FF: M&G - Protect The Boss 1 - Page 33

"Ok Maan, remember. Don't mention ladoos, don't think about ladoos, stay away from ladoos. In fact, stay away from all conversations and situations involving Indian sweetmeats. Remain normal with Geet. Do your work, stay focused, don't let your strange imagination wander off."

The car rolled up outside KC with perfect timing, & Maan ended his self mantra as stepped out, wishing Nakul a good day before heading off inside. Once he got to the top floor, he asked Tasha if Geet had already arrived - Geet was in the staff kitchen making coffee, so he took the opportunity to settle himself down in the office before she arrived.

__________________________________________

As she carried two cups of coffee back to the office with perfect balance in her 6 inch heels, Geet contemplated her conversation with Pinky the night before. Pinky reassured her that the 'Dev kiss' was a simple gesture of kindness, to which Geet agreed.

But Pinky's suggesstions of a particular 'Maan stare' was something she strongly disagreed with. Geet concluded that Maan had his 'beer goggles' on; he was, drunk & delirious, hence the infamous look that Pinky had been gushing about.

Convinced & satisfied with her self mantra, she opened the door to find Maan already typing away at his laptop. They exchanged a good morning & a smile as she set down the cups of coffee.

The majority of the morning was spent in a peaceful silence; both Maan & Geet had a lot of work to get through, which they were both mutually grateful for. Then Maan disappeared for another lunchtime meeting with Manish, but when he came back, Geet noticed the perplexed expression on his face.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"I need to prepare a visual presentation for what we're planning to do with the new plot of land. Trouble is, visuality & creativity were never my strongest points."

Geet grinned, setting her work aside. "It's a good job your secretary has a penchant for fashion." She placed her hands on her hips, causing Maan to look at her figure appreciatively before forcing himself to look away.

You idiot, you're not supposed to start checking her out in an effort to not think about the ladoo dream. Oh great, here we go, now you're starting to think about the ladoo dream.

"Maan?"

She snapped him out of his mini argument with himself; he cleared his throat.

"Ahem, yes, er, so can you help me?"

"You only had to ask! Ok, so first, we're gonna need one of those big glass panel things, the ones where you can write on them & stick pictures."

"You mean like the ones they use in crime dramas?"

"Yes! Do you watch CSI? CSI is amazing! I wanted to be a criminologist, but they have to inspect crime scenes, & I get iffy about that kind of stuff. Anyway, I digress. Oh wait, I think I may have one of those at home from university. I'll text Pinky & ask - have you heard about Pinky and Ya-"

Geet looked up from her phone as her mind worked back through the sentences she had just said. She internally cringed & wanted to smack her hand to her forehead, if it wasn't for Maan looking at her pointedly.

"Pinky and Ya?" he asked, confused.

Think Handa, think! Yaar...? Yagart...? I could pretend I have a weird way of saying yogurt... but why would I ask him if he'd heard about Pinky & yogurt?!

"Yaris!"

"Sorry?"

"Yaris, Pinky bought a Toyota Yaris."

"...Why would I have heard about that?"

"I don't know, maybe you... saw her driving it around?" Geet's voice went high pitched at the end, something which always happened whenever she lied. She laughed nervously. "I'm hungry, I'm gonna go & grab some lunch, we'll continue with this plan for the presentation after."

Before he even had a chance to think, Geet grabbed her bag & was gone.

__________________________________________

It was 2pm when Geet finally came back from her prolonged lunch. Maan stood up to question her, but before he could, she placed the thick stack of papers she had been carrying in front of him.

"Do you have scissors?"

"Why would I need scissors?"

"To cut the pictures out with."

"Pictures-? Geet, what?"

Geet's phone beeped with a text; she read it, then threw her phone on a chair. "The CSI style glass panel is at reception, I'm gonna go & collect it then find scissors on the way back. I think Dev has some in his office."

"No, I'll find the scissors," he said all too quickly.

Geet shrugged as she walked out of the office, her curls bouncing as she left. Maan tore his eyes off her, opening his drawers & rummaging around, managed to find a pair of scissors. He began cutting the pictures of empty plot lands & different building designs absent mindedly, as his thoughts revolved around Geet once again.

__________________________________________

"No such thing as chivalry these days," she muttered as she leaned against the glass panel in the KC lift. "He could have offered to help me bring it up, but oh no, why would he? He's Maan Singh Khurana. He seems so preoccupied these days... I wonder what's gotten into him. Just when I thought he was finally shaping up to become MD, he starts to lose track again. How did he ever complete his education?!"

The door pinged open at the top floor. Sasha, who was strolling by, studying a file in depth, had to stop in her tracks & do a double turn as she saw Geet wheel a glass panel out of the lift, muttering to herself.

"Er, Miss Handa!"

Geet gritted her teeth & rolled her eyes, plastering a smile on her face before she turned around. "Yes?"

"Why is there a glass panel in the office?"

"For Maan's presentation."

"This is business, not creative design."

"I'm aware of that. I am a business studies graduate after all."

The surprise that etched across Sasha's face at her surprising qualification left Geet amused, as she smirked, turned on her heels and walked away.

__________________________________________

A knock on the door brought him out from the woman of his thoughts, only to find the very woman herself gesturing for him to open his cabin door so she could wheel the panel in. The doors of KC themselves were enough of a workout to open & close.

She positioned the panel carefully, then turned to Maan excitedly. "I just love using these. I don't suppose you have a black marker, do you?"

He grabbed a marker from the pen pot & handed it to Geet, who began to write a title on the middle of the panel.

"Ok, here's how it works. We're gonna stick the pictures down first, then follow the guidelines of the presentation to ensure that everything that has to be covered is displayed on the panel. It'll make your life a lot easier as it'll prevent less questions from the audience."

"We won't be able to list the financial aspect on the panel, this is just the design focus. I'll have to prepare a separate file for that."

"As you wish, it's your presentation. I'm just helping you with the creative side & making sure your work ethic is in check," she winked. "Pass me a picture, any picture."

The majority of the afternoon was spent with Maan & Geet discussing & decorating the panel for the presentation. Most of the panel had been covered with strategically placed designs, with just a few of the remaining pictures left.

Geet aimed for a picture of the London Eye to placed in the top left corner, but was struggling to reach. Maan, who was leafing through the presentation guidelines that Manish had mircalously given him, looked up to see Geet struggling & walked behind her as he slid his hand over hers, taking the picture out of her grip and sticking it to the panel with blu tack.

She felt his warm breath fall on her neck, and her own stomach began to flip with butterflies, although she wasn't sure why.

His eyes caressed the smooth skin of her neck, the wayward curl that flirted against her cheek. His gaze fell to hers as she slowly turned her face, & raised her gaze to meet his.

They were held captive in a strange trance for a few seconds, then as Geet fully turned & looked down, something overcame Maan as he placed both hands on either side of her head, blocking her against the panel.

"M-Maan?" Geet was surprised that she couldn't find her voice. She cleared her throat. "What are you-"

She was silenced by the dazed look in his pupils as he crept closer with a slow agony. As his head slowly began to dip, and his eyes flickered to her lips, Geet realised exactly where this was heading...

And in a spontaneous move she had never imagined herself doing, she struck his neck with her hand and jabbed her fist in his stomach in a self defence style karate move, sending Maan groaning & toppling backwards onto the floor.

Kung Fu Panda taught me more than I expected... she thought, shocked at what had just occured.

Chapter 15 - Secrets - Page 63