Chapter 14 #2
“What’s going on? Talk, or I run.”
“I wouldn’t recommend running. Not when I’m like this. You wouldn’t like what happens.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “I’m getting closer to my molt.”
“Um, I don’t know what that is, and I’m honestly not sure I want to. Is that why you called me in early?”
He opened his eyes. They were back to amber.
“Sit and eat,” he said.
Not doing either, I arched a brow at him.
“I actually called you in to ask what happened with your father. Did he contact you about the shares?”
“Oh. Yeah. We’re meeting after work to sign the documents.”
“All right. I can send a lawyer with you to verify the transfer before you sign anything.”
I agreed.
“Good.” He didn’t say anything else. Neither did I. The silence grew until I broke.
“I’m going to take this to my desk then.”
He nodded and didn’t stop me from leaving.
I should have been mad about coming in so early for something he could have just asked on the phone. But I wasn’t. Calling me in, just like his nightly Lunar Pulse visits, was proof of how much he wanted to be near me. And I liked it.
A little ball of contentment tried to form inside of me.
Don’t go soft, Soph. Attraction is fine, but keep emotional distance.
Sex would fix my fascination. One good, mind-blowing round and he’d be out of my system. Too bad I was terminally allergic to the helping of “I do” that would come with it.
With a sigh, I focused on my egg sandwich and idly checked Lunar Pulse’s social accounts. Uncle Jay had kept up doing the promotional drink posts. The pictures looked good. I responded to some messages for him then logged out to browse some fashion feeds I followed.
Footsteps sounded behind me before I’d finished my sandwich, and I looked up from my food to see Lianna approaching.
“Good morning, Sophia,” she said, veering into Konni’s office.
“Good morning, Lianna!” I called as she disappeared.
I was petty like that. People who considered themselves better than anyone else really got to me.
The door closed, and I continued my idle morning until Edi came in.
“You’re early,” he said.
“Yep.”
“Is that from Furanté?”
I looked at the cup I was holding and shrugged. Edi grinned.
“I’m pretty sure it is. They have good coffee and an amazing breakfast sandwich. I told Mr. Steele about them a few weeks ago.”
“Then I have you to thank for my breakfast this morning. Compensation for waking up before my alarm for a meeting.”
“Mr. Steele’s always good to his staff,” Edi said, winning points for not asking what the meeting was about.
Konni’s office door opened, and Lianna strode out without saying anything to either of us.
“Do you know how long she was in there?” Edi asked.
I glanced at my phone. “About twenty minutes.”
“Okay. He’s going to need a coffee then.”
“How does he like his coffee?” I asked, starting to stand.
Edi motioned for me to sit.
“I’ll ask the guys if they can pick up something.
Mr. Steele likes his coffee with an unhealthy amount of sugar.
” He picked up his phone, started typing, then paused.
“Can I add you to our group chat? It makes it easier to communicate with each other when not everyone is in the office to use the office chat.”
“Sure.”
I gave him my number and got welcome texts from Bomir and Marius.
Bomir: We’ll get his coffee on the way in. ETA 10 minutes.
Edi’s computer pinged with a new message. He read it and turned toward me.
“Ready to shadow? Mr. Steele just summoned.”
I followed him into Konni’s office and found the mood had shifted from earlier.
Any hint of humor was missing as Konni gave Edi a list of things to check regarding a new contract they’d received. I just observed, as Edi had asked me to. How he responded to Konni’s visible annoyance. How he made notes. And the overall situation, rather than focusing on the details.
When Konni finished, Edi turned to leave.
“Stay for a moment, Ms. Elmantas,” Konni said, stopping me from following.
Unable to say no, I listened to the door close behind me.
“What can I do for you?” I asked.
His mouth quirked at the corners.
“Don’t turn that question into an HR violation,” I said.
“Wouldn’t dream of it. I thought I would feel more at ease with you right outside my door, but I don’t. Is there any chance you’d allow me to move your desk in here?”
“No.”
He sighed. “I didn’t think so.”
“Is that the only reason you stopped me? I’m supposed to be shadowing Edi. He could be doing things right now that I’m missing out on learning.”
“You could shadow me instead,” Konni said.
“Your company doesn’t need two CEOs. And I’m not interested in stealing your job. Early morning meetings with Lianna don’t seem fun, based on your current mood.”
“They’d be more fun if you were with me.”
“Shared misery?” I asked.
He laughed out loud.
“If there’s nothing else, I’m going to go.”
He nodded, looking more like his usual amused self.
Edi, Bomir, and Marius were standing together by our desks when I emerged. Their conversation stopped suddenly, and they all looked at me.
Were they already thinking I was doing something with Konni because he’d met with me earlier and asked me to stay?
“Sorry to do this to you,” Bomir said, handing me a coffee. “But he’s nicer to new people.”
Relieved that was all they wanted, I nodded and took the coffee in for Konni. He watched me approach, humor still in his gaze.
Before I handed the cup over, I boldly took a sip. It was sickeningly sweet.
“How many pumps of vanilla do you have them put in there? And is that cinnamon?”
“Four vanilla, one cinnamon, and two shots of espresso. The rest is whole milk.”
“That can’t be healthy.”
He smirked and took a sip. His eyes glittered with gold.
“How many of those do you have a day?” I asked.
“Just one.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Edi called from outside the office.
I flushed a little when I realized they could hear our conversation, and Konni’s amusement climbed.
“How many?” I asked.
“Usually, three,” Bomir called.
“The executive break area already has an espresso machine,” I said. “Why don’t we just order the syrups and make your coffee here? Saves us time running around and the company money.”
“Are you offering to make me three coffees a day?”
I shrugged and nodded. How was making him a coffee here any different than the cocktails and mocktails I’d made him at Lunar Pulse?
“I’ve been told I’m a decent barista.”
“All right. Make it happen.”
I left the office and found Edi already online, shopping for syrups, and Marius and Bomir giving me a thumbs up.
Working in a department that fully encouraged and welcomed me completely changed my workday. As the hours passed, I didn’t feel isolated or unwanted; I felt like part of a team.
Edi was a great trainer. After every task, he’d review what I’d observed, praising me for the details I’d noticed and pointing out the ones I’d missed.
“It’s not about doing what you’re told; it’s about reading the room and knowing these executives well enough to anticipate what they need before they ask for it. Efficiency earns promotions and raises.”
He never criticized me. Neither did the other two.
At lunch, the four of us went down to the cafe together.
I’d barely sat down when my phone buzzed.
K: Where did you go?
Me: Lunch
K: What about me?
“Did we wreck your lunch plans?” Marius asked, seeing the text.
“No. I didn’t have plans. Just someone being needy.”
Their phones pinged, and Bomir sighed. Without looking at their phones, the three of them each put a fist on the tabletop, banged it three times, and made rock-paper-scissors signs.
“You’re up, Edi,” Bomir said with a grin.
Edi glanced at me as he took out his phone. “Hope he never adds you to the chat.”
He read the message and rolled his eyes.
“He knows we’re all in the cafe and asked us to bring him back a BLT.”
All three glanced at my plate, which held a BLT and chips.
“It’s pretty good,” I defended, since they were all eating chicken berry salad, today’s special. “The bread’s delicious.”
“Get your hand up on the table,” Edi said.
Grinning, I played their version of “not it.” Marius “won” the right to deliver Konni’s lunch once we finished.
Near the end of the day, Konni summoned me to his office.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Steele?” I asked, having learned my lesson about the assistant groups’ hearing.
“Where and when is your meeting tonight?”
“A private room at Seventeen Twenty-One at six-thirty,” I said.
“We can head over at six, then. Felix can meet us there.”
“No,” I said firmly. “The deal will fall apart if you’re there. It’s better if it’s only the lawyer. Trust me.”
He let out a long breath. “Edi, close the door.”
The door closed behind me. “Just how good is their hearing? I’m sitting right behind him, and I never hear you in here when your door’s open.”
“That’s because I’m quietly working when my door is open. You’re the only one who leaves the door open when you come in here.”
“I also seem to be the only one who the entire office thinks is trying to crawl into your bed.”
“I wish you would.”
“HR violation.”
“I could make it a company policy.”
“I’m sure Lianna would be thrilled.”
His gaze intensified. “Are you jealous?”