Chapter 24

That morning, Ceaser was having a good chat with his high school buddy Jake Connor after so long.

"...that scoundrel." They laughed at the story Jake told Ceaser about another friend of theirs.

"How's Stacy?" Ceaser asked about his friend's wife.

"Doing fine. After her sister's passing a year ago, she's had to take care of her year-old niece Leslie; being her sole guardian. It wasn't an easy year for her."

"How's your son taking it?"

"Dave doesn't really care, he gets back from pre-school and goes straight into his room. He's been quiet, loves Leslie like a sister though, very protective of her."

Ceaser smiled.

"Sounds like his dad."

Jake smiled.

"What about you? Anyone special?"

Ceaser couldn't help smiling just thinking about Jules.

"I see." Jake said, "Who is she?"

"Her name's Jules..." Ceaser was cut short when someone barged through his door.

"I'm sorry Mr. Thompson, she just walked right past me," Claire said

Ceaser stood and stared at the woman in question.

"It's ok Claire. Thank you." Claire left the office as Ceaser fixated his gaze on a woman who looked like she was out for blood.

She looked hotter and that made him smile.

"Don't give me that smug smile of yours." Jules warned.

Jake cleared his throat and that was when Jules noticed the other person in the room with them.

Her anger deflated to a certain level.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's ok." Jake got up and button his jacket "I'm Jake Connor."

Jules shook his hand.

"Jules Jenna." He was handsome with his designer suit, a body that looked buff even through the suit he had on and that smile. But compared to Ceaser, Jules found him not up to par.

"Jules?" Jake shot Ceaser a glance. "Well, I was just on my way out, you can have this idiot for as long as you want."

Ceaser laughed behind his desk.

"It was nice meeting you Jules, I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of each other," Jake said to her. "We'll catch up some other time."

"Damn straight," Ceaser said as he went towards Jake and did the manly hug. "My regards to Stacy and your little one."

Jake gave a curt nod before he left them alone.

Ceaser sighed before he turned to Jules.

"Couldn't wait to see me?" Ceaser joked.

"No actually, couldn't wait to dissect you." Jules said her anger coming back to the surface.

"Uff, sounds dirty."

"You know what else sounds dirty?" She asked him as she walked towards him and slammed the paper into him "Today's headlines."

Ceaser's brows furrowed as he took the paper and checked the headlines.

Billionaire Ceaser T-hump-son about to hump mystery Lady?

Ceaser swore.

"I'll get this fixed." He told her.

"How would you fix this?"

"Do you trust me?" He asked her.

Jules paused and sighed.

"Should I trust you?"

No.

Ceaser wanted to say.

"I'll fix this. I promise." He said before he left her standing alone in his office.

Everything was going so well.

Jules didn't hear from Ceaser the rest of the day and it bothered her including the stares she had been getting from co-workers. She had ignored it all day and just wished it would go away the next day. But luck wasn't on her side.

She still hadn't heard anything from Ceaser and wished he'd show up during lunch but he didn't.

"He's probably trying to get the situation under control." Andy said that afternoon.

"People are staring." Sofi who had Ivy pointed out and when Jules looked around the restaurant, she almost shrunk in her seat.

She hated the attention.

"Ignore them." Andy said.

"Here you go." Amanda said "Your usual."

"Thanks Amanda." Sofi said

"Everyone's talking about you, you know." Amanda said

Jules looked at her.

She knew.

"Got some journalist showing up here asking questions about you."

"What?!" The three of them asked.

"Yea." She continued "Asking 'bout your name, where you worked, all sorts of things. Talked to some of the others too."

Jules began to panic.

"I said nothing of course but not sure about the rest of 'em."

"Thank you, Amanda." Andy said.

Jules hated this.

This was exactly what she'd been trying to avoid and it seemed the press wanted a story no matter what; if it was true or not.

When had VoiceOutNews started running gossip stories?

She wondered.

That day, Jules wasn't able to focus completely and she had two more files to go through before she could leave for the day and the time said she had twenty minutes to do that or she'd have to stay till she was done...no surprise there.

She didn't know whether Santos hated her or he was like that to everyone because he dumped almost all the contracts he got on her desk.

Jules hadn't known when twenty minutes flew by until Sofi walked into her office with her munchkin. Jules' face lit up as she dropped everything she was doing and walked towards them.

"Mama." Ivy smiled as she picked her from Sofi.

"Hey, munchkin. I missed you." Jules kissed her face and she giggled.

Just what she needed.

Jules sighed.

"Still have more, uh?" Sofi asked looking at her desk.

Jules smiled at her.

"I swear it's like Mr. Santos hates you."

Tell me about it.

"When are you going to be done?" Sofi asked.

Jules shrugged shaking my head.

"Two more to go." She told her

Sofi sighed

"Good luck. We are going home." She said as she took Ivy from her. "Say bye to Mama."

Ivy puckered her lips and Jules smiled as she went in for a kiss.

"Bye Munchkin." She placed a quick kiss on her head before they left.

Jules, Andy and Sofi had fallen into that pattern since Ivy became family. They'd bring Ivy over if they knew Jules was running late.

Nine O'clock and she was halfway through the second file. She didn't want to leave it for tomorrow because Santos had requested for it in the morning and he would definitely hit her with some more files.

Goodness! It felt way worse than getting detention.

Jules looked up when she heard footsteps outside her office but quickly ignored it and got back to her work thinking it would be security.

Her door opened suddenly and she snapped her head up and blinked twice.

She got up and stared at him.

"You're here?" She was surprised that he was around when she hadn't seen him all day.

Was he glad to see her.

Ceaser smiled as he closed the door behind him and walked towards her desk and her heart began to pound in her chest.

"Where have you been?"

"Here and there?" He said

"I was..." She paused "...I didn't hear anything from you after you left." She reached her shoulder and rubbed subconsciously.

"I'll explain right after you tell me what you're doing here so late." Ceaser's gaze shifted to her shoulder. "Need a massage?"

Jules pulled her hand away when she realized she had been rubbing her nape down to her shoulder.

"No."

Ceaser ignored her and rounded her desk coming up behind her.

"Sit."

Jules wanted to decline but she was too tired and the thought of a massage was soothing so she obeyed without arguing. Jules' eyes shut when Ceaser began massaging her. Ceaser massaged her through the silky fabric of her white blouse but the material moved with each rub and soon his fingers met soft skin right near her nape and he froze the same time Jules' eyes snapped open. It felt like that part of her skin was exposed to a naked wire.

She cleared her throat as she pulled on her blouse.

"Thank you." She said as she got back to the file. "Feels better."

Ceaser studied her as he moved right next to her and sat on the edge of her desk. Jules felt each movement he made and having him that close to her was doing things to her. Things she didn't want to repeat.

Or did she.

"It's late Jules. You should be home." Ceaser was concerned.

"I have to complete this or Santos would go Grodd on me tomorrow."

Ceaser frowned when he saw the files on her desk

"How many files did Santos give you?"

"Five." She looked up at him

Ceaser swore under his breath.

"I'm going to kill him."

"Why? What happened?" Jules asked

"I gave Santos six files today, he probably assigned one to Lucy and none to Patricia because he's having an affair with her." Ceaser watched Jules to see her reaction.

And there goes her answer.

Jules thought.

"I feel used right now." She sighed. "All this because he hates me."

"Only because you're better than him. He's going to be gone first thing in the morning." Ceaser said

Jules jerked up to face him directly

"No. Please, don't."

"Why?" Ceaser was confused "He's dumping all the work on you and you don't want me to fire him."

"I-I..." She stifled a yawn.

"Look at you. You're beat." He placed a hand on hers which she had unconsciously placed on his leg when she got up. "Go home, Jules."

"I have to finish..." She looked at the files on her desk.

"I said go home." He was adamant. "I'm the boss and I'm telling you to go home."

Jules didn't know what to say to that.

He was being a...a Bossy boss.

"What?" He asked with a smile

She looked at him, shocked.

Damn, she needed to stop thinking out loud.

Jules felt his thumb rub against her hand, that was when she noticed she had her hand on one leg and his hand on hers.

"Hum..." She began but her stomach interrupted her and she blushed, embarrassed.

"Someone's hungry." Ceaser smiled. It tugged at his heart when she blushed. She seemed like a teenage girl and he reacted like a teenage boy in love. "C'mon, let's go."

"Where to?" She asked.

"To get that stomach of yours filled up."

"Okay." She arranged the files on her desk and picking up her bag. Too hungry and tired to argue with him.

"So, what are you hungry for?" Ceaser asked in the elevator.

"Right now, I could eat anything."

Ceaser chuckled

"I know just the right place."

"Thank you" Jules said as Ceaser opened his car door for her.

He went around and got into the driver's seat after he closed her door.

"Where's Patrick?"

"Didn't need his services today." He said as he pulled out of his spot.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere you'll love." He looked at her with a smile.