Five years later...

Jergen's eyebrows went up when he entered his boss's high-tech barn and saw his friends putting ten pesos each in a mineral bottle with a hole in the middle so the money could enter inside.

"Don't tell me you're betting on what color my hair is again?" he asked the six men in front of him with raised eyebrows.

Andrius scratched his head. "Well, it is the first Monday of the month. The day when you change the color of your hair."

Khairro frowned and smiled. "And no one seems to be winning with us." He gestured his hand to her. "You have rainbow hair. Great."

Thorn sighed. "And I lost ten pesos." He groaned. "Again."

He snorted. "Get out. All of you," he kicked out his boss's friends. He was also close enough to them that he was able to drive them away. "I'm here for my boss. I have something to report to him."

Khairro sighed. "Fine. Fine. We're leaving."

When the three had left, he looked around the barn. He couldn't see his boss. Where is that? He didn't want to play hide-and-seek here.

"Hello? Boss?" he said loudly.

A few seconds later, he heard a baritone voice.

"I'm here, Jergen."

He sighed, then followed the source of the voice. He saw her lying on the sofa bed and plucking the strings of the guitar she was holding.

Her boss looked so laid back as he strummed the guitar.

"Boss." Jergen took a deep breath while looking at it bored. "You're absent again."

Lysander looked up at him. "Yeah. I noticed."

She rolled her eyes. "No sarcasm, Boss. I might hit you with this folder I'm carrying right now. Do you know the traffic going here?"

The corners of his lips rose. "Always so bossy." He tsked and looked at her hair. "Nice. Who won?"

"No one," he said, then dropped the three folders he was holding onto her stomach and gave her a fake smile. "Last month's report is here. Do you know who I scolded to finish that report? Oh, wait, you don't know anything, Boss. You were absent for two weeks." He made it difficult. "You're so unfair, you know that? When we are absent, our wages are immediately reduced. Why are you, absent? That is not fair you know."

It caught his staring eyes. "I am your boss, you know that right?" it reminded him.

He gave her a bad look. "Unfortunately." He struggled again. "But that's not really true. Because of the two of us, I'm the boss because you don't come in."

Lysander just laughed, then picked up the guitar string again. "I'm bored, Miss Secretary." He sat down, then patted the empty space of the sofa bed in front of him. "Sit and read me this." He handed her the folder. "Reports? I don't want to read that. I'm bored."

Jergen sighed and shook his head. Yep. This was her boss. The boss he thought was serious and hardworking. It turns out that it needs a secretary to do its job.

It's nice to touch, eh?

"I do not want." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "That's your job. My job is done."

Lysander looked at her, his eyes smiling for an unknown reason. "If I raise your salary, will you read that?"

He stopped and stared at it. "Really?"

It shrugged. "Read the report. Now."

Jergen frowned and was forced to read the report for his lazy boss.

When he finished reading that, he looked at his wristwatch. Great. She wasted nearly two hours reading the reports. It's okay, his salary has increased.

"I have to go back to the office." He fixed the dress that was slightly tangled. "Unlike you, Boss, I have a job."

"You're insulting me, Miss Secretary." He gave him a bad look. "I am your boss. You have no right to speak to me like that. I could fire you."

He rejoiced. "Who are you scaring, Boss? Me? You're the one who's more scared because you're going to lose a secretary you can trust, she's so beautiful."

Amusement filled his eyes. "I am your boss, Jergen. Show some respect."

"And I'm your secretary and I'm doing your job." His snout lengthened. "I hate you, Boss. You came in. It can be tiring to be president and secretary at the same time." He glared at her. "You're stressing me out. My salary is not enough. It should be your salary, it's mine because I'm the one doing your work. Argh!"

Lysander just laughed. "I have a present for you."

He gave her a bad look. "You can't bribe me, Boss."

He grinned. "It's antique."

He blinked, then the blade in his eyes slowly disappeared. "Really? Antique?"

She loves old stuff like antiques. And her boss had always exploited her love for it.

Lysander wagged his eyebrow. "Yep. Don't you want?"

He frowned. "You're going to envy me again, aren't you? I'm really going to hit you, Boss. It's an antique! That's a different story."

"Nope. I'm not," he said, then picked up the guitar again and sang softly.

Jergen stared at his lazy boss, who hadn't come in yet. From where he stood, he could clearly see his strong arms and legs, his handsome face, his hair mixed with brown and blond, and his naturally red lips.

Her boss was smoking hot. But she knew better than to get attracted to him. Well, she already was, but she was just better at controlling and hiding it.

Lysander suddenly looked up and looked for the last time. The corners of his lips rose. "What do you like?"

His cheeks warmed but he didn't look back. "Nope. I'm looking at my boss."

He smiled. "Does your boss look handsome?"

He made it difficult. "Alright, lift the sofa bed. Your air is embarrassing, that's signal number five." He struggled with it again. "Let's go. I have a lot to do in the office."

Lysander laughed softly, then went back to touching his guitar.

He was walking away when he heard his voice.

"Open that box on the center table, Jergen."

He sighed. "I have to go back to the office, Boss—"

"Just open it, Jergen."

Annoyed, he approached the center table, then opened the box there. A blessed smile drew on his lips when he saw its contents.

"You like it?"

Jergen was startled when he heard Lysander's voice behind him. He soothed his chest with a quick pat, then took the contents of the box and faced the man. "This is..."

"It's an antique necklace from the Middle East." He smiled. "I got that last week when I was in Jordan. It looks old... just how you like it."

The smile on his lips couldn't be erased. "Is it mine?"

"Yeah." He grinned. "In return, you'll go hiking with me this weekend."

His smile disappeared. "So it's a bribe?"

"Nope." Lysander took the necklace from her hand, then put it around her neck. "This is a thank you gift for a job well done on running my company. And I'll pay you for hiking with me this weekend."

Hearing the word "pay," his eyes lit up. "Extra pay?"

He gave her a deadpan look. "It's like you'll come if there's no payment."

"No way." He pushed it. "And what if my foot hurts from hiking?"

He sighed. "I'll pay you for accompanying me, for your sore legs, for your aching back, and for wasting your time. Is that okay?"

"How much will you pay me?" he asked while smiling widely.

"Ten thousand."

Jergen's face became serious. "No deal. Twenty thousand."

"No. Fifteen thousand."

He smiled widely. "Deal. I'll see you this weekend then."

"Nope." He turned his back on her. "I'll see you tonight. At dinner. Make me cook."

"I don't want to." His snout immediately lengthened. "You're taking advantage of my skills, Boss."

"I'll pay you," he said with emphasis.

He immediately smiled. "Okay. I'll see you tonight then. How many more people will I cook for?"

It turned to him. "For two."

"Oh, you have a date." A smile dried up on his lips. "Should I buy you condoms too? So I can order online. That doesn't exist here in the Philippines yet."

Yes. She sometimes bought Lysander's condoms online. He was big and long and no local condoms here in the Philippines would fit him.

Goodness. What kind of penis was that? Fortunately, he is used to it. But at first, his eyes almost watered and he had been imagining it for months. 'It's good that his dirty mind has moved on now.

She did stuff for him. With pay of course. Nothing is free these days, no.

She was his very, very, very, very personal secretary. That's why he already knows his boss Lysander Callahan from head to toe and he doesn't hesitate to tell him something. She's been his secretary for five years now so she already knows what he's planning even if it's just a twinkle in his eyes.

"No condoms." Lysander rolled his eyes. "It's just a simple dinner."

She grinned. "Okidoki."

"Go. Leave my barn," she pushed him away. "Go to work because I'm paying you to work, not to talk to me about anything."

"Yes, Boss." He even greeted her before leaving the barn and the Bachelor's Village.

After leaving the village, Jergen stopped a taxi and opened the window. He couldn't take a taxi, car, or bus that smelled of air conditioning. He needs to breathe fresh air. Even if that air is full of pollution it's fine, as long as it's not air coming from the air conditioner.

He stopped in his thoughts when he heard his message alert tone ring. When he read that, he only replied with a dog smile.

No condoms. Buy a lubricant instead, it's from his boss.

He shook his head, then deleted the message.

No way. She wouldn't do that stuff. His boss will take care of his sex life. He even sympathized. It's embarrassing to be able to buy unless he finds something online. But when there is none, forgive them. It will be up to him to fit his long snake into the narrow cave of his dinner partner later.

"'MA, HOW MANY times do I have to say I'm not going there in Seattle." Lysander let out a violent breath. "I'm maybe bored here in the Philippines but I won't leave."

He heard his mother sigh on the other line. "Son, it's not against your father and I's knowledge that even if you're not there in the Philippines, the company we left you will run. That's why we're sending you here to Seattle. We miss you. We want to be with you."

Lysander sighed. "Mom, I have friends here. I'll visit soon but I won't stay."

"Is this because of her?"

He was stunned by his mother's question. "Mom, change the topic please."

"No," she spoke in authority. "Goodness, Lysander, how many years have passed? You still can't tell her that you like her? I didn't make you look cowardly and clumsy."

He pulled out his own hair. "Goodbye, Mother. I love you. Say hi to Dad for me." Then he hung up and stared at the barn ceiling.

Darn. His mother was really a pain in his ass sometimes. Good thing she wasn't in the country to bug him about his personal life.

Lysander was about to throw the cell phone on the carpeted floor because of the extreme boredom he felt when the message alert tone rang.

He opened the cell phone and read the received message. Seeing that it was from his secretary, he smiled.

Found a lubricant. You're really that big that you'll not fit without this?

He laughed softly, then replayed it.

You are the buyer of my condoms, you tell me.

You know, Boss, if you don't raise my salary a lot, then if I don't always have extra pay, I've long since resigned to your lewdness and weirdness.

He laughed loudly, shaking his arms.

Get to work there. I will reduce your salary, go ahead. And you're using the computer again, right? Are you online shopping again? I will actually reduce your salary by 20%.

It's OK. I will also reduce your salary by 70%, then I will just add to my salary what I deducted from you. Thank you, Boss.5 He

shook his head.

You're fired.

Jergen replied.

Ha-Ha. You're fired too, Boss.

He didn't reply but the smile on his lips couldn't be removed. His secretary did that to him sometimes. She made him smile in so many ways that he couldn't even explain. Maybe it was because...