3. Chase
Chase
The One That Got Away by Katy Perry
I am so fucked.
I’ve never realized how small Heather’s office is until now. My chair is just a few inches away from his, and I can almost feel his presence radiating off him.
Sliding into my seat without making eye contact was hard enough. My eyes instantly betray me, slowly traveling to the stern man beside me.
The difference from when he was younger is so stark. How could this be the same person?
Jeremiah Blackwood.
Poised and proper. His one arm propped up on the arm of the chair, fingers resting on his bottom lip.
His eyes are fixated on Heather, almost like he refuses to look my way.
Did he even see me walk in?
“Chase,” Heather begins. My attention snaps back to her.
I didn’t even realize I was staring. My cheeks heat as I settle into my seat.
“This is too great. I’ve been dying to introduce you two for a while now.
I want you to meet Jeremiah Blackwood, our new COO.
” Her eyes sparkle with excitement as she gestures for us to get acquainted.
I swallow deeply, licking my lip, praying for this moment to pass. Here we go.
“Oh, I actually–”
My eyes connect with his, and just like so many years ago, I feel that same weird punch to my gut.
What the actual fuck?
“It’s very nice to meet you, Chase.” Low and smooth like honey, his voice vibrates in my ears.
Shocking me to my core, his hand lifts out in front of him as he awaits a shake.
Wait…what?
I glance at Heather, whose brows dance up and down. She tilts her head towards him.
Oh, right. Shake hands.
“Yeah, it’s—it’s nice to meet you too,” I stammer, gripping his hand in mine.
His hand swallows mine whole. It’s calloused and firm, and his handshake is professional. Ends a little quickly, but maybe that’s just me.
“I’m looking forward to working with you,” I add on, just for the hell of it. My eyes narrow as I curiously scan his face for any sign he recognizes me. But, yet, nothing. No acknowledgment.
If he really doesn’t remember me—remember what happened—there’s really no reason why I couldn’t become his favorite subordinate. Now, that would be a twist.
“We’ll see.” He smiles politely before sitting back in his seat.
We’ll see?
What the hell does that even mean—
“I’m so glad you two have officially met because the next few months are going to be super intense.” Heather claps once to hammer her point. “Jeremiah, don’t hesitate to ask us any questions. Really, you can come to Chase or me for anything,” she grins, eyes sparkling.
“Noted.” Jeremiah nods firmly.
“Perfect. We’re going to need all hands on deck. I’m thinking you can brainstorm some ways to really impress the investors over the next few weeks. Can I task you two with this project?” She looks at both of us eagerly.
My mouth drops open. A beat passes, and I’m unsure if time stops. It sure feels like it.
I cough, clearing my throat, breaking the silence. “You…want us to work together?”
She laughs lightheartedly. “Well, of course. Jeremiah, as COO, it only makes sense for you to oversee the entire project. And Chase, you're now our marketing manager,” she winks. “You’re on the frontlines now. I want you to come up with a plan that really wows the investors. Between your creativity and his structure, I just know you two are the perfect storm to make this work.” She sits back in her chair, clearly satisfied.
Neither of us moves.
I have to work… with him?
My mind travels back to the last time we worked together on a project…
I’m lost in regret when suddenly, Red Wine Supernova by Chappell Roan plays loudly on her ringtone. “Oh, excuse me. This is Emily. I’ve got to take this.” She blushes. “You two got this?” She points to both of us.
Jeremiah pushes up from his chair. “We’ve got it handled.”
I follow his lead, standing up from my seat. “Leave it up to us,” I agree.
“I knew I picked the right guys for the job.” She winks, sliding her finger across her screen and bringing the phone to her ear. “Hey, sweetheart, one sec,” she answers the device. Quickly pressing the “mute” button, she focuses back on me. “Chase, darling, show Jeremiah his new office, would you?”
“Uh, yeah. Okay.” I turn to look at Jeremiah. This just keeps getting better and better. “Follow me,” I blurt out as I get up from my chair and rush out of the room.
As we walk through the floor, my brain goes into overdrive.
“So, congratulations on the uh—whole COO thing. WingMate is a really cool place to work, so I know you’ll love it here,” I blabber on. I can feel him following behind me, but he stays a few paces back as though he doesn’t want to get too close.
I turn and steal a look at him. He’s looking and nodding his hellos to everyone else in the office.
My jaw clenches as I continue on the walk. Did he even hear me?
It’s not long before we wind up at his office.
I don't miss that my desk is directly across from his, giving us a perfect view of each other.
“So, this is it,” I say, stepping inside. So far, it’s a bare room that closely resembles Heather's. The lone desk sits at the back of the room, and the buildings and streets below act as a backdrop. The shelves on either side are bare, except for some stock photo frames.
“It can get kind of cold in here, but once you spruce up the place with your personal style, it’ll be great.” I shrug, brushing some non-existent dust off the corner of the desk.
“Nice,” he states plainly.
He finally spoke to me on his own accord. Thank God. His quietness was starting to make my skin itch. Personally, I don’t typically stay quiet for long. I can barely take it.
When the silence starts to creep up, I feel like I’m drowning. Before I know it, my mouth is moving, and there’s no off button.
Just like it is, right now.
"Have you worked in an office like this before? We’re all pretty close here, but, like, in a good way…
I think. I’ve been here for, uh, three years now?
Yeah, I started as an intern, which is actually kind of a funny story.
After college, I was scrambling for a placement, right?
And one of my best buddies, his sister, knows a girl who knows a girl who’s creating a dating app.
And I’m like, ‘Okay, cool,’ but then he casually drops that he actually knows her.
Like, Heather and him go way back. And then, BAM—” I clap my hands together, and Jeremiah jumps a little.
“Suddenly, I’m getting introduced. Next thing I know, we’re out for coffee, chatting about life, and before I can even process it, I’m her little protégé, running around learning everything. Wild, right?” I pant slightly, grinning as I plant my hands on my hips like I just ran a marathon.
Jeremiah looks up and down at me as if he’s taking me in for the first time. “What was your original question?”
My brows draw together as I shift awkwardly on my feet. I did ask him a question, fuck.
“Shit…I…I don’t know.” I laugh nervously, scratching the back of my neck. “Anyway, if you need anything, my desk is right over there.” I point through the glass wall.
His gaze follows my finger and slowly looks back at me. “Your desk is…right there?”
Ignoring the off-putting tone in his voice, I nod. “Mhm. So… I guess, I’ll let you get comfortable.” I make my way to the door. Right before I leave, I grab onto the doorframe, turning back to him. “Hey, what do you like to eat in the morning?”
His brows draw together. “Why?”
“I bring Heather breakfast every morning. I just thought–”
His shoulders square as he folds his arms across his chest. “Oh, that won’t be necessary. I can pick up my own breakfast.”
I place my hand over my heart. “But, I insist.”
“No, seriously. I really don’t mind getting my own breakfast—”
I drop my hand from the doorframe and instead fold my arms over my chest.
He sighs, his muscular shoulders dropping. “You’re not going to leave until I tell you my breakfast order, will you?”
I shake my head.
“Persistent,” he mutters under his breath. “Okay, you know that smoothie bar, JumpMax?”
I nod. “Yup.”
Never heard of it.
“Great. Can you grab me my usual vanilla smoothie? It’s the only one I drink in the morning, and I need it from that specific bar. I’ll know the difference,” he adds, voice stern and serious.
I almost roll my eyes. Piece of cake. He’s making it sound like a battle. “I can grab you a vanilla smoothie, Blackwood,” I smirk, turning for the door.
“Well, I need a few modifications,” he continues.
I stop and turn back. “I need the thirty-two-ounce size, no smaller, no bigger.
First, ask them to make the base half coconut water and half unsweetened almond milk.
Extra spinach and kale. Two scoops of plant-based vanilla protein.
Half an avocado, too. That part is very, very important. "
I gulp. Okay, maybe I should’ve been writing this down—
"And for fruit...half a frozen banana, a cup of blueberries. Add a pinch of Himalayan pink salt and a dash of cinnamon. Light ice. And get them to blend it on medium, not high.”
I swallow deeply. “That’s it?”
He arches a brow. “That’s it.”
His gaze on me lingers, like he’s testing to see if I’ll ask him to repeat it.
“Easy,” I say, backing up slowly.
Whoever this guy is, he’s an alien. Sent from a weird ass planet, galaxies and galaxies far away from here, where they don’t know what a classic, delicious, strawberry banana smoothie is.
“Oh, and Chase,” he calls out.
I pinch my eyes shut, stopping in my tracks. Dammit. I make a silent prayer that he doesn’t ask me to add anything else.
“Yes, boss?” I ask, turning back to face him.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what else you can do. You know…other than taking my breakfast order.” He states nonchalantly, rounding his desk.
I swallow hard, fighting the urge to look away. “I look forward to showing you,” I say before leaving his office.