A steaming hot cup of coffee sat on my desk when I arrived at work the next day. Dash sat at his desk, looking utterly proud of himself and his coffee prep timing. I plucked up the cup and took a tentative sniff. "Is this poisoned?" I asked, settling down at my assistant desk.
Dash snorted. "You wound me, Work Wife. It's exactly to your liking. You take ten creams, right?"
I nearly dropped the coffee.
"I'm joking. Calm down. Just thought I'd practice making coffee. So you are welcome for choosing you to practice on. You get to enjoy perfect cups of coffee for a while."
It tasted burnt, full of grounds that somehow made it chewey and was far too sweat. I didn't think he'd been joking about all the creamers. But he looked so proud of himself, that I forced another sip down, smiling past the watering of my eyes as my lips hit a toothpick in the cup.
Pulling it out of the cup as casually as I could after being impaled in the face, I threw the toothpick in the trash. I was starting to believe that he owed me far more than a single date for the tourture he was currently putting me through.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"Um... not the worst cup of coffee I've ever had." Which was true. He made me coffee two days ago and THAT was the worst cup of coffee I had ever had. I found a gum wrapper in it.
"That's a positive endorsement coming from you."
It really wasn't.
After a forced third sip, I settled down at my desk, 1930's white and blue flower print dress fluttering out against my thighs, the silk cool against my skin. Crossing my legs at the ankles, I admired my red high heels for a moment before settling into work.
I had grown to enjoy getting up a few minutes earlier every day to put together outfits that made me feel beautiful. I smiled to myself as I booted up the computer, mentally listing the things I liked about myself and habitually glanced towards Laurence Royal's office, even though I knew he wouldn't be in today.
I froze. He was in the office. Laurence Royal was never in the office on today's particular anniversary. And yet, there he sat, across from a beautiful blond in his office.
She had a notebook in her lap, a warm smile on her face as she wrote something down. Dark red lips matched expensive pumps. Her hair fell in curls down her back, glossy and immaculate. I had never seen her before. She looked too professional to be one of his dates, especially at seven thirty in the morning. It was far too early for that.
Laurence sat across from her, body posture relaxed as he leaned forward, talking in low tones. He was back to his clean cut self, all hints of his darkened mood yesterday, gone.
"What do you think? Is he interviewing for a new assistant, or is that a secret girlfriend?" Dash asked, suddenly leaning against my desk, whispering conspiratorially. "I knew my coffee was bad, but is it really necessary to fire me over something so small?"
"He found a paperclip in your last cup of coffee, Dash. Anything is possible." I didn't want Dash to get fired but... I really didn't want Laurence Royal to have any more women visiting our office either.
After a few moments the woman stood up, offered Laurence Royal a warm smile and walked past us, into the elevator without a word. I hadn't realized I was still staring at the closed elevator doors until Laurence cleared his throat. "Miss Autumns? Do you have time for a quick budget meeting?"
Laurence stood in the doorway, looking somewhat distracted as he eyed the closed elevator doors.
Dash tapped the edge of my desk as he stood up. "My vote is new assistant. Care to bet?" he whispered. I shook my head.
"Doesn't matter."
He rolled his eyes and walked back to his desk. "You are no fun."
Laurence looked between us before he gestured toward his office. "It won't take long."
Walking into Laurence's office, I was surprised when he gestured toward the open seat across his coffee table, falling into business before I even had a chance to sit down. "There are a few inconsistencies in the Costa Rica budget. Several props have been listed twice and one of the locations has double the required days, inflating certain aspects of the budget."
He pushed an identical copy of the budget across the table toward me, his eyes on the numbers.
Plucking up the pages, I paused, thrown off. Laurence Royal had gone from warm the last time we had talked budget, to a cold kiosk that spat out numbers.
"Good morning Mr. Royal," I said after a beat. I immediately wanted to take it back. He obviously didn't want to fall into small talk, but my brain hadn't fully caught up yet. I blamed Dash's terrible coffee.
"I've seen several other items that were added after our last conversation," Laurence continued like he hadn't heard me.
"Perhaps Allie ajusted a few things," I guessed, exasperated. "We didn't have a meeting scheduled today," I said, changing the subject. "I assumed you'd take the day off."
"There's too much to do," he replied, flipping a page over and scanning the next one.
"Okay."
Silence settled in the room, awkward and uncomfortable. I felt like I was missing something important. He really should have stayed home if he was going to be this cranky. But even when he was in a dark mood, he was never this cold.
"Well..." I finally said. "I'll talk to Allie and see if I can figure out what she added. And perhaps lock the file so she can't access it without talking to you first. Anything else? Should I have Dash reschedule your meetings that I canceled today?"
"That won't be necessary."
Was he irritated that I took the liberty and canceled appointments? Had he decided to tackle his grief differently only to have me come in and ruin his plans?
"If me canceling the meetings caused problemsâ"
"It didn't. I went back and adjusted them." He glanced up at me, something hard in his expression. "How's the boyfriend?"
I blinked, confused. We were in new territory. He had never asked me about my personal life. EVER. "What?" I glanced toward Dash who was currently pouring creamer into a cup of coffee while mixing it in with a pencil.
Oh my gosh.
"Dash isn't my boyfriend," I said after suppressing a shudder at Dash's terrible coffee technique.
Laurence Royal clenched his jaw. "I am aware of that. I mean'tâ"
"Liam." My answer was a whisper, eyes wide as I looked past Laurence Royal toward the elevator. My heart flatlined because the mere mention of him, my ex-boyfriend, seemed to have conjured him up. At that moment, Liam was stepping out of the elevator, looking for me.
I want more... Echoed harshly in my mind.
"Miss Autumns?"
I couldn't breathe.
"Miss Autumns? Are you alright?"
You are boring Lily Autumns... Reverberated through my bones.
My confidence shattered and I forgot everything I had learned, reverting back to a broken version of myself. I forgot what I liked about myself. I forgot about my support system. I forgot every single thing that I had worked on. What was left sitting in that chair, eyes wide, fingers pressed against the hem of her new dressâ which she suddenly felt silly for thinking she could pull offâ was a broken girl wanting to crawl into a hole and die.
What is he doing here? Whatâ
"Lily."
Laurence Royal's use of my first name yanked me back into the moment. "What?"
"Are you alright?"
"I can't see him," I whispered, sinking lower in the leather chair. I was half tempted to sink to the ground and army crawl behind Laurence Royal's desk.
"Who?"
"Liam." I turned my gaze back to Laurence Royal and the sudden concern in his gaze was like a damn breaking and words flew out of my mouth before I could think to be embarrassed. "He dumped me." I slunk further down in my chair, on the verge of sliding onto the ground before peeking out behind the chair, through the glass wall.
Liam stood at the edge of Dash's desk wearing his award winning smile. His hair sporting that classic bedhead look that took him an hour to do and a midnight black suit that cost more than my apartment rent for three months.
"Please make him leave," I whispered, sounding and feeling small.
Laurence crouched before me and handed me a glass of water I didn't see him pour. "He dumped you?"
"At a KFC drive thru." I added, unable to help myself. "On our anniversary."
He looked shocked, and something else brimmed below the surface of his expression. "What possible reason could he have given?"
I took a swallow of the water, struggling to keep my hands steady. "That... I was boring. That... he wanted more."
Laurence's hand itched to rake through his hair. He forced his hand down, only to reach out toward my face before letting it fall to his side. "He's without a doubt the biggest fool I've ever had the misfortune of meeting."
He stood up, expression darkening. "I'll take care of him."
The glass door to his office opened, and I suddenly heard Dash in the other room, far more angry than I had ever heard him before. "So... You're Liam."
I peeked out behind the chair, watching Dash gaze up at Liam from his chair, arms folded, looking far more casual than his tone or expression implied. "What a... terrible surprise you are."
Liam looked utterly confused. "What..." he laughed nervously. "What's up with you dude? I'm just looking forâ"
"I know who you are looking for. She can't see you right now," Dash said. "Or ever. So I would go if I were you, before one of my grumpy bosses realizes that you are here. Because compared to them, I'm a freaking delight."
Liam let out a huff of disbelief, shifting his weight from foot to foot, head cocked to the side. "Do you talk to all customers like that?"
"One..." Dash said standing up. "You aren't a customer..."
He rounded the table. "Two. I have more manners talking to a piece of garbage like you than you ever had with your girlfriend, and threeâ"
"Enough." Laurence walked up to the edge of Dash's desk.
"But heâ"
Laurence Royal shot Dash a warning look. "He gets the point."
Liam looked utterly pleased by Laurence Royal's arrival, giving Dash a triumphant, taunting smile. "Thank you. Nowâ"
"No. You are done," Laurence said, voice dangerously calm. It had the desired effect. Liam took a startled step back.
"Iâ"
Laurence Royal's tone changed. All calm vanishing like the dangerous pause between lightning and the clap of thunder. He took a single step forward.
I couldn't see his face, but whatever Liam saw there made him go pale. "Leave."
Dash walked past Liam and leaned against the wall next to the elevator door. With a wave of his hand, he made a big show of hitting the elevator button and then gestured to the opening doors like a model at a car show. "Goodbye terrible Liam. Hope to never see you again."
...
Laurence Royal found me right where he left me, my hands clutching the glass of water, huddled on the ground, a pile of broken pieces and embaressment. He closed the door to his office and crouched down before me again. "He's gone."
I nodded but didn't say anything because I was too busy staring at the floor.
He sighed, settling down on the ground in front of me. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"That I got dumped? Not really a topic of work conversation is it?"
"Not really."
Something clicked into place and I finally met his eyes. "You thought I was cheating on Liam. That's why you've been acting so weird about Dash."
He looked away. "I should not have assumed."
I started laughing, too wrung out from my near panic attack to stop myself. It sounded, garbled, close to tears. "I would never do that! You could have just asked instead of assuming I was terrible!"
Laurence Royal surprised me by blushing. "I know."
The sight of his face turning pink made me laugh harder. It was such a good look on him that I openly grinned. "Oh my gosh. I didn't know you could blush!"
His face turned redder as he looked away, self conscious. "I'm glad you are feeling better."
I smiled, my mind seeming to settle back into control even as several tears fell down my face, left over from my fear of nearly having to face Liam. I hated how in that single moment, I had forgotten who I was and how much I had grown.
Staring down at the glass in my hand, feeling the silk dress against my skin, hearing the way Laurence and Dash threw Liam out, I remembered that I wasn't alone. My healthy self talk mantra slowly yawned back to the forefront of my mind, reminding me of my value.
"Thank you, Laurence," I said softly.
He looked up at me, a hint of a smile on his face. "Of course... Miss Autumns."
Standing, Laurence held out his hand to help me to my feet. "Now if you are open to it. I think you could use some fresh air, and a far less terrible cup of coffee."
When I didn't instantly take is hand, he added. "You looked out for me yesterday. Please allow me to return the favor."
Ignoring the way his touch felt like fire against my skin, I let him pull me up. He instantly let go of my hand, taking a step back to give me space.
"I thought you had meetings today."
He walked toward the door, holding it open for me. "I may have exaggerated that."
"You lied," I clarified.
"You've proven your point. I will work on talking through things instead of assuming like an ass."
I fought another laugh, wiping at my eyes as more mixed emotion tears bubbled free. "You aren't... an... that word. Just... yeah. Talk next time."
Dash shot me a thumbs up as I walked by, and I nearly died from embarrassment, thankful that Laurence didn't see Dash cheering me on like my own personal comment section in a book chat. I wasn't going out with Laurence, just... getting some fresh air and a cup of coffee that wasn't made by Dash.
Coworkers do that, right? Coffee and outside. Normal stuff. Outside and non toxic coffee. Totally normal.
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Thank you for reading chapter fourteen! I hope you are enjoying the story! Or are at least curious to see where it goes! Add this story to your reading list to know when the next chapter drops!
UPDATE DAYS - A NEW CHAPTER EVERY FRIDAY!
Will Dash EVER get better at making coffee?
What will Laurence and Lily do with their time outside?
Will Liam keep harassing Lily?
What will happen next?
CHAPTER QUESTION - Have you ever hid from someone you didn't like when you saw them in public? How did that go?