Shit. I felt like blood drained from my face. I swallowed. I could feel my heart starting to beat faster inside my chest. I was not sure if it was because Xander caught me eating during work time or it was the way he looked at me that made my heart thump like crazy. 

"Uh… French fries, sir," I answered in a small voice. 

Was he going to reprimand me for eating at my desk? But he wasn't a strict boss. 

"French fries?" he repeated. He fixed the cuffs of his business coat. He was wearing a navy blue coat over a white dress shirt today. 

I bit the inside of my cheeks and tried to act as casual as possible. "Yes, Sir." I opened my drawer and took out the bag of fries and placed it back on top of my desk. I saw Xander looking at it. Shit. I didn't know what to say so I asked him the first thing that came to my mind. "Uh… Do you want some, Sir?" 

"No." He shook his head. His lips pursed as if something was amusing to him. "That's a lot of fries," he commented, giving another glance to the food on my desk. 

I felt the back of my neck heating up. "Oh. I love french fries." I answered, letting out an awkward chuckle. Why did I feel like I was being cross examined by him? 

"That's unhealthy, Charity." I noticed how his lips pursed. Damn those red lips. 

"Yeah. It's my guilty pleasure." I bit my lower lip as my eyes landed on the poor bag of fries. 

I'm sorry I can no longer eat you. 

"I won't eat during work hours again, Sir."

"No. It's okay." He lightly shook his head. "You can eat anything here, Charity. I  just ask what you've been eating because you have ketchup on your lips."

My eyes widened in fraction. I have a what… Shit. I've been talking to Xander with a ketchup on my lips? 

"Oh… I'm sorry, Sir." This time, I felt my whole face reddened in shame. Even before I could grab a tissue, Xander offered me his handkerchief. 

"Here. Use this."

I stared at his white handkerchief before I took it from him. "Thank you, Sir." 

"You're welcome, Charity." He smiled and walked past me.

As soon as he disappeared in front of me, I grabbed my mirror and looked at my face. Oh, shit. He was right. I do have a ketchup on the left corner of my lips. 

I couldn't believe Xander saw me like this.

Remember, he already saw you in your worst state? You even threw up on his shirt, didn't you?

Instead of using the handkerchief Xander gave me, I picked up a tissue to wipe my lips. I stared at the handkerchief Xander gave me. 

I twitched my lips to prevent myself from smiling. I could've believed he gave me his handkerchief. I stared at the piece of cloth in my hand then mindlessly put it near my nose. 

Shit. Even his hanky smelled like him. I couldn't help the smile that formed my lips as I continued to sniff the little clothing owned by Xander. 

"Charity." 

I almost jumped in shock when I heard Xander's voice. I hurriedly put down the handkerchief on my desk as I turned my head into his direction. 

Shit. Did he see me sniffing his handkerchief? Please, I hope not. 

"S-sir?" I asked him with my heart hammering inside my chest. I looked at him. 

His eyes were not on me. His attention was on the cell phone in his hand. He looked like he was texting based on the movement of his fingers. 

Xander looked at me the same time he put his phone in the pocket of his coat. "I have somewhere to go this afternoon. Please hold my calls until I'm back."

"Okay, Sir."

I watched him as he walked past me and went straight to the elevator. I wondered where he would go? He doesn't have any scheduled meetings today. 

My lips slightly parted. Was he going on a date? 

But he said he doesn't mix business with pleasure. And he wasn't the type to go on dates during office hours. 

But I knew he had a girlfriend right now. Well… I heard him on the plane. I wondered what kind of boyfriend he was? If he's already nice and a gentleman to the female population, what more to his girlfriend, right? 

I felt like a thorn pierced something in my chest. I shook my head as I continued to eat my fries. I should stop thinking about this. I was just here to be his secretary. I like him, alright. But I was not here to get him. It's the other way around. I was here in hope to erase my feelings for him. If I finally get used to him being around me…maybe my feelings for him would eventually fade. 

Yes. That's the only reason why I was here. I didn't want to get involved with him romantically. My life was in Greece. Besides, I knew that it was impossible for Xander Villarama to like me. I knew his type: talls and model-like women. Ever since college, all the girls who got linked to him were all beauty queens and model materials. 

I remembered Mariel even suspected that maybe Xander has a tall girl fetish.

It was almost four when Xander went back to the office.

"Charity… Did someone call while I was out?" Xander asked when he stopped on my desk. 

I looked at him. My brows slightly furrowed when I noticed his hair was slightly disheveled. Even his tie wasn't properly fixed. And his lips… they were redder than usual. 

Shit. Did he really go out on a date? He was almost gone for more than three hours. God. What did they do in those three hours? 

"Charity?" 

Shit. I felt like the back of my neck heated up with my thoughts running in my head. 

I cleared my throat. "Y-yes, Sir. Mr. Manjarrez called. He was asking you regarding the Pelaez Project."

"Can you give him a call and tell him to meet me tomorrow here in my office?" 

"Noted, Sir." I nodded at him before I handed him a folder. "By the way, Mr. Enriquez from the marketing department asked me to hand you this."

"Thanks, Charity." Xander glanced at his wrist watch. "You can go home now. You're done for today," he said before entering his office. 

I looked at my watch. It was still thirty minutes before five. I pursed my lips as I glanced at the wooden door of Xander's office. He's really nice even to his employees. I saw him the other day having a chat with the utility personnel assigned to this floor. 

I was already working at this company for almost a week now, but I still couldn't find any negative things about Xander Villarama. 

Damn. How can I unlove you if you're being so perfect like this? 

I sighed as I took out my phone from the pocket of my coat. I received a text from Mariel that she'd be going home late tonight. Apparently, a client contacted her for a rush shoot in Tagaytay today. 

Aside from her full time work, she'd been accepting some photography gigs from time to time. Now that she resigned on her job, she told me she'd focus on her freelance gigs for the meantime. 

Since I have nothing to do at home, I stayed at the office. I would rather stay here than go home early. 

I waited until five before I closed off my computer. I was waiting for the elevator when I noticed Xander leave his office. 

"Charity, you're still here." He commented as he stood a meter away from me. He was standing in front of the executive elevator. 

"Uh… yes, Sir." I just gave him a small smile as I glanced at him. Damn. I really needed to raise my head to look him in the eye. He was way taller than me, especially now that I'm not wearing heels. 

"Come on. You can go with me," he said when the executive elevator opened for him. There's an executive elevator here in this tower intended for the big bosses of the company. 

I shook my head. "Thanks, Sir. But I'll just wait here."

"Come on. The lift you're waiting for is still on the second floor."

Shit. Can I handle being with him alone on the elevator? 

"Thank you, Sir." I said as I entered the lift. He followed me inside. 

I secretly bit my lower lip as he stood next to me. I watched him press the basement parking button. 

"Lobby?" He asked, looking at me.

"Yes, Sir."

I looked at our reflection on the elevator wall. He was almost a foot taller than me. Shit. He was really tall. And damn. It was already the end of the day but he still smelled nice. His hair was still slightly disheveled but his tie was already fixed. 

I suddenly felt conscious beside me. I should've sprayed some perfume before I left my desk. 

"How's your first week here in the company?" Xander asked me out of the blue. 

I turned to him with a small smile. "I'm doing fine, Sir. Almost all the people here in VGC are nice."

Xander smiled, displaying his dimple. "That's good to know."

Shit. I could melt just by staring at his smile and his charming dimple. I didn't even realize that we had already reached the lobby. 

I cleared my throat when the elevator door opened. 

"Sir, I'll go ahead." I glanced at him and gave him a small smile. "See you tomorrow."

But even before I got to step out of the elevator, I heard Xander's voice behind me. 

"Charity, wait." 

"Sir?" 

I turned around to face him. He put down his attaché case on the elevator floor. Then he took off his black coat. 

"Use this," he said, handing me his coat. 

"Sir?" I asked, my forehead slightly creased in confusion. Why was he giving me his coat? 

He cleared his throat. "You have bloodstain on your skirt."

W-what? I felt like my jaw fell down on the floor. My lips parted but no words came out from me. 

My mind suddenly couldn't function. I just wanted to vanish in thin air right now. 

"Hey, it's okay, Charity." Xander said in a gentle voice. "It's normal to have an incident like this." Xander gave me a soft smile. "It's alright. Don't be embarrassed."

Even before I could react, he already wrapped his coat around my waist. "There. Now, nobody would notice it."