Paul is behind the counter with Chi when I walk into the hotel this morning, they pause what they are saying to greet me and I nod in response. He hasn't come to see me just yet but I know he has resumed work. The reviews on our website about our cooking services are the best we have received since I resumed here and it's all thanks to him.

He must have said something funny because Chi throws her head back and hit his shoulders as she laughs. I roll my eyes and continue to the elevator, the click-clack sound of my heels echoing in the empty lounge. He shouldn't be there, that's not his work station. But no matter, so long they are not making out on the reception desk, I can handle seeing them together every day.

Waiting in front of the elevator, I feel his presence behind me and I tense. The hairs on my neck stand when he grabs my bag from me and the ding of the elevator brings me back to the present. We make the short journey to my office floor in silence and I spend the whole time checking him out.

From my side view, I can see the visible bulge of his muscle in his grey sweatshirt which is paired with black jeans and Nike sneakers that look comfortable. I smoothen the invisible creases on my navy blue peplum gown, a wistful smile on my lips. I can't come to the office dressed like him in the name of comfort. It's a small price to pay as a manager and I need to dress the part.

"You look good," Paul says as the door slides open. I receive the compliment with a smile and pay him back in kind. He smirks, his head bobs up and down like he has been told one too many times that he looks good.

"UD. Udo. Paul," I start as my hand connects with the doorknob of my office, "just how many names do you have? Three? Four?"

Paul chuckles but doesn't reply until we are inside the office. "Just two, UD is from Udo which is still from Udoka and then Paul." He places my bag on my desk. "Chi calls me whichever comes to her head but she's the only one who calls me UD. You, how many?"

I am not sure if he added that bit about Chi to rile me up because I do not need that extra bit of information but I smile and nod.

"Two," I bark, making no attempt to explain myself further even with the twinkle in his eyes and the look of interest. He can get my information from the hotel's website or Chi.

He notices the shift in the atmosphere and clears his throat while I set to work on getting my laptop ready for the tasks ahead. My gaze wanders to him; I see that he's still standing so I offer him the seat across me.

"If I crossed a line, I apologise, madam," he says with an expression that's anything but apologetic and I respond with a fake smile.

My eyes shift to his lips, the hairs that are surrounding it and he smirks. I roll my eyes and place my laptop to the side. His arrogance is stifling and I don't want to believe he has a sweet or romantic bone in that mass of muscles he calls his body. I bet he takes Chi to the gym for their dates.

"You don't have to call me madam, not when we are alone. We have passed that stage." I tilt my head to the side and say, "I'm okay with you calling me by my first name."

In fact, I am okay with him calling me by whichever name he chooses to but he is off-limits so I will have to make do with Pauline, it's still my name. I can manage it.

"Okay, madam," he replies and relaxes into his seat like it's his office, not mine.

The arrogance, God! How can I be attracted to someone with an ego the size of a truck? I click my tongue and shake my head, if he intends to rile me up this beautiful Monday morning, his plans will not work.

There's no trace of familiarity in my voice when I ask, "You were supposed to come to see me last week, what took you so long?"

"You didn't call for me," he mutters and I cross my arms. "I didn't want to interrupt anything again so I was waiting for you to let me know when it was okay to come up."

My mouth opens and closes, I tug on my mini twists. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"You don't owe me an apology." He has not moved an inch from his position and his mask is back on. "And I didn't see anything."

"Paul..."

"Madam, why do you want to see me?"

My mouth forms the words before I can process it and they are out in no time. "Did you try to reach me? Maybe through Chi?"

"No."

A sharp pain goes straight through my heart at his admission, so he kisses me and that's just it? I scoff. Yet he claims to like me. To think that I didn't call him up since last week to give him a chance to forget what he saw or at least let the memory fade a little.

"I wanted to meet the new staff, welcome and give you a rundown of how we operate here..." I don't meet his eyes as I say this.

"Chi already briefed me on that," he cuts me off in a bored tone. "She told me everything I needed to know once I left your office."

My mouth opens again and for the second time this morning, I am rendered speechless. "Paul, whatever you saw isn't what you think it is," I finally manage to say.

What am I even saying? It's exactly what it is, I got the best thirty minutes of my life and he's still in a relationship with Chi. I can't get him out of my system and I don't want what he saw to affect our friendship or stop us from having a cordial working relationship. I'll be here for a while, he too.

Paul arches a bushy eyebrow, rising like a phoenix will from its ashes. "What you do in your spare time is none of my business, you don't owe me an explanation, madam."

"Stop calling me madam. My name is not madam; my name is Pauline. Pau-line," I shout out in frustration, hating the fact that he can remain composed in this situation while my insides are in a knot and my emotions are written all over my face.

"I'll address you by the right title, madam."

Days after my office romp with King, I am still on a high, a state of euphoria no one can drag me out of. My sleeping pattern has greatly improved, my mood is the best it has been in weeks but hearing Paul, this cocky asshole insist on maintaining this unnecessary formality has anger clawing at my throat. I want to slap the arrogance out of him. I am his boss; he will do as I say.

"Leave now. Get out of my office."

The brown-eyed devil dares to laugh and the only thing that stops me from stoning him with my shoe is the death-like grip I have on my chair. Is this a joke to him? He mocks a bow and closes the door behind him. I let out a small scream, he will not ruin my day, I refuse to let him ruin my day.

*   *   *

Vibrations from my table call my attention to the ringing phone. To avoid getting distracted, I put my phone on vibration mode. I hate how addicted I have become to Instagram but I can't bring myself to uninstall the app. It's a lifesaver; joy giver.

The phone rings again, I shut my laptop and pick it up. It is my mother, an older version of me. We have been told on numerous occasions that she looks more like my elder sister than my mother, that she's prettier too and it always brings smiles to our faces.

She attributes it to her getting married early and birthing me the first year of her marriage. I want what she has--had, a husband and kids to call mine. I want love.

My heart skips a beat, she doesn't call me often, she is more of a texting person. I eye the phone for a long time then pick. I won't be able to handle it if anything happens to her, I can't lose another parent. I can't.

"Hello. Mmá."

"My baby," her voice fills my ear and I grin sheepishly, I've missed it. "How are you?"

I have always been my mother's favourite, maybe because I am the first child and first female. I don't know but I like being called her baby. The move to Calabar has drawn us apart but we try to make up for it with constant texts and random video calls.

"I have been trying to reach Ebele but his number is not going through, today is his birthday," Mmá says and I nod with a smile.

Ebele is Mr Adams first name, only Mmá calls him that, he is an important man in our lives. With the death of his wife, all his children abroad, we have made it a habit to order him cake with the icing in his favourite colour. It's the best we can do, he hates parties. I give myself a mental knock and sigh, I can't believe I forgot today's date.

"I'll go to his office now," I promise and for a moment, I am tempted to ask her if she doesn't feel alone or misses a man's touch.

Daddy has been dead for many years now and she has not remarried, she doesn't even have a boyfriend. No one is home with her except for the maids, my siblings are all in school and like me, they barely visit home except for the long vacations. Mmá doesn't enjoy travelling, Enugu is the city she has known all her life, she can't leave the place.

We talk for a few more minutes while I pack my things and hurry out of the office with a promise to speak to her later. I dial Chi's number but she doesn't pick, I need her to help me check the bakery, see if we have any free cake for me to take to Madiba.

Tapping my foot on the ground, I keep dialling her number until the metallic door slides open and my anger returns in multiple folds. Chi is nowhere to be found, instead, Paul is in her place and he's smiling or rather, flirting with a female customer.

"Hi," I greet and the pair turn to me.

The lady returns my greeting halfheartedly, her eyes focus on Paul and I wait there, boring holes into her head. She has an indecent amount of cleavage showing and is doing little or nothing to hide her interest in the hot, handsome man behind the counter who seems to be enjoying the attention.

I don't fail to notice the business card she slides to Paul and as soon as she leaves, I pick it up and squeeze it. "Where's Chi?"

"Give it back," Paul says, his hand stretches to collect the card from me. I shake my head and he repeats, "Pauline, give it back."

"Where's Chi?" I ask and he folds his arms across his chest, bringing attention to the huge muscles of his biceps. "This is not your station; you should be in the kitchen." My voice raises by a notch. "You are not paid to flirt with the customers, get back to work."

An unfamiliar look crosses his eyes and I am afraid I have crossed the line but it's not enough motivation for me to back down. I drum my fingers on the counter, eyebrows raised and ask, "Where's Chi, Mister Paul?"

"She left because her shift has ended and I am only here because her replacement is late. Now please, give the card back."

"With pleasure," I say and tear the card into four pieces. That's payback for his attitude in the morning. "I need a birthday cake."

He puts the pieces back together into their original state, his eyes raise to meet mine and I shrink internally. Maybe tearing the card was overboard but in my defence, she was openly flirting with him and he didn't try to discourage her. It's not even a business card, she wants him but she can't have him. He's off limits to other females.

"You will have to get the cake yourself, madam. My shift ended," he takes a look at his wristwatch, "thirty minutes ago."

We have a few seconds stare down until I break it off and apologise, "I am sorry."

"Apology unaccepted, madam," Paul says.

"I'm sorry," I say again and try to touch his forearm but he pulls back without a word.

There is no time to stay back and properly apologise, I have to get to Madiba. I cast him one last look to see he is staring at me with annoyance written all over his face. I sigh in defeat and saunter out of the hotel. It's official, he brings out the mean girl in me.

A glimpse at my wristwatch shows that I have less than ten minutes to get to Madiba and I jog the remaining distance to the garage. When I am seated behind the wheels of my car, I place a call to Mr Adams favourite restaurant to book us a table.

My hands go to the pigeon hole of my car, opening it to reveal the small box containing the customised golden cufflinks I made for Edwin and I put it inside my bag. Now, I will gift it to a more deserving man.

In a few minutes, I park in front of the large building, my former workplace. I greet the gateman who is sitting on a stool outside the gate with a small radio blaring traditional music. He is always the last one to leave.

Walking into the building, my eyes zero in on Mr Adams car and I let out a breath I don't realise I have been holding in. I ignore the elevator and take the stairs with my hands steadying my leather handbag.

My office floor is below Mr Adams's and for some reason, I decide to make a stop there first. The knob twists under my hand and a surprised laugh escapes me. This is way past office hours, no one is supposed to be here.

The sight of the two people before me stuns me into silence, my mouth opens and closes. When I finally recover, I manage to whisper, "What is going on here?"