Part 9 Asha
Dennis had been hovering around me all day. His concerned eyes kept wandering to me as he fluttered around me doing some kind of meaningless shit. He kept finding excuses to check in on me, bringing me files to review, asking about tasks that didn't need immediate attention, or offering to fetch me coffee even though I had just declined moments ago. Like Brody, he only needed one look at my face to know that something was deeply wrong. He didn't ask any direct questions—he rarely did—but his presence was constant, a silent reminder that he was there if I needed him. It was both comforting and exhausting. Especially exhausting, because I knew perfectly well that he could see through the cracks I was trying so hard to cover up.
I really wasn't in the mood to talk, let alone explain the weight pressing so heavily on my mind. But Dennis, being Dennis, wouldn't let it go.
"Are you sure there's nothing I can do?" he asked carefully, for the third time that afternoon. His eyes were soft, filled with worries that only made the knot in my chest tighten.
"For the love of God, Dennis, if you ask me that one more time, I'll–"
"Relax, geez," he said, giving me an eye roll. His hands were on his hips, and his tone dripped with sass. "I was just asking. No need to be bitchy."
I sighed as I managed a weak smile, but I knew it didn't reach my eyes. "I'm fine, Dennis. Really."
But we both knew that was a lie.
"Where's Mr. Super Hotness? He didn't come for lunch today?"
"No. I told him I'm busy." I was not in the mood to have company. I needed to be alone with my thoughts. I just couldn't think straight today. Everything felt out of focus, like I was wading through thick fog. No work had been done, not even the simplest tasks. I was tired, frustrated, and utterly useless.
For the past week, Liam had been bringing lunch that he made himself, and we'd been sharing it together in my office. This quickly turned into a routine. Each day, I found myself eagerly anticipating those lunch breaks. It was a small breather from the chaos that had been going on in my life, and I enjoyed it. Probably far too much. Liam's company was refreshing. He had a talent for making me smile and blush and laugh. I hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time. Once, he brought his friends with him. His 'little troop,' as Dennis called them.
And I finally met Keith, the InfiniTech project manager and Liam's best friend, who tried to steal my tiramisu. Keith looked stunned when he first saw me, his eyes widening in surprise. After a moment of weird silence, Keith extended his hand towards me. "I'm Keith. Nice to meet you, Asha. Liam told us absolutely nothing about you—actually, we only got your name from your lovely assistant. That's why we practically forced him to bring us here. We wanted to find out why he's been sneaking off with those incredible-smelling lunches and denied me my tiramisu."
"Okay now, Keith. Time to shut up," Liam grumbled.
Keith, like Liam, was tall, tattooed, and muscular. His long, dark hair fell loose on his shoulders, framing a face marked by a scruffy jaw and chin he clearly couldn't be bothered to shave, though undeniably giving him a nicely rugged charm. His eyes, dark as the night, glinted with a mischievous spark that suggested he was a laid-back guy. He had a calm confidence in his demeanor that made him instantly approachable, the same as Liam.
And he had been receiving moon eyes from Dennis, who just couldn't stop staring at him.
There was another person with them, who Liam introduced as Theo. Liam said he was his security. I glanced at the guy with shock, because Theo was as cute as a button. He had wheat blond hair, rosy cheeks, a pair of lips that were too red for a man, and green eyes like mine framed by thick-rimmed glasses. He was a tiny guy; he was even shorter than me. How the hell was he security?
Sensing my confusion, Liam chuckled. "Cybersecurity, I mean. He's the expert."
"Oh," Still in confusion, that was all I could say.
"We brought food too," Theo said, suddenly holding up a shopping bag. "We figured that our big boss asshole only made enough of his delicious homemade meals—which we rarely get to eat, by the way, for two. So, I picked up some sandwiches from the deli across the street for me and Keith." He gave Liam a mean side-eye, and I couldn't help but laugh. Theo was adorable.
"Actually, I cooked for three people," Liam said. "Dennis is included too." That was true. On the second day, Liam had set aside a portion for Dennis in a separate container, which had earned him high praise from Dennis, who never missed a chance to highlight Liam's thoughtfulness and excellent cooking skills. "But you're welcome to try my dish if you'd like, and I'll happily take one of your sandwiches."
Theo scoffed and rolled his eyes. "No, thank you." He handed the bag to Keith, who accepted it with a grin. Before Theo could pull away, Keith tweaked Theo's nose, looking like he might just chew the blond-haired guy alive for being too cute. Theo shot him a killer glare, but Keith just chuckled at his reaction. "I'm good with my sandwiches," Theo said to Liam.
Then we all dug in. I still sat at the head of the table as usual, with Dennis on my left and Liam on my right. Theo, practically salivating at the sight of Liam's dish, ended up eating it. Liam quietly scooped some onto a plate and pushed it across the table to him, which made Theo stop sulking and muttered a shy thank you. Liam got his sandwich, and we all chatted and laughed together. For a moment, I felt genuinely happy. Dennis noticed and gently squeezed my hand, whispering, "It's nice to see you laughing." Then, of course, he added in a whisper, "Go grab that beautiful man. Fast ."
When only the two of us had lunch together, we talked about a lot of things, shifting seamlessly between the professional and the personal. And the overly personal. Liam had a knack for steering the conversation, peppering me with questions in quick succession that I had to answer without overthinking.
"What's your favorite color?" he asked, not missing a beat.
"Blue," I replied automatically.
"Like my eyes?" He shot back, his grin widening as he leaned in slightly.
"Yes." The word slipped out before I had a chance to filter it, and I caught the mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Your favorite meal?"
"Tiramisu," I answered, barely pausing to think. "Anything sweet, basically."
"Ah, the one I made for you?" he quipped, raising an eyebrow.
"The very one," I confirmed with a small laugh, feeling my cheeks heated.
"Your favorite movie."
"Forest Gump."
"Your favorite music."
"Anything Jazz." His brows rose at that, and then he smiled, looking very pleased.
"Your favorite quote."
" I'm not arguing. I'm just explaining why I'm right. "
He laughed a big belly laugh at that before launching the next question. "Giving or receiving head."
"Giving." I blurted, then my eyes widened in shock and my hand shot to cover my mouth. "I can't believe I just admitted that!" His smile widened, dimple flashing, clearly amused.
"Red or white wine."
"Red."
"Beach or mountain."
"Both."
"Sweet or savory."
"Sweet. Any time of the day."
"Good to know. Favorite sex position."
"Anything with eye contact." I grinned, finally past the squirming embarrassment, though the blush still lingered—something I couldn't control. "I'm not picky," I added. Then, completely out of character, I winked. Liam looked taken aback by that gesture. He grinned, then quickly recovered.
"Sub or Domme."
"Sub." I paused before I added shyly. "I enjoy playing that part very much."
Something flickered in his eyes. For a split second, I could have sworn an inky darkness completely swallowed the turquoise blue. It was so quick that I almost questioned whether I had imagined it.
"The number of guys you've dated."
"One."
"The number of guys you had sex with."
"One."
Liam paused. His gaze was intense on me, with a hint of wonder. It felt like he was trying to put the pieces together, to grasp something more about me, but in the end, he just couldn't.
"Do you love your job?"
The way he changed the topic so fast gave me a whiplash. I took a moment to answer that, not quite playing the game anymore. "Yes, and no."
"Why uncertain?"
"I'm proud of what I accomplished, and I'm good at my job. But at this point, it's monotonous. Nothing exciting for me anymore."
"What do you think you'd be doing right now if you're not the CEO of a multibillion-dollar steel company?"
"Working on my garden."
Liam looked surprised. "And?"
"That's it. I love my garden. I'll never get bored. Plus, I'll get a nice tan so that I'm not so vampire-looking anymore."
"You don't look like a vampire." He snorted.
"I have white-blond hair, I'm pale, and I wear red lipstick most of the time because otherwise I look like a piece of paper. I'm also known for my ability to eat men alive in the boardroom."
He blinked at me. "That's actually very... hot ." Several blinks later, he launched his next question. "Do you ever think you might resign?"
"Yes. More so, lately."
"Building a garden? Or a plant nursery?"
I sighed dreamily. "Yes, and yes."
"Do you imagine you'll have a garden like Monet's Giverny?"
"Oh, God. Yes."
"So, why not do it?"
"I don't know." I shrugged. "Maybe someday I will."
And that question has been bugging my mind ever since.
*** *** ***
"Do you want me to call him?" Dennis pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Huh?" I blinked, struggling to catch up. My mind was still somewhere else. "Who?"
"Mr. Super Hotness."
"Dennis..." I warned, narrowing my eyes to him.
He ignored my tone and carried on. "I heard from Theo that the three of them actually have their own bedrooms on this floor. Plus, they've got an entire set of rooms downstairs for their staff to crash in when they need to pull an all-nighter. So, in conclusion, there are a lot of bedrooms to choose from."
"Why are you telling me this?" I groaned, immediately regretting asking when I saw the cheeky look on his face.
"Maybe you need some R&R for an hour or two," Dennis suggested with a casual shrug.
"In their rooms?" I recoiled, staring at him in disbelief. "They won't let me in there!"
"They will if Liam gives the nod," Dennis said with a sly grin. "And I have a feeling he'd say yes to whatever you ask. Especially if he gets to join in." He waggled his eyebrows, clearly having fun with himself.
"That is out of the question!" I shot back with exasperation.
"Try asking him." Dennis was on a mission—a matchmaking mission involving his married boss and the hottie down the hall.
I crossed my arms around my chest. "I will not."
"Or better yet, ask him out."
"I'm still married, if you so kindly care to remember."
"To a douche. A very handsome and charismatic douche, but still a douche. Who cheated on you?"
"Liam is just a friend. He doesn't see me like that."
"Uh, oh, no," Dennis said, shaking his head dramatically while wagging his finger at me. "I've seen the way he looks at you—with those droopy eyes, dimple popping out, practically foaming at the mouth. He looks at you like he wants to eat you. And every time you speak, even if what you say is absolute crap, he's staring at you like you just said the most profound thing in the world."
"No, he didn't."
"Yes, he did."
"Dennis, I don't want to talk about this anymore." I scowled at him.
"But we need to." He insisted.
"No." Then I waved my hand at him. "I need to work. Go away."
With a sigh, he gave up. He stomped away to the door, but before he opened it, he turned around and said, "Did I mention about his ass? His–"
"Out, Dennis!"