Chapter 15; No Shame At All

FOR The past three weeks, Venice has been working well in the Boutique and Danielle lost count how many times she and Mikael went out to pretend like they're a real couple.

The formal dinner that Mikael told her three weeks ago get cancelled. Mikael leave the country for some business matter, his out of the country for almost five days now, but surprisingly, he call her earlier today to inform her that the dinner he mentioned was held tonight. They need to be there no matter what happens.

Mikael can't pick her up and due to his strict instructions, Danielle just went to his company building. She have no choice but to obeyed without complain.

"Good luck on your date with my brother."

"We're just going somewhere Venice, not going on a date." Danielle said laughing. Venice presented herself to do her hair and her make-up, she declined but she's to persistent, so in the end Danielle just let her.

"It's the same thing big sister." She smiled at her. From the day Venice started working to Rain Boutique she called her big sister, at first Danielle is not comfortable with Venice calling her big sister but as the day goes by, she started to get use to it.

Venice is so kind, sweet and easy to get along with and to talk to, so very friendly and bubbling.

"All right, all right, I'm leaving."

"I can take you to my brother's company."

"No, don't bother, I just take a taxi."

"Why don't you enrol to driving school and buy your own car so you can easily get to the places you wanted to go, anytime, anywhere and wherever it might be. It's very convenient."

Danielle averted her gaze. "I-i did that before but I think it's not my thing." She fake a laugh.

"Seriously? Big sister how can you say that?" Venice chuckled.

"I ashamed to admit but I did try to learn how to drive but no matter how hard I try my best it's still useless, I still can't learn." She reason out. Yes, Danielle try it one time but she has a phobia when she's in front of the steering wheel. A soon as she went in front of the steering wheel her panic and anxiety strick, and she start palpitating, gasping for air. She actually get admitted to the hospital when the first and last time she try to seat in front of the steering wheel.

"Oh, that's sad but it's not something you can be ashamed of. Your not the only person who doesn't know how to drive."

"That's a relief," Danielle smiled shyly. "By the way, I really have to go," she abruptly said and get her bag on the chair when she saw the time on the wall. "Mikael most be waiting for me, you know him, he hates waiting."

"Let him be."

Danielle laugh, and left the Rain Boutique. She just took a taxi to Quinlin Clothing Line. When she got out from the taxi, she looked up in amazement at the tall building in front of her. She look awe, mouth lightly open looking up the said building. She's quite aware that the Quinlin Clothing Line is not just a small and simple company but she didn't expect this one. It's far from what she could imagine.

Danielle feel small and and smaller every step she made entering the gigantic building. Her guts telling her to retreat, and a part of her telling her, she most leave, she has to because she doesn't suits in that kind of place.

"Hoo! It's now or never Danielle!" She murmured to herself. She's already here, there's no turning back now.

She took a deep breath and smiled to the two guard standing side by side in front of the building glass door who's smiling to her too. Danielle take the empty elevator from first floor to 67th floor, the top floor where the president office was.

"Excause me." Danielle called the attention of the woman sitting and facing the computer on her table. If she's not mistaken, she most be the president's personal secretary.

"Yes?" The woman asked so very strictly raising her one eyebrow, but she didn't bother herself to look up to Danielle.

"Ahem," Danielle clear her throat to get her attention again but the woman just stay still. "Is Mr. Quinlin inside?"

"Do you have any appointment?" Danielle just shook her head when the woman finally looked up to her after a couple of minutes. "You can't see him if you don't have any apppintment."

"He expects me here."

"I'm sorry miss but the president didn't give any notice that he's expecting anyone."

"But he called me this morning, he told me to come here." She explained, but the woman just laughed tauntingly, like Danielle said something unrealistic. "Miss I'm his girlfriend."

"Well, I'm not surprised. You're not the first person who barged in here claiming herself as the president girlfriend, worse there's some who have guts and shamelessly said they are his wife and they bearing his child." The woman shake her head disgustingly.

Danielle mouth open, feeling like a bucket of cold water with ice pour the top of her head. The woman hit her hard, that the fact that she's not really into relationship with Mikael, that they are just pretending is a real deal.

Did you already forget about that fact Danielle?

Oh, great!

"Miss if you have some shame on yourself, I advise you, you should leave."

"Sorry, but I have no shame at all." She smiled sweetly, but a force one. "Can you atleast tell him that I am here? My name is Danielle Riccardi by the way."

"I'm sorry too, but I can't. I don't know who you are or where you came from, even your name is not familiar to me. Actually, it's the first time I heard your—"

"What's happening here?"

The woman abruptly stood up in surprised seeing and hearing the strict voice of her big boss, standing a few step away from them. He still a few step away from where Danielle was standing but she can clearly saw Mikael's dark face, looking at her coldly.

"M-mikael!"

"S-sir,"

"Ms. Mendez what's going on here?"Mikael come near them and stop one step away in front of Danielle, who gasps in surprised looking up at him.

"I-it's nothing s-sir. She's about to leave, right miss?" The startled woman gesture her hands to Danielle.

"What?" Mikael's face darkened even more than it already was. He stared at Danielle with questioning eyes.

Danielle shook her head and lightly held her two hands up and wave at him, signaling him that it's not true.

"Ms. Mendez?"

"She's insisting to see you, claiming that she's your girlfriend sir." Ms. Mendez, Mikael's personal secretary explain, looking at Danielle sharply.

"She said that because it's the fact Ms. Mendez." Mikael wrapped his one arms around Danielle's small waist, it's always surprised Danielle everytime he do that whenever they're infront of other people, displaying his affection towards her, giving her no room to decline but to follow his lead. "Respect her like you respect me!"

Mikael's secretary eyes widen in shocked, then the color of her face vanished, as if she saw a ghost or heard something she shouldn't have hear.