Please don't be him... Please don't be him... god, not him!!!
My heart was pounding so fast I was sure everyone down the street could hear it. I tried to remain calm and be reasonable. Maybe they just sounded the same and had the same footsteps... but that didn't explain why the man approaching me from behind had the same damn cologne as my boss. I would recognize that warm, earthy scent anywhere.
When I walked into Frost Hotel, I wasn't expecting the damn owner of the building to be the person I was supposed to meet. And he just so happened to be my boss. Great. Just great.
Each step he took toward me sounded like a countdown for hell. I didn't know what to do, but I sure as hell wasn't about to let my boss see me in this outfit that held my cleavage by a thin string-- I couldn't let him see me at all!
I bent my head as low as I could, hiding my face behind my curls and using my purse as an extra layer of protection. It probably made me look stupid, but I couldn't think about that.
"What are you doing?"
I gasped. He was close. So close that I could feel his body heat from where I stood. If the bar hadn't been facing the other direction, I don't know what I would have done. I tried to move past him, but he cornered me, placing his arms on the counter and trapping me between them.
Ah, fuck.
"I asked what you were doing." His tone was rough and commanding. I knew him well enough to tell he was pissed, and the two seconds of patience he carried with him had already expired.
I was racking my brain for ideas when I got a lightbulb moment. "I-I'm on my period." I blurted out the first thing I could think of. Making my voice an octave higher to keep my identity hidden.
"You're... what?"
He was caught off guard by what I said, so I used the opportunity to peel myself out of his grasp, keeping a safe distance between our bodies. "I didn't realize it would come today and-"
"Fuck."
He went silent after that, and it scared me even more. I wasn't sure whether he was about to toss me across the room or get me fired for wasting his time. Worse of all, I couldn't see his reaction-not that I wanted to-but I just stood there, shaking like a sinner awaiting her judgment.
He inhaled deeply, then exhaled. I could almost picture the vein on his forehead rising from the annoyance he was most definitely feeling. "Get out." He said finally, in a tone way calmer than I expected.
He didn't have to tell me twice. I held my purse closer to my face and made a bolt for the elevator, making sure he wouldn't see an inch of my face. My fingers frantically pushed the buttons, and as soon as it arrived, I rushed into the elevator and shut it quickly. Mumbling a brief "Sorry," One that earned me an unimpressive grunt in response.
Once I was out of his sight, my shoulders slumped in relief. "What the hell just happened?" I collapsed to the floor, unable to keep standing a second longer. Of all the people I thought I would run into here, Damien Frost never once crossed my mind. "What am I going to do?"
My phone started going off, and I saw the message pop up on the screen.
Em: I heard he's arrived at the hotel.
Em: Have fun!!! And u better tell me all about it later.
I was beside myself with anger. "Have fun?!" I scoffed, pressing the dial button and putting my phone to my ears.
"Babe-"
"Emily Maya Richards. What the hell were you thinking, setting me up with my boss?"
"I- What?!" I heard a thud. She had dropped something. "Hold on, wha- what do you mean your boss?"
"I mean my boss boss, the man who hired me!"
"Swear it..."
"On my life, Em." I sighed, stepping out of the hotel and into the busy streets. "Imagine my shock when I heard Damien fucking Frost's voice in that penthouse."
"Oh. My. God." She paused, "Isla, I swear to you I had no idea. I wouldn't have sent you to him had I known."
"Then what happened?"
"I was told the client wanted to remain anonymous. It was a good deal, and you needed the money, so I didn't think twice about it... I'm sorry."
"No, no, it's not your fault. You were trying to help me, I understand- taxi! Taxi!" I flagged a cab and quickly got in. I couldn't afford to have anyone else see me in that ridiculous outfit. "Blame my dumb luck."
"Did he see you?"
"No, I don't think so. I had my back facing him and covered my face the moment I realized who it was."
"Good. Just try to act normal when you see him- in fact, avoid him as best as you can."
I sighed, sinking into the seat. "I wish I could, but I have to make a report to him tomorrow morning."
"So what? Give someone else in that useless team of yours."
"Emily!"
"I'm just stating it as it is. You've been carrying the most weight in that team, being overworked and underpaid. It's about damn time someone else pulled their weight."
"I'm the head of marketing... it is my job, remember?"
"I get that. All I'm saying is don't shoulder all the responsibility alone. You'll end up looking fifty by the time you turn thirty- you're halfway there already."
"Gee, thanks for the compliment," I replied flatly, trying not to burst out laughing. Emily was an expert at lifting my moods and making me forget all my worries. She never fails to make me laugh.
"Isla..." She paused, sounding hesitant to continue. "Michael called today."
My face fell. The mention of that name alone was enough to erase the joy I was feeling earlier. "I thought you had him blocked."
"I did- I do! He called with a different number this time. I didn't realize who it was until I'd picked up the call."
"What did he want this time?"
Emily scoffed from the other end, and I could picture her rolling her lips in disgust. "The usual... he's like a persistent mosquito who won't die no matter how many times you kill it."
"If only he were this persistent during our relationship."
"I, for one, am glad he wasn't. Good riddance. The bastard never deserved you anyway."
"Yeah... thanks, Em."
"I should be the one thanking you for not blowing my head off for tonight's mess."
"Who says I'm not going to?" We both burst out laughing, and in that moment, I felt relief and peace. But at the back of my mind, there was a lingering fear about what would happen at work tomorrow.