Chapter 1: Handsome Stranger

Valerie didn't particularly like her job, when people asked she mentioned that it paid well. However, that said nothing about her passion, it was a simple bland answer which most people around her answered whenever they got asked that question. To relax she loved hanging out at a secluded lounge, it was small and mostly regulars visited it, but she loved it.

The lounge was decorated in red and gold with lots of mahogany wood furniture. The lighting was dim and the music consisted of classical and baroque tunes. It set the mood. She glanced around, observing the other regulars who were either drinking alone like her or drinking in pairs while quietly talking. Valerie sat at the bar, her attention getting pulled away by the bartender who placed another drink in front of her, an Aviation, the blue color an invitation to the eyes. It was a classic and the bartender knew she loved her classics.

"Thank you." She told him quietly, not wanting to disturb the other visitors, "I do need another drink." She stared down at her empty cocktail glass, gently pushing it away while she reached for the new cocktail the bartender had placed in front of her.

"Another long day at work?"

She let out a tired sigh, "Yeah, another long day at work." She confirmed, "Sometimes I wonder why I'm forcing myself to do it, there is no recognition in my job nor does it seem my boss appreciates the effort. So I wonder at times, is it even worth it?"

"Someone will notice the effort you made."

She glanced aside, startled by the stranger who suddenly mingled into their conversation. The stranger had a deep voice, the kind of voice which was perfect to host a radio show. His stormy gaze was fixated on his drink. A yellowish golden liquid, she assumed it was a bitter whiskey cocktail. He reached for his glass and took a sip of the bitter drink. He had full lips which were set to a straight line when he stared at his drink, his stormy gaze looked empty. If she had to guess he also had a long, tiring day at work. When he turned to look at her he took her breath away. He wasn't a regular, she was sure of it, because if he had been she would have remembered him. She wasn't going to lie, the man was drop dead gorgeous. It was sad that staring at the man with the looks of a model was the highlight of her day. It made her reach for her cocktail and take a large sip from it.

"You think?" She asked him casually, not wanting to look like a silly girl who couldn't speak up when she locked eyes with a handsome man, "It doesn't feel that way."

"You'll be missed when you're not there, I'm sure of it." He told her casually, "Every little effort an employee makes helps a company grow. The security guard, the receptionist, even the sassy administration worker who sighs ten times a day can't be missed. They all help to keep the company going. So your effort is appreciated it."

It was like he was talking from experience, she dared to say that unlike her he had a high position in whatever company he was working. A position that mattered to people.

She laughed quietly, reaching for her cocktail again, "Can you tell my boss that?" She asked him jokingly.

"What do you do?" He asked her.

She placed her glass down and stared at the half empty blue drink, it more or less resembled the way she was feeling right now.

"I'm a sales assistant."

"You're the bridge between a lot of departments in your company. The stakes are high and yes, it's a tiring job most of the time, but it's also the most rewarding."

She smiled at him, "I don't feel that way right now."

"Because your sales manager is pushing you?"

It wasn't that, she wanted him to push her to be the best person she could be, but he didn't care. That man cared about his little trysts with the new intern, pushing the workload onto her and the other sales assistants so he could bang the young girl's brain out in his office. They never caught him doing it, but they all knew it was happening. No one spoke up about, afraid of losing their job or being bullied until they quit. They did curse the young girl whenever she came walking out with a grin spread across her face and getting all the praises. Valerie was sure the girl had many talents, but sales wasn't one of them.

The stranger who was trying to motivate her to keep going didn't know who she was nor did he know which company she worked at. She could tell him without feeling guilty about it. She'd be able to relief some of the pent-up frustration she felt while it wouldn't change a thing. It would only make her feel better and come Monday she'd be at the office again, running around to get the work done of a man who got away with the praises.

"Because my sales manager is pushing off his workload to his sales assistants while he bangs the new intern."

"I see."

"I mean, I wouldn't care if he actually did his job. But we're the ones who are doing his job for him while he gets acknowledged for things he didn't even do to begin with. It's frustrating and causes the work environment to feel hostile, you know."

He nodded, "I can understand. Have you considered to go to the higher ups?"

She looked at him as if he had lost his mind, "Are you serious? If they won't do anything about it I'll be bullied out of a job. I mean I don't particularly like my job, but I have bills to pay."

"Which company do you work for?"

"Hunter and Starr." She noticed the glint in his eyes, "You know it." She concluded.

"It recently got a lot of recognition, that name is hard to miss." He sipped from his drink and smiled at her, "You could say I know it on a personal level."

She was intrigued by that, but as she glanced at her watch she realized it was way past her bed time. She had to wake up bright and early to meet with her mother and sister. Shopping for wedding dresses and all that. She wasn't looking forward to it, but as the bride's sister she was obligated to force a smile upon her face and pretend she was super excited about it.

"What do you do?" She asked, reaching into her bag so she could pay for her drinks.

"I started an advertising company together with a friend."

"Oh, I see that's why you know about Hunter and Starr."

He nodded, "They're big in the advertising world right now."

She gestured to the bartender she was ready to pay for her drinks, "I have an early morning tomorrow, so I'm heading out." She told him, "It was nice talking to you, a pleasant distraction, I suppose."

He smiled at that, "Drinks are on me." He told her, gently placing his hand on hers to stop her from handing her credit card to the bartender, "I insist, it's the least I can do considering you had a shitty day today."

Handsome and kind, it wasn't a combination she was familiar with. She appreciated it though.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." He told her firmly, "Maybe I'll see you around."

She pocketed her wallet and pushed the straps of her bag upon her shoulder, "I'm Valarie." She held out her hand to him, "It was nice meeting you-"

"Gabriel."

He had a firm grip on her hand as he shook it. Her hand seemed tiny when he held hers, another thing aside from his quiet yet powerful voice which attracted her to him. He loosened his grip on her hand to let her pull away. She took one last look at him before she left the lounge, this time with a smile upon her face.