautiful.

"Mhm?" Orlando sounded very cute, like a child who was just innocent in all aspects. His eyes were looking into hers as if searching for something.

"I'll help you." She found herself agreeing to the silly idea. She wondered if she will live to regret it, but this man seemed to want the damn hotel and she would help him. She had and has his back.

"Please kiss me..." she breathed. She couldn't take the torture of being this close to him and yet not touch him. His lips pulled into one of his famous smirks and as he was about to deep his head and capture her lips with his. A knock resounded on the door and they quickly part.

"Hey dad... thought you already left."

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MatshidisoBella