To Color Your Life

Emily went to the top floor again. It seemed to her that even through the walls, all eyes were looking at her.

What does he want? How could it have occurred to him to call her to his office in front of the entire department?!

She mentally went over the options for causing light and serious harm to the boss's health, in order to consider an alibi as the result of an involuntary murder.

The girl stopped in front of the door with the 'Justin Evans' sign and took a deep breath.

Oh, she already forgot about the Cerberus dog in the skirt!

"Good morning Stephanie," she greeted the secretary. The woman raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Yes, yes, I remember your name.

"Mr. Evans asked to come and see him. Urgent," Emily focused on the last word. She had no desire to linger in the company of a beauty with pumped lips, which were ready to burst with tension when the boss's guest appeared on the doorstep.

The secretary grimaced but did not ask questions. She pressed a button on the intercom and cooed, "Mr. Evans, Hayes here wants to see you."

What an awesome skill! Emily wondered to herself. The words "Mr. Evans" sounded fondly, and "Hayes" like a curse.

After receiving an answer from the boss, the secretary pointed to the door with her eyes. The conversation was over, to which Emily was only glad.

It remained to swallow the last bitter pill and I can work in peace.

The girl entered the office and greeted politely, "Good morning, Mr. Evans." The boss nodded back. "Do you have something urgent? I am ready to listen and return to my duties."

Justin Evans was, as always, perfectly shaven, stylishly dressed, and generally radiated a supernova aura. Dare you look a second or two longer, you may go blind.

What time does he get up to look like this in the morning? Maybe he doesn't go to bed at all? Emily thought to herself as her boss finished writing something on his laptop.

"Miss Hayes," he began in the most serious tone, and Emily tensed.

What? I haven't done anything, have I?

"I have one question for you," the man closed the laptop and busily clasped his palms on the table, "You don't like coffee anymore?"

"You were not at the coffee shop yesterday and today too. Have you stopped buying coffee or are you afraid to run into me there?"

Emily didn't get it right away. And when she understood what he was talking about, the counter-question itself slipped off her lips, "Are you sitting and waiting for me there?!"

"No," the boss replied quickly, "It's like I have nothing else to do!" He raised a hand and straightened his perfectly styled hair.

Yeah, right! Catherine's speculations about Justin Evans' interest in Emily seemed quite real now to her.

"Then how do you know that I don't go there anymore?"

This question remained unanswered. Mr. Evans clearly preferred to ask his own.

"So what's the matter?" he lifted his chin with a look full of importance, "If I'm bothering you that much, I can find another cafe. Or come to drink coffee an hour later, it's not difficult for me at all."

Huh, of course, it's not difficult for you! Riding a sports car with a gentle breeze to the other end of the city is not taking a trip by the subway!

"You're not bothering me," Emily whiffed, almost sincerely. "Before that, I used to work from home and could buy coffee every morning. Now I do not have time to do that since the way to the publishing house is quite long and takes a lot of time. So drink your coffee whenever you want."

"And today you also did not have time?"

"I overslept," she lied without blinking. I would never in my life tell you that I spent half the morning on clothes and makeup for a coffee trip! And, as it turned out, she did the right thing, that she didn't go! He was there!

The boss was silent for a while, pondering the girl's words.

"So, are you giving up your favorite best coffee in town just like that?"

Why the hell did he keep fixating on this damn coffee?!

"Why would I do that? Tomorrow is a day off and I can go to the cafe any time," Emily replied.

The man's eyes sparkled. Maybe she shouldn't have reminded him about the day off?

"Here!" Evans pulled out from somewhere from the table a large cardboard cup, "Double Americano. I just took it with me." The man got up from the chair, walked around the table and handed the cup of coffee to Emily's hands.

The girl was taken aback, "And what should I do with it?"

The boss looked at her as if she were mentally ill, "You can splash it in my face, but you better have a drink."

"Right here?"

"Oh, I forgot, you can't drink coffee in my presence."

Emily took a step towards the door, "So I'll go then?" If it hadn't been for Evans, she wouldn't have had to come here.

"Stop!" the boss put his hand forward, blocking the door, "If you walk out of here with this big cup, everyone will think that I'm running errands for you. All kinds of gossip will go."

"Mr. Evans, with all due respect to you, you are doing a great job on your own and without any cups," she snapped.

"Miss Hayes, if I had asked Mrs. Parkinson to call you, it would have taken longer and the coffee would have cooled down. Moreover, she is very busy. Don't forget, I have two positions at this publishing house."

"Have you forgotten how to use your cell phone? You could just call or write a message!"

Evans blinked, and then broke into an ambiguous smile, "So I can call you on such kind of personal issues?"

Emily just now noticed how close the man was to her. In fact, he towered over the girl like a great wall. Step forward - and she would burrow her nose into his wide chest.

"You'd think you were once interested in my opinion," she muttered, looking away.

Stop, Hayes. Wait a minute. Did you just openly give him the go-ahead to call-when-you-wish?!

"Are you hitting on me, Mr. Evans?" she asked point-blank.

"And what does it look like, Miss Hayes?" The boss's smile became dangerously attractive. He bent down to the girl's face, peering into the depths of her eyes.

What does it look like?! It looks like that!

She brought the glass to her mouth with a sharp movement and took a long sip. "Ahh, freaking hot!" the girl screamed, which scared Justin almost to death.

"What were you thinking when you pounced on this coffee like that?!"

"What were you thinking when you asked me this question?!"

Emily pulled her hand out of habit, but did not take into account that this hand was now holding a large cup of hot coffee.

The liquid splashed onto the man's snow-white shirt and flowed down to his trousers. Exactly to the spot that Emily was looking at in the photograph quite recently.

Evans hissed. Now it was the girl's turn to wave her hand to the angel of death.

"Do you want to kill me, Miss Hayes?" Justin looked at her with the eyes full of resentment.

"Oh my God, of course not!" Emily objected. She had already forgotten that on the way here she was considering options for where to hide the boss's corpse. "Take off your clothes ASAP, if you don't want to get burned!"

She began to unbutton his shirt. As the girl's fingers reached down and touched the belt of his trousers, Evans caught her hand, "Thank you. I will handle it from here somehow."

Emily looked up. There was no longer a hint of discomfort on the man's face. On the contrary, he looked very pleased. Even too happy.

"Come on, I'll show you where you can finish your coffee. If you like," Justin turned away from the girl and headed to the far corner of the room, where there was another door.

Emily mentally thanked the man for not focusing on what had happened and making her face blush even more.

She has been in the publishing house for only two days, and already several times she almost died of shame! She will surely turn gray in a month if things keep going like that!

The girl bent down, picked up a cup from the floor and followed the boss. A sense of guilt did not allow her to turn around and leave.

As soon as she entered the room adjacent to the main office, Emily was speechless. This room was half the size, but how cozy it was compared to the other!

There was a small sofa, an open wardrobe with clothes, a treadmill and an exercise bike in the corner. But most amazing was the view from the window.

She walked over to the window and stared out. The skyscrapers stood in a slender row of candles, like on a birthday cake. And behind them the sun gilded the water of the bay.

"What a beauty!" Emily breathed out, feeling childlike.

"I agree," Evans said, and the girl could tell from his tone that he meant something else.

She turned to the man and immediately turned back. "I'm s-sorry."

Did he decide to change clothes in front of her?! Although, where else can he change his clothes if the place where he keeps his extra clothes is here?

Emily would have liked to slip out unnoticed, but it was an impossible mission. Walking past Mister Perfect when he is wearing only his underpants will definitely be her last memory before being sent to a better world out of embarrassment.

She heard a light laugh behind her and the rustle of clothes. The girl stared out the window, just not to think about what was happening in this room.

The business atmosphere became too intimate. But strangely enough, Emily was not uncomfortable with the thought. To some extent, she even felt good.

Still, your favorite coffee and stunning views work wonders!

Her gaze fell on the glass, but instead of seeing the landscape outside the window, she saw the reflection of an almost naked man.

Justin indeed was standing in his underpants and choosing which shirt to wear. His relaxed and lazy appearance hinted that the boss was not going to rush.

Emily, as being enchanted, followed his imposing movements. They were full of inner strength and some kind of calmness, which is usually the case with people who know what they want from life.

This man was a noble beast, in comparison with whom she seemed to herself a small jerboa.

Emily looked down at her stomach. She straightened up. It looks like it's time to end up eating pizza at night.

"Miss Hayes, I think it's time for you to get back to the department. Otherwise, people will think that I am not letting you go and torturing you. You remember, I have a certain reputation around here." A dressed Mr. Evans appeared next to the girl and scratched the glass with his finger.

Emily turned her gaze to the spot where his finger touched. This was the exact place where the man's wardrobe was reflected.

"Y-yes, you're right. Sorry, I was a bit lost in my thoughts," the girl jabbed, her cheeks flushed.

She looked around for the trash bin, but without noticing it, she thrust the cup into the boss's hands. "Thanks for the coffee. Have a nice day." She gave her speech in a single gulp and jumped out of the room and office like the wind.

"Oh, it's a great day, Miss Hayes. Thank you," Justin Evans mumbled contentedly. "And it has just begun."