CHAPTER 3

(JEFF'S POV)

I was choosing what to wear for my first day at the office when I found myself thinking again about my new neighbor.

I couldn’t help but smile. She’s pretty—not stunning, just... interesting. Short and slim, probably just over five feet. But I definitely noticed how smooth her legs looked in those shorts.

She wasn’t the most beautiful woman I’ve seen, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her fierce expression. She’s not the first woman to snap at me, but something about her stuck. Maybe because she’s different. Other women usually act snarky just to get my attention. But not her. With her, the irritation was real—and personal.

And I’m sure that irritation came with a good dose of embarrassment, considering I caught her with her toy. What’s her name again?

I paused while buttoning my shirt and grabbed my phone to call my best friend and now-business partner, Ezekiel. He was the one who recommended this duplex unit, so he might know something about her.

“Yo, Partner! Good morning. Headed to the office?” he greeted.

I ignored the small talk and got straight to the point. “Do you know who owns the unit next door to mine?”

There was a pause before he answered. “Why? Something already happened on your first morning at the new place?”

“Just answer.”

“Yeah. That’s Annie. She’s a Creative Consultant at The Idea House. Her agency has been handling our campaign projects for the past three years.”

“So her name is Annie?” I repeated, now grinning.

“Yup. Why?”

“She’s cute.”

I heard Ezekiel chuckle. “You’re crazy, Jeff. Don’t start being a womanizer around her—Annie’s not the type to fall for your charms.”

“Why not?”

“You’re only twenty-five. She probably sees you as just a kid. FYI, our old partner Rei once tried to hit on Annie, and she friend-zoned him on the spot. Said her youngest brother is older than him.”

His words only fired me up more. “Rei is different. I’m not him.”

Rei was Ezekiel’s former business partner before I came into the picture and invested in the company.

“You usually go for college girls, Jeff. Annie’s way older than your type.”

“Age is just a number, bro—especially in bed.”

He laughed. “You’re insane! Annie’s not the kind of woman who plays around. Besides, she has a long-time boyfriend working in Japan. Her best friend—who owns the ad agency—said they’re getting married soon.”

“Well, they’re not married yet.”

“Don’t waste your time, Jeff. I’m telling you, she won’t bite.”

“We’ll see about that. Catch you later, partner.”

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(ANNIE’S POV)

“Good morning, Miss Annie…” my assistant greeted me as I entered the office.

I didn’t miss the faint, dull tone in Ricky’s voice. I hadn’t scolded him yet today, and I didn’t plan to. What mattered was that he finally came back to work.

I set my bag down on my desk and looked at him. “Good morning. Our meeting starts in five minutes. Did you inform the creative team?”

“Yes, Miss Annie. They’re already in the conference room.”

“No absentees?”

“None, Miss.”

I sat down in my swivel chair. “Thanks, Ricky. Head over there. I’ll follow.”

He nodded and slowly exited my office. Ricky’s naturally a bit sluggish, but he seemed even more lethargic today.

Part of me wanted to comfort him, to sympathize—but honestly, I wasn’t sure it would help him snap out of it. I care about him. I really do. And I’m angry at his ex-boyfriend for what he did to him. Maybe I’ll talk to Ricky another day and give him some advice.

I took a deep breath. I needed to pull myself together. The day had barely started, and already there was tension in the air. Although it wasn’t the agenda of our meeting this morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Lourdes told me during our call on the way to work.

Apparently, Hayal Lingerie wanted to make changes to their current ad campaign—the one TIH created for them.

The project is nearly finished. We already secured models, and the plan had been approved by the Hayal executives. What I didn’t know was what their new business partner didn’t like about the campaign.

Two more minutes passed before I stood and grabbed my laptop. Whatever the issue was, it was still my job to deal with it. Hayal has been our client for three years, and I’ve always done everything I could to strengthen our business relationship. They’re the client, so their decisions come first.

I headed into the meeting room, laptop in hand. The creative team meeting lasted about an hour. Out of our twelve members, we managed to develop a solid concept for the new campaign of a fast-rising cosmetics brand.

When I returned to my office, Ricky followed with a cup of coffee.

I immediately took the cup and had a sip. I’d missed this. His coffee blend was my favorite, and my morning always felt incomplete without it.

As soon as Ricky left the room, my phone rang. It was Lourdes. I answered right away.

“What’s up, darling? Did anyone from Hayal Lingerie call you yet?”

“Well, not yet. I’m still waiting. I just had an early meeting with the creative team about our Bella Cosmetics campaign. I already briefed them about the issue you mentioned earlier regarding Hayal’s new partner.”

“Great. Let’s keep moving. Anyway, I spoke with Ezekiel. He said he’ll be going to TIH today—with Hayal’s new business partner. I assume it’s to talk about the campaign.”

“They’re coming? Why aren’t you coming with them?”

“Because I’m still on vacation, darling!”

“What? They’re coming today? Tomorrow? Can’t they wait until next week when you’re back? Didn’t Ezekiel know you’re still on leave? Didn’t you tell him?”

Lourdes burst out laughing on the other end. This was what I couldn’t stand about her. Here I was, already stressing out, and she was calm as ever—too calm. I felt more worried about TIH than she did, and she’s the owner.

“Relax, darling. You’ve got this! You know how Ezekiel is—we’ve worked with him for years.”

“I know Ezekiel. But what about this new partner? What if they raise concerns that go beyond my authority as Creative Consultant?”

“Oh, Annie, that’s exactly why I made you the OIC while I’m gone. You can make decisions without me. Have a nice day!”

“Wait—Lulu! Damn it!”

I groaned and cursed under my breath as the line abruptly went dead.