The Master Programmer

Jason awoke to the buzz of his alarm, a faint smirk curling his lips. Today was another opportunity, another step toward his ever-expanding vision. He moved through his morning routine with a sense of purpose, every motion deliberate yet natural, as if the universe itself conspired to align with his energy. And then when he walked out of the shower, only to see Veronica walking his way, seeing him standing there with a towel around his crotch and nothing else, and thereafter staring at his body, he stood there as if he was a deer caught in headlights. But actually, she was the deer. After all, his body was pretty awesome. Broad Shoulders, a well-defined chest, toned 8-pack abs, pronounced Muscles in the arms and legs, veinage everywhere. He was even steaming at that moment as if he had just stepped out of a gladiator ring. He was strong and athletic, and if Veronica wasn't sure of it before, she could be damn well sure now. "Hey, Veronica!" Jason said so naturally. She stood there in a daze for a moment, her eyes running over his body before finally by sheer willpower she managed to drag herself back up to his face, only to be met again with that handsome visage. And then by sheer force of will yet again, she dragged the words out of her mouth. "Jason… You need to wear something else. How could you walk around with just this towel? Don't you have a bathrobe?" Jason chuckled, shaking his head as he said, "I do not have something like that, at least not yet. I should have thought about it earlier. I'll get it when I get my paycheque at the end of the month. Until then, can you forgive me?" Veronica sighed, looking away from him and then with a nod she spoke. "Fine. Just make sure you tie it up properly," Veronica said and thereafter, she looked at him and sighed inwardly. "Be decent all the time in my house. Even when I'm not around!" Jason nodded. "Of course! You can count on me. Anyway, I gotta go. I'll see you later." Veronica watched as Jason walked past her, and when she turned back only to see how his back was looking as if it was sculpted by some master sculptor, she couldn't help but beat him out. He wasn't overly muscular, yet his physique was impeccably defined. It was as if he were the ideal human specimen. Truly remarkable. Turning her head away, she left, going to her bedroom which had its own bathroom. She needed to get her mind off that. Maybe a cold shower will do the trick. Jason got himself some coffee and then began his morning work. That was to effectively upskill himself for the purpose of making it in his workplace. He had already recognised certain inefficiencies in his workplace, and he was going to solve a lot of them, all by himself. He had promised to become the most valuable employee. That was exactly what he was going to become. Veronica did not really eat breakfast, because she left early, and Jason had been told by her to leave with her to save up on his Taxi cab fees, which was a good thing for him since it meant he could spend time with her. By the time he walked out of the house, Veronica was already outside, her car idling at the curb. She looked effortlessly composed, her lips pursed in a manner that suggested both impatience and curiosity. Jason slid into the passenger seat with his usual air of calm confidence. "Morning, Veronica," he said, his voice steady and warm. He let her name linger slightly, using a subtle pacing technique to make it feel personal and important. She glanced at him briefly, suppressing a smile as she looked at his chest remembering the sight from the morning. "Morning, Jason. And you already said that today, don't you remember?" Jason smirked, turning to her and gazing at her side profile, while saying, "I just like saying your name to be honest. But you seem to remember that moment very clearly. I'm glad you remember moments with me." After hearing those words, Veronica said nothing else other than the fact that she was thoroughly going ahead and moving. She turned to him, her neck slightly flushed as she said, "You crazy…" sighing, she said, " Ready for another day of world domination?" "Always," he replied, flashing her a playful grin. "You're looking sharp today. I bet half the office will be distracted by you." Veronica shook her head but felt her cheeks flush. "Flattery will get you nowhere," she said, though her tone betrayed her amusement. Yeah right. You can get everywhere with flattery. After all, People loved it when they were paid attention to. They loved feeling good and the better they felt around certain people the more they would hang around those people, just to feel even better. It was simple. However there was a trick, and that was to make them feel the compliments and the statements that made them feel good were genuine instead of feeling fake, just with the purpose of keeping them around. Jason chuckled, letting a brief pause hang between them—a deliberate silence to build anticipation. Then, just as she was about to speak, he added, "But seriously, one day, I'll be the one driving you to work. You'll just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride as my Passenger Princess." Veronica turned to Jason with her eyebrows raised, seeing him staring at the front. What the hell? Passenger Princess? Was he serious? She began laughing when she heard all this. Her laughter was soft but genuine, filling the car like sunlight streaming through a window. "Passenger princess, huh? We'll see about that. Focus on surviving your job first. Samantha is cutthroat. Don't get fired!" Jason smiled, his eyes twinkling as he turned toward her. "One step at a time, Veronica. But trust me, the day is coming. Just imagine yourself sitting beside me, with me driving you everywhere like some chauffer." His tone was filled with certainty, planting an image of a shared future in her mind. Shared futures and imagery were everything to him. After all, as long as you can get someone to imagine the future, you can make them act in line with the imagination. As long as they can see it in their minds, they can experience it in reality. She was already falling deeper into his spell. And Jason was anchoring it all in place using some other techniques like the smirks, and the looks. He would look at her when he said something seriously, looking away when he said something even more serious or impactful. Everything was perfectly measured. As the car approached his stop, Jason reached for the door handle but paused to meet Veronica's gaze. "Thanks for the ride." Her eyes softened, and for a moment, she seemed to forget herself. "It's no problem. I want to see you succeed. So if that means I have to drive you here all so that you can save money and spend it on the things that matter, then it's fine." "Of course, I will succeed," he said, stepping out. "And when I do, remember this conversation. You will recall everything we shared. And you'll realize just how significant it all was when I start driving you everywhere you want to go." After saying that he closed the door, and gave her another smile from outside, he stood there to watch her leave and as her car began leaving, she stared into the rearview mirror watching him stand there. This guy… Was he watching over her like some doting parent? As she drove away, Veronica felt a blush creeping up her neck. What was it about Jason that made her feel like a teenager again? She shook her head, trying to focus on the road, but the phrase Passenger Princess echoed in her mind, bringing a reluctant smile to her lips. She told him to not say any confusing things yesterday, and he had promised. And even now he had not said anything confusing, but still… She couldn't help but feel warm inside. And then when thinking about her business situation, she couldn't help but sigh bringing herself back to reality. She had made a big decision back then. It was also at that moment that she had also realised just how willing she was to ensure his future. Back then, she had asked Jason to give her his Resume, and back then Jason had done just that, but it was also something incredible for her as to how he had gotten the meeting She had been in a meeting with Samantha, and in that meeting after resolving everything, they were having a dinner, and when she was having that dinner, she couldn't help but think about Jason. Samantha's company was a good fit for him, and it would be great if he worked with her. After thinking that far, she shared Jason's information with Samantha, but Samantha looked at it, and then sighed, telling her that her people were fully stocked. She did not have space to take on somebody new. Veronica sighed, hearing this. It was understandable. She was just trying to ensure his future anyway. Samantha thought for a bit more and then flashed a businesswoman's smile. She said she would definitely give him not only an interview but also guaranteed hiring, but there was a condition to it. Veronica, wondering what this was about asked the conditions, and then Samantha continued on to tell her that this would happen if and only if Veronica gave her 1 per cent extra benefits on top of whatever they had already worked out. Damn it. She was being negotiated with! Samantha was trying to scalp more benefits out of her because she could see just how much she cared about Jason. How annoying!