7. Chloe
7
Chloe
Ever since Nexus settled on my proposal, Daniel hasn’t been as grumpy around the office. As long as I get him his coffee and do what he asks without any more accidents, I stay in the clear. The next couple of weeks at work have been busy and stressful preparing for the convention, but more tolerable when it comes to dealing with Daniel’s outrageous requests.
My phone dings with a notification that reads ‘ You’ve got a match.’
I swipe on the icon, and the full message comes to view. ‘ You matched with Emerson Cage. Tap to view more.’
I do as it instructs, and it leads me to his profile page. There are five photos of him on his page, the first one of him garbed in a three-piece suit. His eyes are piercing gray, sending my stomach in a flurry of tingles. Classy men are right up my alley.
‘Swipe to see more .’ I do. The following picture shows him in a T-shirt that details the two chunky masses that make up his upper chest.
Aha, hot and sizzling. Talking to a man who looks like this probably means dealing with a personality as rigid as a statue.
Swipe.
He’s on a polo field in this one. The greenery stretches far out while he holds his golf stick. Ah, he’s rich, too. Even better. I can get out of our tiny apartment.
Swipe.
This image still reveals only his upper half. Doesn’t he take any full body pictures? Should I be worried?
My finger aches to swipe when another notification bubbles on top.
Emerson : Hey, beautiful. *Smiling emoji with heart eyes* You have the best smile.
My insides turn to jelly. I almost run into the rotating doors of the office building. Could dating apps be the real deal? I don’t typically meet anyone this way and so far, so good.
I eye the time on my screen before I pause outside the door to text a reply. It’s 7:30 AM.
Me : Hi! Thank you so much. You look great yourself. What are you up to today?
Emerson: Thinking of a way to spend some quality time with you. How does lunch sound?
I smirk. He wants to take me out to lunch? Umm, yes, please. Judging by his pictures, I’m sure he’ll take me somewhere upscale.
Me: I’m just getting to work, so I’ll be a little busy. But…my lunch break should be open. I’ll let you know.
Emerson : Sweet. Let me know when. We could pick somewhere close to your office so you don’t have to stress out about getting back on time.
Warmth spreads to my cheeks. He’s considerate, too. I’ve landed myself a date. I step inside and sashay towards Sarah’s desk.
Oh, I forgot to reply.
Me : Sure, I’ll let you know. Looking forward to meeting you. * Blushing emoji.*
Emerson : Same here. * Heart emoji.*
My belly suddenly does somersaults, my giddiness on full display as I approach Sarah.
Amber was right. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a date. I forgot the thrill of it all.
“Good morning, Sarah.” My voice is more upbeat than usual, and she notices the extra pep in my step.
“That dress is amazing, girl! I didn’t think black could look so good.”
She flips her hair and winks. “Thank you. Someone’s in a really good mood today.”
I giggle and then declare, “Because I think I just found the man of my dreams. Well, that’s a stretch, but he’s cute and he’s treating me to lunch, assuming I don’t have to put out any fires today.”
“Well, I’ll be. Spill the tea,” Alex interrupts as he walks up to us. He hops up on the end of Sarah’s desk, taking a seat, eyes filled with wonder.
Turning to him, I say, “You’re not eavesdropping now, are you?”
“You weren’t exactly quiet. So, where did you guys meet?”
I’ve gotten close to Sarah and Alex over the last couple of weeks. They’re my only beacon of joy inside these barren walls. Honestly, I’m not sure I would have lasted this long without them.
I blush and bite my lips, Sarah and Alex staring at me with keen eyes. “Glimr.”
“You’re kidding,” Sarah gasps. “OMG. Don’t trust it!”
“Why? He looks handsome…and rich.”
“You need to really investigate his profile,” Alex pipes. “How long have you guys been talking?”
“It’s not necess—” I pause. He’s actually right. We literally just said hello this morning and set up a lunch date faster than you can swipe right. Maybe I should’ve saw that as a red flag.
I open Emerson’s profile and place it on the desk for them to see. The first thing that pops up is his location: Texas.
Oh my cowboy.
He’s 6’2”, athletic, loves kids, has never been married, lived in Georgia for a while, and is now looking for love.
“Isn’t that the term for casual hook ups these days?”
My lips curl and I scowl at Alex. “Don’t be such a hater.”
He raises his hand. “I’m sorry. I’m just saying, it’s bro code.”
“Bro codes are the dumbest things ever.”
“Doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s real.”
Ugh. He’s right...again. It’s no different than girl talk.
“Psst. It’s no secret that they make up their own set of ridiculous rules and coin it bro code. Seems like you’ve been out of the game for a while.”
I turn to Sarah and stick my tongue out at her. “I guess I’ll just see this date through and put on my Sherlock Holmes hat for the next guy.”
“Chloe.”
The low growl sends shivers down my spine. It’s a voice I’ve come to know too well—Daniel’s.
Alex scampers to his office and I spin around to face Daniel. I clench my purse and phone so hard that I feel my knuckles getting numb.
“Daniel,” I blurt. “I mean, Mr. Andrews.”
He’s sporting a charcoal gray suit that impeccably accentuates his broad shoulders. His dark hair swoops to the left side of his forehead, giving him the aura of a protagonist from a billionaire’s magazine. Heat rushes to my face.
“You’re quite early,” I smile.
“Did you take that as an invitation to waste time down here? I’m sure Sarah is busy.”
I slip my phone into my purse and reach for his bag, but he tightens his grip on it. My hand grazes his, sending familiar sensations throughout my body.
I look back up at his face, his blue eyes staring into mine. “Can I take your bag for you?”
Pulling my hand away, I take a step back.
“I just needed to update Sarah on someone I’m expecting to meet with later today,” I explain.
He walks toward the elevator, and I fall in step beside him.
“It’s been a couple of weeks since I asked you to meet with the editorial team. You should have met with them by now. Have you?”
“Yes, I met with them yesterday and was going to update you today. We made changes to one of the completed interviews already and prepared a fresh set of questions for the next interview.”
“Changes?” He presses the elevator button, and it immediately opens.
I trot in behind him. “Yes.”
“You altered the interviewee’s words?”
“Not exactly. We only generalized a few comments and left other quotes raw and unfiltered for emphasis.”
The elevator door closes, and I’m trapped inside with only him and his cologne. Against his stiff and rigid expression, he smells intoxicating. The spicy notes in his cologne make me want to bury my nose in his neck.
What am I thinking? Stop it, Chloe.
The door opens, and we step onto our floor. “I’ve got a meeting with a few guys at the Diamond Club later today, so I’ll be out by noon. Call Nexus to see if you can squeeze in a follow-up meeting to discuss any developments we should be aware of and reschedule all other meetings after twelve today.”
“Will do.”
“Also,” he adds as he approaches his office door. “I’m contemplating withdrawing our Prestige Pulse magazine from production.”
“ Really ?” My eyes widen.
“Yes. Is something wrong with that?”
He pushes the door open, and I follow behind. I drop my purse on the chair and pull out my tablet. Prestige Pulse is my favorite magazine from all of Daniel’s written media productions. Taking it out feels like ripping a band aid off.
“It’s a local favorite. Why do we? I’m sorry… why do you want to shut it down?”
“It’s our lowest earning and oldest magazine. We need fresh ideas. It’s stale.”
“I think we can bring it back to life.”
“So, you’re implying that I haven’t thought this through?”
“Not at all,” she continues. “Change its name to something like LuxeLife or…Anyway, inform our current readers of the upcoming enhancements and the exciting things we plan to cover, and then market it to both existing and new readers. If we price it right, it’ll attract new consumers, I’m sure.”
He side-eyes me. No bravo, brilliant idea, fantastic. He gives me a once-over and huffs.
“If you’re that passionate about it, then that’s your new assignment. Send me your ideas by the end of this week.”
He’s such a Debbie-Downer, but I won’t let him get to me. I’m going on a date with a real gentleman, I think, and nothing can ruin my day.
“Sure, Mr. Andrews. Anything else?” I ask.
“Coffee.”
Shoot. Can I just get that part right one time? “Coming right up.”
I gather my belongings and return to my office. I sprawl the items on my desk and race to pour him a cup of his favorite coffee.
Today, I’m wearing flats, so it’s much easier.
I serve him his coffee and return to my office. The morning passes by quickly. I finish the research around 12:30 PM, just in time for lunch. I unlock my phone and begin tapping.
Me: I just finished up. Still down for lunch?
Emerson : Let’s do it.
Me: Meet me at Cafe La Viv in 10 minutes.
It’s not fancy, but it’s only three blocks from the office. Plus, I’ve had lunch there before with Alex and I love it. I hurry to the bathroom to adjust my makeup, then head down.
If only I were dressed in something more… me.
“And where are you off to?” Sarah asks.
“It’s lunchtime. Gonna see Mr. Right, remember?”
She chuckles. “Enjoy! But make sure to let the big guy know where you’re headed in case he needs you. I don’t want you getting on his bad side after this morning.”
She has a point.
“He dang near had a panic attack earlier. Imagine finding you out to lunch. He might just croak.”
I laugh. “OMG. Can you imagine? Good thinking.”
I rush back up to his office, but to my surprise, he’s not there. He must have snuck out to the club while my head was buried in work. I pull out my phone and shoot him a quick text message telling him that I’m going out to lunch. Without locking the screen, I slide the phone back into my purse and head out.
Moments later, I arrive Cafe la Viv. It’s the perfect spot for a first meet-up. Looking around, I see that Emerson hasn’t arrived. I settle on one of the tables and place my order— two chocolate croissants, two lattes, and two bagels with cream cheese.
A man enters the cafe and marches in my direction, pulling out the seat across from me.
“Sorry,” I smile. “That seat is taken.”
He laughs. It’s a grating sound. “I’m Emerson,” he introduces, stretching a hand forward. “Nice to meet you, Chloe.”
The heck you are!
I clutch my coffee and squint in horror at the man in front of me.
First, his hair is dirty brown with an oily sheen, his teeth have been stained by smoke and tartar buildup, he has moobs, and smells like engine grease!
Tell me this isn’t happening.
I’ve been catfished.
I can already imagine the looks on Alex’s and Sarah’s faces. They’d be saying, ‘I told you so.’
I exhale to calm my frazzled nerves. “You,” I rack my head for an appropriate word. “Look nothing like your pictures.”
He laughs again, and the urge to stuff a sock in his mouth surges through me.
“If you wanna hook up…” he winks. “You need to use appealing pictures. Ladies like them.”
Gross!
“You’re supposed to use your own darn pictures. This…this is fraud!”
He shrugs and reaches for my bagel. “Not true if you ask me. You do what you gotta do to get what you wanna get.”
My intestines twist, and the chocolate croissants crawl up my throat.
“Can you at least be a little decent?”
“I am.” He munches the bagel and reaches for the coffee.
No, no, no.
“Were you the one even chatting with me?”
“My teenage boy. He’s good with this stuff.”
I stand from my seat. I’ve had enough. “I can’t do this,” I say.
His eyes bulge. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Outta here.”
“Are we hooking up at your place?”
“Not in a million years,” I scoff. “We’re not having anything!”
“Then refund my hundred dollars.”
“What?”
“My boy said you demanded a hundred dollars before we met.”
“Excuse me?” I raise my voice, and people begin to stare. This is getting embarrassing. I lower my voice quickly. “I didn’t demand anything from you or your boy. Why would I do that?”
He shrugs. “Because you’re an escort, aren’t you?”
My breath is fast and ragged. He deserves a resounding slap. I pick up my purse and turn in my chair to get up when a calloused palm grabs me.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
I wrench my arm from his grip, my heart pounding in my chest. His words sting like a slap across the face. But I refuse to let fear overwhelm me.
“You're out of your mind!” I snap, my voice trembling with anger and indignation. I turn on my heel and bolt towards the exit, my pulse racing with each step.
As I burst out of the coffee shop, the cool air hits me, offering a temporary reprieve to the anger boiling within. I look around wildly, searching for a way to escape. But before I can make a move, I feel his presence behind me.
“You can't just run away,” he growls.
Ignoring him, I dart down the street toward the office, my heart pounding in my ears. My shoes clack against the pavement as I sprint, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
These flats came in handy, I think for the second time today.
But he's hot on my heels, his heavy footsteps echoing ominously behind me. Panic courses through my veins as I realize he’s going to find out where I work.
Just as I reach the next block, I hear a car swerve to a stop beside me, the door opening and slamming shut. I turn towards it, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and hope.
It’s Daniel.