CHAPTER 5

ALINA’S POV

Getting off the project.

It was stupid, I know. Ridiculous. I mean, who halts their life just because they crossed paths with an ex? A very dead ex for that matter.

 It was totally not my style. Not what I would normally do, but then again everything remotely related to him were things I would normally not do. More reasons to stay away. No Oxygen. No Roman. No problem.

So here I was, heels clicking down the hall toward that Godzilla themed office- Joe’s office. And I would be lying if I said I was in the least bit excited. Still, this had to be done.

“Err, excuse me, Alina” a voice stopped me as I reached the door. His assistant.

“Is something wrong, Ava?” I asked, pausing.

“Joe’s not in,” she said, “He’s in the conference room.”

The conference room? But we didn’t have any scheduled meeting. At least not one that I was aware of. Puzzled, I thanked Ava and retracted my steps. Heading back down the hall and going the opposite. The glass transparent walls of the room allowing me to see that Joe was in fact in there, standing. While some other person backed me.

“A private meeting? Why wasn’t I informed then?” I muttered, offended now. Joe was a jerk. But directly bypassing me to speak with clients? That was a billboard sign of disregard, and I haven’t even told him I was getting off the Oxygen project. What would happen then? Would he kick me out? Wouldn’t put it past him.

Annoyed now, I pushed the door open with a knock. “Excuse me, i-

“Alina!” Joe boomed, too cheerful. “Perfect timing. Mr. Ward was just telling me great news.”

Huh? Did I hear that right?

Mr. Ward? THE Mr. wa- Roman??

On cue, he turned on his seat to face me. Mouth tipped with a silent smirk, green eyes bright with mischief. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to know that was no good sign. Especially for me. “Oxygen would like to award Boldline Creatives the women’s wing contract.” He said smoothly, and my breathe seized.

“Marvelous, isn’t it?” Joe grinned, lips stretched wider than commission month. “You have made the best choice, I assure you Mr. Ward! Right Lina?”

I blinked, forcing my mind to work as they turned to me again. “Err- yes. Yes, you have Mr. Ward.”

“Congratulations,” he said to me, that mischief dancing in his eyes again. But luckily, Joe didn’t allow me dwell on that much. Reminding me of the reason I was here in the first place.

“Lina here will send back the documents after due protocols are observed and by Monday we will get right on business!”

“Err, about that.” I started, stepping even more into the room. Closer to Joe, “I am err… I want out of the project, so I shouldn’t be the one drafting the correspondence. Someone else should do it. Cleo is fit for it.”

“What?” Joe’s grin cracked, his actual jerk face coming out.

“Is there a problem?” Joe pulled away just then, dishing out a smile. “Not at all, Mr. Ward!  In fact, Lina here was just saying how she’d love to begin work by tomorrow.”

Tomorrow? I turned to him instantly, my stare questioning. But instead, his conniving self faced me. Meaning he was doing this on purpose. Not giving my words any regard, jerk. So took matters into my own hands.

“That is incorrect, Mr. Ward.” I called out defiantly, head high. “There will be no resuming tomorrow. I will not be doing that, because I’m off the project.”

“No, she’s not.”

“Yes, I am,” I retuned seriously, shooting Joe a look. “Someone else will be taking over. Someone competent no worries.”

“But that’s not possible,” Roman said, relaxed. “It’s not a part of the agreement.”

“What agreement?” he turned to Joe instead, a lazy smile on his lips. “Joe?” I called, “What agreement.”

Joe straightened, a ‘you better shut your damn mouth’ stare on his face. “Oxygen contract will be handled by you and only you. You’re going to be their consultant.”

“But I’m getting off.” I refuted, taken aback by such words. “Someone else will-

“We want you,” Roman cut in, voice calm but eyes imposing. “Or we pass.”

“Of course not!” Joe interjected, almost tripping over himself to smile at Roman but shooting warning glances my way. “This is settled, Mr. Ward. Pleasure doing business with you, and once again thank you for choosing Boldlines.”

Roman uncrossed his legs then, rising to his feet. Tall and polished, the expensive gold watch on his wrist catching the light as he gave Joe a curt nod. A stare at me, “Walk me out?”

It wasn’t a request.

And of course I didn’t want to, feeling rather dismissed by the two men. But still, I found myself going after him. My black heels clicking against the polished floors, the dull sound of printers echoing in air as I approached him. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence thick enough to choke on, but I was getting pissed. So, finally, I broke it.

“You’re making a mistake, Sir.” I stood in front of him. Halting his movements. “A project, one as important as yours shouldn’t be tied to one person. That’s not business. That’s-

“Selective taste.” He finished, eyes down on me now. His cologne surrounding us. “You should be flattered.”

“I should be flattered? Because you ‘selected’ me?”

“Isn’t that the point of you making that presentation?” I paused, biting my inner cheek at such carelessness. “I was to make a choice from the start, which I have. Or is there something else I don’t know?”

Something else?

 “You’re mistaken, sir.” I forced the words out evenly.

“Am i?” he tilted his head, eyes glinting with a knowing look. One I was so not comfortable with, especially with him so close. I took a step back then, intentional. “You know the thing about mistakes” he started, voice low like he wanted the words to sink in. “They always leave traces. Small, tiny, just enough for someone to know where to look. Or push.”

I blinked. The heat of his words getting to me, making me feel slightly destabilized as I stared up at him.

W-what was he saying? How come it doesn’t feel like we were referring to the same thing? Or does he know something?

Does he remember? Me?

That wouldn’t be good. Wouldn’t be at all. “Maybe you’re looking too closely, ‘Sir’, You shouldn’t.” I said to him, intentionally making emphasis on the title. Just to … you know… remind him of my stand maybe?

But that didn’t seem to work, cause his smirk only deepened. “Oh, but i intend to Miss Monroe. Or should I say… Alina?”

My heart skipped a beat. Warning signs going off in my head, alarming me as he stepped closer. Closing the distance I had created between us, even closer now than before. The scent of sharp whisky and something else joining his cologne and invading my nostrils. Penetrating until I breathed him in and out. “Tell me, Alina,” he drawled slowly, savoring the words. “Are you always this defensive with your clients? Or to just the ones that make you… nervous?”

Nervous?

“I’m not nervous.” I said sharply, surprised at how the words came out. “And it’s Miss Monroe, not Alina.”

His smile widened, green eyes bright. “Good. I’d hate for this-” his hand moved between us. “to be uncomfortable. We’re going to be spending a lot of time of time together.”

“This contract isn’t binding on me,” I snapped, pulse racing in my throat. “I’m not a part of it.”

“Walk away then” he said, daring with a casual tone. “Walk away if you want, but I’ll make sure Boldlines never see a deal this size ever again. Now, can you bear the cost of that? Or will your boss back in there let you?”

My teeth grinded together, heat rushing to my cheeks. Rage. Shame, and something else I didn’t want to name filling me whole. Not a word in response.

And he soaked in that. “Exactly,” he chuckled darkly, straightening out then. A step back, causally like he didn’t just threaten to ruin my career if I didn’t fall in line. “See you on Monday, Consultant. Take the week off.”

And with one last smirk, he turned and walked off. Suited men I hadn’t noticed were standing around, showing up out of nowhere and following him out. Some boss he was.

“Contract’s signed, Monroe.” Joe’s voice came behind me, “Get yourself ready.”