Riley seemed to be adjusting well to sticking closely to his boss, May, as her bodyguard, wherever she was.

"Are you her boyfriend?" asked one of the female staff inside the studio, where May was having a shoot for a cooking show.

Riley's face reddened as he meekly answered, "No, I'm not. I'm her bodyguard."

The female staff nodded and whispered, "Oh, I see. But you two look good together. It's the first time I see miss May accompanied by a man..."

Riley didn't know how to respond, so all he could do was give the staff a timid smile.

Meanwhile, May noticed Riley blush and smile while talking to a female staff. She pouted her lips as she thought irritably, 'What are they talking about? Why does he look so shy?'

She was startled when the director shouted, "Cut!".

"May! You're supposed to smile, not pout your lips like that. Let's shoot that part once more," scolded the director.

May bowed and apologized as she scoffed, "Tsk… so distracting."

Yes, Riley's presence in the studio distracted her. Maybe next time she should ask him to take a break and wait for her somewhere else when she was shooting a show like today.

After her work, May was a bit quiet inside the car while Riley, who was now becoming more and more of himself with May, energetically asked, "Boss, it's already quite late to cook. Where do you want to eat? I will treat you to a nice dinner for being a good boss to me."

May just replied with a blank face, "Okay."

Riley was quite dumbfounded at May's reaction. She was now not her usual cheerful self. He brushed off unnecessary thoughts, thinking May must have been a bit exhausted from work.

At the restaurant, Riley's jaw dropped as he watched May give the waiter her order. He knew that May had a bigger appetite than most other women, but her order seemed a bit too much.

"I actually haven't met a woman who would still look as slim as you with the kind of appetite that you have," Riley commented with a smile.

May frowned as she retorted, "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

Riley suddenly did not know how he should react to that. "Does it turn you off? Seeing a woman eat a lot like me?" May continued, not leaving her gaze from Riley.

"Of course not! It's good to have a woman with a good appetite...." Riley responded.

Then he added with a stammering voice as if he was contemplating whether or not he should say it, "Uhm, I actually... like it. To watch you... Uhm, watch you eat... Heartily…"

May's eyes blinked as her lips curved into a sweet smile.

Then she asked casually, "By the way, I saw you talking to one of the female staff. Was she asking for your number?"

"No…" Riley quickly replied with rounded eyes.

"Oh, I see… You looked shy… I mean, when you talked to her, you were smiling shyly. Anyway, it's not like it's my business. But sometimes I could be a busybody. You know, like now... Or probably I'm just a bit exhausted…" May reasoned as she began to eat the course appetizer.

Deep inside, she was waiting for Riley to say something about the female staff. 'Busybody, my foot! You look more like a jealous girlfriend to me…' her inner self condemned. Maybe she was indeed jealous... The female staff was young and quite pretty, and she kept on smiling at Riley sweetly. 

Riley coughed and gave her a nervous smile as he explained, "Actually, she thought... Uhm, I'm your boyfriend. That's why I was shy because I didn't know how to respond to that."

May stretched her shoulders and simply instructed, "Oh... Then you can just answer them with a 'YES' next time. They were probably just feeling uncomfortable seeing me with a bodyguard. So, if anyone asks you that next time, just tell them that I'm your girlfriend. It's easier that way."

Riley gulped and grabbed a glass of water and drank it in one go. May's instruction somehow felt wrong, but then again... Maybe his boss had a point. Perhaps it was easier that way.

"Honestly, the one who has been sending me threats… He seems to really like me. No, obsessed with me. So, instead of introducing you to everyone as my bodyguard… I will introduce you as my boyfriend instead," said May as her eyes sparkled.

She stared at Riley and declared, "From now on, you'll be my boyfriend. Not just my bodyguard… Understand?"

Riley was totally caught off-guard by May's declaration. His face blushed, and he really did not know what to say.  

May creased her forehead when Riley did not respond. She pouted her lips as she disappointedly whispered, "You don't want to become my boyfriend..."

"No, I want to…" Riley unconsciously murmured, unaware that he voiced it out loud enough for May to hear.

"Alright, then it's final… Being my boyfriend is now added to your scope of work. So, take note of that. Our food is here… Let's eat, boyfriend," May excitedly said as she smiled broadly.

Meanwhile, Riley's shoulders slumped. He suddenly questioned himself if he did the right thing by accepting May's offer from the start… He felt that being May's boyfriend would be even more complicated than being her bodyguard...