Chapter 44 - Weird Boss

Tom stepped out of the shower with a towel tied around his waist and another in his hand which he used to dry his hair as he walked over to the bed to pick up his phone which had been ringing all the while he was in the shower. The missed calls were from Harry and Bryan. He dialed Bryan's number and connected the phone to his airpod before leaving the phone on the bed and walking over to the drawer to pick a boxer and shirt.

"Sorry I missed your call. I was in the shower when you called," Tom explained once the call connected.

"That's okay. I just got tired of waiting to hear from you. By the way, my assistant is sending your costume tomorrow morning. Where do you want it?" Bryan asked, wanting to get that out of the way before getting into the lecture for the night.

"It should be sent to the office. Harry will receive it on my behalf," Tom said as he put on his boxers and shirt, and walked out of the bedroom to the kitchen where he picked up a glass and filled it with water from the water dispenser before going to the living room to sit on the couch.

"Okay. So tell me, how did your outing go? By the way, you're yet to send the make-over pictures," Bryan reminded him.

"Don't worry. I will just do that after the call. How is your fiancee?"

Bryan's heart skipped at the mention of that, "She is fine. So? Tell me exactly how she reacted to the make-over," Bryan said, wanting to change the subject.

Tom smiled at the memory, "She tried not to let it show, but I caught her staring. And I think I may have slipped. She asked me why I had a makeover, and I told her there is a lady at the office who I'm interested in, and I think she might be into the whole bad boy package," Tom explained making Bryan's brow pull together.

"You're supposed to be making her feel you're a bad boy, not making her think you're a simp who is trying to be what he is not to get a lady!"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. But after telling her that, I also noticed she relaxed around me. It's as if knowing now that I'm interested in someone else, she is more willing to be friends with me," Tom explained.

"That is how you get yourself friend-zoned!" Bryan pointed out.

"I have no intention of being friend-zoned. I managed to convince her I wasn't interested in her, and she agreed to help me get the lady I'm interested in. So don't worry, I'm sure she will give me good enough tips on how to get her," Tom explained, and Bryan chuckled.

"Believe me, she is going to be mad when she eventually finds out that you have been making a fool out of her," Bryan said confidently.

"Well, she hasn't left me much choice, has she?"

"That reminds me, were you able to pitch the whole text and email thing to her?" Bryan asked thoughtfully.

They had both spoken earlier before Tom's outing with Lucy. Bryan had called to find out Tom's preferred color of contact lens, and then Bryan had mentioned that Lucy would easily recognize his voice if she heard him speak.

[Earlier]

"That's right!" Tom had said, realizing that he hadn't really thought of the voice recognition, and had only focused his attention on his physical appearance.

"So you should play the role of the boss who doesn't talk to his employees. You don't have to speak to her when you're at the office," Bryan had suggested.

"You don't think it would seem weird?" Tom had asked thoughtfully.

"You are the boss whose face the majority of his employees don't know. What could be weirder than that?" Bryan had asked dryly making Tom laugh, "I'm sure she would assume you just have a bad personality.

"I suppose you're right. I could just communicate with her via emails and texts." Tom had suggested.

"Exactly. That makes more sense. And maybe you could try to seduce her too, and see who gets her first, the boss or the driver. What do you think?" Bryan had suggested.

"That would be doing too much, don't you think?" Tom had asked, even though the idea seemed appealing to him.

[Present]

"Yeah, I told her to check her texts and emails often," Tom told him.

"So your assignment for tomorrow, you have to make her see you with another girl. Preferably someone hot. Invite a lady over, or better still, approach another lady in front of her," Bryan suggested, making Tom frown.

"I don't think that is a good idea. I told her I'm interested in someone already, remember?"

"Yes, you did. But remember you're playing the bad boy role? If she confronts you, you could just give her a flippant answer about a man having his needs, and how you can't deprive yourself of your basic needs when you don't even know if the lady in question is going to reciprocate your feelings, you catch my drift?" Bryan asked.

"Tell me again, how did your fiancee win your heart to make you quit your playboy ways?" Tom asked incredulously.

Bryan laughed out loud, "I'm good, right? I know."

"You're sure this won't make her keep her distance?"

"Trust me, it's going to make her even more curious about a lot of things. You said she has become more friendly towards you, right? Why should she worry about a playboy friend?" Bryan asked, and Tom nodded in agreement.

"I guess you're right. I'll do that."

"Good. So make sure you report tomorrow. And let me know when you get the costumes," Bryan added before hanging up.

Bryan looked around the house with a bored expression on his face. He needed to get out soon, else he would die. But the question now was where could he go to? He definitely couldn't be seen in public with another lady after only just proposing to one. He would have invited some girls over, but with the way his penthouse was being watched by many eyes, he knew there was no way it wouldn't make the news.

He dialed Mia's line, "Have you..."

"No. We are still trying to find her," Mia interrupted, knowing why he was calling.

"How can it be so difficult to find just ONE DAMN PERSON?" Bryan yelled at her in frustration.

Mia pressed her lips together, fighting the urge to tell him to go find Sonia himself if he thought it was such an easy task. She didn't ask him to propose to a stranger, after all, so why was he taking his frustration out on her?

"We are doing all we can while trying to be discreet. We can't let people know you proposed to a stranger," Mia pointed out, making Bryan raise a hand to his massage his temple. If only he could remember the name of her editor... Or maybe he could.

"Mia? Can you get me some of her books? Go over to any bookstore around you and find me some of her books," Bryan said excitedly.

"Can't you just download soft copies online if it is urgent?" Mia suggested politely, since she was getting ready for a date, and didn't want to be late.

"No. I prefer hard copies. I'll be waiting," he said and hung up immediately. Maybe he could read her books to kill his boredom while understanding her crazy personality from the way she writes.. And who knows? Maybe he could get her editor's information from the book. Why hadn't he thought of that all along?