2. Kyle A Close Encounter
Kyle: A Close Encounter
I need tea.
A strong, hot cup of Earl Grey. Something smooth, rich, and unbothered by the mess swirling around me.
I try to shake the thought of how chaotic my morning has been as I exhale sharply.
However, the harsh stench of burnt coffee clings to the air, heavy and offensive. I turn, scowling at the half-empty cup someone abandoned at the far end of the table.
Disgusting.
How people drink that overly bitter and acidic punishment in liquid form is beyond me.
I rub the bridge of my nose and let out a slow breath. The meeting is over. The crisis plan is in place—for now. I should be thinking about Theo Bennett’s disaster and the firestorm we’re about to put out.
Instead, my mind keeps circling back to something entirely unrelated.
Or rather, someone.
Leslie Hart.
A sharp tongue, a defiant stance, and a stubborn refusal to be intimidated.
And damn, she’s beautiful.
Dark waves frame her face, wild but controlled, much like her. Her eyes—sharp, unreadable—flicked over me like I was a problem she was already solving. And then there’s her mouth. Full lips painted red, tightening every time she was about to bite back.
I should be annoyed. Instead, I can’t stop thinking about how she looked standing in front of me, chin lifted, refusing to back down.
This is going to be a problem.
The rustle of papers pulls me back.
Daniel flips a folder shut, shaking his head. “We still need to fill the Senior Talent Coordinator position, you know.”
I don’t even look at him. “Not happening.”
“Come on,” he presses. “We need someone to handle the high-maintenance clients, coordinate schedules, smooth out conflicts—”
Daniel continues. “I was thinking of promoting Marissa. She’s sharp, she’s organized, and—”
“She won’t last a month.”
The words come out firm, final.
Too firm.
Because from the corner of my eye, Leslie’s head tilts slightly. Her fingers pause over her notes, then tighten around her pen.
I don’t think she knows what we’re talking about. But she definitely heard the last part.
And judging by the look she shoots me—brief, unreadable—she thinks it’s about her.
I push down a flicker of annoyance. Or maybe amusement.
Great. Now she probably thinks I’ve already decided she’s incompetent.
Daniel smirks but, for once, keeps his mouth shut.
As the room empties, I head for the door.
Daniel is lounging against the doorway when I turn around, his arms are crossed and amusement is written all over his face.
I already know that look. And I don’t like it.
“Go ahead,” I mutter, brushing past him. “Get it out of your system.”
He follows me out of the conference room, easily keeping pace. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I don’t bother saying more than that because engaging with Daniel is like handing him a microphone—he’ll just get louder.
The second we step into my office, he closes the door shut and smirks. “So . . . are you gonna tell me why you’re brooding over a woman you met, is it an hour or less ago?”
I drop the file onto my desk and shoot him a look. “I’m not.”
“Right.” He sinks into a chair, looking way too pleased with himself. “Because from where I’m sitting, you look like a man who just realized he’s—” He pauses, dragging it out. “—flustered.”
I let out a dry laugh. “Flustered?”
“Yeah. You look rattled, unsettled, call it whatever you want.” Daniel shrugs. “But one thing is for sure—you’re not indifferent.”
I exhale, sinking into my chair. “She was late on her first day, and she walked into a meeting already making enemies.”
Daniel just lifts a brow. “And yet, she held her ground.”
I don’t respond. Because he’s right. I didn’t expect her to come in with a solid plan. Didn’t expect her to be . . . competent, looking that young. But what irritates me more than anything is how she wasn’t even a little fazed. Not by me. Not by the situation.
That’s what lingers. Not her smart mouth. Not the way she squared her shoulders like she had something to prove. Not even the fact that she’s . . . stunning—long legs, curves in all the right places, and a mouth that looks like it was made for sin.
No. None of that.
It's the fact that when I pushed, she pushed right back.
And I don’t know if that’s a problem—or if I like it a little too much.
Daniel studies me for a second, then leans back with a smirk. “You’re still thinking about what she said to you, aren’t you?”
I let out a slow breath. “She’s cocky.”
“She’s confident.”
“She’s reckless.”
“She’s sharp.”
I shoot him a look. “What, are you her number one fan now? You wanna get her a trophy while you’re at it?”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Nah, just calling it like I see it. She knows her stuff. And she’s not scared of you.”
My jaw tightens as I glance at the file on my desk. “She better be as good as she says. Because if she screws this up, it’s not just Theo Bennett’s career on the line.”
Daniel studies me for a moment, then smirks. “You wanna know what I think?”
I sigh. “Do I have a choice?”
“Nope, you don't.” He grins. “I think she got under your skin. And you hate it.”
I don’t bother responding. Not because I hate it that she's gotten under my skin but because I just hate that he’s right and that's not even the worst part.
Daniel casually props his feet up on my table like he owns the place. “So, what exactly did she do to get you this worked up?”
I sigh, leaning back in my chair. “Do you really wanna know?”
He waves a hand. “By all means.”
“Do you know that I had to experience her attitude first-hand before she walked into the conference room?”
Daniel raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“In the goddamn parking lot.” I sigh, running a hand down my face. “I was trying to rush in this morning for the Theo scandal meeting when a pastel Mini Cooper from nowhere drove into my reserved spot.”
Daniel’s grin widens. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”
I lean back, exhaling. “I beeped. And beeped again. And—”
“And?”
“And all she could say was I’m lazy, I didn’t want to walk ten extra steps to the building.”
Daniel throws his head back, laughing. “She actually said that?”
“Word for word.”
“Oh man, she’s got guts.”
“I figured whoever was in the car would realize their mistake and move.”
“But she didn’t?”
I let out a slow, annoyed breath. “No. She got out. All five-foot-whatever of her, looking completely unbothered. And then had the audacity to argue with me.”
Daniel leans in, eyes twinkling with amusement. “Oboy! I think I like her already. But wait, don’t tell me—she didn’t know you’re the CEO?”
I shake my head, thinking he’s finally taking my side. “Exactly.”
But then he grins wider. “And she should have known the first spot is yours.”
“Exactly!”
He tilts his head. “Oh wait—how would she know? You had the nameplate removed, didn’t you?”
I glare at him.
He chuckles. “Right. That’s on you, man.”
I roll my eyes, done with this conversation. “Forget it.”
But of course, Daniel doesn’t let things go.
“Come on, tell me more. I can see it on your face—you’re holding back.”
I exhale. “She also saw me getting into the elevator. She started running and had the audacity to ask me to hold the door.”
Daniel’s eyes light up. “Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
Silence.
Then Daniel bursts into laughter, slapping his knee. “Cold. Cold, man.”
I shrug, unbothered.
“No wonder she walked into the conference room all fired up, talking about ‘someone’ not holding the elevator.” Daniel shakes his head, still grinning. “That was about you.”
“Obviously.”
“Damn. First, she steals your parking spot. Then, you leave her hanging at the elevator?”
I arch a brow.
Daniel whistles. “Cold, man. Ice cold.”
I sigh, dragging a hand down my face. “Get out.”
“Not a chance.” He shakes his head, still amused. “So let me get this straight—you’re all worked up because a woman didn’t immediately crumble under your presence?”
I don’t answer, because he’s right. And that’s the problem.
Daniel stretches, looking far too entertained. “This is gonna be fun.”
I shoot him a warning look. “No.”
“Oh, absolutely.”
His grin is still lingering when my phone buzzes on the desk, lighting up with a name that guarantees a headache.
I stare at it, debating whether to let it go to voicemail.
Daniel watches me, expectant. “You just gonna ignore that?”
I exhale through my nose. “Not in the mood.”
He tilts his head. “That bad?”
The phone stops ringing. Three seconds later, it starts again.
I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face. “Worse.”
Then, with zero enthusiasm, I pick up. “What is it now?”
A sharp exhale from the other end. “Hello to you too, Kyle.”
“Julia.” My patience is already running thin. “I assume you’re calling for a reason.”
“Yes, because your daughter is impossible.”
My daughter. Never ours. She's always mine when she’s being difficult.
I look up to find Daniel staring at me, thoroughly amused. I tilt my phone away from my ear. “Go bother someone else.”
He just grins and makes himself more comfortable. Asshole.
Julia’s voice cuts back in. “She stormed out of the house this morning, slamming doors like she’s in a damn soap opera. And now she’s not answering my calls.”
I let out a slow breath. “What did you say to her?”
“Excuse me?”
“Julia.” I lean back in my chair, already regretting this conversation. “Chloe doesn’t throw tantrums for no reason. What happened?”
Silence.
I wait.
Then, finally— “I told her she can’t go on that trip to Malibu with her friends. She’s only sixteen, Kyle. She can't be running around a beach town for an entire weekend with a bunch of teenagers and no supervision.”
I rub my temple. “Isn’t there a chaperone?”
“Yes, but—”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Julia scoffs. “Oh, so now you’re the fun parent?”
“No, I’m the reasonable parent,” I say flatly. “Did you even listen to her, or did you just shut her down?”
“Of course I listened, Kyle.” She sounds frustrated now. “But she doesn’t get to argue about it. I said no. That’s it.”
Which explains the storming out.
“Look,” she continues, “I’m just letting you know she’s in a mood. So if she suddenly decides she wants to grace you with her presence, good luck.”
The call ends before I can even respond.
I stare at my phone for a second, then drop it on my desk with a sigh.
Daniel raises an eyebrow. “Julia?”
“Yeah.”
He smirks. “What did Chloe do this time? Grand theft? Insider trading?”
I give him a dry look. “She had the audacity to want a social life.”
Daniel chuckles. “Yeah, well, sixteen-year-olds tend to do that.”
Before I can respond, the intercom on my desk buzzes.
“Kyle,” my secretary’s voice comes through, sounding unsure. “You have an unexpected visitor.”
I frown. “Who?”
There’s a brief pause before she sighs. “It’s your daughter.”
I stare at the speaker, then at Daniel, who lets out a low whistle. “Speak of the devil.”
When I walk into the lobby, Chloe is pacing. Arms crossed. Jaw set.
And the moment she spots me, I know I’m about to get an earful.
“You need better security, Dad,” she announces, shoving a strand of dark brown hair out of her face. “I just walked in. No one even stopped me.”
I ignore that. “Shouldn’t you be at school?”
She let out a frustrated breath. “It’s lunch.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Chloe lifts her chin, arms crossed, radiating pure teenage defiance. “Let me guess—Mom already called you.”
I nod.
She groans, dragging a hand down her face. The gesture is all too familiar. She did get a few things from me. “She’s being impossible.”
I sigh, guiding her toward my office. “Come on.”
She follows, still ranting. “I mean, it’s not like I asked to fly across the world. It’s Malibu. We’d literally be an hour away. And there’s a chaperone, three actually, because Lily’s mom is a control freak.”
I open the office door, motioning for her to go in.
Daniel glances up as she enters. “Hey, kiddo.”
She waves halfheartedly before flopping into a chair. “Tell Dad I’m right.”
Daniel smirks. “I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m already inclined to side with you.”
Chloe turns to me triumphantly.
I sigh, sitting behind my desk. “I get why you’re upset, Chloe, but your mom’s not totally wrong.”
Her face falls. “You’re taking her side?”
“I didn’t say that.” I lean forward. “I’m saying I understand where she’s coming from. You’re sixteen, and she’s worried. That’s her job.”
Chloe crosses her arms, standing her ground. “And your job is to tell her she’s overreacting.”
Daniel chuckles. “She’s got you there, man.”
I shoot him a look. “Not helping.”
He grins. “Didn’t plan to.”
I sigh, turning back to Chloe. “Look, let me talk to your mom, okay? Maybe there’s a compromise.”
Her expression softens, but she covers it with a dramatic sigh. “Fine.”
I shake my head. Teenagers.
Then I notice the way she keeps fidgeting, rubbing at her temples.
I frown. “Are you okay?”
Chloe waves me off. “Yeah, just a headache. Probably from dealing with Mom.”
I nod toward the door. “Go get some water. I’ll take you back to school in a bit.”
She doesn’t argue, just mutters something under her breath and heads out.
Daniel raises an eyebrow. “She’s moody.”
“She’s sixteen.”
“Still.” He leans back. “You sure this is just about the trip?”
I pause, but before I can answer, my office phone rings again.
I glance at the caller ID. Theo Bennett.
“Shit.” I pick up, already bracing myself for whatever new PR nightmare he’s about to throw at me.
***
Chloe has been gone a while.
I glance at the time and frown. I told her to get some water, not disappear.
Just as I push back from my desk, my office phone rings again. Theo can wait. I need to find my daughter.
I head toward the break room first, but she’s not there. I try the hallway, the lounge—nothing.
Then, as I pass by the ladies’ room, the door swings open.
Chloe steps out, her fingers curling around a tiny bottle of Advil. She looks . . . better.
She stops when she sees me, rolling her eyes. “Seriously?”
I cross my arms. “You were taking a while.”
She sighs, pocketing the Advil. “I ran into someone. She gave me this.”
I raise a brow. “Someone?”
Chloe shrugs. “Some woman. She works for you. Said she’s new here.”
Leslie. Of course, it’s Leslie.
I exhale, shaking my head. “You okay now?”
She nods. “Yeah.” Then, with a smirk, she adds, “She gave me good advice.”
I arch a brow. “Oh?”
Chloe grins. “She said I should trust my dad.” I let out a dry laugh. “Smart woman.”
Chloe just smirks again and walks past me.
I shake my head, but something about this doesn’t sit right. Leslie Hart wasn’t supposed to be on my mind. And now, she’s on my daughter’s too.