*One week later*

Adam Wilson

"Adam!" I heard Mason shout my name. I looked towards the direction and spotted him waving at me. He was with two other guys, probably his friends. He told me they would be joining us.

This is the second time I'm bowling with Mason. The first was just both of us last week and we had such a good time, we decided to do it again. This time he invited more of his friends he wanted me to meet.

Thankfully the bowling club wasn't packed at all, unlike the last time. We could secure at least four bowling alleys to ourselves, one for each man.

"Mason." I said while giving him a bro hug.

"This is Adam, he was once a victim at my hospital." He said and I laughed. "These are my friends Fred and Hendrix." I shook hands with them both.

I grabbed a beer bottle off the table where we were all seated. I usually don't drink beer but I could manage one or two bottles.

"So what do you do Adam?" Hendrix asked.

"Uh, I own a company, it's called Wilson & Co. We deal with aerospace, defence and security."

"That sounds interesting." Fred said.

"Yes and very innovative as well." Hendrix added and we all laughed.

"Indeed" I smiled. I love to boast about what we do. "We provide different services from flight management systems, to tactical satellite communications, image and audio analysis, we even provide cyber security."

"That's amazing. And your office is here in New York?"

"Yes." I brought out my business card and handed it to them both. "This is my card. You can come see me anytime if you need to discuss business, advice or any other thing at all."

"That's excellent but enough with the business talk." Mason said. "Were here to bowl!"

"The looser pays for everything." Hendrix said and we all agreed.

Apparently Mason was great at bowling, he beat me the first time. Most of his shots were strikes and he got a total of 270 points. He finished first while Hendrix was second with 239 points. Fred who had 201 points came third and well, I was last with just 175 points.

"Sorry man, lunch's on you!" Fred patted me on the back.

"What happened Adam? I thought you were good at this?" Mason said. "Or is something snaking you? Are you still thinking of Sophia?" He whispered the last part.

"You're bringing her up, I thought the plan was to keep her out of my mind. But yes, she might have been the cause of my distraction. Lately, I've been eating my heart out." I said to him.

"Sorry man, but for now, Can you get me an egg mayo and pickle sandwich." It was like he didn't even hear what I said to him about Sophia.

"Are you serious?"

What a dick!

A waitress came and everyone placed their orders. The guys made sure to order large because they knew they weren't paying.

"I'll have the multi-grain with grilled turkey." Fred said.

"I'll go with the avocado sandwich." Hendrix said as well.

For me, I chose two double BBQ Beef with sweet onions.

"Are you stress eating?" Mason smirked at me. I knew he was making fun of me again.

"No Mason. I am NOT stress eating." I lied.

Lately I've been eaten a lot more than usual to counteract the stress I've had for the past few days.

"Adam, I am a doctor. I can tell what's going on with you. You're looked stressed out because you've been suffering from excessive longing, now you've resulted to comfort foods. You've even stopped shaving and now you're growing a stubble. You're a wreck."

"What's been happening to you Adam?" Hendrix asked.

"He's whipped." Mason answered for me. Hendrix and Fred looked at me astonishingly.

"I'm not whipped."

"I must admit, she is really pretty. She's the type you'd want to hold on to, plus she keeps it tight." He wagged his eyebrows at me.

If it was okay to do so I would have smacked him in the face 50 times.

"So what's her name?" Fred asked me.

"Sophia, Sophia Parker." I admitted defeatedly.

"Hm, a pretty girl with a pretty name."

"Yeah well here's the catch, she's his personal assistant at work." At this point Fred groaned. "She's really good at the job and he shouldn't cross that line... although he wants to. I keep telling him it's a bad idea."

Mason told them the full story... well at least his version.

"What do you want from her Adam?" Hendrix asked me. "Do you just want her, or do you want to be with her?"

"I want to be with her." I decided.

"Then what's stopping you?"

That was a good question.

"It's complicated. She doesn't want to loose her job for a chance with me. Plus, I know she doesn't trust me. I have quite a history with women, she's witnessed it herself. Even though we're both attracted to each other, she avoids me by dating other men. Sometimes I just think she deserves someone better than me."

"Sounds like you're giving up." Hendrix said.

"I just don't know what to do." I sighed.

"Do what makes you happy Adam." Mason held my shoulder. "But don't do what you'll regret."

"I agree, but go for her if you feel she's the one." Fred said to me.

"Thanks guys."

The food came and we all ate.

I got a text message from one of my clients reminding me about a meeting in Michigan which was few days from now.

"Mason can I talk to you for a second?" I asked him.

"Yeah, sure." He said wiping his hands.

I pulled him away from the others.

"I have a meeting to attend in Michigan. And I can't go alone."

"So... what? You want me to come with you?" He asked me stupidly.

"No, but if I asked would you?"

"Hell no."

"Okay. I figured. Anyway, I need Sophia to come with me but she's on leave."

"You want to disturb the poor girl whose father is ill because you're too scared to go to a meeting alone?"

"Im not scared! I'm just not used to it. I promised to stay away from her for one week and it's been a week already. I need to see her, maybe I should ask her if she'll go with me. She loves travelling."

"Why don't you just ask her on the phone, rather than travelling all the way to See her?"

"Her phone is off remember? And I don't have her parent's house number. Plus, I want to see her."

"Okay Adam. Just don't make things worse between you two when you get there. And for pete's sake, please shave."

****

Sophia Parker

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time at hospitals. First with Mr Wilson, now with my dad. I'm so sick of the environment.

I was currently in the waiting room with my mum. We both held each other while we hoped for the best.

Dad did not have just an ordinary stroke, the doctor called it a hemorrhagic stroke! It happens when an artery in the brain leaks blood or ruptures. They managed to find the cause of the bleeding and control it for just a few hours but after a while, the bleeding only got worse. Dad has always been a victim of high blood pressure which was the reason for the worsened condition so the doctors prescribed some medicine to lower his blood pressure.

He is currently undergoing three surgeries. The doctors called them aneurysm clipping, coil embolization, and arteriovenous malformation repair. If the surgery is successful, he advised mum to ensure he has a heart-healthy eating lifestyle, manage stress and do physical activities like aerobics.

Mum was looking at a paper the doctor gave to her. The paper held useful information about eating healthy.

"Apparently, the doctor said we should only drink skimmed milk." She frowned.

I could understand because I hated skimmed milk as well. I could manage semi-skimmed though.

"I know it's tasteless and all but it's good for the health." I smiled at her, trying to sound positive.

"Okay, listen to this. 'Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and trout, about twice a week.' But your dad doesn't like fish! He's scared of the bones!" She complained and I laughed.

"He'll have to get used to it."

"This food rota is horrible! Look at this! Lima beans, chickpeas, broccoli, corn tortillas, brown rice!"

"Are you really going to follow that mum?" I winced at the names she called.

"I have to. So we don't end up in the hospital again."

The doctors came out just then and walked towards us. We both stood up, waiting for the good or bad news.

"Mrs Parker." He referred to my mum. "I am pleased to say that your husband is okay and the surgery went well. But he'll have to stay with us in the hospital for a while."

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard what the doctors said. My mum broke down crying happily.

"Oh, thank you so much for everything! How long would he be retained?" She asked.

"We're not sure about that ma'am but until he recovers fully and we're sure that he is stable. We would let you know as soon as possible."

"Thank you doctors!" I told them before they went away.

I hugged my mum and wiped away her tears. She knew that it was up to me to pay the bill for the surgery. I was the only child and my parents were not very rich. They had savings but it was not enough to pay half of what we needed to pay. I also had savings but I just needed a few more to complete the bill. I overheard the doctors saying that the three surgeries were going to cost about $30,000.

I may have to go back to work earlier than I ought to, it's been a week and few days since I left New York and I know I'm not going to be paid for my absence.

Right now, I need every single penny I can get.

"Sophia honey, why don't you go back home and prepare dinner. I need to stay and make sure that your father is okay. You were here all through yesterday and I want you to leave early. I'll see you at home later okay?"

I wanted to protest but I agreed. Even though I wanted my mum to come home with me, eat and rest. I didn't want her to get stressed out here alone. I checked the time and it was 3:20pm.

"Do you have the keys?" I asked.

"Yes honey, I do. I'll be coming in through the back door from the garden." She said.

"Okay mum." I kissed her and she smiled at me.

"See you later." She said.

I left the hospital and drove home with dad's car. Mum will probably come home with the bus, she hates driving and doesn't even have her own car.

I got home and quickly took a shower.

My room hadn't changed much since I left for college. Everything was still intact except they had given most of my clothes to charity because there was no way I would fit into them now.

I checked the remaining contents of my wardrobe for something I could manage to wear. I changed into a white tank top and some shorts I found but they were extremely tight. I wore them anyway since I was the only one at home, and I didn't bother putting on a bra.

I put on a robe though, and I went downstairs to the kitchen to prepare dinner. I decided to make Spicy Salmon with Bok Choy and Rice. At least that was healthy.

I baste the fish with a mixture of honey, soy sauce, and crushed red pepper to give it a tasty glaze. The kitchen got hot and steamy so I took of my robe.

After few minutes I was done cooking and I left it in the pot to cool down. I did the washing up and did a bit of cleaning before I collapsed on the couch. I watched TV silently waiting for mum to come back home.

They were showing a old episodes of Desperate Housewives. One of the actors reminded me so much of Lily. They both looked exactly alike, it was so weird.

I remembered my last call with Lily. She had told me the most ridiculous thing ever. I know she over exaggerates a lot but telling me that Mr Wilson said he was in love with me was just a complete lie. I couldn't believe her. He is a jerk who only wants to use me and dump me the minute he's done, he doesn't love me.

I jumped when I heard a knock on the door.

Who the hell was that?!

I checked the time to see it was 5:00pm. Mum said she would be coming through the back door and she had her own keys so that definitely wasn't her. And I didn't order anything so who could it possibly be?

Maybe it was the neighbour or something.

I went over to the door and looked through the peephole. My heart started pounding immediately I saw who it was.

Think of the devil and he appears!

What was he doing here?! And how did he know where my parents live?! How did he find me? I am so freaked out right now. Should I open up the door for him?

I ran my hand through my hair, not knowing what to do. I wasn't prepared to see him yet!

He knocked on the door again, more urgently this time. I took a few deep breaths and decided to open the door.

Hesitantly, I turned the knob and opened the door for him. He was standing there, holding a bouquet of flowers and a card in his hands.

To be honest, he looked good. He was wearing his usual suit but without a tie this time. The first two buttons were undone and I could see a bit of what was beneath his shirt.

"What are you doing here?" I managed to say calmly even though my heart was racing fast.

He just stared at me with wide eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something but nothing came out. He just kept on looking at me... or something on me...

I looked down at myself and then I noticed he was actually ogling me! My little tank top and tight shorts barely covered my body parts.

I hid part of myself behind the open door and that's when he finally looked up.

"Hello Ms Parker. I uh... I came here to see you, and your mother." He said nervously. "I hope you guys are okay?"

"We're fine thanks but it's just me at home right now."

"Oh." I swear I saw a smile tug at his lips but he hid it immediately. "Can I come in then?"

"Okay." I opened the door wider for him and he stepped into the house.

What the hell am I doing?!

I really didn't want to let him in but I couldn't stop myself from saying yes. My body was so aware of him because he never took his eyes off me.

"Would you like anything to drink? Maybe tea, or coffee?" I offered after closing the door.

"I'ld like some coffee please." He handed me the flowers and the card. "Uh, the flowers are for you but the card is for your dad. I hope he's feeling better."

"Thank you. And yes, he is." I took them avoiding as much contact with him as possible. It was a get well soon card which was actually really sweet of him. "Do you want the coffee here in the living room, or in the kitchen?"

"The kitchen is fine." He smiled at me.

My heart did a backflip when I saw his perfect smile. I turned away from him quickly because I know I wouldn't be able to handle myself.

Why does he have to be so damn sexy?

I put the card on the dining table and went to the kitchen, he followed behind me.

I was extremely uncomfortable walking in front of him in my cotton shorts. I just hoped my butt wasn't wiggling all over the place. That would be so embarrassing.

I got a vase for the flowers, filled it up with water and put them inside. They were very beautiful but I kept them aside for now, later I would decide where to place them.

Behind me Mr Wilson sat by the kitchen island, never taking his eyes off me once. I could feel his stare like needles pricking my skin but I tried my best to pretend like I couldn't. I put water in a kettle and boiled it up. I bent down carefully to get the coffee beans and sugar from the cabinet below when I heard him hiss. I looked at him and saw him staring right at my ass.

I knew it!

I wanted to hit him for doing so but I couldn't blame him. What I was wearing was quite promiscuous, considering the body type that I have.

"Sophia, you never told me exactly what happened to your father." He asked. He noticed that I caught him looking so he tried to stop.

"He had a stroke and was operated on today. The doctors carried out three surgeries on him but he's fine now." I said facing him.

"Wow, I'm so sorry. I didn't think it was that serious. Three surgeries is a lot."

He was right. I'll have to work my ass off to try and pay off the hospital fees.

Then there won't be any ass for him to look at!

"I know." I said shakily.

He looked at me as if he was trying to figure out something... I don't know what but his eyes wondered from my face to my neck and then finally settled on my breasts. My current posture didn't help things as I had my palms resting behind me on the counter, and my chest sticking out. Deciding not to wear a bra was a terrible decision. As his eyes lingered there I could feel my nipples tighten from awareness and his brows lifted. He noticed.

No matter how badly I wanted to cover up, I just couldn't bring myself to move. Some part of me enjoyed the way he looked at me... and wanted to show him more. Just like that day in his office, when I showed him all of me.

I should really turn away or maybe put on that robe I had tossed away while cooking, but I couldn't.

"Sophia..." He started but before he could say anything further, the kettle switch went off. I used that opportunity to quickly turn around and grind the coffee beans, ignoring the weird moment that just happened. There was definitely a strong chemistry between us and I couldn't deny that.

"How many sugars?" I asked him as I made the coffee

"None. I was going to say that I will be attending a meeting in Michigan two days from now. It's between me and the board of directors of the Sytner Group."

"That's great." I placed the cup in front of him. "Would you like some milk with that?"

"No thanks. You know how I like my coffee." He said.

"That's true. I was just making sure because its a bit late."

I decided to look for my robe and put it on. But before I got passed him he gently held my arm, stopping me from leaving.

"I want you to come with me Sophia."

I looked at him incredulously.

Is he serious?

Does he expect me to leave my family and go to Michigan with him?! The whole point of taking a leave was to get away from work (and him).

"I'm sorry but I'm needed here in Richmond so I cannot come with you." I tried not to speak harshly.

"But I need you there with me, you're my PA."

"I took a leave Mr Wilson, you can find someone else to go with."

Maybe he could take that blondie he was kissing in his apartment the other day.

"I don't need just anyone to accompany me, I'm not going for recreation, I'm going for business."

"I can't believe you want me to leave my family and come with you just like that. My mother needs me here and my dad is sick! He just had three operations today! I can't just take off!"

"Okay Sophia, calm down." He slowly tried pulling me towards him.

"No! Get your hands off me!" I struggled and he let me go. "I can't believe how selfish you're being right now!"

"Please, there's no need to get angry, just listen to me." The way he acted like it wasn't a big deal made me even angrier.

"How did you even find me here?! Huh?! You think you can just show up randomly and expect me to-"

He didn't let me finish speaking before he pulled me flush against him and kissed me.