Chapter 6 [6]

Nathan enjoyed his meal leisurely. His favorite was mushroom sauce steak, especially when his hands were smeared with the richly spiced seasoning. And he always ordered an extra two servings of rice. He was accompanied by a small teapot of warm green tea. Well, Nathan had completely lost track of things. There's a saying that when you're enjoying a delicious meal, you forget about your in-laws, and it was true in his case. He couldn't remember his surroundings.

But wait, Nathan wasn't married. So there was no way he would remember his in-laws. There was only one person he always remembered: his assistant. "Are you on a diet, Tasya?" Nathan asked casually, while Tasya stared at her boss in surprise.

"Do I look like a walking skeleton to be asked about dieting? Can't you ask something a bit more normal for once?" Tasya replied.

"Tasya," Nathan warned.

"I've never been happy with diet programs. In fact, I'm thinking of ways to gain weight."

"Pregnancy."

Choking, Tasya! Her nose stung. Her mouth felt the spiciness of the sambal sauce stuck in her throat. Not to mention her eyes watering from the forceful coughing. She quickly grabbed the nearby glass and gulped it down, leaving not a drop. Then... "Sir!" she exclaimed, wide-eyed. She tried to stare fiercely at Nathan, who furrowed his brow.

"What's wrong?" The man looked puzzled as to why Tasya was so shocked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Sir, can you think before you speak?" Tasya immediately grabbed a tissue and wiped the corners of her wet lips, stained with the steak sauce.

"Why should I think if the nature of the question is like that?" Nathan resumed enjoying his portion. His eyes closed slowly because, truly, this restaurant served the beef he loved. "It's so delicious, Tasya." He then took another piece for his assistant. "Eat more. You're already too skinny. Eat a little more. What do you want to become? You're right about yourself. A walking skeleton."

Tasya sneered, but when she saw another piece of the delicious grilled chicken, she smiled slightly. "Thank you, sir."

"I should be the one thanking you."

This time, Tasya didn't choke on her words. Seriously. Although, in truth, what Nathan said was far more surprising than his joking remark about being "pregnant." She even stared at Nathan intently. "Why should you thank me?" That's what she wanted to ask, but Tasya chose to remain silent.

"You've been a great help to me recently." Nathan smiled faintly. "Especially when you helped me with Naina a while ago."

Actually, Tasya didn't mind having additional tasks related to Naina. Picking her up or, well... Accompanying the little girl to do her homework. Consider it like having another younger sister. Although this sister was exceptionally testing her patience and mental strength. Naina was already smart and couldn't be fooled, plus she had a hobby of disappearing without a trace, which made Tasya flustered.

However, when Naina was in a good mood, the little girl didn't hesitate to show her dependence on Tasya. Tasya's fragile heart was already weakened by Naina's innocent gaze. Her heart and body became even more vulnerable. So it was understandable if

Naina often played pranks on her. And unfortunately, Tasya never learned her lesson.

"Yes, sir," she replied softly and resumed slowly eating her portion of grilled chicken.

"Oh, by the way, I'm curious, Tasya."

Using the back of her hand, which was surely not covered in sauce, Tasya adjusted her glasses and looked back at her boss with slight curiosity, waiting to hear what he had to say. It seemed that Nathan was drinking from his glass.

"Why are you always so formal and keep your distance from me at the office?"

Oh God! I thought he was going to ask something else!

"Well, if there were a large mirror, you should take a look, Tasya. Your face looks like you're mocking me. But at the office, you're so stiff. You don't even smile. Your head is only used for nodding and shaking. I wonder."

"I've already told you the reason, sir, haven't I?" Tasya smeared the remaining half of her chicken with the nearby sambal sauce. "The office is the time for me to work seriously. Even though I'm still in a work context outside the office, the atmosphere is different when I'm in the office."

"Is that so? Just that?"

Without hesitation, Tasya nodded.

"It's not because you have a crush on me, right?"

Tasya's eyeballs rolled in annoyance. Since she was hired as Nathaniel Sinclair's assistant, beating out five other competitors with a significantly superior evaluation and being directly appointed by the boss himself, Tasya had been able to read a little about Nathan's attitude. Narcissistic. At god-like levels. Sometimes, his overconfidence was beyond help.

Like now. What did he say? A crush?

Oh my goodness! One of the things she asked of God, even though Nathan's back could divert Tasya's world, she didn't want to harbor any feelings of liking, even a tiny bit. Seriously! It's not that she thought liking Nathan required a heart as vast as the ocean. It would need a chest as wide as a football field, or maybe two or three times that. Eyes that wouldn't keep replaying the intimacy between him and other women. Not to mention ears that often listened to deadly traps that always ended up in hotel lobbies with many girls he dated for only a short while.

No, no. Tasya's heart was too precious to be showered with the harsh reality of who Nathan was. Even though...

"Maybe it's because of my handsome face that you have a crush on me but can't admit it. So in the office, you act formal so that it doesn't show to the other staff. But outside the office, you're quite pleasant."

Tasya's mouth gaped as wide as possible! Fortunately, there was no leftover meat inside. Or even bits of chili stuck between her teeth. Although she wasn't sure if her lips weren't smeared with the sauce, seriously, why was Nathan so confident? Shouldn't she be too surprised?

"You seem to be intoxicated by meat," Tasya said with a smile as thin as a strand of thread.

She tried to quickly get rid of her strange facial expression, complete with her gaping mouth. Fortunately, the restaurant was somewhat secluded, and there weren't many flies buzzing around. Who knows what would happen if there were many flying around inside this restaurant? "I'm done eating. Our client will be coming soon, right, sir?"

Nathan stared sharply at his assistant, who was washing her hands in the available sink. Even so, Tasya still asked for permission to leave. She said she needed to go to the toilet. After the girl with bangs left, Nathan sighed softly. "There's still a woman immune to my charms, huh?"

Suddenly, he remembered the blonde girl who was so rude to him. Not to mention the fact that the redhead woman was the girl's birth mother. Oh my goodness. No wonder her beauty was not easily affected by his own handsomeness. Maybe if he tried harder, he could turn away from their respective partners, right?

Nathan wouldn't want to do that. What for? It would be a waste of energy. He just had to blink, and many women would fall into his arms.

Nathan shrugged, enjoying his portion again. He still hadn't had enough of this grilled chicken. In the past few weeks, he rarely ate with gusto. Only out of obligation to his body. Maybe it was because his mind was often tangled up in the projects he was handling.

Not to mention Naina. Don't forget, suddenly there was an additional burden on him. A message from his mother a while ago.

Beloved Mom:

I heard from Alexa that you have a girlfriend. A redhead girl? Naina is really fond of her, she said. Who is it, Nathan? Introduce her soon. You're old enough to get married. Come and see me when you return from Sidoarjo.

When Tasya returned, she was a little surprised to see Nathan lost in thought. She actually wanted to give Nathan a little surprise. But she abandoned that intention. Raptor might breathe real fire at her. As she pulled the chair she had been sitting on, her eyes once again glanced at Nathan, who had returned and was still enjoying his meal. And at Nathan's empty glass. Without Tasya realizing it, she quickly poured it for Nathan.

Making it easier for her boss in case he needed his glass immediately.

"Thank you, Tasya," Nathan said with a wide grin. "You just knew I was thirsty."

Tasya could only shake her head in wonder. "What time is the client coming, sir? Or should I call the driver to pick them up immediately? Who knows if the meeting is outside the restaurant? Because I have no idea about the meeting schedule now."

Nathan sighed softly. "The meeting is with you, Tasya."

"Me?"

"Yes. We've been talking all this time, right? Let's consider it a meeting."

If you were to describe Tasya's eyebrows as an unatoned uniform, it would be exactly right. Disheveled.

"I'm inviting you to dinner, Tasya. Besides being a gesture of gratitude, I also need someone to talk to."

"What kind of trouble are you involved in that you need to talk to me?"

Nathan laughed, although he couldn't let go so easily. Besides just swallowing his last piece of meat, he also didn't want to choke to death. "No, I just need a casual conversation, that's all."

Tasya became even more surprised.

"Well, thank you, anyway. Don't stay up too late tonight. We're flying early. I don't want to buy an extra ticket because you overslept."

Damn it! Why did that incident have to be brought up again?

"No need to make such an ugly face, Tasya," Nathan laughed freely. "It's really funny. Too bad my hands are dirty. Otherwise, I feel like tying your lips so you won't pout like that. What does it look like, huh? A dolphin?"

"Wow!" Tasya exclaimed in disbelief. "Raptors were given a heart instead of the liver, huh?!"