Chapter Two

"Katrina, in my office right now."

Katrina answered the phone as soon as she heard that. "Okay, sir." she dropped the phone and picked up her notepad, quickly checking to make sure her makeup is in place and her skirt in order.

She knocked on the door and entered her boss office. "Sir, you called for me?"

"Katrina, how many times have I told you to call me by my name? Especially when it's just the two of us. We have been working together for almost seven years now."

"Sir, I mean... Lucas, because it won't seem professional if I call you by your first name when you are my boss. And it will give me hope that the impossible might happen." Katrina added the last part in her head.

"Whatever you say, lady, I prefer that people call me by my name especially people I am close with."

"We are not that close." Katrina said in her head.

"Anyway, the reason I called for you is to tell you we have to go on a business trip by Thursday, I know it was not in our schedule, but it's a trip that can't be avoided. I am telling you now so that you can prepare and also sort things out to avoid a reoccurrence of what happened on our last trip." Lucas said.

"As I would not want the both of us to be in a situation like that again." he added.

This crazy man, Katrina thought, just one mistake in six years and he keeps bringing up it. She wished she could erase his memory.

"Are we clear, Katrina? Are you still here? Kat?"

"Oh yes sir, I mean... Lucas."

He looked at her strangely and Katrina blushed inside, he called her Kat!! He has never called her that before.

Before she could dwell more on that, he continued talking and she was grateful for the distraction though she knew she would think back when she was on her own.

"It's a one-week trip so you should know what to do. We are not gonna stay at a hotel because Mr. Raven has a resort and wants us to make use of it."

"Sir, sorry, Lucas, I have a few questions if you don't mind," Katrina said when Lucas paused.

"Okay, what questions, sweetheart," he said.

What's wrong with him today, Katrina thought. First, he came to the office bearing coffee which he bought for himself and her. Secondly, he was not his usual arrogant and bossy self today, he called her 'Kat' and then 'sweetheart' in the space of five minutes.

Something was wrong, Katrina thought. The last time he had been this nice to her, she ended up spending her whole weekend babysitting his sister's kids which was not bad because she loves kids and the kids adores her.

But her job is to be his secretary, not a babysitter. He better not make any silly requests again just because he bought her coffee. As they were going on a business trip, it's definitely not babysitting.

"Kat, I thought you had questions to ask, you've been silent for so long." he said.

"Oh sorry, Lucas, what's with the sudden business trip and where are we going? I'm not sure if there will be a new investment or merge. As far as I know, this Friday you are supposed to be on your way home for your sister's wedding rehearsals,"

"I already called Lilac," he said cutting her off, "and she understands that we go straight to Arizona after our business in California."

"Wait, we are going to California? And why are we going to Arizona together? this is my first time hearing about it."

"Kat, you are my Secretary and my PA, as you know, I am currently single, who else would you think will go with me to the wedding?" he asked looking at her.

"Well..."

"See? even you agree with me."

"Nope, I don't agree. Wait, is this the reason you have been nice to me?"

"Wow wow wow calm down miss, I wasn't kind to you, I was my usual self and I am a caring boss."

"Really? Are we gonna talk about you being a nice boss? I got loads of things to say."

"Oh, fierce, I like that."

Something was not right, Katrina thought, this was not the boss she has known since these years.

"Lucas, what's going on? are you high?" Maybe he had a drink or two when he left the office. But he wasn't smelling of booze.

"Do I look like I am drunk? I am just talking to you."

"You never talk to me like this."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like this, as if we are close friends, real close friends. I called you sir last Friday before I went home and you didn't correct me. I called you sir this morning when you came in and you didn't correct me. Now, you are telling me that you prefer being called by your name."

"Besides, this afternoon you are talking so casually with me. It's suspicious. So, what's going on?" she asked folding her hands on her chest.

His eyes followed the movement of her hands and landed on her chest then back at her face. She blushed and dropped her hands from her chest.

"This is not the first time I told you I prefer to be called by my name." he said after a short pause, raising his brows as if asking her to argue.

"Agree, it is not the first time. Aside from that, today is the first time you bought me coffee which is always my job. The last time you were being this nice to me, I ended up in your sister's house babysitting."

"Okay, Kat, I promise that you won't do babysitting anyone."

"Thank you. And what about 'Kat'?"

"What?" he asked looking confused.

"You called me 'Kat', you have never done that before."

"Why haven't I? I like 'Kat' or should I call you 'Trina' or 'Rina'? those sounds nice too, but 'Kat' is my favorite."

"Oh stop it, Lucas, I'm serious, what do you want from me?"

Katrina asked getting annoyed and not knowing why she was annoyed. This was what she had wanted all these years right? Lucas was willing to talk with her abour something that was not work-related. But this was confusing. One minute they were a boss and a secretary. Next minute they were talking as if they were close friends and he was making her feel different emotions at the same time which he won't take responsibility for.

"Katrina," he called.

"Yes," she answered.

"I am sorry I offended you. I was just trying to be..."

"See? that's another thing you never do, you never apologize to me or anyone," she said cutting him short.

"Okay, let's talk about..."

The ringing of the phone on the table beside him cut him off.

"Excuse me, Kat, I need to take this call but we will continue this discussion later." He said as he picked up the phone.

"No, we won't," Katrina said to herself when she turned and left the office.

Going back to her office, Katrina felt even more confused. What just happened? She thought.

They were talking about a trip and then they were practically bickering. Who bickers with her boss?

She couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. She just knew it, Lucas was up to something. And she was gonna find out soon.

She let the thought off and concentrated on sorting the applicant files and also making preparations for the upcoming trip.

When she finally raised her head, it was almost 3 pm. Time for the meeting with the Dubai investors.

She saved her progress, picked up the files related to the Dubai deal on her desk, her tab, and walked to Lucas' office.

"Sir, it's time for the meeting with the Dubai investors." she said.

"I already did that." he replied casually.

"What? When?" she asked. F*ck. When did he start going on meetings without her? She thought.

"When I left the office."

"But the meeting was supposed to be at 3 pm, I don't understand." she said looking at him intently.

"Okay, listen, you had a lot on your plate, and the team from Dubai called that they would like to move the meeting forward. When I came to your office, you were so concentrated that you didn't even notice my presence. So I just opted for going myself since your presence wasn't required much and I figured it would be less stressful for you. Did I do something wrong?" he asked after explaining.

"No, you didn't. It's just that..."

"That what?"

"That you being nice to me will fill my head with thoughts, it's not gonna be good for me in the long run." she thought to herself.

"That you being nice to me make me confused and I can't help but be suspicious." she replied.

"Okay, I do have a favor to ask."

"I knew it."

"But that's not the only reason I am trying to be nice. I know I'm overbearing but that's not a reason for you to quit." he said.

"Wait, quit? Me? When?" she asked confused.

"I saw the letter you typed among the files." he explained.

"Were you looking through my stuff?" she asked.

She hates people look through her stuff whithout her permission no matter who it is.

"I wasn't looking through your stuff, it was in the printer."

What? I didn't print it out. It must be a mistake. She thought.

"If you bothered to check the date written on the letter, you would have known it's not something that was written this year. I must have mistakenly printed it out with other files you asked for. But that still doesn't explain why you being nice to me." she said.

"Really? It's not a new letter?" he said as if he was relieved. "But the thought of quitting doesn't sit well with me whether it was years ago or now." he added.

Katrina had forgotten such a letter existed, which was typed three years ago. At that time, her feeling for Lucas was taking over her and she felt confused. She didn't know how to work with Lucas. She loved him but he didn't love her and he probably would marry someone else. She wanted to quit then, but didn't submit the letter and Lucas didn't get married to someone else.

But how the letter got printed? She still can't figure out.

"Years ago I wanted to quit but I didn't submit the letter." she said.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why did you want to quit?"

"Because you were being so..." she was thinking about what's the appropriate word.

"Nevermind." she finally said.

"Just say it, don't be scared," he said.

"Can we forget about that? It's in the past." she said wanting him to give up.

"Okay, I drop it now, but as you know, I will still ask again." he said.

"Fair enough, so what's the favor?" she asked.

"I thought we were dropping the issue?" he said and smiled.

Nice smile. Whenever he smiles, she always finds herself smiling too. She can't help it.

"Nope, not that." she said catching herself.

"Let's talk about it some other time."

"Okay, if you say so." she replied not wanting to prolong the talk.

As she made her way out of the office, he called her name and said something that stayed on her mind through the rest of the day.

"Kat, let's be friends from now on."

She had been too dumbfounded to respond and had just left his office without saying anything.