Face-Blind, I Mistook My Boss for My Makeout Buddy - Chapter 3

Adrian kept looking at me, his expression complicated and helpless.

Under his gaze, my face began to heat.

Had my scheming been so shameless that he’d heard the clatter of the abacus in my head?

To hide my embarrassment, I hurried over to get some water.

Unfortunately, the company’s coffee machine was apparently some expensive imported model, and every button was labeled in French.

I studied it for three seconds and decided to trust my instincts.

Then I pressed the wrong button.

Scalding water gushed out. My cup wasn’t sitting securely, and the water was about to splash over my hand.

In the next instant, Adrian reacted quickly and yanked me back.

His hand closed around my wrist.

His fingers were long, his palm warm. His grip wasn’t hard, but it pulled me steadily away from the hot water.

The cup struck the counter with a soft clink.

My heart thudded along with it.

Adrian frowned at my hand. “Did it burn you?”

I shook my head. “No.”

Still unconvinced, he lowered his head and looked again.

Only after confirming I was unharmed did he release me.

The warmth of his hand lingered around my wrist. Suddenly, nothing about me felt quite normal.

He was so close.

I caught the faint, rich scent of coffee on him, along with the slightest trace of… mint?

My brain began to overheat, and my mouth raced ahead of it.

“Thank you. You’re really nice.”

Something shifted in Adrian’s eyes. “Am I?”

I nodded earnestly.

He watched me, then asked a very strange question.

“You’re not afraid of me?”

I thought about it.

Was this some sort of social test for new employees?

Maybe outstanding salespeople had a naturally intimidating presence, and he worried a newcomer might be too scared to talk to him?

I needed to give him an answer that was polite without overstepping.

So I said,

“If you need me to be… I can…”

Adrian cut me off at once. “No need.”

He spoke quickly.

As if afraid I might truly start acting scared in the next second.

I blinked.

Then he added, his voice a little lower,

“This is good.”

Zhou Ming finally failed to hold it in. His shoulders shook with laughter.

“Just remembered I have a meeting. You two talk. Carry on.”

With that, he grabbed his coffee and fled faster than a rabbit.

Only Adrian and I remained in the pantry.

I studied his gold-rimmed glasses for two seconds.

Then I glanced at his bare left ring finger.

Drawing a deep breath, I looked up and asked,

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

Adrian froze.

He seemed completely unprepared for the question and stared at me for several seconds.

Then the tips of his ears slowly reddened, and his gaze shifted away.

“No,” he said quietly.

I relaxed.

“Good.”

I nodded and turned to leave.

He stopped me. “That’s all you wanted to ask?”

“Was there something else I should ask?” I said, confused.

Adrian looked into my eyes. Once he was certain I genuinely had no other questions, unmistakable disappointment crossed his face.

“Then I’ll head back to my desk?” I ventured.

Adrian stared at me. “You don’t want my WeChat?”

My steps stopped. I spun around.

Was I really this lucky?

I tried my best to look calm. “Wouldn’t I be bothering you?”

His phone was already in his hand. “No. Looking after a new colleague is only right.”

After a week on the job, I had basically figured out the company’s ecosystem.

Mr. Shang was frightening, but he was also extremely busy and seldom came to the office.

Whenever he did appear, however, the air within a thirty-foot radius immediately sank under low pressure.

I understood perfectly.

Mr. Shang might be handsome, but his face betrayed neither joy nor anger. At one glance, he looked exactly like the sort of capitalist who could tear someone apart without blinking.

Even though he rarely spoke.

On the few occasions he said anything to me, the pressure was still immense.

Adrian was far more approachable by comparison.

White shirt, gold-rimmed glasses, a measured way of speaking, and a flawless London accent.

Even his smiles were restrained.

But perhaps it was only my imagination.

With me, he didn’t seem entirely restrained.

Sometimes he looked at me so tenderly that I suffered from a peculiar delusion.

Were we already in love with each other, simply waiting for him to admit it first?

To spend more time with Adrian, I invented all kinds of legitimate excuses.

Consulting him about overseas markets. Developing a global perspective. Learning some English along the way.

Adrian had an even temper and excellent manners. He almost never turned me down.

Whether I messaged him about work or pure nonsense, he usually replied at once.

Even when he was truly too busy, he told me exactly when he would be free and asked me to contact him then.

Still, he was the company’s cash cow. Despite his mild appearance, everyone treated Adrian with great respect.

Whenever they saw him, they nodded and addressed him as “Adrian.”

The moment he entered the office, even the loudest coworkers automatically fell silent.

Unfortunately, he didn’t spend much time in marketing and had no permanent desk there.

Eight times out of ten, I carried my laptop over to look for him and came up empty.

Zhou Ming had grown so familiar with me that he laughed whenever he saw me.

“Looking for Adrian again?”

I was a little embarrassed. “He never seems to be here?”

Zhou Ming thought about it. “He’s busy.”

I nodded.

Of course. He was the top salesperson.

He probably spent most of his time outside entertaining clients.

I’d heard before that many top salespeople didn’t show up at the office even a few times a week.

As long as they closed the deals in the end, the company was extremely lenient about their attendance.

As I left the marketing department, I heard several coworkers whispering.

“Have you noticed Adrian’s been visiting our department more often lately?”

“He really has. I feel so much pressure every time I see him.”

I couldn’t help marveling.

Was this the crushing power of a top salesperson miles ahead of his peers?

He could put this much performance pressure on colleagues at his own level.

Amazing!