Chapter 12

• "What if you had a boyfriend who was less intelligent than you?" Harvey asked, his eyes shifting to the server as their food was brought to the table. Their order had arrived.
• Poppy laughed and looked at Harvey. "Why? Why are you asking that when you probably know the answer?"
• "Just making small talk to keep the conversation going," Harvey replied with a laugh.
• "I'd definitely skip that. What's the point of talking to a guy who can't keep up? They're too emotional," Poppy chuckled.
• "Go on," Harvey said, taking a bite of his main course.
• "For me personally, when I'm looking for a partner or a potential husband, I make sure that the guy is on the same wavelength as me. Whether it's education level or mindset, it's crucial for me."
• "As for me, when I look for a partner, it's a big red flag if we don't see eye to eye intellectually. I've been close to a guy who wasn't as smart but was kind. But every time he solved a problem, I couldn't help but think, 'How can he be like that?' In the end, I was the one who felt toxic."
• "A man with a broad knowledge base is a plus for me. It can motivate me to learn. I easily fall in love with men who have extensive knowledge, especially if they teach me without belittling me."
• "What about you?"
• "Pretty much the same as you. I like women who can have meaningful conversations with me, like you."
• Poppy smiled as she took a bite of her meat, and she looked at Harvey, who returned her gaze. His smile was charming, even better than Nathan's, especially when it came to kissing. Harvey was much better, and she wondered what he was like in bed, if he could make her orgasm multiple times. Oh God, why was she even thinking about sleeping with Harvey? She wanted to bang her head against the wall.
• "Oh yeah, sir," Poppy added.
• !
• "What?" Poppy looked at Harvey.
• "This Friday, I'll be leaving work early."
• "Why?"
• "My sibling is getting engaged, so I need to help with the preparations."
• "Alright, so tomorrow?"
• "Yes."
• "Thank you, sir."
• "You're welcome."
• Harvey and Poppy continued to eat in peace, engaging in light conversation about various topics, from work to important matters in the office. They talked freely and enjoyed each other's company.
• "Poppy."
• "Yes?"
• "About what happened in New York, I apologize for kissing you so boldly."
• "It's okay."
• "Thank you. Finish your meal."
• "Alright, sir."
• ****
• After brunch, Poppy and Harvey returned to the office. She sat at her desk, and perhaps the job of a secretary like hers was often underestimated by some people. They believed that the secretary's tasks were very easy and could be done by anyone. Some even thought that the secretary's job description was limited to taking notes and photocopying documents. In reality, that assumption was far from the truth.
• Initially, she got information about this company from her friend Bella, who had been working at the company for two years. At first, she was skeptical about being accepted by this company, which she thought she couldn't because the competition during the application process was quite tough.
• Unexpectedly, she was the one chosen to be the secretary. Her boss was named Harvey, a 35-year-old man who served as the CEO and chief executive officer here, and he was still single. When she first started working here, Harvey seemed very cool and reserved, and she was even nervous just to speak. She understood it because she was new.
• She thought being a secretary would mean going home on time, but it turned out to be wrong. She always went home late. Her working hours were from 08:00 to 17:00, but she couldn't expect to go home on time. On her first day, she could go home on time due to the adjustment. However, from the second day onwards, she would go home at the earliest at 19:00 and at the latest at 21:30. You could calculate how many hours she worked per day.
• Actually, she could go home on time, but her principles dictated that she couldn't leave before her boss did. The lunch break was uncertain, and she made sure her boss ate first. Every day, she would ask her boss what he wanted to eat that day.
• Sometimes, she felt it was impolite to ask directly, "Sir, what would you like to eat today?" So, she would usually ask via WhatsApp, and the response would come very slowly. That's what made her take her breaks late. Besides, her boss was very perfectionist and hygienic and didn't want to eat just anywhere.
• What often made her frustrated was when her boss wanted to book flight tickets at the last minute, for example, he wanted to depart in the evening but informed her at noon, and he insisted on booking a business class seat instead of economy. She couldn't arrange the flight herself because those seats were booked online, and anyone could run out of tickets regardless of their status.
• When it was already late, Harvey used to chat around 11 p.m. just to ask about work. So, from that time, she started turning off her data and never opened WhatsApp because it was her resting time.
• She always had trouble scheduling meetings since Harvey's day was usually full of meetings. It was not uncommon for documents that needed to be signed to pile up on his desk. Moreover, there were requests for signatures from other departments that required his prompt attention. So, she established a rule that if someone needed a signature, they had to submit the document one day in advance because she handed over the files to Harvey at 9 a.m.