Contract Marriage With My Tinder Date Free Preview

12: 45 pm.

Where was Kelvin?

Leilani May Collins hated tardiness. They agreed to meet by 12:30 pm but she was here fifteen minutes earlier. Her phone vibrated and she snatched it off the table before it could ring out.

It was Kelvin.

“Hey,” she said into the phone.

“Hey, Leila.” His voice sounded the same as it did on their previous calls. Freya, her best friend, might have put the idea that he might be a catfish into her head. “Sorry, I’m running late.”

Leila stopped tapping the silk-covered table and refolded the napkin. If Kelvin wasn’t so handsome and probably a potential man in her life, she might have left the diner. She sipped from her glass of water that had gone warm. He was one point down in her book.

“Alright. How long until you get here?”

“Ten minutes top,” he replied.

“Fine. I’ll be waiting.”

Setting the glass down, Leila played a game of Candy Crush on her phone until her phone pinged with a text from Freya. She groaned almost immediately at the content of the text. It was yet another selfie from her best friend. Freya was at a wedding Leila refused to tag along to. Following Freya was equivalent to setting herself up for a blind date. It had become Freya’s mission to hook Leila up with any available but eligible bachelor.

The two went back and forth, exchanging selfies and texts. Leila swiped another look at her phone. Twenty minutes were gone. She almost dialled Freya to come get her out of here but on second thoughts, she waited.

Kelvin could have a good reason for being late. So far, he has been a great companion. Though this date was happening because she insisted on it, Leila would give him the benefit of the doubt. She would wait an extra ten minutes, then leave. Maybe even delete Tinder. That app wasn’t working for her. It might be if she put more effort into making her profile more attractive and used an actual picture of herself instead of Freya’s cat.

Her brown eyes roamed the place, watching other paired diners laugh and hug with a tinge of jealousy. One peek at her wristwatch and she flashed her reflection on the window a grim smile.

Five minutes and she was gone.

Murmurs from the table ahead made her raise her head. A couple were arguing and it was attracting attention to them. While one waiter went to them to diffuse the situation, another came to her table to ask for her order. Leila remembered his face. He had come here twice already. She skimmed through the menu, confused and amused by the items on the list. This type of restaurant wasn’t usually her cup of tea but she wanted to impress this Kelvin guy.

“Can I have a milkshake?” The waiter glared at her like she had vomited on their off-white tablecloth. His black hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail at the nape of his neck. Might be why he was looking so constipated. “I’ll order when my date arrives.”

With a curt nod, he walked away without a word. She scowled at his retreating figure, was she going to get her milkshake or what? Her phone vibrated on the table. Freya was calling her.

Leila didn’t pick.

The call ended and a text followed. Her best friend wanted to know if her date had arrived and she was having fun. Fun indeed. At this point, she didn’t care anymore. She made to leave but the waiter approached her table with a tray holding her milkshake. She forced a smile to her lips but he didn’t reciprocate it.

“Thanks.”

He probably thought of her as one of those people who stopped at a restaurant without buying anything. Wrong. Leila was only here for one person. And he could go to hell.

Staring at her phone, she gave in to the urge to reply and sent Freya a text with some sad eye emojis. Her phone beeped immediately.

Freya: You should come here. The wedding is almost over.

Leila: No, thank you.

Freya: Come. Join us at the reception. Eat some cake.

Rising to her feet, Leila used the empty glass to cover the milkshake. Her feet ached from being in heels all afternoon. She wore heels for this man. To make an appearance like her silly best friend suggested. The waiter from earlier was serving a table when she walked past him but the scalding look he sent in her direction made her steps waver.

“I’m not leaving yet!” she spat at him.

Some heads turned to her, and she flashed them a smile reserved for her colleagues and continued to the restroom. Gripping the rim of the sink, her heart slowed. Her reflection in the mirror stared at her and her red lips parted in a fake, practiced smile.

Black hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her brown eyes were highlighted by the makeup surrounding it. She wouldn’t be the prettiest girl in a room by any standard but she was pretty enough. On instinct, her fingertips brushed the dark mark on her jaw. She turned on the faucet and rinsed her hands.

What if Kelvin didn’t come? Either way, Leila was done with this stupid date. She dried her hands under the automatic hand dryer attached to the wall, patted her hair one last time, and pried the toilet door open.

The male restroom was beside the female. Leila stepped out at the same time as a man in a suit who bumped into her, causing her to wobble on the damn heels. He mouthed, “Sorry,” without so much as a glance in her direction and the only thing she had to remember him by was the wallet at her feet.

It wasn’t hers. Scowling, she picked it up and followed the path he took.

Where was he going?

The gentle breeze from the air-conditioner tickled her neck while she walked toward the man, but only to find him sitting comfortably at her table.

Her phone vibrated as she was rounding up and she unlocked it to view the message from Kelvin.

He was here.

No way. God, you can't be kidding me. What a coincidence! Leila thought to herself.

Eyes fixing on the tall, model-like man on Kelvin’s profile, her heart beat fast.

Suddenly, the man felt her hot gaze behind his back and turned around.

“Leilani, right?”

“R... right,” she murmured.

With a handsome smile, his eyes brightened, “Hi."

Leila was surprised. She pinched her thighs to wake herself up from this daydream but the man didn’t disappear.

“Hi,” he broke the silence. “I’m Kelvin.”

“Hi,” she replied. Pulling out her phone, she tapped on Kelvin’s Tinder profile and zoomed in. “So it's really you. I was thinking that maybe you were actually a bald man. ”

Leila checked the Tinder profile again to make sure that he was really the tall, handsome man with blue eyes that saw into her soul.

Kelvin chuckled. “Yeah, that’s me, Leila.”

God finally brought her a real Tinder handsome! Her heart thumped and her blood seemed to boil.

"You know what? We just met at the restroom. You happened to bump into me and I happened to pick up your wallet there." Leila handed the wallet back to the suited man in front of her.

"Oh. Sorry I did not mean to do that, I was in a hurry to meet the cute lady in front of me. And thank you so much for the wallet.” Leila's heart skipped for a beat for the warmth of Kelvin's smile.

"Um... Well, I accept your apology." Leila was sure that she blushed a little, maybe more than a little.

"I..." Both spoke at the same time and laughed a shyly smile.

"There's a rare chemistry between us. Seriously, I could feel it at first sight of you." Leila was ecstatic for his simple yet genuine words, but she told herself she must keep it cool in front of this handsome.

"Perhaps." Forcing herself to be calm, she took a sip of her already-melted milkshake.

But fate seemed to dislike Leila's reaction, and intentionally created another coincidence as both cell phones rang at the same time.

“What about your date?” Freya asked.

Leila darted a quick glance at the man in front of her, who was also answering the phone.

“Good.”

“GOOD? Omg, did I hear you wrong? This is the first time you rate a Tinder date as GOOD.”

Leila paused for a moment before telling her friend how excited she was, realizing that now didn't seem like the right time to say that in front of her Tinder date.

"Well, I will tell you about it later." She just wanted to finish the conversation as soon as possible.

“Leilani May Collins.” Leila winced at the use of her full name. “I’m at Total Gardens. You'd better come and tell me everything about it before the wedding is over.”

The call ended before Leila could protest and a sigh escaped her as she planned to leave.

As she turned to Kelvin, who happened to finish his call as well, Kelvin volunteered, "You first."

Leila curled her mouth awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I have to go to my friend's wedding. She just called."

Kelvin puckered his lips and shrugged, "Another coincidence! We can date for another time, Leila. Maybe we'll even run into each other tomorrow."

Though reluctant to leave, Leila simply nodded and the two said a brief goodbye before heading off to their respective wedding sites.

For some reason, there were more cars than expected on the road today. Freya was already waiting for her when she arrived. Freya hugged her warmly.

"I'm sorry for making you wait. Is the wedding over?"

"Yep. It's okay, tell me about your date! " Freya urged.

With an excited and mysterious smile, Leila whispered in her friend's ears, "Maybe this is the one, my Mr. Right."

Her friend was too shocked to say anything. Looping her arm through Leila’s elbow, Freya tugged her in the direction of the reception. "I'm gonna be your maid of honor. When's the wedding?"

"Shut up!" Leila flushed at her jest.

They entered a garden decorated with flowers and Leila bent before a bouquet hit her square in the face. The tables had been set, and chairs arranged around them in a circular pattern. An aisle divided the tables. Beside the makeshift stage, a band played soothing music that tugged at her heart.

Freya guided her to a table and pulled out a chair for her. "You sure he's the one?"

Taking out her compact mirror, Leila smacked her lips and added another layer of red lipstick. "Yes."

“Fine.” Leaning closer to her best friend, Freya whispered, “Some of the guests are hot. Just wait.”

And Leila was uninterested in them. “I don’t care, Freya.”

Freya laughed. “Once you see them, you might forget about him.”

Out of curiosity, her eyes scanned the garden. The place was empty except for them, the band, and the caterers setting up the meals.

Oh. There was one other person.

A man.

A man named Kelvin.

A man she just met today.

Kelvin's head was bent over his phone. His grey tux fit snugly to his body and each time he moved, his biceps tugged on the material of his suit. He must have felt her eyes on him because he lifted his head and looked straight at her, his eyes so fiery they seemed to melt Leila's body.

This was their third encounter today.

He arched a brow when she continued staring and she looked away. Her cheeks warmed and she hesitated, unsure whether or not to take the initiative and say hello.

“How do I look?” Freya adjusted her hair and gown, and Leila gave her best friend a thumbs up. As always, Freya was stunning. “Thanks. Have fun without me.”

She felt his eyes on her and she peered from under her lashes to get a better look at him.

Thick brows. Full lips. Chiseled jaw. Delicate nose. Short hair that was constantly falling over his forehead. She wanted to walk up to him and smoothen the hair out of his face.

The MC said something Leila didn’t hear because she was so focused on the man. She returned to her phone, determined not to give Kelvin the satisfaction of meeting his gaze again.

But a message popped in immediately.

Kelvin: Hello again.

Tempted to reply immediately, Leila opened the Candy Crush app instead. She didn’t want to give off the impression of being desperate.

Someone laughed in the crowd. The garden had filled up now and they were raising a toast to the couple. Leila reached for the glass of wine on her table and cheered to the air.

Where was her best friend?

Nearly everyone in this garden was paired except her. One more reason she hated attending weddings.

Another message came in from Kelvin and she didn’t take her time to reply to this one.

Kelvin: So here we are again.

Leila: Yes. I’m at this wedding my best friend forced me to attend.

Force was not the best word to describe the true story. But Leila could bet her left ankle that Freya would have dragged her out of her house if she did not come to her wedding after the date.

Kelvin: Same. In my case, I lost a bet so I had to come. I’m bored out of my mind. Weddings are not my thing but a single man has no say in such matters. My sister is trying to hook me up.

Kelvin: I didn’t lose the bet to my best friend. I lost it to my sister. I’m here on her behalf.

She laughed. He was rambling but she liked it so much.

Leila: I’m bored too.

Leila: Oh my God. You get it. I didn’t have a choice either and now my best friend is nowhere to be found. Yay me!!!!! The perks of being single.

Leila: I really wish I could leave.

Kelvin: Me too. I could be your ticket to leaving boredom land. What do you say?

Rolling her lip between her teeth, Leila nodded like he could see her.

Leila: Count me in. The sad lady is waiting for her prince charming to show up.

Speaking of best friends, Freya was taking too long. She sent her a text and groaned at the reply from her best friend.

Freya: Something came up. Will be back in a jiffy.

All the more reasons for her to leave this place.

The chair Freya once occupied squeaked, she looked up to see her Tinder date.

“Leilani.” Her mouth dropped, how did he get here so fast?

“Sad lady waiting for her prince charming, remember? Well, I’m here now. Be sad no more.” Leila laughed. That line sounded so much better on text.

“Red looks really great on you, Leilani. Is this seat taken?”

He sat down before she replied and she stifled the urge to be absolutely infatuated. Up close she could see his eyes were grey and his lips more pouty than they looked from afar.

The duo fell into a companionable silence. A waitress came close to their table and Kelvin accepted a glass of sparkling wine from her. Leila was still nursing her first glass so she was stunned when he downed the content of his glass in one gulp and requested for another.

“You shouldn’t be drinking so much,” Leila said.

“I shouldn’t.” But he called a new waiter over and requested for his third glass. “But I am.”

“Tough day?” she asked.

“Yeah.” Kelvin cradled his glass, taking slow sips from it. “Where’s your best friend?”

“She left,” Leila replied.

They sat in silence for a while and she fiddled with the strap of her purse. “Do you want to leave?” he asked.

She couldn’t possibly leave with her Tinder date so she shook her head.

“I think I’ll stay here for a while.”

Food and snacks went round the tables. Her mouth watered at the delicacy placed on her table. The band was playing a slow song to match the mood. She dug into her canapés but Kelvin’s plate remained untouched.

“Have you ever wondered why people get married?” he asked as she munched on her snacks.

A lot of times. “Yes. It’s a beautiful thing.”

But she couldn’t say for sure she would experience it. Marriage and love was a fairy tale that didn’t exist to Leila. She sipped from the glass of wine used for the toast and took a good look at Kelvin. He massaged his jaw and his head turned slightly so he could wink at her.

Heat crawled up her neck and she used her hair to cover the evidence of her embarrassment.

“What do you think about marriage?” she asked.

“It’s cool.” His fingers drummed on the table. He picked a diced apple from the fruit tray and returned it. “I don’t see myself getting married.”

She didn’t either. “Why not?”

Kelvin finally ate the apple and took another slice. She finished the rest of her canapés and he pushed him to her front. Her lips pulled into a smile of gratitude and he smiled back.

“I don’t know, Leilani. Finding the right one is harder than it seems. I kind of miss the old days when parents found partners for their kids.”

“You could bring it back,” she said to cheer him up. He looked better when smiling or smirking. “You could find yourself a partner you don’t know. That was how it worked.”

The older methods were awful. Kids were betrothed to people they didn’t know. It was a no from her but Kelvin’s eyes crinkled with a smile that told her he liked what she said.

“Do you want me to bring it back?” His tone was as light as hers, full of teasing and mischief.

“Sure. Why not?” Leila downed the rest of her drink and shuddered. Emboldened, she said, “Who doesn’t want to marry a stranger?”

Kelvin straightened up in his seat. “So if a stranger asks you to marry him, you will say yes?” Her smile fell off. He was taking the joke seriously. Kelvin’s eyes darted around the garden and he scratched the back of his neck. For the first time since his arrival, he looked nervous. “I’m about to ask you for something crazy, Miss Leilani.”

“How crazy?”

“Very crazy.” She cocked her head and sized him up from top to bottom, then gave him the go-ahead to speak. “Marry me, Leilani.”

“What?”

Of all the crazy things she had heard this year, this was the craziest. And the fact she was thinking about it made her crazier than the man proposing to a total stranger.

“We will have rules. There will be a contract.”

Eyes widened in shock, she muttered, “You want me to be your wife? A contract wife?”

His Contract Wife. Surprisingly, Leila wasn’t appalled by the idea. Heck, it was a good one. But marriage? Straightaway? He was still a stranger, handsome but still unfamiliar.

“I’m kind of lonely,” Kelvin confessed with a sad laugh that tore open her heart.

Laughing to mask her words, she admitted, “Me too.”

Kelvin leaned forward to take her hand. Their gazes collided and she forgot everything she should have said.

"With so many coincidences in one day, don't you think we were meant for each other?" His tongue swiped over his bottom lip, and he swallowed.

“Marry me, Leilani.”

A normal person would have said no but Leila stopped considering herself normal the moment she signed the contract with Kelvin McKenna. They only went on one date for God’s sake. Her best friend didn’t even know because he convinced her to do it before telling Freya. And she agreed.

She said yes.

Did she make a mistake?

Leila was still thinking about this as she entered her work building, she pulled the door to her office open and paused.

Everyone was here.

She stole a peek at her wristwatch, she wasn’t late. It was only five minutes past eight. She walked briskly to her table and set her bag and files down.

Her head raised when someone sat on her desk. Lily. They were not best of friends but she preferred her to that witch staring at her from across the room. Samantha’s mission in this office was to make her life miserable but Leila was bent on avoiding her as best as she could. Already, it was working. Last month, she received the best staff of the month award for the third time in a row.

“Did you hear?” Lily asked.

Leila chewed on her lips. If this was another round of office gossip, she wasn’t interested. “Hear what?”

“About the merger.” Leila sighed. Lily was talking in riddles but she wasn’t too interested in the conversation to want to find out more about this merger they weren’t notified about. “We have a new boss.”

Her eyes jerked to Lily’s face and the woman curled her fingers in her long strawberry blonde hair. Aside from her long hair, she envied Lily’s flawless face and her composure. Unlike her, Lily didn’t have that annoying tiny birthmark on her jaw that called attention to it. People wanted to look at Lily because she was pretty not because she had a weird birthmark.

“Sarah has been fired?” Leila asked.

Each department in Tech valley had its own leader. Sarah, sometimes, got unbearable under pressure but she was one of the few heads of departments Leila liked. Lily shook her head with a small smile.

“No.” She bent over Leila’s laptop, turning the screen to Leila so she could input her password. “The boss’s boss. Sarah has a new boss.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. You should have received an email.” Her eyes swept over the room before finally coming to rest on Leila. “I got mine today.”

Leila was quiet as Lily typed away on her laptop. Almost immediately, she snatched the device from her colleague when Lily opened her email without notice. An apology tumbled out of Leila’s lips at Lily’s frown. Her marriage certificate was there. Kelvin emailed her a soft copy alongside a copy of the contract that held the future of their marriage.

Two years.

If she wasn’t satisfied with the state of things between her and Kelvin, she could walk away with their house, a car of her choice and a million dollars in her account. A part of her hoped she never had a need for the contract. Today was the second day of the marriage but she was willing to make it work or at least try.

“Do you know who this new boss is?”

Lily shook her head. “Sarah didn’t say much but we have to welcome him today. That’s why that one…” Her voice held a hint of annoyance as she threw a look at Samantha’s table. They both disliked her. Samantha was in the news department, so they never got to engage often. So it was a bit of a surprise to see her in the production department. “...is here. She’s interviewing him today.”

Her eyes met Samantha’s and Sam hissed. If Leila was as callous as the pretty lady on bangs, she would have switched Sam’s script long ago so she could be fired. But she was far too kind for that. Sam might be a terrible person but she was a great reporter, one of the best in Tech Valley.

The door to their office opened. Sarah stood in the doorway, her sharp eyes going over everyone. “Lily Boom, you are not paid to sit on other people’s desks.” Leila heard the sound of muffled laughter, she looked up right in time to see Sam giggling. “Get up or get out of here.”

“I’m sorry,” Lily offered as she scrambled to her seat.

“Save your useless apology for the dead,” she thundered.

Lily’s lips twitched but she didn’t say a word as she settled down. Leila offered her friend a small smile and she winked. This was Sarah for them.

The office grew quiet as Sarah barked out orders. “Samantha.” Sam stood. “Do you have your script?”

“Yes, Ma.”

“Good. Sit. You’re just to introduce him to the world and that’s all. Ask him questions people want to hear. Do your job.” Sam nodded again. She was a bit nervous and it showed. “Fifteen minutes. Twenty minutes tops. Anything more than that and you will spend the rest of your life looking for a new job. Got it?”

Lily and Leila shared a look and a smile broke out on their lips as Sam’s face grew red. Already used to Sarah’s attitude, they didn’t think twice of her threat but this was Sam’s first time in their department. Good for her.

The phone in Sarah’s hand rang, she shoved the notepad under her armpit and took a breath. “He’s here.” Her eyes lingered on everyone. “Sam and the rest of the news crew will conduct the interview but he will be here to inspect the team behind the wonderful scripts.” Shoving her hands into the pockets of her suit jacket, she said, “If you are not cut out for this job, now is the best time for you to quit.”

Some of them snickered and Sarah softened. “Good luck, everyone. Our future depends on this.”

The department was as quiet as a temple after Sarah and Sam left. Lily wiggled her brows but didn’t dare to leave her seat. Leila stretched her arms and yawned. She didn’t sleep well last night. It would take a while to get used to sleeping on a new bed or being a married woman.

She resumed typing on her laptop at the same time a gasp echoed in the office. Susie, the loudest staff among them, raised her phone and screamed, “He’s hot. He’s so fucking hot.” To buttress her point, Susie licked her screen. Leila cringed. No one was disturbed by her act, this was typical Susie behaviour. “I want to marry him.”

Leila paused. If she asked who, she would be drawn to the gossip Susie was ever willing to dish out. But she was curious to know, it might be her boss. She might be off the market but she was allowed to admire handsome men. Though she didn’t think she would be doing that often, her husband was hot enough for her. Leila stared at the script on her screen. She had to vet it.

Tech Valley was a media outlet that combined tech and entertainment. Most times, they had to find a way to incorporate tech in fun ways to keep most of their younger viewers glued to the TV. All the scripts from the scriptwriter had to pass through them before it was sent to the news department. In her line of work, there were no mistakes, so she couldn’t afford to make one.

Lily beat her to the question. “Who?”

“The boss. Check your WattsApp. Mark sent a picture.”

Mark was one of the videographers. Everyone could count on him to supply the right information. She reached for her phone and tapped on the group chat of Tech Valley staff. They had two groups, one for serious messages and the other for gossip, chats and hook-ups.

The picture took a few minutes to load and when it did, her world crumbled. Her phone slipped from her grasp and crashed to the floor. Her heart beat against her chest as she picked it. She set it on the table and forced a smile to her lips when Lily threw a worried glance at her.

This could not be happening.

Leila momentarily forgot about the cracks on her new Samsung phone and swiped right. The picture was the same. She placed the phone face down and grabbed her head in her hands.

Why did he have to be her new boss?

The department was louder than before as male and female staff discussed her husband. Leila was mortified as Susie broke down into a commentary about his looks.

Bile rose to her throat and she forced herself to take a sip of water from her flask. One of the rules of their firm was this: No inter-staff relationship. It was forbidden and highly frowned upon, so most of what they were saying would only happen in their dreams.

Still, their thoughts nauseated her. She wasn’t breaking the rules by being married to the boss but she felt like a criminal as she listened to them ogle and try to picture Kelvin without a shirt. He was her husband and she hadn’t even seen him shirtless yet.

Susie was the loudest of the gossipers, her comment about Kelvin’s lips between her legs bothered Leila and she scowled at their backs when they laughed at her remark. Her cheeks warmed when she remembered their near kiss from this morning.

Kelvin was perfect as he was.

Lily dragged a seat close to Leila’s table, Sarah’s instructions seemed to have flown out of the window with this new development. “Have you seen the picture?”

“Yeah,” she answered.

“Just yeah?” She nodded. If she spoke too much, she might lose her temper. “That man is freaking hot. I want to do him,” Lily said with a laugh that died down when Leila didn’t join her. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Sorry. Don’t feel so good.”

Lily’s face contorted in concern, she placed a hand on Leila’s shoulder and pressed the back of her palm to her forehead. “Have you taken anything for it? Gone to see a doctor?”

“Not yet.” She counted to five before speaking again. How could she take anything when the sickness wasn’t real? “It just started. I’ll be fine. Thanks.”

“If you say so.” She motioned to Leila’s phone and the screen lit up with the picture of her husband. “What do you think? Hot or hot?” Lily sighed dreamily and Leila bit her tongue to avoid lashing out at her colleague as she listed his good features. “Did you see his eyes?” Another sigh escaped Lily and Leila counted to twenty to steady her breathing. “Imagine looking into those eyes while fucking. He can bend me over his desk for sure.”

Leila choked on a cough. What was wrong with people? Lily paused to look her over and Leila heard herself saying, “Sorry, it’s the sickness. It will be gone before the end of the day. I know it.”

“Sorry.” Lily hugged her from the side and Leila closed her eyes. What she wanted to do was use those same hands and smack some modesty into Lily. “I don’t stand a chance with him being the boss and all that but do you think he’s single?”

No!

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Lily asked when she bent over. She was more than fine. She just needed some time before she screamed at everyone to shut up. “Maybe go to the hospital right away instead of waiting until it develops into something worse.” Leila glared at her and Lily shrugged. “I’m only looking out for you.”

By wanting her husband to bend her over his desk? No thanks. He hadn’t even bent her over anything. Oh, God. What was she thinking? She didn’t want him bending her over. Yes, they would have sex but... Leila took in another deep breath, she needed a break away from this office.

“What’s going on?”

They both jumped at the sound of the new voice. Lily cursed, Leila froze. Her husband was here. He stared right through her like she was an ordinary staff and she burned with embarrassment when he scoffed before turning to Lily. His fingers drummed on her desk.

“No cursing in the office,” he told Lily. Sparing one look around, he said, “That applies to everyone here.” Leila didn’t remember sitting but her knees couldn’t support her weight any longer. “Who needs to go to the hospital right away?”

A lump formed in Leila’s throat but she didn’t offer a reply. Lily passed her a sorry look. They didn’t know if silence would be best in this scenario.

“Me,” Leila finally volunteered an answer to save Lily from getting into trouble. “I’m the one.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

Kelvin pushed one hand into his pocket, leaned forward so she had no choice but to look up to him. He intimidated her. His voice. His looks. Everything about him.

“Nothing,” she replied. He lifted a brow. “I feel dizzy but it’s nothing I can’t handle, Sir.”

“Do you need to take the day off?”

Leila couldn’t tell if he was asking out of genuine concern or because it was required of him. Her head shook slowly. “No, Sir. I’ll be fine. Thank you, Sir.”

“Whose phone is that?” He pointed to her phone.

Thankfully, the screen had gone black. She tried to remove it from the table but his glare stopped her.

Where was the Kelvin from the wedding?

“Mine,” she whispered. Everyone was staring at them. Some, with pity and others with indifference. The way he focused on the screen cracks made her say, “It just happened today. It fell down when I was rushing up to the office.”

Kelvin turned his back to her without another word and she released a breath when he sauntered to Susie’s table to grill her. Her nervousness turned into annoyance at the ease with which Susie answered his questions.

He wasn’t flirting with her, was he?

Sarah walked in seconds after to give a general introduction of the department. Leila forced her name out of her lips when it was her turn to introduce herself and she looked away when Kelvin frowned at the use of her former last name. Collins. At the office, she would be Leilani May Collins.

Besides, if he was so comfortable acting like he didn’t know her, why was he pretending to be upset?

“Leila is the staff of the month,” Sarah offered after the introductions were done. She shuffled to her feet and her eyes found the ground at Kelvin’s stare. That was nice of Sarah but she didn’t think her husband cared about her achievement. “Has been for a while.”

It might have been her imagination but she caught Kelvin’s curt nod before he left her office. When the door shut again, she began to breathe normally.

“I think the boss hates you,” Susie said as she walked past Leila’s table. Leila threw a paper napkin at her head and Susie laughed as she ducked the flying object. “But he does like me.”

“No one likes you, Susie,” Lily screamed. “Fuck off.”

Some people laughed, including Leila. Playful jabs were common with them. A look of mischief settled in Susie’s eyes. Drawing closer to Leila’s table, she wiggled her brows. Leila braced herself for what was coming and Susie didn’t disappoint by grinding her hips like a belly dancer.

“Wait until I have him under me like this,” Susie whispered so only the two women heard her. Grabbing Leila’s desk, she thrust her hips forward and added, “Yes, Kelvin. Yes! Right there.”

Lily snorted, she pushed Susie and both women doubled over in laughter. Leila’s cheeks hurt too much from putting up a fake smile.

“If that’s the face you make, Susie, you won’t be getting any man.” Hissing, Susie cat-walked to her desk. She flipped Lily her middle finger. Lily returned the kindness by blowing her a kiss. The office was quieter when Lily finally turned to Leila. “Sorry. I almost got you into trouble back there.”

A corner of her lips twitched. “Not at all. It’s fine.”

Leila’s eyes darted to the clock on the cream walls, she couldn’t wait for closing hour. She wanted out.

The rest of the day passed without any hiccups. But the gossip didn’t cease. Each time Lily tried to involve her in the chat, Leila dismissed her with a polite answer.

Leila was the last one to leave the office. It was a big room divided by desks and slabs. If she ever got a promotion, she would get an office to herself.

On her way home, she stopped by a store to get some stuff for a quick dinner. Kelvin didn’t let her pick out any food items from her house. Yesterday, he asked her to order for them but she chose to make noodles because she didn’t want to spend his money.

Leila wasn’t sure what kind of food Kelvin liked and she didn’t want to ask him over the phone. She didn’t want to talk to him just yet.

It was a few minutes past six when she finished grocery shopping, more than an hour since work closed. Her heart sped up at the number of missed calls from Kelvin, she rushed to the street and flagged down a taxi.

A yellow cab slowed in front of her, she dumped her grocery in the backseat first before entering.

“Where to, ma’am?” the driver asked.

The familiar voice caught her off guard, Leila lifted her head and her body went completely still.