A big event before the big event!

Summer's trip to the florist first thing in the morning went well.

The man who nagged too much the day before managed to put together some great samples for Summer earning himself the down payment just as promised. Surprisingly, it was a very short meeting that the usually chatty man spent being a bit too quiet, Summer who was also more inclined into cutting the meeting short because of the menacing aura that Andrew next to her kept exceeding wondered if her colleague was having the same effect on the florist.

"All is good!" She beamed at Andrew on their way out.

The rest of that Friday went in a blur. Valentine stopped by her table a couple of times to get an update, her team pulled the changes together magnificently well under her supervision, and everybody was looking forward to the compensation that Valentine Hosek promised them.

"You did well, guys, you made me very proud," Summer said with a special glint in her eyes as she sat with her team in the small meeting room. She was the first to clap her hands in appreciation for her team's effort and then they followed clapping for themselves and for their leader who had been working nonstop with a leg injury, pushing the rest of them to try as hard as they can.

Everyone was walking out of the small meeting room enthusiastically now that the day came to an end, while Summer and Carol stayed behind gathering up the papers and exchanging a few last ideas about the event that was taking place the next day.

"Summer," Valentine's deep voice got their attention. "A word please?" The man who stood at the entrance of the room nodded politely at Carol.

"If you'll excuse me," Carol nodded and smiled back, she threw a sideway glance at Summer but hurried out right after.

Valentine closed the door, "The day is over, how are you?" he eyed her injured foot.

"It doesn't even hurt anymore, I might be able to wear heels tomorrow, ha ha..." she tried to joke. But judging by how serious his face was, her joke was bad. "Um, just kidding!" She waved her hand a few times, but his expression remained solemn.

"…I owe you an apology," he began.

"…?"

"I told you not to push yourself then watched silently as you did, I also asked that you escort me to the yacht event knowing all too well that you get seasick... you and your team will be well rewarded,"

"Valentine, I would've been there supervising the event whether you invite me or not, and my leg really wasn't in the way of my work! Working for someone like you… it's plenty rewarding itself,"

His mouth didn't change, but somehow, his eyes smiled. "If you're all done here, I'd like to offer you a ride,"

Summer's face fell, "I already made plans with Andrew,"

"I was just with him a while earlier, he will stay with his team for overtime this evening,"

Summer already saw that coming. Andrew had to be responsible for his ongoing projects and the ones that Summer had to postpone as well.

She smiled for Valentine, "Let's go then!"

***

The conversation with Valentine seemed to flow effortlessly as they went through the agenda of the event one item after the other. Being in his car for the second time was much less intimidating than the first time, and before she knew it, they were already in front of her place.

Summer realized something a bit too late, "I wasn't… I didn't give you directions…" she realized that her tone was too low and quickly made an effort to perk up, "Yet here we are! As expected of our capable CEO ha..ha ha," she laughed awkwardly then frowned at the amused expression on his face.

"We do have records of everybody's address, but it would be a bit hard for me to memorize every single one of them. The reason why yours is fresh in my mind is that I sent you something earlier," He tilted his head slightly to the left and pointed with his chin straight forward.

Summer followed the direction of Valentine's gaze and saw one of the company's cars parked near her building. 'But I could've used the same car to come back home, couldn't I?'

Valentine unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door, his size and his confidence while he crossed the front of his Land Rover seemed to mesmerize Summer, she only remembered that she needed to unbuckle her seatbelt after he opened the door for her.

"E-excuse me, one second," In her nervous state, she was all thumbs trying twice to unbuckle herself and not being able to, she was stuck because she fumbled too much with it.

Valentine's long outstretched hand was the first thing she registered and then she kept her gaze cast down to the left where his long fingers were undoing whatever damage she caused to his car. But she was too aware of how close he really was, occupying all the space that his large car provided in front of her, and the few inches left between them were saturated with his scent.

Her face tingled.

"There, you're free,"

Even his voice seemed too close.

She didn't say anything until she couldn't feel or see him around her, then she turned her head to the right and looked at him, he already had a hand waiting for hers so he could help her down the same way he helped her up the high car.

"Thank you," she said as she placed her hand in his and registered just how warm it is once more.

"My pleasure," he said as he took his good time to bring her down to the ground.

When she looked up at his face, there was a frown there. She followed his line of sight but all she could see was her building door closing and the figure of a man that had already gone inside.

"…I wonder if that was my brother,"

"I'll walk you inside," he said.

"Oh, there's no need for that, I can walk alone,"

"That's alright," he nodded at the driver who got out of the company's car and hurried their way with six bags in his hand. "I'll carry the bags for you, take my arm,"

Summer did what her CEO asked her to do, but the sight of the bags was suspicious.

"May I ask what's in there?" Summer asked as the two of them walked into the corridor leading to her apartment door.

"We've set a white dress code for the event, and you were swamped with work, I was sure you didn't have time to go shopping, not to mention the state of your leg. Perhaps you're already set with everything you need but just in case, I hope you accept my gift,"

Summer who felt heat spread through her cheek and neck had no idea what kind of an expression her boss was making as she kept her gaze forward. She had already asked Carol to borrow one of her white dresses and was going to send a taxi to get it on her behalf. She tried to fight the smile that spread on her face but the urge to smile was a bit too strong, "Thank you, it was very thoughtful of you,"

The two of them stopped in front of her door and she reached a hand inside her bag to get her keys. They made a rattling sound as they fell from her hand and hit the ground.

Summer just stood looking with an open mouth.

Valentine laughed out loud then bent down and picked them up, he was still laughing when he started unlocking her apartment door instead of giving her back the keys. He took them out after he opened the door for her, "Were you always this clumsy?"

"No," she said with a shaking head, "I'm just very conveniently so whenever you're near,"

Valentine chuckled as he placed the bags on the floor next to the opened door.

"Er, w-would you like to come inside for a cup of coffee?" she did not sound convincing at all.

Valentine narrowed his big brown eyes at her, "Another time, go inside and lock the door,"

Summer froze when he bent down once more since there was nothing to pick up from the ground anymore, Valentine planted a kiss on her cheek. Then he straightened up once more and waited.

"…"

"…"

A smile played on his lips, "…This is the part where you go inside,"

"Right? Right... have a nice evening..." She went inside and slowly closed the door without making eye contact. Once the door was closed, Summer leaned her back against it and placed her right palm over her cheek where he had just kissed her.

It was burning.