Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32348 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Poppy honestly couldn't remember, and with the billionaire still holding the door open when he absolutely didn't have to do so—-
Breathe, Poppy, breathe!
This didn't have to be a big deal. The billionaire just had nice manners, that was all. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment to regain her composure.
It's no big deal.
And she was utterly right, since by the time she opened her eyes and started walking, another woman stepped into view, and oh.
Poppy felt like the biggest idiot in the world when she realized too late the billionaire was holding the door open for his girlfriend instead.
She knew she had no right to feel sad, but her heart still sank as she watched Camelia greet her boyfriend with a kiss on the cheek. But as the other woman walked inside his office, Valerian just happened to glance in Poppy's direction, and he smiled.
All was good in her world again, but just as she took a step forward, thinking that the billionaire would still hold the door open—-
"Val?"
Hearing his girlfriend call out to him had the billionaire turning away, and the door practically slammed shut in Poppy's face.
Chapter Four
HEATHER DIDN'T KNOW whether to apologize or play dumb after seeing what just happened. She was already inside Valerian's office when she saw Poppy heading their way, and Heather couldn't recall feeling a more acute case of secondhand embarrassment when the penny dropped for the younger woman.
Heather was prepared for Poppy to break down at any point after that, but the girl's resilience was simply remarkable. By the time Poppy joined them at Valerian's office, she was her usual quietly efficient self.
"You remember how I like it trimmed?" Valerian asked.
"Yes, Mr. Rossfield."
Heather couldn't help raising a brow when Camelia suddenly insisted on sitting on the billionaire's lap while Poppy was still trimming his hair. Valerian's girlfriend had never been the showy and affectionate type. So why was this woman suddenly acting out of character?
Poppy used all of her might to focus her attention solely on her job. She was her to give her client a trim. That was it. The fact that the woman her client loved was sitting on his lap had nothing to do with her.
So stop feeling hurt, Poppy!
That is so not the way to act accordingly!
Don't you remember that he's TAKEN?!
Poppy nearly breathed a sigh of relief after snipping away the last stubborn hint of curls that dared to graze over the collar of Valerian's shirt. A part of her already felt empty at the thought of having to leave, now that she had done her job. But since the billionaire's girlfriend was now busy pawing him while gushing about how she super-oh-so-loved his hair super-oh-so-short, Poppy was more than ready to go, in more ways than one.
Heather could barely keep herself from gagging at the way Camelia was acting around Valerian. It was practically indecent, and when Heather was more than relieved to see the couple leave for a charity ball they had to attend.
What in the world was wrong with that woman?
Poppy waited until the billionaire and his girlfriend were out of the office before turning to Heather. "Um...if you're not too busy, I was hoping I could ask you about something?"
"Of course, Poppy." Heather already had a feeling she knew what the girl was about to say as she invited the latter to her office, and Poppy's next words confirmed her suspicions.
"I was wondering if perhaps there's someone more suitable—-"
"There's none."
Poppy's eyes widened at the speed at which Heather answered her. "But I'm just a j-junior stylist—-"
"It's not your skills alone that make you suitable, Ms. Cortez, but a matter of security as well. A few years back, a male hair stylist had almost succeeded in slitting his throat with a razor. His depression had caused him to harbor the delusion that his girlfriend was cheating on him with Valerian."
Poppy bit her lip hard. The thought of Valerian Rossfield almost being killed hurt. But that was only more reason to leave this job.
"The incident scared the board so much they actually demanded that a new clause be inserted in his contract. Any personal service that Valerian required must only be provided by women and only in environments where we can fully guarantee his safety."
"Then maybe another woman—-"
"No other woman is like you."
Poppy looked at Heather in bewilderment, and Heather had to pause for several moments as she picked her words with care. "The public tends to paint black-or-white pictures of people like Mr. Rossfield. Because they see him skydiving and doing all those other crazy sports that he loves, they've assumed he's just as reckless all around. But he's not. Mr. Rossfield is a man of very rigid principles, and so he'll never be the type to stray. Most other women, however, refuse to accept this."