Hot Night With CEO

Three days without visiting the office, Darian could already guess how much work awaited him. Various colored folders containing important files were piled up on his desk. Darian comfortably settled into his large chair and started to power up his laptop. While waiting for the screen to light up, he began to open the topmost folder.

Soon, a knocking sound interrupted Darian’s focus as he was engrossed in the documents in his hand. Fahira entered with a cup of coffee in her hand. Instantly, their smiles met and their gazes locked.

“I should leave you alone now!” Fahira said, looking at the mountain of files in front of Darian as she placed the cup of coffee on the table.

“Of course, you shouldn’t stay here too long if you want us to leave quickly,” Darian replied with a mischievous grin that made Fahira chuckle.

“Good idea!” Fahira replied and took a few steps back, leaning in to peck Darian’s cheek.

“Bye!” She quickly dashed out of Darian’s office before he could catch her.

After the door closed, Darian’s smile returned as he shook his head. He felt like a madman because of the secretary he had married just three days ago. Darian sighed and held his breath for a moment, then exhaled slowly as he recalled their passionate activities over the past three days. He loosened his tie to relieve the sudden heat that overwhelmed him.

Darian closed his eyes and repeated the word “focus” several times to clear his mind.

Time flew, and Darian had been immersed in the piles of files for almost two hours. The stack of folders that was once on his left had now shifted to the right side of his desk, leaving only a few folders behind. He put down the pen that had been glued to his fingers and stretched his numb body. He grabbed the coffee prepared by his beloved secretary and sipped it slowly, savoring every drop of the dark liquid that refreshed his throat. Standing up, he leaned against the desk and enjoyed the sun that was starting to move towards noon.

A faint smile appeared on his lips as he remembered his love journey with Fahira. An accidental meeting that led to something beautiful and would be cherished for the rest of his life.

The sound of two knocks instantly brought Darian back from his reverie.

“Come in!” Darian replied, with little interest in the bright view of Jakarta’s capital city outside.

“Excuse me, sir. Are these the files of the candidates for your new secretary?” David saluted with several folders in his hands.

Darian placed the empty coffee cup on his desk and moved to sit on the sofa, gesturing for David to do the same.

“Call Fahira, let her choose one for me,” Darian replied, then opened one of the folders that David had placed on the table.

David simply nodded, which drew Darian’s attention away from the folder in his hand.

“Is there a problem?” Darian asked when he noticed David’s troubled expression. He then remembered that David disappeared in the middle of his and Fahira’s wedding ceremony. “Oh, where were you during my and Fahira’s wedding?” Darian continued, using informal language.

“Just tell me. Maybe I can help with your problem!” Darian pushed the folders in front of him and leaned back on the sofa’s backrest. He could tell that his friend was in a serious predicament.

David looked at Darian with uncertainty, torn between being honest and admitting that he had betrayed his friend’s trust, or concealing the problem he had created himself.

“Tell me, David! I’m sure it’s not about a woman, right? Because if it is, ah… You must have fallen for your own words,” Darian prodded, but David remained unmoved.

“But unfortunately, what you said is true!” David replied, frustration creeping onto his once calm face. A moment later, Darian’s laughter filled the white and silver room.

“Who is the woman that managed to capture the heart of a ‘player’ like you, David?” Darian continued through his laughter.

David looked at Darian for a moment before replying, “She refused the commitment I offered.” Darian paused, looking at David in disbelief before his laughter erupted again.

Darian’s laughter slowly subsided when he noticed David’s flat expression, which clearly conveyed his anxiety.

“I’m always here if you need someone to talk to, David. At least there’s someone laughing at you like now!” Darian teased casually. Of course, he wouldn’t force David to share his problems if he didn’t want to.

“You should go back to your desk and discuss this with my beloved wife,” Darian instructed as he got up from the sofa and returned to his large chair.

David sighed, “Alright, Mr. Darian.” He then left Darian’s office feeling a mess. How could he share his problems with Darian when he himself was confused about his feelings for Alea? Moreover, there was no love or commitment between them. They were only having fun, so why was he getting caught up in emotions? Wasn’t living freely as he had been doing all along enough?

After David left, Darian remembered something he should have done earlier. He hadn’t contacted Gavin yet. He picked up his phone from the table, searched for Gavin’s contact, and called the young doctor to schedule Ariel’s health check-up.

***

At 3 pm, Fahira and Darian were already at home. They relaxed for a while in the living room, sitting on the sofa with Fahira in Darian’s embrace, enjoying the news on TV.

“Where are you going, Ariel?” Fahira asked, adjusting her sitting position when she saw Ariel coming down from his room, wearing his favorite hoodie.

“Just going out for a bit to find a girlfriend, so only you and Darian can date,” Ariel teased casually, ignoring Fahira’s sharp look, while Darian simply smiled, running his fingers through Fahira’s hair.

“Watch out if you really start dating!” Fahira threatened, causing Ariel to pause on the stairs.

“Yeah, yeah, Ariel. I’m going out with Arif for a while,” Ariel replied, only to be interrupted by Darian. “Don’t forget, we’re meeting Dr. Gavin at 4:30.”

“Got it!” Ariel raised his right hand and paused briefly on his temple with a smile before walking away.

Fahira sighed deeply and got up from the sofa, climbing the stairs towards her room, with Darian following behind.

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Now, the three of them were in a white and brown room with complete medical equipment. Ariel looked calm and relaxed as the handsome bespectacled doctor examined him, asking questions that the teenager promptly answered.

After the examination, Ariel returned to sit next to Fahira and Darian. Meanwhile, the handsome doctor named Gavin appeared serious as he wrote something on a white sheet of paper.

“So, Ariel can practice Muay Thai as long as it’s under the guidance of a professional coach. Actually, practicing Muay Thai is good for cardiovascular health, but Ariel must know his limits and follow the procedures. Oh yes, I’ll still give you the prescription as usual. The medicine should always be available just in case, although I’m sure Ariel is already healed,” Gavin explained, sliding the prescription in front of Fahira. For a split second, Gavin gazed at the beautiful face in front of him, a face he had longed for.

“By the way, if you need anything, you can call me!” Gavin continued after averting his gaze from Fahira, and then he smiled. He felt relieved seeing Darian’s loving gaze towards Fahira, but deep down, it was still difficult for him to let go.

The atmosphere of Ariel’s examination seemed normal, but Fahira could sense a cold aura enveloping the entire room. Gavin, who usually smiled a lot, looked serious and subdued, without the usual jokes he used to make during Ariel’s check-ups. Moreover, Fahira caught Gavin several times staring at Darian’s hand on her shoulder.

“Okay, thank you, Gavin!” said Darian, promptly bidding farewell with Fahira and Ariel.

“You’re welcome,” Gavin replied shortly, standing up to shake hands with Darian and Ariel, and then he smiled at Fahira.

After they left, Gavin sat back in his chair, massaging his temples with closed eyes, trying to calm his racing heart every time he met the woman he loved. A woman who could never be his again. Fortunately, Ariel was his last patient for the day, so at least he had plenty of time to calm himself down.

He let out a rough exhale as he remembered the conversation with his parents a while ago. They arranged a marriage between him and a woman who worked as an elementary school teacher in a public school in Jakarta. The daughter of his mother’s friend. Up until this moment, Gavin was still trying to find a strong reason to refuse the arranged marriage. He had no choice but to reject his parents’ request after failing to introduce Fahira as his potential wife. The only way to stop the arranged marriage now lay in the hands of the woman herself.

Gavin quickly reached for his phone on the table and searched for the contact given to him by his mother. In no time, the call was connected, and the melodious voice of a woman, like a radio broadcaster, greeted his ears. For a moment, he was taken aback by the beautiful voice on the other end.

“I’m Gavin, we need to meet briefly,” Gavin said after exchanging greetings. “After this, I’ll send you the address of the café,” he added, skipping small talk.

He got up from his chair and left his practice, heading to the employee parking lot. He got into his car and intended to stop at the hospital mosque, which was quite far from the parking area, to join the Maghrib prayer before meeting the girl he had just spoken to on the phone.

With his broad strides, Gavin entered a café with a sign that read “Greenday Caffe.” He scanned the green-themed café, surveying the visitors who were filling up the place as dinner time approached. Gavin intentionally scheduled the meeting after Maghrib prayer so that he could speak freely with the girl his parents wanted to arrange his marriage with.

In a corner on the west side, a girl dressed simply like a high school student waved at him. Gavin was momentarily confused and looked around, but there was no one else standing there. He pointed to the girl and then pointed at himself. The girl blushed and nodded her head. A little surprised, Gavin approached the girl’s table, trying to make sure if she was the same girl he had spoken to on the phone.

“Gavin, right?” She greeted warmly as she stood up and extended her hand. Gavin remained motionless, his eyes scrutinizing the appearance of the girl in front of him. She was wearing jeans paired with a soft pink t-shirt and a jacket draped over the chair she had been sitting on. She smiled widely, showing off her dimples.

Sweet.

“Let me introduce myself, I’m Farah Hanifah, just call me Farah,” the girl named Farah continued, successfully pulling Gavin out of his thoughts.

“Farah!” Gavin repeated, furrowing his brow. Out of thousands, even millions of names for women, why did he have to meet someone with a name so similar to the woman he loved?

Seeing Gavin’s strange expression, Farah responded, “Yes, I’m Farah. Is there something wrong with my name?”

“Of course not,” Gavin quickly replied, then took a seat across from the girl with a ponytail.

“Can I order something for you, Gavin? Coffee? Let me order it for you,” Farah asked with a blossoming smile.

“No need. I already had coffee at the hospital!” Gavin retorted when Farah was about to call the café server.

Gavin cleared his throat before getting to the point of the meeting. “Let’s get straight to it. I don’t have much time for this.”

“Go ahead!” Farah replied casually, stirring her guava juice with a straw.

“I hope you’ll reject the arranged marriage between us,” Gavin honestly stated with a serious expression, while Farah simply smiled meaningfully.

“Why can’t Gavin reject it himself?” Farah retorted, successfully rendering Gavin speechless. He felt his jaw tense before responding to Farah’s words.

“I can’t refuse my mother’s request. So the only one who can cancel this arranged marriage plan is you, Miss. Besides, we don’t know each other, and there’s no love between us,” Gavin honestly said, with a cynical smile on the corner of his lips.

“I also can’t refuse my parents’ request,” Farah paused her sentence as she observed the handsome man in front of her. She was certain that love at first sight wasn’t an empty phrase, as she now found herself admiring the cold man in front of her. “Besides, love can happen anytime, so there’s no problem, right!”

“Marriage is a crucial matter, and I don’t want to play games with it. For me, marriage is once in a lifetime,” Gavin insisted, but it failed to rattle the calmness of the girl in front of him.

Unlike Gavin’s intention to intimidate her and change her mind, Farah was instead enchanted and determined to make the man in front of her fall in love.

“I would never hurt my parents’ feelings, so please find your own way to cancel this arranged marriage plan,” Farah put on her black shoulder bag and got up from the chair, whispering, “Gavin, you’re handsome!” Farah walked away, leaving Gavin frozen, restraining the anger that had taken hold of his heart. Gavin really wanted to curse the girl if they weren’t in a public place.

“Farah Hanifah,” Gavin murmured to himself before quickly trying to catch up with the dimpled girl. Unfortunately, Gavin couldn’t find her anywhere in the café area.