Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Solenn
By the time I walked into the bar, I felt like my entire soul had left my body.
The day had been long, my brain was fried, and my feet ached from running around Spencer & Co.
like my life depended on it. Because let’s be honest, it kind of did.
If I didn’t keep up, I’d be out before I even had a chance to complain about my first paycheck.
But despite the exhaustion, there was something oddly satisfying about the chaos, something that made me feel like I had survived something.
Maybe it was the thrill of making it through my first day without a Maverick Spencer-induced breakdown, or maybe I was just delirious from lack of food. Either way, I needed a drink.
I spotted Nina immediately, lounging in our usual booth, already halfway through what looked like her second cocktail.
She had that mischievous glint in her eyes, the kind that said she had waited all day to grill me about work.
I barely had time to drop into the seat across from her before she slid a drink in my direction, smirking.
"You're alive," she said, tilting her head dramatically. "I lost twenty bucks."
I groaned, grabbing the glass and taking a long sip of whatever fruity, deceptively strong thing she had ordered for me. “Wow. Amazing to know my survival was up for debate.”
She rested her chin in her palm, grinning. “Sweetheart, the entire office was betting against you. I just joined in for sport.”
I exhaled, stretching my legs under the table. “And yet, here I am. Breathing. Thriving. Making Maverick Spencer’s life a little harder, one perfectly organized email at a time.”
Her brows lifted. “So you did give him hell?”
I smirked. “A little.”
She clapped her hands together. “Oh, you are so insufferable. I love it.”
I took another sip, relishing the icy burn of alcohol after the longest day of my existence. “You have no idea. His employees had a betting pool on me this morning. An actual, documented bet.”
Nina’s mouth dropped open. “Shut up.”
“Nope. Heard it with my ears. ‘Two weeks, tops.’ ‘Nah, I give her a month.’” I shook my head. “So, naturally, I walked right up to them and told them to put their money away because nobody was winning today.”
She nearly choked on her drink, laughing so hard she had to grab the table for support. “Oh my god. Who even does that?”
“Me,” I said proudly. “An icon. A legend. The one woman standing between Maverick Spencer and total calendar chaos.”
Nina wiped a tear from her eye, still giggling. “I bet they lost their minds.”
“They did. You should have seen their faces.” I leaned back, twirling my straw between my fingers.
“But honestly? They weren’t wrong to assume I’d quit.
The workload is insane. He doesn’t talk unless necessary, he micromanages everything, and I think he only acknowledges my existence when I’m either fixing something or mildly annoying him. ”
She grinned. “So… every five minutes?”
I gasped. “Rude.”
She shrugged. “I know you. If anyone can get under that man’s skin, it’s you.”
I hummed, taking another sip. “Maybe.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly, sensing something. “And the devil himself?”
I shrugged, too casually, then set my drink down. “He’s… tolerable.”
A long pause.
Nina stared at me like she was waiting for me to correct myself. I didn’t.
Her eyes widened. “Oh no.”
I frowned. “What?”
She pointed a very accusatory finger at me. “You like him more now, don’t you?”
I scoffed. “I just said he’s tolerable.”
“Yeah, but before today, you were calling him a soulless corporate demon. Now you’re sitting here, sipping your drink, trying to act all casual, but I see you.” She wiggled her fingers dramatically. “You’re intrigued.”
I scoffed again, louder this time. “I am not intrigued.”
She leaned forward, eyes full of dangerous amusement. “Admit it. You think he’s hot.”
I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw my past lives. “I think he’s symmetrical. There’s a difference.”
She threw her head back, cackling. “Oh, babe. You are so done for.”
I groaned, pushing my drink away dramatically. “Why do I even tell you things?”
“Because I’m your best friend, and I live for your mess.” She giggled, then rested her chin in her hands. “Okay, but seriously. What’s he like in person? Beyond the whole terrifying CEO thing.”
I hesitated, playing with my straw. “He’s… quiet.”
She lifted a brow. “Quiet?”
I nodded. “Like, he only speaks when necessary. No wasted words. He’s just constantly in his head, calculating something.”
Nina hummed. “And?”
I pursed my lips, thinking. “And… he notices everything. Like, everything. The way he looks at you, it’s like he’s mentally taking notes, filing things away for later. It’s unsettling.”
She smirked. “Sounds like someone else we know.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You.” She pointed her straw at me. “You do the same thing. You analyze people. You memorize things.”
I opened my mouth to argue, then snapped it shut.
Damn it.
She wiggled her brows. “See? He’s intriguing to you because he’s like you.”
I groaned. “You are so annoying.”
She grinned. “And right.”
I refused to dignify that with a response.
Instead, I picked up my drink and took a very long, very dramatic sip.
Nina watched me the entire time, smirking like she had already won the argument.
And the worst part?
She had.
Because no matter how much I denied it, no matter how many times I tried to brush it off…
I was thinking about him.
And I had a feeling that wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.