The Traps of Black Swan

Aaron really had thought Aarvi was going to be sweet like how she had brought Blue Crocus for him and another bouquet that he had received in the office... though the sender wasn't Aarvi, credit went to her.

Leaning on the wall, he looked at the door of his office and felt his stomach lurch again remembering the rotten apple and banana smell by the Bulbophyllum Orientale Orchids. Undoubtedly, those orchids were rare as Aarvi had stated but 'How the hell did she find those flowers in Mocon?'

Well, he felt he had underestimated her even though he could never ever undervalue her. He identified her reach was far above than he had guessed. Aaron noticed Milo pressing his stomach exiting the restroom.

As soon as Aaron saw the flower, he held his breath because he knew those flowers so he hardly breathed that reek. Milo Wen had no idea about it and was also curious so his condition was a little bad.

"President Rivas..." Milo had composed himself before reaching Aaron and sounded as though he was alright.

Aaron walked towards the meeting room on his office floor as he instructed, "Shift my work to the meeting room, throw the flowers and depollute the room... Get me the medicine box."

He knew Aarvi was making him pay for asking ten kisses for a single cupcake whereas she had agreed to send flowers daily without a word. Milo Wen had to pay for his silliness so he felt responsible as a doctor to give him medicines.

Aaron didn't know whether he should be angry for her prank or be afraid of thinking what lunch she was going to bring. 'Or is this the torture Shawn was talking about?' Aaron didn't want to speculate about it.

Milo Wen didn't dare to hover near Aaron's office room, he ordered an oxygen air mask to be delivered first before asking the cleaning department. 

---

After her work, Aarvi reached Rivas Industries at lunchtime with another prank in mind. Asking the guard to carry the lunch, they went to the top floor of the building. The secretary relayed Aaron's location and she entered the meeting room.

Milo Wen gulped unknowingly as beads of precipitation started to appear on his forehead remembering the orchids looking at Aarvi. He couldn't possibly run away hence he stood up to greet her, "Ms. Evans..." He saw her hands filled hence, "I will help you..."

He took a step towards her but Aarvi stopped him, "No, please continue your work." 

Aaron's back was facing her, he wanted to be irritated for whatever she did because he wanted to see her efforts and hear her reasonings. But his back stiffened hearing her melodious voice, 'What is she cooking now? Or plan to coy?' He didn't want to give in so easily.

Aarvi noticed Aaron purposefully ignoring her so she too controlled her emotions and cued the guard to keep the lunch on the table. The guard entered the meeting room and greeted both men before going out.

Aaron continued to hit the buttons on his laptop and a white Juliet rose was placed on the keyboard. He indifferently picked it up and placed it aside before continuing to type.

Milo Wen's lips twitched watching it. He glanced at Aarvi who was holding nearly hundreds of roses with another bouquet. 'President Rivas, you better accept it else you will have to fast all day long.' He knew the stubbornness of Aarvi.

Aaron hadn't pressed five keys, another one appeared on the keyboard. He again kept it aside and didn't turn to Aarvi who was standing right beside him. Aarvi repeated placing one rose each time and he kept it aside every single time.

Milo Wen's fingers were frozen on the keyboard watching Aarvi smiling and Aaron maintaining a stoic expression. He badly wanted to say, 'President Rivas, if you are angry, you should lose your temper or chide Ms.Evans instead of playing with each rose.'

He expected Aarvi to slap all the Rose's on Aaron's head for putting on arrogant air but he was amazed seeing her silently giggling placing a rose at a time. He totally forgot about his work watching them silently playing with each other. He was desperate to know whose stubbornness was going to win.

Aaron was counting roses as he kept them aside, he was in shock thinking how many she was holding but he didn't turn or speak a word. 

He was working on a laptop hence she was playing, so he kept the rose aside and closed his laptop. He took the file that needed his attention but his eyes were on the laptop thinking she was going to keep there.

Milo Wen waited to know if Aaron was going to turn around or Aarvi was going to lose her temper. Aarvi stopped placing roses on the laptop and waited to know if he was checking the file or waiting for her. Aarvi controlled laughing looking at Aaron holding the first page which had nothing but a title, all the roses in her hand went between Aaron and the file making Milo gasp. 

Aaron's jaw dropped looking at nearly sixty-plus roses in his hands and thirty plus on the table, "Why did you bring so much?" He uttered out looking at so many roses.

In his mind, Milo applauded Aarvi for winning on the stubborn cold-hearted president who was surprised without knowing there was another one.

Aaron had to stand up to keep those flowers on the table without letting them fall and turned around to see her holding a bouquet of Juliet roses with white tulips wrapped in the white and tortilla brown floristic paper that was tied with a ribbon colored darker hue of the tortilla brown.

As she had accepted, she had wrapped a bouquet herself for him. Aaron involuntarily smiled seeing her teasing smile holding the bouquet. She looked more beautiful to him than the roses she was holding.

Milo Wen realized he was the third wheel all along. 'My boss is childish.' He thought as though he found a secret of Aaron Rivas. He stood up closing his laptop and sneaked away quickly in absolute silence.

Aarvi saw Aaron happy so it was time for the game. Passing the bouquet, she moved closer to him and her finger played with the button of his vest coat without looking at his face. "Will you really bake ten cupcakes for a hundred kisses?"

Aaron's hand had just moved to caress her head but froze in the air. His mind was saying, 'Don't believe what you see or hear.' His heart was already melted hearing her musical shy tone. He was ready to bake cupcakes for free.

Aarvi raised her head to face him. Her face was pink with a perfect amount of blush and with her slightly widened eyes blinking occasionally with her insignificantly pouted lips in shyness, "I will give you a hundred kisses."

Aaron's brain: 'She is a goddess in acting, don't believe her.'

Aaron's heart: 'She is beautiful.'

Aaron's let out a hum without moving his gaze away from her. His gaze was like she will disappear if he looks away. He had never seen her blush so attractively that his backhand grazed her soft skin staring at her.

Standing on her toes, Aarvi moved her palm slowly from forehead to eyes as she whispered, "Close your eyes."

Aaron's brain: 'You dumb headed fool, open your eyes, and see.'

Anyway, he didn't hear his brain.

Aarvi pulled out a packet from her handbag and placed on his palm as she whispered near his ear, "Here you go. Don't forget my ten cupcakes. Mwah." She kissed in the air and quickly ran away before he could hold her.

Aaron's brain was laughing at him when he opened his eyes to see a packet of Hershey's Kisses. He remembered what he had told her, 'A cupcake costs ten kisses.' He hadn't told her who has to kiss whom or what kisses. Her over smart brain brought his silliness a hundred Hershey's kisses chocolate.

Was he embarrassed?

Yes! Totally. So much that he didn't want to turn around to see her laughing.

Aarvi who silently laughed for some time had to pull him towards the table to eat. "I will not laugh, I swe...." She burst into laughter before she was able to complete it.

"Aarvi..." Aaron pulled her cheeks until they turned red but she still laughed. "Alright alright... I am hungry." 

Aaron watched her opening the takeaway lids of the box still carrying the smile, "Shouldn't I give you a reward for getting me a hundred Juliets with a hundred kisses and orchids as a bonus?"

Aarvi remembered the smelly orchids and chortled asking, "A hundred cupcakes." but Aaron changed, "A hundred real kisses perhaps?" and pulled her on him leaving her no time.

"Aaron..." Aarvi ended up on his lap and squealed as she tried to move away, Aaron pressed his lips on her soft cheek, pulling her closer by coiling his arm around her with another hand at her backhead, he counted, "One..."

Aarvi felt his lips tickling on her cheek when they moved on her cheek saying 'One' so she started giggling accepting she was sitting on his lap while he continued for the next, 'Two'. He was happy realizing she allowed him to kiss her cheeks which is a step progression, he didn't stop and went for more.

"Aaron..." Aarvi tried to stop him after 'three' but her smile froze when her eyes landed on the man who was standing at the door. Aaron stopped when she became extremely serious. 

She patted Aaron's hand and stood up wiping off all her expressions. Aloof Aaron was back standing next to Aarvi looking at his grandfather who was fuming in rage, balling his fist.