Study in Awkwardness.
After Damien settled in Zurich, he quickly immersed himself in work, astonishing the entire company with his brilliance. His strategic mind, precision, and charisma didn't go unnoticed, especially by the women. Nearly every female employee found herself drawn to him, they all wanted a piece of him. Damian was not blind he could see the painstaking efforts from those numerous women, all his female employees except one.
Eva.
He was observing everything around the him, especially Eva. But there was something about her that unsettled him, she made him feel like the eighteen year old college, whom Ana never truly wanted.
One day, Damien had requested a volunteer to assist him on a personal project. Dozens of women eagerly submitted their names for the opportunity. Almost all the females voted for that position except he never saw Eva's files.
She didn't vote.
Later, after the company cracked a notoriously difficult code, Damien decided to celebrate with a weekend retreat for the top performing staff. Everyone buzzed with excitement, preparing for the trip except
Eva.
She declined with a vague excuse that barely held up under scrutiny.
Damien had overheard her conversation with the floor manager, who did everything to convince her, promising the comfort, the rewards, even the chance to connect with higher ups. Still, Eva passed on it all.
Damien had honored that event because he wanted to study Eva upfront, at least to understand why her presence tends to unsettle him, a restlessness he couldn't shake. But when he arrived and confirmed she truly hadn't come, something twisted inside him. He grew irritated, stayed barely an hour, then made an excuse and left.
Another time, during a meeting with the company's top-performing employees of the week, Eva was among the twenty selected to sit with the executives. The team was praised for their excellent performance and encouraged to maintain their momentum, with promises of potential promotions.
Damien remained quiet throughout the meeting, letting his executives lead the conversation. But his eyes never left Eva. He observed her every movement, every expression, searching for something he couldn't quite name.
What surprised him the most was that she never once looked his way. Not even a fleeting glance. It was as if he didn't exist.
After the meeting ended, the employees began filing out of the room, their chatter soft and respectful. Eva had just reached the door when Damien's voice, cool and casual, called her back.
"Eva."
She paused, turned gracefully, and gave a polite nod. "Yes, sir?"
Without looking up from the papers in front of him, Damien said, "Make me a cup of coffee."
She blinked, startled for a second. He didn't even look at her directly, but she could feel the weight of his gaze, subtle, observing her from the corner of his eye.
For a brief moment, she froze. He saw the slight tremble in her hand as she turned back and moved to the coffee station. She reached for the kettle, her motions automatic but stiff, betraying her nerves.
She filled the machine, added the grounds, and stood there waiting, too still, too tense. When it was ready, she poured the coffee into a white ceramic mug, trying her best to steady her hands.
She set the cup gently on the conference table in front of him.
Damien finally raised his eyes, one brow arched. "Hand it to me."
His voice was firm, low, commanding.
Eva hesitated, then walked around the long table. With fingers that shook ever so slightly, she offered the mug to him. Damien took it in one fluid motion, his long, el toegant fingers brushing against hers for the briefest moment.
Then he sipped. And frowned.
"This is awful," he said flatly. "Do you call this coffee?"
Eva's eyes widened. "Erh, I.. I'll make another one."
She reached for the mug quickly, almost fumbling it in her rush. She returned to the coffee station, now visibly flustered. Her hands worked faster this time, but the pressure clearly got to her. Damien watched from his seat, pretending to focus on the documents in front of him. But his eyes kept drifting toward her.
With trembling hands, Eva wrestled with something as simple as making a cup of coffee, as if the fate of her entire career depended on it. Damien eyes never left her, as he watched every of ber moves.
He nearly facepalmed when he saw her drop not one, not two, but nearly six cubes of sugar into a single cup. The doubt on her face was almost comical, but something about it tugged at him. She looked terrified, uncertain, like a student trying to pass an exam she hadn't studied for. Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead, and for a second, he almost felt bad for her.
She hesitated for a long moment before finally gathering enough courage to pick up the mug. She held it as though it were made of glass and heavier than it looked. Then, slowly, she walked around the long table toward him.
Damien took the cup from her without glancing up, raised it to his lips, and took a sip.
Then spat it right back out into the bin beside him.
Eva flinched violently.
"What is this?" he snapped, finally meeting her eyes. "You call this coffee?"
She opened her mouth, but he was already on a roll.
"I specifically told your manager I want all round excellence from my team, including basic tasks. You can't even manage a cup of coffee?"
"I, I'm very sorry, sir.."
"You should be!" he barked. "Were you trying to give me diabetes? Did you empty the entire sugar jar into this one cup?"
He leaned back in his chair, his tone sharp and exaggerated. "Honestly, I should fire you for this."
His words were harsh, intentionally so. He was testing her. Poking at the calm exterior she always wore, trying to get a reaction.
Eva's face drained of color, and she stepped closer quickly, hands up in apology.
"I'm so sorry, sir," she stammered, breath quickening. "I didn't know you don't like sugar. I swear I'll make it right this time. Please, let me try again."
Damien just stared at her, his expression unreadable. But inside, something shifted, faintly, inconveniently.
She looked so desperate to please.Yet,
Damien just stared at her for a beat longer than he intended.
For a split second, she reminded him of Tyler, back on that beach in Singapore, nervous, awkward, hiding behind those oversized glasses like they were armor. The resemblance wasn't exact, but the energy was the same; raw, unguarded vulnerability.
He quickly blinked the thought away and looked down at the documents spread across the table, trying to refocus. She scrambled to take the rejected cup away and hurried back to the coffee station, visibly rattled. Her hair clung to her damp forehead, and sweat beaded down her temple.
A flicker of guilt touched him.
Truth was, he hadn't really wanted the coffee. He had just wanted to provoke her. To teach her a small lesson for brushing him off, especially after he'd practically built that entire employee retreat just for her. He'd spent a ridiculous amount of money on that weekend getaway, hoping she'd show up so he could finally observe her outside the stiff walls of the office.
But what did she do? She'd ignored the company trip he specifically organized for her, despite how he spent lavishly, tailored the event to be perfect, thinking maybe she'd show up, yet, she didn't. Instead she gave some flimsy excuse, politely delivered, and she disappeared again without a care whatsoever.
It irritated him more than it should have. Everyone else seemed eager to please him, to be in his orbit. But not her.
She didn't look at him like the rest. She didn't seem fazed by his title, his face, his money.
And for some reason, that made him angry.
How dare she make him feel small? How dare she trigger a memory of the boy Ana never wanted?
At first, he had wanted to put her in her place. But now, watching her fumble around with trembling hands, her back drenched in sweat, her entire posture stiff with fear, it didn't feel like power anymore.
Itfeltcruel.
It reminded him of the bullied Ana from way back. Wait a minute, '
why do I keep liking Eva to Ana?' He asked himself.
He sighed quietly to himself as she returned with another cup, her third attempt in an hour. She hadn't added any sugar this time. In fact, she looked like she was preparing for war, not brewing coffee. Her every movement was clumsy and overly cautious, like she was terrified of doing anything wrong.
She probably didn't even know how to make a proper cup, Damien realized. She was only trying this hard because she was desperate to keep her job. He'd overheard her pleading with the floor manager the other day, not to fire her. She needed this. And honestly, who wouldn't? His company paid better than most, and her position was no small one.
Still, despite how disorganized she looked, Damien couldn't take his eyes off her. It wasn't just her incompetence. It was her earnestness. Her vulnerability. Her realness.
Although her clumsiness is on another level, just like she'd been during the meeting the other day. Yet, for reasons he couldn't explain, Damien oddly finds her cool to look at. There was something strangely captivating about the way she fumbled through simple tasks, the way her nerves took over.
It was almost.. Captivating.
He, Damien Lopez, was used to precision, perfection. His world was filled with sharp lines, polished manners, flawless presentations. Clumsiness had no place in his life.
And maybe that's why she stood out.
She was probably the first genuinely awkward person he'd encountered in years, besidesTyler.
Trying to stay detached, he pretended to be reading when she finally approached again, the fresh cup trembling in her hands. She clutched the mug like it was her lifeline, clearly terrified of messing it up a third time. Damien looked up at her, one brow arched, silently urging her to move.
And as she reached his side, Eva clutched the cup tightly to her chest, almost as if letting go would cost her everything. Her fingers trembled. Damien raised a brow, watching her closely. The moment she met his eyes, she panicked and moved to hand him the cup, but in her haste, she misstepped.
Everything happened in a blur.
The mug slipped from her hands.
Hot coffee splashed across his shirt and torso.
Damien winced sharply as the scalding liquid hit his skin. Pain flared across his chest, but along with it came a strange sensation, like karma had just served him a fresh cup of tea.