Watching him with all seriousness, I couldn't help but seriously gaze back at his face, noting the mature, steady composure that added to his handsomeness., Men his age couldn't possibly compete with the likes of Jimmy, the fresh-faced young bucks out there., These days, being called a

"silver fox

" is practically a compliment, signifying a charm that comes with maturity., Isn't there a whole trend about swooning over older men now?, Whether it's young women, married ladies, or even little girls, they all seem to have a thing for the mature types like Ernest., But him getting all worked up about being called a

"silver fox

"? Seems like he doesn't realize just how valuable that title has become in his case., Taking a step closer, I said,

"Honestly, you are in your thirties, definitely not young, especially compared to that kid earlier...

",

"You think I'm old too?

" Ernest cut me off before I could finish., His mood seemed to drop, clearly annoyed., Wow! Didn't expect him to be so touchy about his age., I tried to explain further,

"I'm saying you're indeed not young, but I didn't mean...

", That I disliked you - those words were left unspoken as Ernest interrupted again,

"Anyone else can call me old, but not you.

", I was speechless., Seeing his frustrated yet aggrieved expression, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Ernest, are you so worried I'll find you old because you lack confidence? Or do you think I'd leave you for being older?

" Ernest kept silent, his sulking demeanor amusing., I couldn't resist reaching out to ruffle his face,

"Come on, I won't hold your age against you. I'm after your... mature charm... Otherwise, why would I turn down that young guy earlier? He was pretty fresh, right?

" Ernest still didn't respond, so I rubbed his face again., This was the first time I realized that older men are not that easy to cheer up, unlike Conrad., With Conrad, a simple apology would have been enough to smooth things over., But Ernest was behaving like a petulant child, not easily mollified., Time for a drastic measure, I thought, and tiptoed to give him a quick kiss,

"Does that make it better?

", I didn't wait for his reaction and turned to leave, but a firm grip around my waist stopped me. Ernest's embrace reminded me of the strength in his arms from last night, and my throat suddenly felt dry,

"Ern...

"

"Director Hudson mentioned we should keep things professional at work, right? What's with the hands-on approach with a colleague?

" I teased., The audacity..., He's playing innocent after gaining the upper hand., I could see through his act; pretending to be naive around me while showing he understood everything when confronting Jimmy., He was clearly playing dumb, but having already 'eaten', what more could I say?, I scoffed,

"Ernest, nice try.

", Ernest offered no defense, and I walked away.,

"Let's have lunch together,

" Ernest called out as I was leaving., I ignored him but bumped into Grant right outside the door, who greeted me with a grin,

"Director Hudson's love life seems pretty lively.

", I said nothing.,

"Director Hudson, let's have lunch together. It's to welcome Mr. Collins to the team,

" Grant extended his invitation., I was speechless again. Such special treatment for the new guy, huh?,

"Mr. Smith,

" I called out to Grant before he could enter Ernest's office., Grant paused, turning to me with a smile.

"Director Hudson, what can I do for you?

",

"When I joined, Mr. Smith, I don't recall having a welcome party,

" I pointed out, catching a twitch in Grant's smile., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.