Stupidly In Love With You

I stare at the traffic in front of me. I had been on this road for the past 30 minutes, and no car is moving. We are stuck here.

"Oh, how I wish I had superpowers so I could fly away," I sigh.

"Not happening, Chloe. At least not in this life," I thought to myself.

My phone rang.

'Sexy ass bitch', I chuckle at the name she used to save her number on my phone. Immediately after I picked up, I was met with her screaming.

"Where the hell are you?!" she screamed, my ears ringing for a moment.

"Oh, you know the usual. I'm getting my cock sucked," I blurted.

"You don't even have one," she said.

"What picture did I WhatsApp you 5 minutes ago, Emma? I'm stuck in this goddamn traffic for 30 minutes!" I had this sudden urge to lie down on the road and let someone ride over me.

"You are so getting fired today. Ethan's been shouting for over an hour asking where the hell you are. I told him, and he said, 'you should come up with a better excuse,' as if he doesn't know the traffic in New York. Donkey ass bitch."

Ethan, our manager, always in a bad mood. Ever since he joined this company, his mood has been horrible.

I believe someone had him at gunpoint to take this job.

Not a single smile on his face, ever. He's 35 and married, don't know if it's a happy one, because if it was, he'd be doing cartwheels in here.

Only one daughter. I've heard she's really cute... but also really annoying.

I would hit my head on the steering wheel if the cars don't start moving.

"I'll be there soon, just distract him, please." I check my wristwatch, and panic floods me. I was really late.

"I'd flash him when he comes near me," she says in a boring tone.

I frown at my phone, wishing she could see my face. She really is a friend who would die for you.

I tap my fingers on the steering wheel, tapping my foot eagerly as I turn my head to the left.

A man in his 60s was in a white, ancient car beside me. I was shocked when I saw he was already looking.

Creep.

He had a goofy smile on his face as he tried to whistle at me but failed, he just blew air out of his mouth.

I bit my lip so hard, trying not to laugh.

I looked at him. What was that old man tryna do?

Still goofily smiling at me.

I awkwardly smiled back.

"You look like someone I've seen before," he said loudly so I could hear.

I tilted my head to the side, grinning. "Really? Like who?"

"Mike Wazowski."

A smile still on my lips as I frowned, trying to remember if that was any celebrity. But why would he compare me to a male?

When realization hit me, I gasped loudly.

The one from Monsters Inc?! How could I not figure it out?

He grinned at me and blinked. "You agree too, right?"

Soon, the cars started moving. I stuck my head out and shouted, "You old bitch!" and sped a little so my car could be near his.

"Oi! May you fall on your wrinkly ass when you walk down the stairs!" I huffed, giving him a last glare.

I rolled up my windows, now wearing my sunglasses and putting on some music.

"You bring good to my lonely life;

Honestly,

It's hard for me to look into your eyes;

When I say,

That I would be nothing without your love."

I sing the lyrics out loudly.

I am in love with Abel Tesfaye a.k.a. The Weeknd.

I could jump off a cliff happily if he asked me to.

I hate those fake XO fans that have only listened to 'Die for You' or 'Creepin'.

I mean, I want to choke the life out of them.

Playing his OG gold songs all the way, I park my car, turn the engine off, and then look into the rearview mirror. Taking my purse, I pull out my cotton candy lip balm and dab it on my lips, quickly fixing my hair before getting out of the car.

I get inside the tall building and stop at the reception, greeting Ava. She gives me a smile, nodding.

"Hey, Nuts," I hear a voice and turn to my left, seeing Josh.

He smiles and winks.

"Hi, Mr. Crabby Pants."

He shakes his head. "You'll not stop calling me that now, will you?"

I click my tongue. "Never. And hey! You also call me Nuts."

He laughs. "Well, that's my favorite. I can never forget that day," and then he starts laughing his ass off, holding his stomach as he laughs loudly.

I give him a bored look.

As Josh continues to laugh uproariously, I can't help but roll my eyes and playfully punch his arm. "Alright, alright, enough with the laughter or else you're gonna poop your pants," I say, trying to stifle a smile.

Ava watches our playful banter with amusement. "Hey, why's Josh laughing so much? Tell me about your weird nicknames too," she chimes in, grinning.

I glance at Josh, who has finally managed to catch his breath. "Well, Ava, it all started at Josh's epic party a few years back," I begin.

"He decided to throw a party, and a normal party? Nuh uh. He threw this theme party of 'Under the Sea'. We're talking inflatable palm trees, colorful fish decorations... and Josh dressed as a crustacean, complete with pincers and all!"

Her eyes widen in disbelief as she tries to imagine it, while Josh's cheeks turn pink.

"He dressed as a complete crab. The best part was when he tried to impress us with his signature moves. He started doing bizarre crab-like dancing, complete with sideways shuffling. I, on the other hand, was laughing so hard I think I even peed myself a little," I chuckle.

Josh cuts me off. "Hey now! I thought I was killing it on the dance floor."

I laugh at his attempt to defend himself.

"Now, now, about her, I had this cake with a top layer full of nuts. I decided we could cut a cake, just for fun," he rolls his eyes. "Well, Miss Nuts convinced me she wanted to cut the cake because her birthday was far away, so I let her do it. And then, " he bites his lip, trying not to laugh, "I pushed her head into the cake. When she stood back up, her face was filled with nuts, some in her nose as well. God, that was too funny. I couldn't sleep, it haunted me."

Ava starts laughing, looking at me and punching my arm playfully.

Well, not playfully, I was about to fall to the ground from that hard punch.

Man, she goes to the gym.

Thankfully, I stumbled back but saved myself from falling.

"Such a lovely story of Mr. Peter and Miss Bennet. Aww, I ship!" I turn around at the voice, real fast.

My heart thudded in my chest as my eyes widened. Right in front of us was Ethan, our manager.

He had this fake smile on his face as he looked between me and Josh.

"What should the ship name be then?" He tapped his finger on his mouth, thinking.

I turned my head toward Josh, scared, signaling a death sign. He nodded.

"Oh! Uh... how about Chosh or Closh? Such a good name, right?" he squealed like a kid, clapping his hands.

Oh boy. He was good at acting. I think he skipped his mental pills today.

Then he crossed his arms over his chest, and his smile fell.

Shit.

He glared at me and Josh. "You two better be in my office."

I nodded slowly.

"Now!" He turned on his heel, walking back.

Okay, I gotta say,Ethan's butt was big. Real big. I think even bigger than his wife's.

He looked like Donald Duck, no offense, as he walked away.

"You really checking out his ass?" Josh said, cocking his head.

I made a disgusted face. How the hell did he think I was checking out Ethan's ass?

"Eww, Josh."

It was confirmed, we were getting fired. Then we could both sit on the luxurious streets of New York with a bowl.

"You two are not taking this seriously. I need to talk to Mr. Knightly then," Ethan glares at me and Josh.

"No, no, sir! Please, we can, uh, we can sort this out?" I say, trying my best puppy eyes.

"It's not our personal matter that we could sort out. You are not..."

"I can babysit your daughter!" I cut in.

He frowns at me. "Babysit?"

I nod, glancing at Josh, who looks confused. "Well, you can have your alone time with your beloved wife while I babysit Sarah for a day." I shrug.

He narrows his eyes. "Are you blackmailing me?"

"What? No."

Of course I am.

He thinks for a second. "Okay then. Only this time, I am letting you two both go!"

I sigh in relief, muttering a quiet "yes."

"Now go. Shoo away." Ethan walks into his cabin, leaving us here.

I squealed. "Thank God we were saved from getting fired!" I look at Josh.

"You really can handle that little monster?" He raises his eyebrow.

"She can't be that bad," I smile.

"Oh, she is," he nods, pursing his lips.

He puts his hand on my shoulder. "Good luck with that," and walks away.

I can handle her.

I shrug.

---

I type away on my laptop, focusing my eyes on it, biting my lip, then taking my cup and sipping coffee.

"Oh my God," Emma starts, saying.

I glance at her, still typing. "What is it, Emma?"

"Mike Knightly's son is returning here after many years, and people are saying he doesn't like to talk at all. Some say he is allergic to people," she tells me the tea of the day.

"What's the name of the arrogant man then?" I smirk.

"Shh!" She gives me the eye. "If that donkey Ethan hears you, he will fire your ass." She looks around to make sure he doesn't hear her.

"What is the gentleman's name?" I ask with a smile, trying my best not to curse.

"Oliver Knightly," she says.

Oliver.

"Why is he even returning here then?" I ask.

"I don't know, but he was in Italy a few years back. Rumors say he used to be the CEO here, but because of some personal matters, his dad, AKA Mike Knightly, told him to shift there. Now he's returning."

My mouth forms an 'O' shape as I nod.

"Hey, and I wanted to ask... there's this party Nathan is throwing. It's his birthday," she says.

Oh, I forgot his birthday. Nah, man. He always remembers mine like he's been counting the days until it arrives.

Even when it's 4 months away, he starts telling me how many days are left. I always awkwardly smile at him.

Emma says he's obsessed with me. I don't see where?

Or maybe...

"I can't see. I am blind. Bliiiind. Bliiind."

I walk up to Nathan, where he's sipping his coffee.

"Oh, hi Nathan. Happy Birthday." I smile at him.

He grins widely, blinking at me. "Chloe... thanks."

"Mhm, I just got to know that you're throwing this birthday party." I nod toward Emma.

He looks there for a second, then nods and smiles. "Yes, I would love it if you could join. And please do, or else I could reschedule."

"No, I'm gonna join." I take out my phone and turn it towards him. "Please write the address and timing."

---

"I am not wearing that shit, Emma!" I look at her with an unbelievable look.

"What? It'll look so good on you!" She throws her arms above her head.

I shake my head at her.

No way I'm wearing that see-through skin dress. Never happening.

She groans and closes her cupboard. "Fine. Wear whatever suits you more, which that also, "

"I am not wearing that, Emma," I say sternly.

Choosing between my dresses, I pick the black elegant one that hugs my body perfectly. It comes down to my knees.

Doing a little bit of makeup, I wear my heels and black earrings.

I turn toward Emma, who looks smoking hot in that skirt and tank top.

"Woah, girl! Go off," I say, looking at her.

She grins, squealing. "And you go off the bridge. You look amazing! I don't even know if that sentence has any meaning, but it fits," she shrugs and comes to hug me tightly.

We get into my car. Emma connects her Bluetooth and starts playing songs.

"Glock in my lap,

Everywhere I am strapped,

Most these rappers cap, I ain't giving dap,

Glenwood to the flat, used to rob and trap, "

She practically shouts the lyrics, doing dance moves in the car.

I laugh at her as I drive toward the club, checking the location on my phone.

We reach there in 15 minutes, and I park my car by the side.

Walking toward the club, I see Nathan standing there. He's wearing a blue T-shirt with dark blue jeans. He waves at us.

"Hi girlies," he says, turning toward me. "You look amazing," he looks at me.

I smile. "Thank you, Nathan."

"Hey! I'm also standing here." Emma points at herself, then twirls around.

He looks at her for some time, then nods. "You look... okay."

Which earns a slap from Emma on his shoulder.

"Ow, ow! I meant, you look gorgeous."

She winks. "That's what I wanted to hear."

From the moment we step inside, the smell of strong alcohol hits my nose. People are dancing on the dance floor while some are at the bar.

Nathan takes us to an empty couch. We settle down. I nod my head to the song.

"Drinks?" he asks.

"Blissful Breeze," I say.

"Pink Martini," Emma says.

The drinks arrive in a while. As we grab our glasses and sit back down, I look around the club. Many people are already drunk.

"Excuse me, I'm going to the restroom," I tell them, making my way toward the washroom.

After freshening up, I hum the song and walk back to our seats.

My eyes widen at the sight in front of me, Nathan and Emma making out. Emma is on his lap while they kiss each other.

I clear my throat, and they push each other off. Emma pushes him so hard that he falls off the couch, landing on his butt.

I purse my lips, trying so hard not to laugh. "So... you both?" I raise my eyebrows at them.

"No, no, Chloe, " Emma starts, but Nathan cuts her off.

"It's just for today," he quickly says, then glances at me. "We made a deal that we could, you know, do this just for today, and tomorrow we'll be friends again. Right, Emma?"

Emma stares at him in shock, as if she didn't even know about this.

Nathan kicks her foot slightly. She clears her throat and nods. "Yes. That is... what we surely decided."

I shrug. "Cool then. I'll be at the bar."

Taking my drink, I sip slowly as I sit on the barstool, looking at the dance floor.

The song starts playing, my all-time favorite. I grin, putting my drink on the counter and pushing through dancing bodies to reach the dance floor.

"Like a moth to a flame,

I'll pull you in, I'll pull you back to what you need initially,

It's just one call away..."

I sing,

"And you'll leave him! You are loyal to me, but this time I let you be..."

I start swaying to the song, my hands moving around my body as I dance my heart out. The chorus plays, and my hair flies around my face, then falls back as I sway.

"But does he know you call me when he sleeps?"

I jump and sing the line.

After dancing for what felt like an eternity, I breathe heavily and return to my barstool, pushing through sweaty people.

I take my drink, but before it reaches my lips, something hard bumps into me and the drink spills all over it.

I gasp, stepping back.

The man is tall and muscular, his back turned to me. He slowly turns around, and I gasp again.

He is absolutely the most handsome person I've ever seen. His sharp jawline and high cheekbones are still visible, even with the dim lights. He wears a navy blue suit, only one button fastened. His hair is styled perfectly, with two strands falling down onto his forehead.

"Excuse me?" His deep voice brings me out of my imagination. He smells expensive, his cologne surrounds me.

I look up at him, and one eyebrow is cocked.

"Y-you, can't you see where you're going?" I fold my arms over my chest.

A little frown appears on his face. He looks intimidating. "Come again?"

"You bumped into me, mister, and my drink fell all over you. Tit for tat." I shrug.

He looks at me closely, saying nothing.

"I was having my drink peacefully, well, I was about to. Right after I danced so much to 'Moth to a Flame.' Oh, I love that song, man. I could keep listening to it till the day, " I click my tongue, motioning as if I'm dead, sticking my tongue out.

"You ruined my great night," I narrow my eyes at him. "And you can't even say sorry? How rude."

He looks down at his suit. "You ruined my suit."

I roll my eyes. "Don't get your panties in a twist."

"Guys don't wear panties, if you know." He tilts his head a little.

"I'm sure you do."

Oh hell nah.

His hands slide into his pockets. He says nothing. "I'll buy you that drink again."

"You asshole. You think I'll agree to your drink, and then you expect me to warm your bed, don't you?" I glare at him.

He looks taken aback. "Excuse me, miss? That is not, "

"That is exactly what you meant, you prick! Bitch. Little dick," I huff.

Okay. You need to shut up, Chloe.

His mouth twitches a little. "Little dick?"

I clear my throat. "Yeah. Stupid," I mutter.

To my shock, he doesn't argue back. He doesn't fight me. That's what I expected.

"I'm not going to waste more time on you. Worst night for you, Thanos."

He doesn't reply. Watching me carefully, he just nods.

Weird guy.

Really weird.

My eyes are begging me to close, but I somehow keep them open.

Yesterday, we came home so late, around 4-something, while at 8, we're in the office.

"Am I clear?" Ethan says, looking at all of us.

"Yes, sir," I mumble with the others.

"Good. Now get back to work. When Mr. Olive Knightly arrives, I'll let you all know."

As soon as he leaves, I sit back on my chair and lay my head down on the table, sighing and groaning.

"Nuts, what's up?" I hear Josh from behind.

"Not now, Josh," I mumble, my eyes closed as I start to dream of,

"I see you had a blast yesterday," he says.

I groan. "I said not now, Josh." I swear I'll strangle him till he dies.

"Okay, you can nap for a while. I'll wake you if someone comes."

I smile in my sleep as I nod slowly.

,

"Wake up, Nuts."

"No."

"Wake up! Mr. Knightly has arrived!"

I jerk up, blinking, and see myself, hair all over the place and a little drool on my mouth. I excuse myself and rush to the washrooms.

I fix my hair, wash my face with the facewash I thankfully keep for emergencies, then apply my moisturizer, sunscreen, a little bit of mascara, and my lip balm. I take out my perfume and spray it all around me.

Showering myself with perfume, I look in the mirror. "Good. You can do this," I whisper to myself.

I walk out and head toward my chair, sitting down and looking at Josh by my side. "How do I look?"

He whistles lowly. "Damn. You're planning for him to fall for you, aren't you?"

"And you're planning for me to kick you in the balls," I smile at him.

He mutters something under his breath, which I don't hear.

"What?" I ask.

He shrugs it off, then his eyes go to the figure in front of us. "Mr. Knightly is here," Ethan says, standing right beside him.

I turn my head with a smile, which quickly turns into a shocked expression.

No. God, please no.

He stares at everyone with his green eyes, and they come to rest on me. My breath gets caught in my throat.

He looks as handsome as he did yesterday, and now that his face is clearly visible, he's a drop-dead gorgeous person. I bet girls drop their panties just by looking at him.

His hair is styled back with some strands falling on his forehead.

His jaw is clenched and hard, but he stares at me with none of the glares I expected.

Don't tell me he's Oliver Knightly. I gulp, looking at him with nothing but guilt.

While he remains calm.

He turns his head toward Ethan, our manager. "Introduce them all." And then his eyes find mine again.

I avert my gaze, not able to be fierce and confident like I was yesterday.

How would I have known that this handsome hunk is my CEO?

"And she is Chloe Bennet," Ethan introduces me to Mr. Oliver Knightly.

He nods. "Chloe," he says slowly.

Something stirs in my stomach as he says my name, butterflies.

He says nothing. Not at all. He just turns around and walks away.

I expected him to say,

"You're fired! Get out of my office, you little pig-looking thing."

Yet he said nothing.

I wonder if the silence is the kind that comes right before a storm.

Lord, save me.