Chapter 71: Building Rapport

Chapter 71: 71: Building Rapport

I immediately studied Manager Selena’s expression.

She was not angry merely because she had waited too long.

If that was not the reason, only one other possibility remained.

"Oh. You waited, Manager Selena?"

"I said I would. Did you think I would leave?"

"It took so long that I assumed you might."

"Why did it take so long?"

...She knew, didn’t she?

About my relationship with the CEO.

"I’m sorry I kept you waiting."

A voice came from behind me, followed by the sharp click of heels.

"...CEO Celeste."

Manager Selena immediately straightened and greeted her.

Celeste had returned completely to CEO mode, as though she had not just spent an hour having sex.

"I’m sorry. I kept Staff Member Ed for too long, didn’t I?"

"N-no, ma’am."

Wow. Even cold, composed Manager Selena was visibly tense.

Was this the authority of a CEO?

"And you are..."

"I’m Selena, a manager."

"A pleasure, Manager Selena. We’ve met a few times, haven’t we?"

"Yes, ma’am."

Celeste folded her arms and spoke with relaxed confidence.

Manager Selena, meanwhile, stood with both hands politely folded over her abdomen. She looked like a department-store employee greeting a billionaire customer.

"Hmm..."

Celeste scanned her from head to toe. Her eyes seemed to linger especially long on Manager Selena’s chest.

"You’re Staff Member Ed’s direct supervisor, correct?"

"Yes."

"Hehe... Is that so? Interesting."

"..."

For some reason, Celeste kept giving quiet, amused laughs.

Manager Selena maintained her polite posture, then raised her voice slightly.

"CEO Celeste, may I ask one question?"

"Of course."

"What did you discuss with Staff Member Ed?"

Celeste’s business smile disappeared completely.

So that was what Celeste looked like when she went cold.

Cute.

"Why do you ask?"

"As his direct supervisor, I need to know whether it affects our work."

"Wouldn’t it be faster to ask ’our Ed’ rather than me?"

"...Our Ed?"

"Ah, hehe. Forgive me. Staff Member Ed. We spent some time becoming close, and I grew casual with the way I addressed him."

"Becoming close?"

"Yes. As CEO, building rapport with employees is part of keeping an organization running smoothly."

"..."

What was this atmosphere?

Sparks were starting to fly from Manager Selena’s eyes. It was the look she gave me when I caused trouble, only stronger.

When I glanced sideways, the secretary was desperately hiding behind her monitor and pretending not to watch.

"So I spent about an hour building rapport with our Ed."

"...I see."

"You look as though you disapprove."

"That’s not the case."

Her words said one thing. Her face said another.

Noticing it, Celeste smiled and patted my shoulder.

"Hehe. Our Ed is a very good man. He was extremely helpful. Wasn’t you, Ed?"

"What? Ah, yes. I suppose."

Manager Selena shot me a glare.

Why are you looking at me like that?

I avoided her eyes.

Selena sighed, grabbed my clothes, and pulled me toward her.

"Understood, CEO Celeste. I’m glad he was helpful. We should return to our department now. We have work we need to do together in the office."

"...Together in the office?"

"Yes. Ed is still new, so as his direct supervisor I need to keep him beside me and guide him closely."

"...Oh... hehe..."

Uh-oh.

Now the CEO looked unhappy too.

"Let’s go, Ed. You need to say goodbye properly."

"What? Ah... yes."

Before I knew it, I was bowing to Celeste.

"Let’s go."

Selena grabbed my sleeve and tugged, eager to get me out as quickly as possible.

My clothes were going to stretch.

"You’re leaving, Ed?"

"Ah... yes. Didn’t you say you had an appointment soon, CEO Celeste?"

"Haa... I did. Very well. I enjoyed our time. Take care."

"..."

Every word sounded loaded.

I returned Celeste’s business smile and let Manager Selena half drag me through the door.

***

The door shut.

"Haa."

Only after Manager Selena and Ed left did Celeste release a long breath.

Manager Selena...

’Her breasts are huge.’

She was beginning to understand why Ed had rejected the secretary position.

He had given several excuses, but the real reason now seemed obvious.

’Manager Selena is one of Ed’s... women, isn’t she?’

While studying her, Celeste had noticed the strange stains on her suit.

’Those marks...’

They had to be semen. 𝔣𝖗ⅇℯ

She could have cleaned them or changed clothes if she wanted.

Instead, she had stood in front of Celeste almost as though deliberately displaying Ed’s semen.

Was she declaring that he belonged to her?

Celeste had felt it during the exchange.

Manager Selena was Ed’s woman. They were close enough to have sex at work.

And she had at least some idea what existed between Ed and Celeste.

’But they do not seem to be officially dating.’

If they were, Ed would not have come to see her. That would have made him a cheater.

Manager Selena clearly had feelings for him, though.

And Ed...

Still seemed undecided.

Then Celeste still had a chance.

"Hehe..."

Celeste smiled faintly.

It had been a long time since she felt something this youthful.

***

"By the way."

"Yes, CEO Celeste?"

"...Did you hear everything?"

"Ah..."

The secretary could not answer and turned away awkwardly.

"W-well..."

"Haa."

That was answer enough.

As a secretary, she could hardly say aloud that the CEO’s moans had carried outside.

"So you heard."

"...I’m sorry, ma’am."

"No, I should apologize. I didn’t realize we were being that loud."

"Ah... yes..."

The secretary could not bring herself to ask what kind of sex had produced sounds like that.

Celeste approached and patted her shoulder.

"You know what to do, right? Keep it secret."

"Y-yes! Of course, ma’am."

The secretary even mimed zipping her lips shut.

It was hardly a story she could safely spread anyway.

Every competent secretary knew that getting entangled in something like this could ruin a career.

"And one more thing."

"Yes, ma’am!"

"Call an interior contractor. I want the office soundproofed."

"Yes... haha..."

The secretary entered Interior contractor — soundproofing into her notes with an awkward smile.

So she planned to keep doing this.

The expression on the CEO’s face made it obvious how much she had enjoyed herself.

She looked almost like a teenage girl in love.

***

Click, clack, click.

"Your steps sound powerful today, Manager Selena."

"Be quiet."

Wow. She was seriously angry.

On the way back to the office, she did not meet my eyes once.

Her mouth was set in a deep pout.

"...Was it good?"

"What was?"

"Don’t play dumb. We heard everything outside."

"Ah."

Now I understood.

"Was she that loud?"

"You have no idea how embarrassing it was sitting there with the secretary."

"You could have gone somewhere else for a while."

"...I couldn’t."

"Why?"

"I needed to know what kind of relationship you had— No. Never mind."

Manager Selena cut herself off.

Hmm.

This had to be what I thought.

"Are you jealous, Manager Selena?"

"...No."

The lie was written across her face.

After walking a while longer, she stopped and sighed.

"...When did it start?"

"What?"

"You and... the CEO."

"Yesterday."

"So the woman you met yesterday..."

"Was CEO Celeste."

There was no reason to hide it.

Manager Selena would understand.

"...It must have been good."

"Of course it felt good."

What man would feel bad having sex with a woman like that?

I answered honestly.

Manager Selena’s expression worsened with every word.

But had she expected anything else?

Of course not.

She asked anyway because she could not stop thinking about it.

"...What about me?"

"What?"

"How was I, Ed?"

The question was unusually direct for her.

I answered just as honestly.

"Fucking hot."

"...Really?"

Judging from her face, that was not a bad answer.

"You remember the drinks tonight, right?"

"Of course, Manager Selena."

"...You have to come."

Her voice sounded almost like a plea.

***

"This place is nice. Good atmosphere."

That evening, Manager Selena and I entered an izakaya near Old town Station.

Just the two of us.