My Online Crush Is My Boss

My online boyfriend was incredibly clingy. His most hated person, without exception, was my boss. Because our boss was old-fashioned, rigid, and unsympathetic, I often had to work overtime.

Then, one day, we were finally going to meet in person.

The person sitting at our agreed-upon table number 13 was, to my horror, my boss.

Babe, its been half an hour since we chatted, and I miss you already. Wanna game tonight?

My online boyfriend sent this message just as my boss walked into the office, both hands cupping his phone, typing furiously. My bosss hair was meticulously combed, his suit jacket buttoned all the way to the top. He wore expensive, yet extremely old-fashioned, leather shoes and clutched a square briefcase under his arm. How to describe it? He dressed even more conservatively than my own father.

All the department colleagues sat stiffly, pretending to be utterly swamped with work. I didnt have time to check my phone, and my online boyfriend must have gotten impatient, as my phone chimed several times in quick succession. My bosss long fingers clattered on his phone, and without even looking up, he called the manager into his office. He left us with the image of a busy, corporate elite.

The manager frantically called out to me, Hazel, the proposal! Hand it over, quickly, quickly!

Please put in a good word for me, I said, hands clasped together, watching devoutly as the manager entered that ominous door. A moment later, a roar erupted from within the office, Whose garbage proposal is this? Redo it!

I pulled out my phone expressionlessly and replied to my online boyfriend.

Overtime tonight, cant game with you. Boss is deliberately being difficult.

Soon after, the manager emerged from the office, his face a picture of misery. Simultaneously, my phone rang.

Your boss is completely insane, isn't he?

Making employees work overtime only shows his incompetence! I curse him to go bald eventually!

Im so mad.jpg

My fingers flew, a blur of motion as I quickly typed to appease him.

Dont be mad, sweetie.

Good boy?

Dont be angry, please.

I wanted to keep coaxing him, but a colleague next to me suddenly nudged my side. I belatedly realized the office atmosphere had gone quiet. I quickly put down my phone and looked up, meeting my bosss stern face.

Your name is Hazel? Youre quite pretty.

My face flushed, but then he adjusted his antique black-rimmed glasses, and his tone shifted, cold and harsh, as he roared:

Pretty face, but no brains, huh? The proposal is that bad, are you a pig? And you dare to slack off and play on your phone during work hours?

So, you playing on your phone is work, but me playing on my phone is slacking off, right?

Revise it and bring it to me yourself. Ill personally review it!

Once my boss left, my face crumpled. The world where my colleagues left freely, and I stayed to work overtime, had come to pass. Oh no, and that workaholic boss inside.

My online boyfriend sent a voice message: Babe, Ill wait up for you while you work overtime. I cant sleep without hearing your voice, you know~

Me: Though I hate for you to stay up, if you sleep, youre a dog. You must stay with me.

Online boyfriend: Understood. Your boss is truly despicable. The forecast says rain tonight. Im so worried, Babe, should I come pick you up?

Me: How can the meeting date chosen by fate be changed so casually? Dont worry, Ill crawl home even if its raining knives to coax you to sleep.

Online boyfriend: Love you so much, Babe. Tomorrow, when we meet, Im going to kiss you to death.

My face turned crimson, and even working overtime felt energized.

Finally, I finished my work. Outside, as predicted, it was pouring rain. I grabbed my umbrella and was about to head downstairs when, of all the cursed luck, I ran into my boss, also leaving.

Your name is? Why are you only just leaving? Ill give you a ride.

Damn it, weren't you the one who made me work overtime? Dont act so innocent!

I forced a laugh: Sir, my name is Hazel. You dont need to bother; I can go by myself.

Get in. Im in a hurry.

My face fell as I followed him. The atmosphere in the car was dead. My boss brought up the proposal, and I sat stiffly, reporting on it the whole way, feeling utterly miserable. What a terrible nightmare. I swore I would never get in his car again. Not even if it killed me.

After my shower, I called my online boyfriend. His soft, drawn-out voice immediately came through.

Babe~ I missed you so much.

Just got home. Are you outside? I hear rain.

Its because youre working overtime, cant chat with you. I dont want to go home, so lonely~

I chuckled, Good boy.

He cautiously asked, Babe, are you in a bad mood?

I huffed with annoyance, My boss called me a pig.

He suppressed a laugh and said, Bosses often like to insult, dont they? My little piggy~

I was instantly cured by that little piggy. In my boyfriends words, I was a soft, bouncy, pink-bubbled cute little pig, unlike the hard-nosed wild boar my bosss cold, harsh words made me out to be.

I giggled, Oh, darling, what would I do without you!

My boyfriend was very excited: I wouldnt leave you for anything, Babe. Well be together forever! Were meeting tomorrow, Im so nervous. How do you want me to dress?

I blurted out, Just dont be old-fashioned.

Boyfriend: Understood.

The next day, before noon, I whispered a word to my manager and snuck out to meet my online boyfriend. Thirteen was my lucky number, so we agreed to meet on the 13th of this month, at 1 PM, at Table 13 of the Cafe 13 on Lucky Lane.

I arrived early and went to the restroom to reapply lipstick. I happened to encounter a man styling his hair. Our eyes met in the mirror, and we both froze. I was shocked to realize that this handsome man, dressed in trendy clothes, with a stylish haircut and no glasses, was my rigid boss!

He gave his familiar scowl, glanced at his wristwatch, and his voice, as stiff and sharp as ever, spoke: Your name is? Leaving during work hours? Thats double pay deduction!

You bastard

My name is Hazel!

My good mood for meeting my online boyfriend immediately vanished by half. So much so that when I arrived at Table 13 for our date, I didnt notice that my boyfriends back was exactly like my bosss. I just walked over, and when I saw my bosss face, the shock was so immense that my head buzzed, and I nearly lost my footing.

Unwilling to give up, I saw the red rose, our secret signal, on his right. Thats when the last shred of hope died. He, too, showed a surprised expression. My mouth moved faster than my brain, and I smoothed over the situation flawlessly.

Sir, I just wanted to let you know that the reason Im here during work hours is because a colleague asked me to help buy coffee beans. I was simply being helpful.

My boss kept looking at his wristwatch, curtly dismissing me: Salary still deducted. Say one more word, and its another hundred off.

I shut up and turned to leave. Walking out of the cafe, my mind was in turmoil. All I could think was: My online boyfriend is actually that old-fashioned, rigid Mu Baldry, who stares and scolds me?! Utterly absurd.

I tried to find common ground between the two, but found none. My online boyfriend spoke softly, was clingy and playful, and always smiled. Whereas Rory Baldry was rigid, old-fashioned, never smiled, and spoke harshly like a stone from a latrine, with his unchanging middle-parted hairstyle and traditional suit. It was hard to imagine him saying things like Babe, Im going to kiss you to death with that demeanor. The funniest part was that Id taken a double pay deduction to come meet him! Even funnier, my original leave request was rejected by Rory Baldry because he was picky about my proposal.

Just as I felt like spitting blood, a terrifying thought suddenly struck me: Did he recognize me? In my anxiety, Rory Baldry suddenly sent me a voice chat request. I quickly hung up, but he sent another message.

Babe, where are you? Ive been waiting so hard for you, but dont rush. Take your time. Ill wait for however long it takes.

Waiting patiently for you.jpg

Opponent is typing

The word Babe burned me, and faster than my mind could react, I instantly clicked delete friend. Then I regretted it. I should have at least said goodbye, since we had been so genuine for so long. The street was bustling with traffic, but as I walked through it, the world felt too quiet. Staring at my darkened phone screen, I really wanted to cry. I was heartbroken.

The heartbroken feeling intensified when I returned to the office to work on the proposal. My mind was consumed by him calling me a useless pig who couldn't even make a decent proposal, yet had the nerve to play on my phone C but he wasn't even working at the time, was he? Now, in hindsight, I was certain he had been bombarding me, and only me, with messages from the moment he entered the office building. It was infuriating.

Yet, a wave of longing still washed over me. After all, when we were dating, he had eyes only for me; I could feel it through the phone line. We met in a game. He was terrible but loved to play. Once, I saved him, and the next day, we were paired up again, and I carried him to victory. He worshipped me, following me everywhere, shamelessly becoming my apprentice. Later, when I learned he had grown up an orphan, I felt even more pity for him, always trying to cheer him up. One of the reasons I worked so hard was to help him save money to marry me.

My imagined online boyfriend: grew up in an orphanage, struggled alone, unloved.

The reality: after his father passed away, he inherited several companies and a large fortune. He was adopted by his fathers comrade, the wealthiest man in our city.

I quit! Whoever wants to do this garbage proposal can do it.

The next day, I arrived at work with dark circles under my eyes. As soon as I arrived, I heard a thunderbolt of news: Snap to it, hes here. I instinctively shivered, wide awake: Doesnt he only come once a week? As I said it, I slid back to my desk, pretending to be busy on my computer. Rory Baldrys black-rimmed glasses flashed, and he seemed to glance in my direction. A daring thought suddenly struck me. He couldn't have figured me out, could he? I should have deleted him earlier. Isnt this just giving myself away? No, no, hes so old-fashioned, hes not that smart about these things, I tried to comfort myself.

Turns out I was wrong. The manager tapped my shoulder: Hes calling for you. Then he gave me a look that said, good luck. I clutched the new proposal, nervously knocking on the door. I hoped he really just wanted to talk about the proposal.

After a terse "Come in," I pushed open the door, bravely offering the document: "This is according to your feedback..."

He cut me off, a shrewd glint behind his glasses: "Tell me again, why were you there yesterday?"

"Huh?" What did I say yesterday? "Oh, I went to buy coffee beans, for a colleague."

"Which colleague?"

"Alice." I'll have to warn Alice later, even if it means buying her breakfast for two weeks.

His long fingers tapped his thigh, "I told you to work on the proposal. You had spare time to buy coffee beans for the materials department, which you have nothing to do with?" I was caught off guard.

"Do you play games?"

The topic changed too quickly. I answered loudly, "No."

"Not even Candy Crush? I heard all the company employees play it."

Damn it. "Candy Crush, occasionally."

He suddenly revealed a playful smile on his perpetually expressionless face: "Did I ask what game it was just now? You answered so readily." I gasped and leaned back a little, loudly declaring my loyalty: "Good employees who work diligently don't waste time on boring things like games."

"Call that person in."

I whispered, "Alice."

He nodded: "Right, and you stay."

Okay.

The same question. Alice glanced at me, then began to recite our pre-arranged story: "I'm new to the company, and I sprained my ankle, didn't dare tell department colleagues. Hazel is kind, so she helped me buy it."

"Do you play games?"

"Huh? What games? Poker, Candy Crush those I play."

"What about shooter games?"

"No, I don't play those. Mr. Baldry, why do you ask?"

"Are you in an online relationship?"

Pfft

I couldn't hold back a mouthful of tea, spitting it onto my boss's suit pants. I quickly grabbed some tissues and knelt down to wipe it. "I'm so sorry, I have a loose tongue."

Then both of us paused simultaneously. "Loose tongue" was almost my catchphrase, which I politely added after mocking an opposing team in-game. Im so used to talking smack, what do I do? He must have figured it out, right? Maybe I should just resign.

Did you learn that phrase from a colleague? Rory Baldry gave me an out.

I pecked like a chicken: Yes, yes, yes, colleagues say it all the time, I picked it up.

Rory Baldry said to Alice: You can go out now.

Alice left, utterly confused, just as she arrived. I havent finished answering the questions. What does it all mean?

Rory Baldry pulled out his phone: For Candy Crush lives, add me.

I confidently and openly displayed my main accounts QR code. He opened my main accounts profile picture and looked at it for a while, his expression unreadable. I also opened his, and saw the familiar blank avatar with a tiny period in the middle. For a moment, I was shocked that he was using his main account for an online relationship. Didnt he even bother with an alias?

Leave the proposal, you can go now.

Rory Baldry returned to his businesslike tone, looking down at the documents, exuding an air of aloofness. I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking I should keep my distance from him from now on, lest I expose myself. I even planned to transfer to a department on the farthest floor from him.

But when I got back to my cubicle, my butt hadnt even settled into the chair before the manager tapped my shoulder.

He said the proposal is no good. He wants you to pack your things and move to his office to work. Hell supervise you personally. You can come down when its done.

Me: ?????

The manager gravely clasped my hand and said, Take care.

My other colleagues collectively pulled candles from their drawers and silently lit one for me. Well, they were true colleagues; they actively helped me pack my things, swiftly dismantling my computer and moving it to my bosss office.

If it weren't for your desperately suppressed laughter, I might have actually been touched.

When I returned to my bosss office, I nearly gasped at the sight inside. Rory Baldry was emerging from the lounge, and in that short time, he had changed into an outfit eight hundred miles away from his usual attire: this years most fashionable leather shoes, a perfectly tailored silver-gray slim-fit suit, the top three buttons of his shirt undone revealing his sexy, long neck, even his hair had changed from a middle part to a charming slick-back, and his glasses had vanished.

He was incredibly handsome, wasnt he? Just as handsome as he was on our meeting day!

At that moment, he was struggling to untie a knot in his necktie, his face flushed red. Our eyes met. His ears visibly reddened. Hazel, do I look alright dressed like this?

Faced with such a handsome mans shy question, my first reaction was that he actually remembered my name. My second reaction was, old dog, new tricks C he actually cares about his appearance? Was there anything more startling than this?

I cautiously asked, Are you?

Dont dont you all dislike how I usually dress, saying I look like a headmaster? I want to make some changes. Can you give me your opinion? Is this okay?

I gave him a thumbs up. We like whatever you wear, sir. But of course, this look is even better.

He seemed rather dissatisfied with my answer, his lips pursed into a thin line: Hazel, come over here and help me with my tie.

Coming right up!

I quickly put down my documents and trotted over. The knot was tight, and we had our heads close together, working on it for a while. I hadnt noticed before, but his Adams apple was so sensual, and the clean scent of him was incredibly pleasant. I was dizzy from the strong, mature masculine scent, and his solid chest, half-exposed, was simply captivating. Damn it, this man should button his shirt all the way to the top.

Finally, its done. I breathed a sigh of relief. I looked up slightly and met his intense gaze, and my heart immediately skipped a beat.

Hazel, youll temporarily be my secretary. Our company was just one of his many companies; he only came once a week, and didnt bring his executive assistant or secretary.

I asked cautiously, Why?

Because of you.