Chapter 17

Zayn looked up immediately. What did he just hear? She attended Hillary High school? That was the same school that he attended! Why did he not know anything about that? Why did he not notice her back then when he was in high school? He felt more intrigued.

"What? Are you sure about this?" Zayn asked. He wanted to make sure that Dave was not making mistakes.

Dave nodded. He was sure of that. He had checked over and over again to make sure that he was correct. He knew that his boss had attended the same school too and he knew that it was going to have some kind of effect on him. That was why he left it until the last minute. "Of course sir. I am very sure of that. She attended that school too. But you were a few years ahead of her," Dave said.

Zayn nodded his head. It made complete sense now. She was his Junior. He was sure that there was no way that he would not have noticed her if the both of them had been in the same year. From the very first time that he saw her, talking back to her arrogant boss, he was instantly attracted to her. He could not believe that he had a chance to get to know her in High school but he let it pass.

A thin smile spread on his face. It wasn't as big as the smile that was on his face when he saw Annalise but at least it was a smile. He rarely ever smiled when he was in the presence of his staff.

Dave felt like he was dreaming. His boss was smiling? Because he learned that he had gone to the same high school with that woman called Annalise? He really wanted to know who that woman was, she was able to bring out this kind of reaction from his usually cold and aloof boss. It really was something. He could not hold the curiosity that was brewing inside him. "Boss...may I ask who this woman is? Why are you so interested in her?" Dave asked. This was the first time his boss was expending so much energy on a woman.

The smile that was on his face disappeared immediately Dave asked him that question. Zayn was no longer smiling. He was back to the cold and aloof CEO that he was. He really did not see how it was any of his business. "Am I paying you to work or am I paying you to be curious about what I do?" Zayn asked.

Dave knew that that tone was a sign for him to shut up and get lost. He did not waste any more time. He walked out of the office.

Zayn's smile was back on his face when he thought about Annalise. This woman.. she kept interesting him more and more.

Annalise was in her shop alone. Nelly had just left. She still had her own work that she needed to take care of at her mother's restaurant. They had just gotten a big order from a VIP. And even though she could skip work as the boss, she still had to be there to look over something like this so that there wouldn't be any mistakes. If the workers made any mistake, it might end up affecting the reputation of their restaurant since the customers were really important people.

Annalise was left alone thinking about the conversation that she had with Nelly before she left. Was she really going to continue being this way? She knew that Nelly was looking out for her because she did not want her to be lonely but she knew that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't be able to do it.

She just isn't ready to open up her heart to the prospects of another relationship. She had been hurt constantly by the men that she kept getting into her life. Dalton was the last straw. She did not think that she would be able to go through something like that.

Dalton left her when she was at the lowest point of her life. He did not even care about her at all. He worked in the same place as her and he knew how terribly over bearing that woman Elizabeth could be. The least that she was expecting from him then was for him to stand by her side as her boyfriend, to comfort her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But he did not do anything like that. He joined other people to kick her down when she was at her lowest. Even though she no longer had any feelings left for that man, she did not think that she would be able to forgive him.

Annalise came out from her reverie just then to see that someone was entering the saloon. As usual, she got up, a huge smile plastered on her face. She had trained herself to always be nice to her customers no matter what. When she saw the person that came into the salon, she was shocked. She was finding it very hard to keep the smile that was on her face right now.

It was none other than her former boss Elizabeth. Something kept telling Annalise that this woman was not simply here to get her hair then. She was here for some other reason.

Annalise tried hard to compose herself before she said to Elizabeth, "Welcome Ma'am. Do you have a particular style that you would want?" Annalise asked.

Elizabeth scoffed. She had heard that her former secretary had opened up a salon. She wanted to come see it for herself, and she was not impressed at all. Elizabeth had forgotten the fact that apart from herself, no other person was capable of impressing her. "Is this the place? How pathetic!"