George spotted the girl dressed in a beige sundress at some distance as soon as he entered the restaurant and walked over to the table.
"Miss Candice, I am sorry for the last-minute meeting. We had a few changes, and we didn’t want your hard work to go to waste. Thus, it was better to change it before the prototype went into manufacturing," George said without sitting down.
Candice nodded shyly, her ears red, as this was the first time she had met George without Elara by her side to lighten the atmosphere.
The man’s handsome features were already a distraction, not to mention how sexy he looked while working, explaining things to her.
The way he rolled up his shirt sleeves, exposing his protruding veins, made it even harder for her to look at the paper in his hand.
And the fact that she had a massive crush on him didn’t help either.
"Miss Candice," George said to catch her attention.
The girl snapped out of her thoughts and looked at his amused smile.
"Are you seriously checking me out when I am explaining the changes in the prototype we need?" George asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"No! Why would I do that? I am a professional, Mr. George," Candice nearly shrieked, making her pupils dilate as she realized how defensive she sounded.
"Excuse me," Candice said, standing to take a short break, running from this embarrassment for the time being, honestly, but as soon as she stood, her hand knocked over the glass of water, and the water rolled on both sides, wetting George’s pants along with her dress.
"Oh my god, I am so sorry." Candice quickly pulled out a few tissues and walked to his side before wiping George’s pants, without even realizing where she was touching, and the man stiffened.
"It’s okay, Miss Candice. I can handle myself. You can help yourself first." George tried to stop her hand.
"No. It’s my fault. I should be the one helping you. Please forgive me. I am not so clumsy usually. It’s just that before you, I act like that," Candice blabbered, and George looked at the girl, his lips twitching as he fought back a smile and a growl of annoyance because of how dangerously close her hand was to his manhood.
"Miss Candice, please. I can help myself. This is not appropriate." George held her hand to stop her when she was still not getting the hint, and the girl looked up, his locked jaws and dark gaze making her gulp as the realization of how close she was to him dawned upon her, and she swallowed hard.
She looked down at his pants and then up at his face, her cheeks turning beetroot red as she finally understood her mistake.
"I... I am sorry. I didn’t mean to." Tears welled up in her eyes, and George’s pupils dilated.
"Hey. Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying? Was it the food? Do you find it inappropriate?" George helped her up, and the girl’s lips trembled.
"I messed up so bad. This... I didn’t mean to ruin this meeting, stare at you, or dirty your clothes. It’s just... I spoiled everything. Maybe my dad was right. I am not built for this and am just an incompetent girl," Candice teared up.
George’s eyes softened at the words, and he looked around at all the people who were starting to look at her, his lips pursed.
Though she was working hard for her company independently, she was still a Stewart, and people were supposed to gossip.
Not wanting people to look at her in her embarrassing state, the man took off his jacket and placed it over her head to hide her face.
He then placed his hand around her shoulders and walked her out of the restaurant to his car.
He nodded at his secretary to settle the bill and take a different car.
Once inside the car, George finally turned to her with a helpless smile.
"Who said this ruined anything? Haven’t you heard of the saying? To err is human. Do you think only you made a mistake? I have seen highly trained men lose their control in certified meetings and end up making a fool of themselves. You, on the other hand, make me proud," George said.
Candice sniffed before squinting her nose.
"I do?" She asked, dabbing her tears with her handkerchief.
George chuckled before he started the car and drove aimlessly.
"Yes. You work hard for your dream, dare to stand for your rights and opinions, and voice out your thoughts rather than keeping them to yourself. You are expressive, Miss Candice. And you should know it’s a luxury for many," George said, briefly looking at her.
Candice’s emotions started to calm at his words, and she nibbled at her nails.
"I am sorry about the meeting. You are already on a tight schedule, and because of my little situation, you had to postpone your work," Candice whispered, almost inaudible.
George hummed.
"I couldn’t help it. No matter how strong I look, I am scared of my sister, you see. And if she found out I made her friend cry, she would have my head," George said, and Candice chuckled through her tears.
That wasn’t an understatement. She could picture Elara doing so, actually punching George because he made her cry. Elara used to protect her at college all the time, too.
"Do you see me just as your sister’s friend?" The question slipped out of her mouth before she could control herself, and her pupils dilated.
She shook her head and was about to correct herself when the man beat her to it.
"I have been aware of your crush on me for quite some time, Miss Candice. It wouldn’t be a lie to say it was one reason I wanted to work with you. I like the woman who likes me, close," George said before he stopped the car to the side and stepped out of it.
Candice’s heart skipped a beat before it started beating erratically. She looked at the man who walked to the ice cream parlor.
What did he say? Has he always known about her crush? The more Candice thought about it, the giddier she felt in her heart, and she couldn’t help but clench and unclench her hands in nervousness.
Did that mean she had a chance with the man? Her heart fluttered just at the imagination. How amazing would it be if it turned out to be reality?
She saw George walk out of the parlor with two ice cream cones before he signaled her to come out.
Candice looked at her reflection. Her eyes were a little puffy but not too bad.
She walked out of the car and walked to where the man was standing.
"Here," George extended the cone with the Oreo scoops, and her lips twitched.
He even knew what flavor she liked.
The man, as always, was quite observant, and she looked towards the hill that presented the marvelous view.
"Don’t tell my sister about it," George suddenly said, and Candice looked at him, confused.
"I don’t want her to think I corrupted her friend," he said, and Candice chuckled, smudging the side of her lips in the process.
The man smiled before he wiped the ice cream with his thumb and then licked it softly, all the while maintaining eye contact with her.
"Then, am I allowed to corrupt her friend?" George asked, and Candice blushed before looking away, biting her lips nervously.
"Mm," She hummed softly after some time, and George smiled before shaking his head at the girl.