3. Mireille
Mireille
I barely slept a wink last night, my mind racing with thoughts of the upcoming gala and what it might mean.
He's invited me to the gala and he’s buying me a dress for it.
It's so out of the norm for Evander, I have no idea what the hell to think.
Now I have Lil's words in my mind on a constant loop.
I look like crap, I have bags under my eyes, which I've had to cover with a thicker layer of makeup than usual.
Not to mention, the extra shot of espresso helped me feel semi-human.
I've decided to see if Lil's imagining things about Evander, so I decided on a fitted black pencil skirt that's just a touch shorter than my usual work attire, paired with a crisp white blouse.
I leave an extra button undone at the top, revealing just a hint more skin than normal.
My hair, usually pulled back in a sensible bun, I wear down today, soft waves framing my face.
As I exit my car, I can feel eyes on me. A few passers by do double-takes, but I keep my focus ahead, moving through the lobby and into the elevator that leads to Evander's office with my usual stack of papers and his morning coffee in my arms.
I knock and enter without waiting for a response, as is our usual routine. "Good morning, Evander," I say brightly, setting his coffee on the desk.
Evander looks up and for a brief moment, I see his eyes widen slightly before he schools his features back into their usual impassive mask. "Good morning, Mireille," he says, his voice a touch gruffer than usual. "You're early today."
I shrug, leaning over his desk to arrange the papers I've brought in, fully aware that this gives him a clear view down my blouse, if he chooses to look. "I thought I'd get a head start on the day. We have a lot to prepare for next week's gala, after all."
Evander clears his throat, his eyes firmly fixed on his computer screen. "Yes, well, that's... that's good initiative."
I straighten up, smoothing my skirt. "Is there anything else you need this morning, sir?"
His eyes flick to me briefly before returning to his screen. "No, that will be all for now. Thank you, Mireille."
As I turn to leave, I can feel his gaze on me. I add an extra sway to my hips as I walk out, closing the door behind me with a satisfied smile.
Throughout the morning, I make sure to find reasons to go into Evander's office more often than usual. Each time, I notice his eyes lingering a little longer, his voice a little tighter. It's subtle, but it's there.
Around lunchtime, I pop my head into his office. "I'm heading out to grab lunch. Can I get you something?"
Evander looks up from his computer, his eyes briefly scanning over me before quickly returning to his screen. "No, thank you. I have a lunch meeting in an hour."
I nod, trying not to let my disappointment show. "Alright. I'll be back in about thirty minutes then."
As I turn to leave, Evander calls out, "Mireille?"
I pause, looking back at him expectantly. "Yes?"
He seems to hesitate for a moment before speaking. "You look... different today."
My heart skips a beat. "Oh? Different how?"
Evander's brow furrows slightly. "I'm not sure. Just... different. It's not a bad thing," he adds quickly. "Just an observation."
I can't help the small smile that tugs at my lips. "Well, thank you for noticing. I'll see you after lunch."
As I walk out of the office, I can feel a warmth spreading through my chest. He noticed. It might not have been the reaction I was hoping for, but he noticed.
I head to Lil's Sweet Treats for lunch, eager to share the morning's events with my friend. As soon as I walk in, Lil's eyes widen.
"Well, well, well," she says with a grin. "Look who decided to bring out the big guns today. Let me guess, this is for Mr. Grumpy Pants?"
I roll my eyes, but I can't hide my smile. "Maybe. He noticed, Lil. He actually said something about me looking different."
Lil laughs, already preparing a cup of her signature hot chocolate. "I told you, honey. That man notices everything about you. He's just too stubborn to admit it."
As I wait for Lil to finish preparing my drink, I can't help but feel a flutter of hope. Maybe, just maybe, there's something there after all.
With my drink in hand, I quickly go back to the office and heat up the left-overs of last night's dinner—chilli. But as I eat at my desk, doubt starts to creep in. What if I'm reading too much into this? What if Evander's comment was just that—an observation, nothing more?
Not to mention, what could ever come from this?
Evander’s my boss, if something did happen between us, it could be the end of my job, and that’s not something I’d ever want to happen.
But, the feelings that I’ve had for Evander have been growing as each day passes.
I’m halfway in love with him. Would it be the worst thing to see what happens?
After all, in the game of love and war, sometimes you have to take risks. And I'm starting to think that Evander Prescott might just be worth the risk.
As I finish my lunch, I hear Evander's office door open. He strides out, adjusting his tie and looking as impeccable as ever in his tailored suit. God that man knows how to fill out a suit, he looks so damn handsome.
"Mireille, I'm heading out for my lunch meeting now. I should be back in about two hours. Can you reschedule my two pm call with the board to four pm?"
I nod, already pulling up his calendar on my computer. "Of course, I'll take care of it right away. Anything else you need before you go?"
Evander pauses, his eyes sweeping over me once more. For a moment, I think he might say something about my appearance again, but he simply shakes his head. "No, that's all. Thank you."
As he walks towards the elevator, I can't help but call out, "Enjoy your lunch, Evander. Try not to scare the waiter with your infamous scowl."
He turns back, and for a brief second, I see the ghost of a smile on his lips. "I'll do my best to keep the scowling to a minimum. But I make no promises."
With that, he's gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a mountain of work to distract me from them.
The afternoon drags on, filled with phone calls, emails, and endless paperwork. By the time Evander returns from his lunch meeting, I'm deep in concentration, trying to sort out a scheduling conflict for next week.
"Mireille," his voice startles me out of my focus. I look up to find him standing by my desk, his expression unreadable. "Can you come into my office for a moment? There's something I need to discuss with you."
My heart races as I follow him into his office, wondering what this could be about. Has he seen through my little game today? Am I in trouble?
Evander closes the door behind us and gestures for me to take a seat. He remains standing, pacing slightly behind his desk.
"Mireille, I've been thinking about the gala next week," he begins, his voice carefully neutral.
"I realize I may have overstepped by assuming you'd want to attend as my.
.. date. If you're uncomfortable with the idea, I completely understand.
I can arrange for another assistant to accompany me instead. "
I blink, taken aback by his words. This is not at all what I was expecting. "Evander, I... no, I'm not uncomfortable with it at all. I'd be honored to accompany you to the gala."
He stops pacing, his blue eyes meeting mine. "Are you sure? Because if there's any hesitation on your part..."
I stand up, moving closer to his desk. "There's no hesitation, Evander. I want to go with you."
Relief flickers in his eyes along with a glimpse of happiness, just as quickly as it came, it's gone. "Alright then. Thank you, Mireille.”
I nod, feeling a mix of relief and excitement. "Of course. Is there anything else we need to discuss about the gala?"
Evander seems to hesitate for a moment before speaking. "Yes, actually. About the dress I mentioned..."
My heart skips a beat. Is he going to retract his offer? "What about it?"
He clears his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I realized it might be presumptuous of me to choose something for you. Perhaps it would be better if you selected your own dress. I'll have my credit card sent to you, feel free to purchase whatever you feel is appropriate for the event."
I'm touched by his consideration. "That's very generous of you, Evander. Thank you."
He waves off my thanks. "It's nothing. I want you to feel comfortable and confident at the gala."
There's a moment of silence between us, filled with an undercurrent of tension I can't quite name. Finally, Evander speaks again.
"There's one more thing, Mireille. About today..."
I freeze, wondering if he's going to call me out on my change in appearance. "Yes?"
He looks at me intently, his blue eyes piercing. "I hope you know that you don't need to change anything about yourself to be valued here. Your work speaks for itself."
I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks. So, he had noticed, and more than I thought. "I... thank you, Evander. I appreciate that."
He nods, seemingly satisfied. "Good. That's all I wanted to say. You can go back to your work now."
As I turn to leave, I pause at the door. "Evander?"
He looks up from his desk. "Yes?"
I give him a small smile. "For what it's worth, I'm looking forward to going to the gala with you."
For a brief moment, I see a softness in his eyes that takes my breath away. Then it's gone, replaced by his usual professional demeanor. "As am I, Mireille. As am I."
I leave his office feeling light-headed and giddy. Despite my initial doubts, it seems Lil might have been onto something after all. There's definitely something brewing between Evander and me—something that goes beyond the typical boss-employee relationship.
As I settle back at my desk, I can't help but smile to myself. The gala is still a week away, I’m slightly nervous about it, I'm not sure what’s going to happen, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a night to remember.