The desk phone rang a few minutes later.
Evie picked it up. "Hello, this is Evie speaking."
"Hi, your dessert order has arrived. Could you please come down to the lobby to pick it up?" the voice on the other end asked.
"I didn't order any dessert," Evie replied, confused.
"No? Are you Evie Vance from the secretarial office?" the person asked hesitantly.
"Yes, that's me. But I didn't order anything."
"Someone must have ordered it for you. There are five boxes in total, addressed to Evie in the secretarial office. Maybe it's a gift."
"Oh, okay. I'll be right down." Still puzzled, Evie grabbed her wallet and headed downstairs.
"The bill's already been paid," the delivery guy said, handing her the bags.
"Do you know who placed the order?" Evie asked.
"No idea. I just knew it was for the secretarial office, for Evie."
"Alright, thank you." Evie took the desserts and went back upstairs.
Her phone rang in the elevator.
It was Alexander.
"Hello?"
"Did you get the desserts?" he asked, a smile in his voice.
"Yes. How did you know... was it you?"
"Didn't you want some?"
"How did you know that?" Evie asked, stunned.
"I'm your husband."
Evie was speechless.
Was her husband a mind reader now?
She couldn't even argue.
"Why did you order so many?" she finally asked.
"So everyone in the office can have one. That way, no one eats alone while you watch."
"That's... very thoughtful of you." Evie smiled as she stepped out of the elevator.
She almost ran into the Vice President, Leo Carter, standing right outside. She bit back the word "husband" just in time.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Carter," she said quickly, then walked into the office.
"Old what?" Alexander teased on the other end.
"Nothing. I have to work now. Bye." Evie hung up.
She walked into the secretarial office with the desserts and handed one to each person.
"Evie, what's the occasion? Treating us all?" Ella Baker asked with a grin.
"It's not from me. Someone else sent them. I'm just sharing the wealth," Evie replied, embarrassed.
"Who sent them?" Chloe Parker leaned in, curious.
"Must be a secret admirer. Who else would be so thoughtful?" Madison Campbell chimed in, the only male secretary in the room.
"Evie, do you have a boyfriend?" Ella asked.
"No, no. Just enjoy the dessert," Evie said awkwardly.
"You've been saying that for a while now."
"She's still in training. It's normal to have a boyfriend," Amy Harper said, trying to help.
"No, really. I don't have one," Evie insisted, shaking her head.
"Don't have one?"
A deep voice came from behind her.
"No boyfriend!" Evie answered reflexively.
The next second, she froze.
She turned around and met Alexander's gaze.
"Mr. Sterling, Evie was just saying she doesn't have a boyfriend yet," Chloe said, covering for her.
"Are you looking for one?" Alexander asked Evie with a smirk.
Evie shook her head frantically.
She wouldn't dare.
"Do you need me to introduce someone?" he continued, teasing her.
"No, no. Thank you, Mr. Sterling." Evie shook her head like a rattle, her face turning red.
"If you need help, just say the word." Alexander handed the signed reimbursement report to Amy. "I'll be out for an hour. Call me if anything comes up."
"Got it, Mr. Sterling," Amy replied.
Alexander left without another word.
Evie let out a breath.
Did he have to scare her like that?
When she sat down, Ella couldn't help laughing. "Evie, you look terrified of Mr. Sterling."
"Yeah, your face went pale," Chloe added.
"Aren't you scared of him?" Evie blurted out.
"We'd be lying if we said no, but we're used to it. You're way more nervous than us," Ella said.
"I haven't heard Mr. Sterling joke in a while. When he was teasing you, I almost laughed out loud," Chloe said.
"Yeah, Evie, when he asked if you needed help, you should have said yes. Maybe he would have introduced you to someone," Ella added.
"No way," Evie said, shaking her head.
If he didn't crush her, she'd be grateful. Introducing her to a boyfriend? Not a chance.
"Maybe he knows some great guys. You'd be missing out."
"Think about it, Evie."
"Stop teasing her. She's shy. If you keep it up, she won't help you with anything," Amy said half-jokingly.
"We can't have that. Evie is the treasure of our office," Ella said with a smile.
Everyone laughed and changed the subject.
Evie lowered her head and kept eating her dessert, not daring to say another word.
After work, Evie went home with Alexander.
Sitting in the passenger seat, she was getting sleepy when she heard him ask, "Someone wants to set you up with a boyfriend?"
"No!" Evie sat up straight immediately and turned to face him.
"When people ask if you have a boyfriend, what do you say?"
"No," Evie answered.
Alexander didn't say anything else.
Evie's heart pounded. Had she said something wrong?
"I don't have a boyfriend. I have a husband," she muttered.
"So now you don't have a boyfriend, and you don't want anyone to know you have a husband. Is that it?"
Evie was stunned.
After a long pause, she muttered, "What if I just tell them you're my husband?"
"Are you sure?"
"I'll tell them after I graduate." Evie looked up and smiled. "You'll just have to put up with it for a few months."
Alexander looked at her, helpless.
"If this happens again, how will you handle it?"
"What kind of situation?" Evie asked, confused.
"If someone tries to pursue you," Alexander said.
"That won't happen. And if it does, I'll just say no. It's not like it hasn't happened at school before." Evie pouted.