A PIECE OF TRAP

Troye is now in the fifth mall to look for a boba, and is loitering around for about three hours already. He had been wandering far from the building, but he hasn’t found that thing that Hailey had ordered him to bring. And now, his attempt to find it had exceeded the numbers of his one hand.

“Is there even a boba in this city?” he murmured in a slightly frustrated tone. Once again, he started to doubt the existence of it as much as how he did doubt the car in the parking lot.

She could have ordered it, instead, he thought. But he eventually contradicted against that thought when he knew very well that his boss just wanted him out of her sight when in the first place, she didn’t need someone like him.

But since she needed him to keep his company around her in behalf of her mother, then she had no other choice but to make a good use of him. He might be more useful in the future.

“Uhm, excuse me?” he had left with no other choice but to approach some people in hopes to know where he could buy that. That person halted and turned his head to him. He had that grim look of him, so Troye was kind of taken aback. “Oh, nothing. I thought you were someone I knew.” He flashed an awkward smile.

Seeing that look of that person just outrightly told him to get out of his sight. It’s likely telling him ‘fuck off’.

So, he went after another person instead. But this one possessed the look of melancholy that he doesn’t want her to be bothered by such question. Thankfully, the people he could approach didn’t end just the two of them.

In fact, he’s in a crowded place. This mall seemed to be so popular that you could tell by just seeing its interior and the amenities. He could still ask to other people. Troye wandered his eyes around to look for a person who could surely give him answers with welcoming look. Not that from afar, a man with lightful look caught his attention.

He quickly went on his way before he could lose his sight of him. He greeted him with delightful look as him.

“Can I ask you some question?” he smiled at him. This person’s looks are enticing him to flash the same look on his face. The stranger turned his head to him and slightly widened his eyes in surprise.

“Oh, sure!” he answered jovially.

“I just wanted to know if you happen to know where I can buy boba.” Troye threw away. They were pretty in the same height with same body built. They are almost the same other than their hairstyles.

Troye’s pretty messy hair with bangs split, was turned into a hair slicked to one side. He really was possessing the aura of a bodyguard. Whereas this person has well bangs.

“Oh, a boba!” the man exclaimed in recognition. “I know where to find it!” Troye expanded his eyes in happiness.

“Unfortunately, though, you can only find it in our city neighborhood.” His eyes expanded once more, but not because of happiness, but of pure shock.

City neighborhood!?

“But rest assured, you, going to other city is worth the hassle! It tastes great, I tell you. You might even regret your name for a while once you got a taste of it.” The man assured him after breaking out the unfortunate.

“Really?” breathlessly, he replied. He quite had a trouble of processing what the stranger had said. The man nodded at him joyfully and gave him the full details of the place where he can find it.

“Then, see you if I see you!” the man then bade his goodbye to him. “Have a good taste of it!” he continued and blinked at him.

While Troye was completely at loss. “She didn’t even bother telling me at least that it can only be found in the other city…” he whispered with a frown. “She really is at it. She’s playing with me right now.” He smirked at the realization.

“I’m going to let this slide for now.” He added. Well, to be frank, there’s no way he couldn’t let something as terrible as this to slide, since he’s just a bodyguard who do what she orders him to begin with.

But who knows… he might eventually tame her. As how he dances in her palms, it might turn to the other way around.

So then, he went to the nearby city wherein he can buy that damn boba. It took him a while unfortunately, because this city is goddamn wide and huge! You could easily get lost in here if you didn’t have a map. But thanks to the latter, his job was at least become easier to buy it.

“You took your time, Mr. Gomez.” With grim eyes looking at Troye that seemingly see through his soul, Hailey welcomed him. She was sitting on the same seat with her arms and legs crossed. “Didn’t I tell you to come back at exactly after thirty minutes?” Hailey stood up.

Troye halted and his attention was caught by the following remarks from his boss. “Pardon, ma’am? I cannot remember hearing that from you.” He opposed as respectful as he wanted to be sounded as, even though he didn’t feel to do so.

Hailey tilted her head with those eyes looking at him. She frowned and said, “Then you must have broken your ear. I told you to bring me the boba as soon as after thirty minutes! How can you possibly forget about that?!” Hailey yelled and grabbed the package where the boba that Troye bought is at.

“And what?! Are you expecting me to have this fucking melted boba? Are you appearing back in here as dumb as you are right now? God!” she went on and Troye just let her do so. A second later, he rashly threw the package on the trash bin, shocking Troye a bit.

Does he even have the right to talk back to her as a bodyguard? No, but as a person, he does.

“From what I can recall, this is what you said, ma’am. ‘Don’t get me wrong. I’m doing this because your presence irritates me. Get out and get me a boba. Don’t come back if you didn’t bring any’. Can you point it out to me where the ‘thirty minutes’ is at… ma’am?

Troye didn’t come back with a memory loss neither an amnesia nor was he attacked with dementia. His memories are still as good as new, so why does this boss of his is claiming something unworldly phrase?

Hailey narrowed her eyes at him. But not because the way he copied her voice, but the fact that he insisted and talked back to her. “And you dared to talk back to me?” she responded in low voice.

“That wasn’t as the way you interpreted it, ma’am, but just a mere response to you who was misspoken.” He politely answered, and Hailey was all ready to get fury at him, when an interruption of the bell ringing caught their attention.

“I don’t know where in the world you get that, Mr. Gomez. But you’ve just got yourself a punishment for bringing me a fucking melted boba and exceeding the time I’ve set. Now, open the door for that person to come in.” She remarked continuously.

As bewildered as Troye right now—despite maintaining his composure—he still abided with his boss and opened the door for that person. He didn’t know if this is still a part of Hailey’s charade. They both know how she hated his presence even though it is still his first day, and that could be the fact that made Hailey act that way.

He wouldn’t just let her go through, though, for he needs a job.

“Hey, it was you!” Troye lifted up his head when the person had already come in. He was lost in his thoughts for a moment that he didn’t notice the visitor. And as shock as this person is, Troye also looked at him the same way.

“Wait…” his eyes dilated as it looked at the person intently. “You were that dude from Abeeza Mall!” he exclaimed. His mood suddenly lighted up.

“What are you—” the person’s words were cut short when his eyes traveled down to what he was wearing until he realized what he does. “You are her bodyguard?!” extremely shocked, he told him, as he casted a glance at the puzzled Hailey.

“What’s going on here?” in a lowly tone, Hailey asked without hints of fury anymore, but instead of bewilderment.

“Oh! I just happened to ran into him earlier, ma’am, as he asked about where could he buy a boba.” the man answered with a wide smile across his face. “What a small world! I’m also working under the same company!” he exclaimed joyfully with eyes sparkling like a kid.

“Really?” surprised, Troye replied.

“He’s my secretary.” Brows in almost one line, Hailey answered, which really did leave Troye in utmost shock.

“So!” the secretary suddenly exclaimed. “How does the boba taste? Worth the hassle, isn’t it?” he asked with delightful look. Troye just scratch behind his head and gave him an awkward smile.

“I didn’t—”

“I threw it away. It was mine to begin with, anyway.” Hailey cut his words short, leaving the secretary in shock.

“Wait, what?!” the woman just looked at him intently before returning her gazes to Troye. “You made him all the way to the neighborhood city only to throw it away?!” Hailey’s gazes went back to the secretary after hearing that.

She looked at him with the looks of disbelief painted on her face. “W-What?” but the secretary just shook his head at her.

“Don’t worry, sir, I’m going to buy you one next time.” The secretary promised to Troye, making him halt. But then, he smiled at him in return. “But first, I haven’t introduced myself to you… So, I am Kyle June Hanges, a secretary of hers.” He pointed Hailey who’s just looking at them.

Troye also introduced himself to him and accepted his hand for a formal introduction.

Hailey just watched them with furrowed brows, however, behind those expression hides a shocked one. She didn’t want to believe her secretary for saying he bought it in nearby city, but knowing how late he came back… It must be true.

“Before this pointless conversation go further, just a reminder that you came here to work. Mr. Gomez, don’t forget your punishment.”