DREAM

"Why are you closing your eyes?"

Xia's eyes fluttered wide open and she looked at Zachary Benedict with pure disbelief written upon her grey eyes. Her cheeks became tomato red and she bit her lower lip from humiliation. How she wished that the ground would open and swallow her up. She was so embarrassed.

She cleared her throat and manage to meet his piercing brown eyes without allowing him to see how badly wounded her dignity was. She opened her mouth to retort with a sarcastic reply but no words came out of her mouth. She was speechless and her mind went blank.

Xia bit her lips. She was naive and delusional to think that he would kiss someone like her. She is just merely an employee. Definitely, she was not his type. Especially with her nerdy appearance. She doubt that he will even be attracted to her. No doubt he wouldn't be. Maybe in her dreams he will like her, look at her with admiration or even be attracted to her despite of her nerdy and unladylike look.

To tell the truth, Xia developed a huge crush on Zachary Benedict. Who wouldn't like someone like Zachary Benedict? Even being an employee of him would be considered lucky itself. Of course she keeps it a secret to herself. She don't want him to know. She knows that it might sound unreasonable but her boss might fire her for that reason.

He finally let her loose and Xia let go a deep breath. Her heart was hammering so loud inside her chest and she thought Zachary Benedict might hear her heartbeat.

She was relieved that he no longer intimidate her by pinning her to the wall. She don't understand what she feel when he began to corner her. She was both scared and excited at the same. She did not know if it was normal to feel that way. Her mind was spacing out that moment.

She wanted to smack her head for thinking and imagining things like that. She hate herself for reading too much romance novel lately. The part of the book where the boss was pinning his secretary to the wall, just the both of them inside his office. While looking at her intently, he would slowly lowered his lips to hers.

Dang! She bit her lower lip to stop her imaginations. Bad Xia! She should stop herself for having a bad thoughts about her boss. She was not that pervert. Right?

Zachary Benedict was looking intently at her. His expression was unfathomable. Wait! Does he know what she's thinking right now? Oh no! That would be too embarrassing! Not only that, it would be very awkward to the both of them.

She really have no idea what was going on inside his mind. What is he thinking right now? She was curious. How she wished she could read his mind inorder to understand what kind of man he was.

Xia could no longer take the unnerving hot gaze he was giving her. It's too suffocating to her. She turned her eyes away from him then cleared her throat. "I will return to my own office Hary. I still have to finish my assignment before four pm. Please excuse me." With that, she left him at his office. Before closing the door, she look at him for the last time. Seeing him knotting his eyebrows with his gloomy expression, she finally close the door and left.

Entering her own office, Xia let go another sigh as she sunk into the soft cushion of her swivel chair. She wanted to congratulate herself for not stuttering in front of him. Until now, her knees are still trembling. What happened to her? She was not her usual self.

She stopped all the swirling thoughts inside her head and resume the work she left a while ago. Her mind had change. She will no longer take a break. After all, two more hours and her working hours will be over. She can have her snacks and break after that. She needed to finish her work first.

After printing the twenty-eight page document, Xia neatly filed it into a folder. Double checking of there is any mistype or if there is something wrong on the documents. Luckily there was none so she then return to Zachary Benedict's office to personally deliver the files to him. She manage to maintain her calm and impassive expression in front of him.

Knock! Knock!

She knocked on his office before entering. She walked straight to his table and put the files on the top of it without looking at him.

"Are you okay?" Zachary Benedict ask. "You don't look good."

"I'm okay. Just a simple headache." She answered.

She saw him open his drawer and take out something from it. It was a medicine.

"Here!" Then he put the medicine on the top of his table. "This will relieve your headache. Take this Ana." It was the first time since that day that he addressed Xia by that name.

Xia's heart suddenly melted by his unexpected gesture as she look on the Aspirin at the top of his table. She picked the medicine and clutched it in her hand.

"Thank you Hary." She replied. "I'm done with my work today so I'm heading home first." She told him and without waiting for his answer, she turn her heels and leave. Clutching the Aspirin to her chest, she left his office.

***

Arriving at the entrance f the building, Zachary Benedict approach to her and offered to drive her home. Even though she was embarrassed, she finally agreed after a lengthy argument because he will not take no for an answer.

She was very thankful that he insisted to take her home since she was not in the mood to commute due to her splitting headache.

It was past six pm when Xia arrived at her condominium-apartment. Thankfully, her splitting headache instantly vanished after she drank the Aspirin Zachary Benedict gave her. She was feeling so better now. Maybe a few hours of rest and she will feel great again.

Once inside her room, Xia lay facedown in the pillow and closed her eyes. This feels so heavenly, she mumbled savoring the softness of her bed. She felt relaxed. Then she drowse off to sleep.

Last night, she have a beautiful dream. A strange one actually. She was in a party where in she was the prettiest. Every person inside the room was looking at her admiringly. Even Aphrodite, the greek goddess of love and beauty looked at her with envy in her eyes.

It was so strange that she suddenly found herself in the center of the stage with the spotlight above her. What is even more strange was she wore a scanty red lingerie that clung to her voluptuous body like a second skin. The room fell into a respective silence. It was so silent that she can hear no sound as if nobody wasn't even there.

Everybody was looking at her with awe and admiration as if an angel had materialize in front of their eyes out of the partitions of heavenly clouds. Then.... she saw Zachary Benedict looking at her intently while slowly walking towards her. He pulled her closely to his body which cause her to be off guard.

Suddenly, an enchanting music began to play and as if her body parts have minds of their own, they began to the dance in a slow erotic rhythm that blended with the drumming sound of the music.

She danced seductively in the center stage as all eyes gaze upon her with wonder. Every man wanted her right at that very moment wishing she was their own and women looked up to her with envy in their eyes wanting to be in her shoes.

Suddenly out of the ordinary, while looking at his handsome face without thinking of anything, she lift her hand and touch his face. He looked at her with shock expression. Then without second thoughts, she tiptoed and stole a sweet kiss from his parted lips.

Everything seems so perfect, so fine and according to plan.....but then everything faded in a thick white smoke... She found herself wide awake.