Chapter 11
ELEVEN
Something was wrong.
Sure, it could have been one of the thousands of tasks piling up on my desk, or the fact that my phone had not stopped ringing all day. And those should have been my greatest concerns. However, today, my entire focus was on my assistant, the same one who was pointedly ignoring me.
Ever since I returned from my morning meeting, Calla had been acting off. There was none of her usual sass, no quips, no obnoxious nicknames. Hell, after five straight hours of “Yes, Mr. Ayad.”, I was getting desperate to see one of her smiles, willing to do anything to get some of her usual spark back.
This job wasn’t supposed to be complicated, just another steppingstone to getting my name on the company letterhead. The hardest part of this job was supposed to be managing the other agents, not my assistant who had invaded all my thoughts. I’d worked with my last assistant for years, and while I loved her like family, I never noticed what she did outside of my office. Calla’s every action intrigued and ensnared me. With Marie, I never had to worry about her breaking into my office and rearranging everything. She wouldn’t insist on using pastel legal pads, leaving stacks of varying hues all over my office.
I never found myself pausing at the elevator for her, waiting until the exact right second so we could walk into the office together.
At the thought, I glanced through the glass window, watching as Calla twisted her hair up into that intricate little knot. There was no question in my mind that last night was a mistake. We’d been playing with fire from our first glance, practically daring each other closer to the edge. All my common sense flew out the window when I saw that look in her eye, daring me to toe the fading line between us. I didn’t know where it had come from, this odd need to be close to her, the overwhelming desire to see her smile curve just for me. It was all I could think about.
It was also the last thing I needed.
Christ, I needed to get myself together. I was leading a multi-million-dollar expansion, not getting my rocks off at a high school dance. I didn’t have time to worry about other people right now, not when work was supposed to be my sole focus.
But with each day I spent with Calla, the boundaries between us blurred even more. It had only been a couple of weeks, and my attraction to her was driving me mad. What would happen if we kept working together? Would I be able to reinforce my walls, or were we inevitably going to crash into each other?
I forced myself back to my computer, pulling up an email thread between myself and a casting agent. Just as I started to tick off my checklist, Calla’s laugh echoed through the walls. I instantly sat up straighter, my eyes darting to her desk. All I could see was the high back of her chair, her auburn hair tied up in some kind of fancy knot. But that wasn't what caused my grip to tighten.
No, that would be Jack perched on the side of her desk. He leaned over, brushing his hand on her forearm under the guise of showing her something on the computer. It was innocent enough, nothing I could condemn him for without drawing suspicion.
And yet, I was having a tough time not strangling him.
Before I could overthink my actions, I stormed out of my office, arching a brow at Jack and Calla. She immediately averted her eyes, suddenly preoccupied with the forms on her desk. Jack, however, just smirked at me. “How’s it going, boss man?”
“Busy,” I said, my tone laced with annoyance. “Maybe I should have delegated more tasks to your team.”
“Oh, we’re actually in the middle of that negotiation for–”
“Then get to it,” I snapped, taking my suddenly sullen mood out on my friend. “I want that deal closed by the end of the day, contract on my desk in the morning.”
Jack’s brow lifted, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he lifted off Calla’s desk, squeezing her shoulder once. “See you later?”
“I’ll think about it.”
As soon as Jack disappeared down the hall, I stepped back toward my office, holding the door open. “Calla, a word?”
Tension immediately rippled up her spine at my request, but she stood, stepping in front of me to take a seat across from my desk—another inconsistency. When we worked in my office, Calla always chose one of the leather lounge chairs or sprawled out on the plush carpet, usually kicking off her heels and letting her red waves down.
But today, none of that happened. Instead, Calla perched on the edge of the chair, her hands crossed in her lap. I stepped behind my desk, settling into my seat, but I kept my eyes on Calla. She squirmed under my attention, and a strange sort of discomfort twisted in my chest. It wasn’t the first time I put one of my employees on edge, and usually, it didn’t bother me. At least, it never did before this woman started working for me.
Calla cleared her throat. “Is there something you need, Mr. Ayad?”
“Stop.” I held my hand up. “Please, Calla. Stop with the Mr. Ayad crap. Stop with the cold shoulder.” I leaned back, rubbing my hand over my jaw. “If I crossed a line at the bar, I apologize. I don’t know what got into me.”
Calla stared at me for a long moment. “There’s no reason for you to apologize.”
“I can admit my mistakes,” I answered, almost too sharply. “And if I made you uncomfortable–”
“You didn’t.” My eyes jumped up, meeting Calla’s soft expression. “I’m not upset with you, and you didn’t do anything that bothered me. I’m just…” She looked up at the ceiling as if it held all the answers. “I’m confused, Theo.”
Join the club . I’d been confused since I hired Calla, too wrapped up in worrying about her to make any logical decisions.
She sighed, then continued, “You made sure I knew about the no-fraternization rule. You almost had a coronary when you thought I was hitting on Jack. But then, last night, you were flirting with me at the bar.” She arched her brow. “That was flirting, right?” I swallowed, debating between the truth and a lie for so long that Calla stopped waiting for an answer. “Either way, it didn’t upset me. But it was a mistake to let things go that far. ”
I shook my head. “Nothing happened.”
“But it could have,” Calla cut me off. “You’re my boss, Theo. Even if there wasn’t a rule against us dating, it still would be a bad idea. We work too closely together. If we crossed that line and it all fell apart? I’d be the one left standing in the ashes.” She placed her hand on her chest. “I’d be the one crushed.”
“You wouldn’t be–”
“Yes, I would.” Calla stood, now pacing the floor of my office, almost talking to herself more than me. “And not to mention, we want completely different things out of a relationship. I’m looking for love, connection , and you’re looking for…”
“One night.”
She nodded. “I’m not wired that way. I mean no disrespect—I wish I could handle no strings, but I’m a relationship girl, and you don’t seem like that’s a priority for you.”
For a moment, I thought about arguing and saying I was willing to try. But Calla’s words hit home, and I knew she was right. There was little I could do to contradict her, not when I’d seen the rubble left behind in my last relationship. Calla deserved better than that, someone who could give her everything she wanted and more.
When I didn’t respond, Calla crossed her arms around her waist a little tighter, almost as if she was disappointed. She breathed out slowly. “Jack mentioned that his new secretary wasn’t working out, so if you don’t think we can–”
“No.” As I stood, Calla’s wide eyes met my furious stare. Jack might be one of my closest friends, but his meddlesome ways were starting to outweigh his usefulness. I encroached on her space, making sure there was no question in my mind. “I want you here, Calla. Working with me. Are we clear? ”
I expected her to back down, to look at me with the same uneasiness as others did when my anger reared its ugly head, but instead, she rolled her lips together, trying to hide her smile. “I thought…” Her whiskey-colored eyes met mine, filled with a vulnerability that almost broke my resolve. “I thought you’d be relieved to be rid of me.”
“What do you mean?”
She motioned to her outfit, shaking her head. “I thought you wanted someone more professional, someone less….”
“Outspoken?”
“I was going to say enthusiastic, but I guess that works too.” Calla shook her head. “You probably should find someone else. My job is to make your life easier, and I’m afraid I’ve made it messier.” She dropped the smile, her face tensing, as if she was bracing for disappointment. “But I like this job. I like working for you. So if you want me to be more reserved and take a step back, I’ll happily do it.”
I lifted her chin with my fingers, making sure she was looking at me before I spoke. “Calla…I want you to be yourself.” She chuffed, as if she couldn't believe the words. “Yes, your style is different from what I’m used to, but I think it’s what I need.” I motioned around the room. “Look what you’ve done with this place in such a short time. I’d be a fool not to see the effort you’re putting into your job.”
“Thank you, Theo.”
“I mean every word.”
The silence between us started to grow heavy, the tension building back to where it was before. Calla’s eyes gradually lifted, meeting mine apprehensively. All the carefully practiced words fell at my feet, leaving me lost and adrift. All I could hold on to was her gaze.
But just as quickly as it started, it was dashed when Calla pulled away, shaking her head as if she was coming out of a daze. She tugged her hair out of the ridiculous top knot, shaking it out. “Thank God. That bun was giving me a migraine.” She winked at me. “What’s next on the agenda, Sunshine?”
And with one little word, my day instantly turned around.
“And were you able to secure the deal?”
The voice droned on in the background as one of my agents bickered with another on the phone. Apparently, they had differing views on how to get their client to commit to their current team. I’d lost track almost twenty minutes ago, unsure if we were still discussing the aging basketball player or the loose-cannon hockey goalie. It was all the same to me. I could fake my interest with the best of them, but sports had never been my specialty for a reason.
Three times a week, we had a phone conference with the LA office, and all the heads of the departments informed the partners of any major deals or upcoming events. However, ever since we branched into two offices, these meetings had devolved into a pissing contest.
As the two men argued, I sat back in my chair, steepling my fingers as I looked out onto the city. Were my days always going to be like this? Trapped in this office while the world hummed around me? Probably, but that was what I had wanted, what I had strived for.
So why the fuck was it bothering me now?
A sudden kick to my shin snapped me out of my thoughts, and my eyes narrowed at Calla, who was sitting next to me with an arched brow. She tapped her pen on the legal pad in her lap, her handwriting in the margin. Something more interesting out there?
I scoffed, not used to being called out in meetings. Marie would never be so bold. She’d be too focused on taking notes, beating herself up if she missed a single word.
Calla, on the other hand, had been drawing along the side of her paper, only noting what she deemed necessary or things I had to handle. I took the pen from her hand, scribbling next to her comment. At least I’m not doodling all over my paper. I drew a line up to a stick figure. Anyone I know?
She smirked before taking her pen back. Just a certain boss who likes to make his employees pee their pants in terror.
I was about to respond when someone else’s voice broke through the conversation.
“That’s bullshit!”
I snapped back to attention at the sharp curse, narrowing my eyes at Jack on the opposite end of the table. His fist was wrapped tightly around his pen, and he was glaring at the phone.
A chuckle broke through the line. “What can I say, Jackie boy? Ricardo wants to go with a real agent. He said you weren’t able to secure a three-year deal. I got it in a week.”
“Because you’re a fucking sniveling–”
“Enough,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at Jack. “That’s it for today. We’ll meet again on Friday and discuss the matter further.” I leaned forward in my seat. “I suggest your office read the agency bylaws before we speak again. Interagency poaching is frowned upon.”
I asked Jack to hang back as the rest of the departments cleared the room. Calla got up to leave as well, but I placed my hand on her arm. “Stay. I need you to take notes. ”
She rolled her eyes, subtle enough that only I would notice.
Jack leaned back in his seat, running his hand over his face. “Sorry about that, man. You know how Logan gets–”
“What happened with the deal?”
“I told you, Logan’s a snake.”
“Not with Logan. With the team. You told me you were working on Ricardo’s contract a month ago. Why couldn’t you close it?”
Jack’s jaw tensed, pissed I was questioning him. I would be the same way in his position. Usually, I’d be on his side, ready to seek revenge for the other agents stepping onto our turf, but I had no room for pleasantries and coddling right now. This office had to succeed, and we never would if the LA office vultured all our biggest clients.
“They wanted a shorter-term contract. One season only.” Jack shook his head. “Ricardo wants to settle down, so that wouldn’t work for him. I tried to make them extend it, but nothing worked.”
“Find out what Logan offered them.” I stood from my chair. “And we need to start looking for someone to fill his place—a bigger name, if possible.”
Jack ran his hand over his brow, as if mentally filing through the players he knew. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. “I heard a rumor that Anders is looking for a new rep.”
“The player from the Rebels? The pitcher?” I asked. Jack nodded. “Get him onboard.”
He shook his head. “Not that easy. He’s notoriously private. He’s not going to sign with us unless we jump through a lot of hoops. I heard his last agent only got the job because he was connected to Anders somehow. ”
“Figure it out, Jack.” I gripped the back of the chair. ”Or I’ll find someone else who will.”
Jack stared at me in disbelief, his mouth hanging open as if he didn’t believe my words. But it was no idle threat. There was no room for dead weight on this team, no matter how close we once were. The partners warned me that this would change how others saw me, but I hadn’t expected the shift to come so soon.
I sighed. “Get a meeting on the books as soon as possible.”
Just as I thought Jack was about to lose his shit, Calla stood, smiling up at me. “Actually…I might be able to help you out with that.”