Chapter Two
Olivia
I sit at my desk, typing furiously as I merge data into more manageable spreadsheets. My fingers fly across the keyboard, the familiar rhythm grounding me. This is my zone, where everything makes sense—unlike my interactions with Alex these past few days.
Since our first charged moment in his office, every encounter with him has been thick with unspoken tension. His bright green eyes linger just a bit too long, his voice lowers whenever he speaks to me, and the way he looks at me when he thinks I’m not paying attention? It’s intoxicating and terrifying all at once.
Intoxicating because I think he feels it, too—this weird pull that drags me to him like a planet in orbit. I felt it at the interview. I feel it now, sitting here as I wish I could be outside this office, watching him work. But it’s terrifying in the same degree because it can’t happen. It shouldn’t happen. Alex is my boss. Crossing that line is messy, unprofessional, and asking for trouble.
I shake off the thought, refocusing on the spreadsheet in front of me. Numbers. Rows. Columns. These are safe. Concrete. They don’t make my heart race or leave me questioning my sanity.
After an hour, I lean back and stretch, my back cracking as I twist side to side. I glance at the time and realize I’ve been at it longer than I thought. Lunch break. I need one.
I grab my yoga mat from the corner of the office, roll it out in the gym’s quieter area, and settle into some stretches. Moving through a series of poses, I let my mind quiet, each breath sinking me deeper into focus.
“Hey, nice warrior pose!” a cheerful voice cuts through my solitude.
I glance over to see a bubbly brunette in workout leggings and a cropped hoodie. She looks like the poster child for a fitness ad—bright eyes, a confident smile, and an energy that’s infectious.
“Thanks,” I reply, adjusting my stance.
“I’m Erica,” she says, sitting on a nearby bench. “You’re new here, right? I’ve seen you around the past few days.”
“Olivia,” I offer with a nod. “I just started.”
“Thought so. You work with Alex, huh?” There’s a teasing edge to her tone that makes me wonder if I’m imagining things.
“Yeah, I’m handling the accounting.” I force my voice to stay light.
“Cool, cool,” Erica says, leaning back casually. “If you ever need anything, let me know. My best friend Joy works around here, and she knows everyone. Oh, and if your car ever breaks down, she’s got a great mechanic hookup.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I tell her with a small laugh, grateful for her friendliness.
We chat a bit more before I excuse myself and roll up my mat. Erica waves as I head back toward the office, feeling a little lighter after the conversation.
But my mood shifts the moment I see Alex in the hallway. He’s leaning against the wall, his broad frame taking up most of the hallway as he scrolls through his phone. He really is gorgeous with his honey blonde hair that’s just a tad too long and that chiseled jawline that just screams to be traced with my finger. When his green eyes lift to meet mine, it’s like the air between us changes.
“Hey,” he greets, tucking his phone into his pocket.
“Hey,” I reply, my voice tighter than I’d like.
We fall into step together, walking toward the office in a silence that feels louder than any conversation. The tension is palpable, every brush of our arms as we walk igniting sparks I’m trying desperately to ignore.
“How’s it going so far?” he asks, his tone casual and his gaze anything but.
“It’s going well,” I say, glancing up at him briefly. “I’ve been working on consolidating the spreadsheets. It’s kind of meditative, actually.”
His mouth quirks into a small smile. “Meditative, huh? You might be the first person to describe accounting like that.”
“Guess I’m just special,” I quip, surprising myself with the flirtatious tone.
His smile widens, and for a moment, I think he’s going to say something else, something that will cross the line we’ve been tiptoeing. But instead, he just nods toward the office door.
“Keep up the good work,” he encourages before heading off in the opposite direction.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and slip back into the office as I try not to be disappointed that our interaction was so short.
I dive back into work, trying to lose myself in the numbers again. For a while, it works. My mind clears, and I find myself in a productive flow, the hours slipping by without me noticing.
But the reprieve doesn’t last. Thoughts of Alex keep creeping in, tugging at the edges of my focus.
There’s no way this can go anywhere. Alex is my boss. An affair with my employer is improper. Although, it’s not like there’s an HR department here.
I groan inwardly, frustrated with myself. Just because there aren’t rules explicitly forbidding it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. If things go badly, there’s nothing stopping him from firing me.
I go back and forth with myself for what feels like hours, battling my attraction to him with the voice of reason. But as conflicted as I feel, I manage to make solid progress on the spreadsheets. I even slip into a meditative state as I consolidate repetitive columns and rows.
“You’re still here?” Alex’s voice breaks through my focus, startling me.
I blink a few times to refocus, the brightness of the screen making the room seem dim in comparison.
“I guess so,” I reply, glancing at the clock.
“You could’ve left twenty minutes ago,” he says, crossing his arms as he leans against the doorframe. His head tilts slightly causing a lock of blonde hair to fall over his eyebrow.
“Sorry,” I say, standing and stretching my back. I scratch the back of my neck, feeling a little sheepish. “I just got really into what I was doing.”
“I didn’t know accounting was that interesting,” he chuckles, his gaze tracking my movements as I bend to grab my purse.
“Oh, it’s incredibly interesting,” I say with mock seriousness, quirking a smile at him. “I can’t wait to get back to it tomorrow.”
“Well, I look forward to seeing you then,” he says, his voice warm.
He takes a step toward me, and suddenly we’re standing so close I can feel the heat radiating off him. The spark between us flares, a live current that crackles in the air. I’m losing myself in those green eyes and I know I need to say something, do something, but I can’t. I’m a fly caught in a spider web and he’s the spider waiting to devour me.
I freeze, my breath catching as his eyes drop to my lips. For a second, I think he’s going to step back, but instead, he leans in and presses his lips to mine.
The kiss is soft, chaste, and over far too quickly, but it leaves my heart racing.
“Get home safe,” he says, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.
“You—you too,” I stammer, still reeling.
Before he can say anything else, I grab my purse and practically flee the office. My face burns as I mutter a quick goodbye to Josh on my way out.
When I get to my car, I sit there for a full ten minutes, trying to process what just happened. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, and I know I should be worried about what this means for my job, my future.
But all I can think about is the way Alex’s lips felt against mine.
This is going to be a problem.