"Cute? He's gorgeous!"
"Who's gorgeous?'' Joani asked her females colleagues with wide-eyed interest.
Her colleagues stared at her in astonishment, "Are you sure you don't live on the planet Mars?" One of them said exasperatedly, "How can you not know that we had a new colleague in the office since this morning?!"
"I know that there was a drop dead gorgeous guy in Mr. Tan's office this morning but I didn't know he was to be our colleague." Joani protested mildly.
"Joani, my dear." Elaine, the female colleague who had spoken now said sagely, "you really ought not to go around with your head in the clouds, you know."
"My job sort of requires me to do that, Elaine." Joani replied wryly, "I'm a copywriter, remember?"
"Oh my gosh, here he comes!" Corrine, another of her colleagues squealed shrilly.
Joani cringed inwardly at the exaggerated enthusiasm.
The vision she had seen that morning strolled past nonchalantly as if he was unaware of the universal admiration. Yet, he was not unworthy of such fervent appreciation for he looked like a prince straight out of the fairy tales. Dark blond hair framed a face that could only be described as beautiful, exquisite as was every feature. He was not overly muscular but had a body that gave mute evidence of regular exercise. He was taller than Joani but not by very much for Joani was considerably tall herself.
"What's his name?" Joani asked Elaine who was staring enrapturedly at his back.
"Wha..what?" Elaine broke out of her reverie to give her a glazed look.
Joani patiently repeated her question and Elaine's clouded eyes cleared, "Oh, his name. I think it's called Luke."
Joani rolled her eye heavenwards.
* * *
At one of their weekly meetings, Joani was innocently presenting her newest concept when Luke spoke up for the first time.
"Utter nonsense." were what he merely said but was enough to send blood rushing to her head and made her see red.
"Really?" Joani raised an eyebrow, "How so then?"
Her colleagues, hearing the steel in her deceptively calm voice, braced themselves for the inevitable storm.
Luke stood up and expressed his opinion, several opinions actually, about her standard of work and her general lack of imagination. He was eloquent and often waved his arms to emphasize a point. Mr. Tan looked very impressed. Joani was not however and she listened to his oratory with narrowed eyes and smoldering expression.
Finally he ended his speech with a flourish but no one dared to clap for Joani was looking as stormy as a thundercloud.
"Well...what an interesting observation. Mr. Luke Skit." She replied icily in response to his unspoken challenge, evident in his hazel eyes, "I'll do well to remember all that you said then."
"Erm...errr...well, the meeting's over then." Mr. Tan said brightly and proceeded to usher his staff out of the room. Joani followed him but gave Luke the evil eye before she left the room.
"Utter nonsense." were what he merely said but was enough to send blood rushing to her head and made her see red.
"Really?" Joani raised an eyebrow, "How so then?"
Her colleagues, hearing the steel in her deceptively calm voice, braced themselves for the inevitable storm.
Luke stood up and expressed his opinion, several opinions actually, about her standard of work and her general lack of imagination. He was eloquent and often waved his arms to emphasize a point. Mr. Tan looked very impressed. Joani was not however and she listened to his oratory with narrowed eyes and smoldering expression.
Finally he ended his speech with a flourish but no one dared to clap for Joani was looking as stormy as a thundercloud.
"Well...what an interesting observation. Mr. Luke Skit." She replied icily in response to his unspoken challenge, evident in his hazel eyes, "I'll do well to remember all that you said then."
"Erm...errr...well, the meeting's over then." Mr. Tan said brightly and proceeded to usher his staff out of the room. Joani followed him but gave Luke the evil eye before she left the room.
A raised eyebrow was all that met her eye.
