Ardor: A Storm and Silence Fanfiction

2: Sensible Smiling

A/N: This one-shot takes place in Empire House, when Rikkard is just discovering his feelings for our lovely Lilly. Enjoy!
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She was smiling at him again.

Why does she keep doing that?

Rikkard wondered if it was some kind of disease women had, to smile unnecessarily at everyone all day long. He wouldn't be caught dead doing such a wasteful action. Smiling was a waste of his precious time.

The girl had to be not right in the head, as far as he was concerned. First she had insisted on working for him, then she had to refuse his demands for her resignation, and now this! That damned smile of hers. It was too distracting!

"Here's your file, Sir," she said sweetly, as if expecting some kind of praise for her efforts. He merely took it from her and placed it on his desk, ignoring her presence completely. To spend time replying to his unfortunate private secretary would be a waste of three seconds.

But her smile didn't waver even as he refused to acknowledge her, and she slid out the door cheerfully to return to her own adjoining office. He could see it in his mind's eye: a small mouth, pale pink, with two white rows of teeth spread in a wide grin that only she could pull off. Normal ladies didn't grin the way she always did; they smiled thinly in a demure way that she could never imitate.

Why are you so interested in her smile?

The question appeared in his mind abruptly, without any preamble, making him pause in his work. It was a simple enough question, one he should have had a ready answer for, yet when he searched for a reply to his own thoughts, he suddenly found himself at a loss.

Why was he obsessed with her smile? He'd certainly never given much thought to it before. It was just a smile, always in the subconscious part of his brain, not quite relevant to anything but somehow always there.

He wasn't obsessed with it, he told himself, frowning. Rikkard Ambrose was not obsessed with anything, with the possible exceptions of ensuring he had enough money and his employees were working to his satisfaction. Smiles were not something to obsess over. And he was certainly not obsessed with anything to do with her.

Not in the least.

...Although, now that his mind had brought it up, he had to admit that it was a very nice smile. He wouldn't go so far as to say pretty, but it was nice. Just nice. And slightly alluring. And maybe a little bright.

It was just different than what he was used to, he decided, shaking his head. She didn't smile at him the way other females smiled at him, and that was why he was so interested in it. Nothing more, nothing less.

She just happens to smile when no one else does around here.

It wasn't a shocking revelation of any kind, just a fact that he could state.

My private secretary smiles. So what?

So he should tell her to stop smiling. Smiling wasn't sensible in the workplace. It wasted too much time, as he kept reminding himself. He should definitely tell her to adopt less expressive facial features, to preserve the efficiency and timeliness of the workplace.

In fact, now was the perfect time to tell her, and put her stupid smiles out of his mind once and for all.

Rikkard stood immediately, the frown still on his face, and wrenched open the door to her office.

"Mr Linton!"

She jumped at the desk where she had been writing, and upon seeing him, broke into a wide grin. "Mr Ambrose, sir! To what do I owe the pleasure of your unexpected visit?"