When We Meet Again
Chapter 60

Charlotte and Bella walked into the Miller Empire and the workers would not stop staring at them. Most of them could recognize them as their ex-deputy general manager and her Secretary. "Isn't that the ex-deputy general manager and her Secretary?" One of the workers whispered.

"What are they doing here?"

"Are they finally back?"

There were so many murmurings about them, but Charlotte cared less about them. This wasn't the first time. She had always faced that when she was working in the company.

"Do you remember this?" Charlotte asked Bella who smiled.

Can she ever forget this? Bella wondered. She had witnessed this for two years.

What made this different is that they are here as a partner or maybe a client not as workers. They were here to meet Melvin, so he could take them to the new location of the fashion house. They got to the receptionist, and Bella told her why they were there.

"I will place a call to him," the receptionist said and Bella smiled.

"Please do."

She could remember when she always had to connect Charlotte to clients through the telephone; she loved every bit of it.

"I miss being your Secretary though," Bella said.

"Do you want to be one, again?" Charlotte asked with a smile. "You do not want Gina..."

"Of course not. I love being the general manager."

Charlotte nodded. "I can tell."

"He asked you to come in," the receptionist said.

"When did you start working here?" Bella asked.

"A few months ago," the receptionist answered.

This wasn't the receptionist Bella knew; she could not help but wonder why the old one was changed.

The receptionist pointed. "His office is by the..."

"You do not have to worry about that. We know where his office is," Bella answered quickly.

"Bella, can you let her do her job?" Charlotte whispered.

"I was just helping her out," Bella answered.

"You do not have to," Charlotte whispered. She faced the receptionist. "Thank you. What is your name?" "Bethany," she answered.

Charlotte smiled. "Thank you, Bethany. We will find our way."

Charlotte and Bella headed to Melvin's office. "Are you sure you can face him?" Bella asked when they were a few offices away from Melvin's.

Charlotte furrowed her brows. "Face who?"

"Melvin," Bella muttered. "Are you..."

"Why won't I?" Charlotte cut Bella short.

She had told them how Melvin wouldn't stop staring at her and also how awkward the dinner was. She also told them how he tried to talk about their marriage which made her feel very uncomfortable that she ended the dinner before time and she did not let him drive her back home.

"You told us everything. I do not want you to feel uncomfortable around him."

Charlotte chuckled. "Why do you not think that he will be the one to feel uncomfortable around me?"

Bella shrugged. "I never thought about that. I..."

"Bella, what happened yesterday has nothing to do with today. I am here as a business partner, not his ex-wife or his friend."

Bella sighed. "But I still don't feel comfortable about this."

Charlotte furrowed her brows. "Why?"

"I don't know. We can just...". Bella sighed. "Well, if you do not mind, I guess I shouldn't either."

Charlotte held Bella's hand. "I should be the one feeling uneasy. Why are you the one feeling it?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't know. I just feel uneasy about the whole thing."

"You do not have to."

"I am just worried about you."

Charlotte smiled. "I know. And I appreciate that. But you don't have to worry about me, okay? I am fine."

Bella sighed. "I guess you are."

"Now, let's go in there and show them what Lotus Fashion House is made of."

Bella nodded. "Sure."

They got to the office, and Melvin welcomed them. Charlotte was more composed than Bella had thought she would, and the one who seemed uncomfortable was Melvin; he could not stop staring at Charlotte.

"Look who we've got here," Melvin said after a while. Charlotte walked closer to him with a smile. He stretched his hand to shake her. "It's good to have you here," he said and Charlotte nodded. "It's good to have you here too, Bella," he said, stretching his hand to her.

Melvin offered them seats and they sat down. "Can we get to business?" Charlotte asked.

She wanted to end the meeting as soon as possible: Melvin's eyes had rested on her again.

"Sure. But can we wait a little while for my friend? He is also a business partner. He has an urgent meeting to attend. I am so sorry for telling you this late."

Charlotte shrugged. "It's nothing."

"While we wait, is there anything you want my assistant to get for you?" Melvin asked.

"No, I don't want anything. I don't know if my manager wants something though."

Bella waved quickly. "I want nothing either."

"No. You can't sit here without taking anything," Melvin answered. "I guess I will make the order myself."

Charlotte shook her head. "That won't be..."

"I insist. You still love your coffee, creamy, right?" Melvin asked.

Charlotte could tell he was trying to show her how much he knew and remembered about her.

She sighed. "I still love my coffee creamy but..."

Melvin smiled. "Not but. What about you, Miss manager?"

"Same" Bella muttered. "I mean..."

"I get it."

Melvin picked up the telephone to speak to his assistant, Samuel who walked in a few minutes later with cups of coffee and handed them over to Bella and Charlotte. Melvin had taken his eyes off Charlotte and had rested them on the documents in front of him.

"Is there anything else you need, ma'am?" Samuel asked.

"No, we are good," Bella answered.

Samuel left and silence returned. A few minutes later a man walked in. It was Matthew.

"Melvin, I am so sorry I kept you waiting. I..."

"You should apologize to them. Not me," Melvin said.

Matthew turned to face Charlotte and Bella.

"Charlotte?" he cooed.

"Do you know me?" Charlotte asked.

Matthew nodded. "I do. You might not know me but I do know you. I know your assistant... I mean your general manager too. Pardon my manners. I am Matthew Stone. CEO of Stone Construction...."

Charlotte's eyes brightened up. "Do not tell me that you are the CEO of Stone Construction?"

Matthew nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Then you must be the CEO of the Flora Fashion and Modelling House."

Matthew smiled. "You know about Flora?"

Charlotte nodded. "Is there any new business owner who would not know about Flora? I have heard so much about the company. I did not expect it to be owned by a young handsome man like you. I admire you so much. I have read a lot about you. I read about how you left your father's company to start up yours. You've been doing well."

Melvin blinked. Why does Charlotte sound so happy talking about Matthew and his achievements and why is Matthew smiling sheepishly with her?

Melvin listened impatiently to Charlotte and Matthew's conversations. He wondered how they were able to get along so easily when he could not. "I can't believe I will be working with you," Charlotte said.

"Me too. You're such a brilliant soul. Too bad I could not meet you before now."

Melvin frowned. "Can we start up the meeting already?"

"Do I sense some jealousy here?" Matthew said with a smile, but Melvin ignored him.

Bella could sense the jealousy too; she smiled. Melvin must love Charlotte like Mia said.

Charlotte wondered why Melvin was acting strange. He seems unnecessarily angry and she doesn't know why.

Isn't Matthew his friend? Why is he being harsh on him?

The meeting started but Melvin could not concentrate. Watching Charlotte pay much attention to Matthew made him feel uneasy.

He had to tell her how he felt soon. He thought. Or he might lose her to Matthew.

Matthew paid much attention to her too, and they were getting along so well. They had similar preferences, too, which made Melvin feel more insecure.

He trusts his friend not to go after Charlotte because he knows about his feelings for her. But what about Charlotte? He had never seen her show much attention to a man like this, no matter how much she admired his work. He was worried she would fall in love with Matthew making it very difficult to get her back.

"Can we head to the boutique, ready?" He said cutting the meeting short.

He was tired of watching them laugh and smile at each other.

"But we just started the meeting," Charlotte said.

"We can finish that at the boutique," Melvin answered.

Charlotte was beginning to sense that Melvin was jealous of her close relationship with Matthew but she doesn't care about it.

He toiled with her feelings first, and she was going to do the same to him.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Charlotte suddenly asked Matthew who furrowed his brows.

Matthew was not the only one that was surprised. Melvin and Bella were. They all wondered what was going on in Charlotte's mind to ask such a question.

"I do not. Why do you ask?" Matthew asked.

Charlotte smiled. "Would you mind dating me?"

Melvin blinked. "What?!"