"So, about the job... "

Emerson trailed off.

Adrien sighed mentally. He knew Emerson wouldn't take it. She was too self respecting to take it.

"- I will take it." She said.

Adrien snapped his head towards her.

He couldn't believe she agreed.

"Really? " He asked in disbelief.

Emerson frowned.

"Don't make me regret it ." She mumbled.

Adrien composed himself.

"Thanks, it's really important and very helpful for me." He acknowledged.

Emerson nodded.

"My classes are from 8 to 12 . I can work from 2 onwards. After the lunch break." She said.

Adrien nodded.

"I will mail you the details and files about the work you have to do. The rest we can discuss in my office, whenever you are ready to start, hopefully asap." He said, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"I will like to go over the details and all today itself, but I have somewhere to be. I will see you at 3." She said.

Adrien agreed.

"I will send a driver to pick you up." He said.

Emerson shook her head.

"I can come early if the work is done fast, so don't bother. Just send me the adress. I will be there before 3." She said.

"Ok, just bring your laptop and ID. That's all." He said.

Emerson nodded and glanced at her watch.

"I should go now. Bye." She said.

"Bye." Adrien said.

When Emerson was out of line of sight, he almost fist pumped but refrained when other people looked at him wierdly.

~~~~~~~~

Emerson's appointment with Andrew was tense with awkwardness between them.

She just told him the progress in her sleep and he told her to come after 2 weeks.

Now Emerson was standing in front of a bid building, but smaller than Adrien's NYC HQ.

It was still big.

She was in stonewash jeans and brown tee, her hair in braids and her sport shoes. She had some water drops on her tee. Rain in Oxford was really problematic.

She tightened her hold on her bag an her and entred, the guards checking her I'd and then sending in.

She went towards the front desk.

"Hello, I am Emerson Leone. I am here to meet Mr Stone." She said politely.

The front desk lady look startled but composed with a smile.

"Ok, let me see. You don't have appointment." She stated politely. Her English accent prominent.

Emerson returned the smile.

"It's ok, I will call him." She said.

The lady shook her head.

"Let me do it." With that she called him.

After hanging up, she looked at Emerson with sympathy.

"Sorry, he said he doesn't know any Emerson Leone."

Emerson's eyes widened and her lips parted in shock.

So he just wanted to humiliate me.

A pained look passed her face making the lady widen her eyes.

"Sorry, sorry. I was just joking. You looked cool that's why I tried it." She said with a sheepish smile.

Emerson let out a sigh in relief.

"Please don't do that again. I almost had an attack." She stated .

The lady looked apologetic.

"Sorry, just take the elevator and go on the 12th floor. The front desk lady up there will guide you." She said.

Emerson nodded and left.

On the 12th floor, when the staff saw Emerson, whispers started. At least 2 employees from Adrien's NYC office were there and Emerson's last encounter in his building spread like fire among the employees.

She ignored them and went to the front desk .

A lady in her mid 40s was there.

"Excuse me, I am here to meet Mr Stone." Emerson said.

The woman puckered her red coloured lips and smacked a bubble gum balloon.

Emerson refrained herself from cringing.

The woman scanned her up and down and her eyes showed judgement.

Emerson took a deep breath. The woman was wasting her time.

"Can you please tell me where his office is? " She asked again, still politely.

The woman ignored her.

Emerson sighed and called Adrien.

He picked up on 3rd ring.

"Hello? Emerson are you here? " He asked her.

"Yes, I am at the front desk on 12th floor. Can you tell me directions to your office? " She asked .

Many heads turned towards her, including the bubblegum woman.

"It's ok, I will come there." Adrien said.

Emerson's eyes widened.

"N-no need Mr Stone just tell me where your office is." She said.

"No need, I am here." He said behind her.

The front desk woman's face paled and she gulped.

Emerson turned back.

"You could have just told me the directions." She murmured, not wanting the unwanted attention she already had.

Adrien shook his head and looked behind her at the receptionist.

"Ms Tart, you are probably paid for the convenience of people and guide them to my office, but looks like you don't understand it. I hope you find a better job. You may pack your things. " He said in a cold tone.

The floor fell silent.

"Sorry sir, it won't —" Adrien silenced her by raising his palm.

Emerson frowned.

"Adrien give her the benefit of doubt." She said softly.

The receptionist's jaw dropped, shocked she called him by his first name and she defended her.

Adrien shook his head.

"It has happened before, she didn't listen. I don't want my company's name to degrade by people saying I gave useless and downright rude employees." He said.

Emerson just nodded, knowing he was right and didn't say anything.

"Come with me." He said and Emerson followed him.

His office was what she expected, spacious with big table and leather chair, couches, shelves and a floor length window.

She observed it silently.

"It isn't much, my NYC office is way better . " He said, making Emerson turn her attention to him.

She nodded in realisation.

"But it's still good, as long as it has good light, it's enough." She said.

Adrien made a mental note to himself she likes room with good natural light.

"Take a seat, I will explain everything to you." He told her.

She sat on the couch and he too did the same beside her, taking some files and explaining her about his hotel structures, locations, new changes and all the information she should know about the renovations.

"Why is your office seperate? I mean, why not in the hotel, it could have been convenient to keep an eye on the work." She asked curiously.

Adrien shook his head.

"With all the management it requires, my employees need almost 12 floors. Marketing, finance, HR, etc. So having a

seperate building was better. The MD of all the hotels keep the eye on the work as the highest position here and the reports are sent to NYC." He told her.

She nodded.

"So, I can start tomorrow. From 2 pm."

Adrien agreed.

"Ok, so most of your work will be managing the hotel renovations. You will have most work in the office, but you will have to check on the hotel sites for 2 days every week.I will accompany you once every week." He told her.

She smiled at him.

"Done . Then I should go now. "

Adrien hid his disappointment that she was going to soon.

"Tomorrow you can just see in the files. I will have your ID made for convenience. Let me take you to hotel sites on Sunday, so it would be easy for you. You can use my Mercedes I keep here for work till then. I already have it ordered in the parking lot." He told her.

Emerson pursued her lips, thinking.

Having a car wasn't going to be a problem, and with the rain, she needed it.

Everything was fine with her.

"Ok. Thanks for the car though." She said, smiling politely.

Adrien returned her smile and scratched the back of his neck.

"Can I come for dinner today, I haven't ordered the groceries yet, and I didn't want to eat outside." He said a little nervously.

"But only if you want to, I can eat out if you don't want to cook." He added in a rush.

Emerson gave him a smile, amused by his sudden nervousness.

"You can, in fact you can everyday. I will also bring lunch for you if it's okay with you, and I will come an hour early for it." She suggested.

Adrien smiled widely.

"Thanks, you cook great food." He complimented her truthfully.

Emerson swallowed the lump in her throat and gave him a forced smile.

No matter what, she couldn't help but remember the first time she cooked for him. His gentlemanly behavior was somewhere pricking her, and she was getting suspicious of him.

But she forced it down.

"Thanks for the compliment. I should probably go now, it's already half past five. " She said.

Adrien nodded. He handed her keys.

"Here are the keys, let me see you out." He said with a smile.

She didn't protest.

When they waited for the lift, most employees were departing and they were curious, more than curious to see who the girl with their cold boss was.

The building's private elevator was under some technical issues, and so Adrien had to share the elevator with 7-8 more people. He groaned internally.

When they went inside, the employees kept their distance from him, Emerson was scrolling through her phone and it was tense in the elevator.

Not being able to handle the tense silence and the elevator being painfully slow , Adrien decided to break it .

"How are your professors and all, I never asked about it? " He asked Emerson in a low voice. But others too heard it in the small space.

He could literally see their ears perking up.

Emerson snapped her attention to him.

" Better than I expected." She answered truthfully, and turning her attention to her phone again.

Adrien groaned internally, she didn't understand he wanted to break the silence but with all those people there it was more wierd. He just kept his mouth shut and pulled his phone out, mindlessly scrolling through it.

Suddenly an idea came in his mind.

Emerson's phone dinged with a message. She frowned.

Emerson chocked on air, making everyone snap their attention to her.

She couldn't believe he messaged her something like that.

She gave him a subtle glare.

Adrien kept his face straight but his eyes were shining with amusement.

Emerson mentally rolled her eyes at his wierdly childish behavior.

***************