6. Firsts

Lila

Eve walked beside me like she was escorting a prisoner to their execution. Which, honestly, I felt was what was happening. It was my first day and I did not know what to expect.

“Relax,” she whispered as the entrance doors slid open.

“You’re going to be great,” she added, patting my shoulder, but the words did nothing to help.

I nodded, even though I felt another wave of nausea rising. I pressed my hand low against my abdomen, hoping it would stop whatever was happening inside me.

Spoiler, it did not. I felt like I was seconds away from throwing up. I was not an anxious person, so the feeling was completely new to me.

“ Text me only if you are dying,” she said as we parted, and I headed for the lift. All I could do was roll my eyes.

When the lift doors opened on the 20th floor, I found Mara waiting at the reception desk, her expression immediately changing to disappointment the moment she saw me.

“You’re late,” she said, even though I was ten minutes early.

“Good morning to you too,” I mumbled. She ignored that.

Of course she did.

Any delusions I had about us being best friends flew out of the window.

“The boss wants coffee,” she stated, pushing a mug toward me. “His usual.”

“Right,” I said brightly, as if I had any idea what his usual meant.

Mara gestured at the espresso machine that was hidden away in a kitchenette I had not earlier noticed.

“Just…make it,” Mara said, already annoyed.

“Sure,” I said, because lying seemed to be the better option than saying I had no idea on how to work the machine. I walked over and stared at it, waiting for it to reveal instructions. It didn’t.

I pressed a button. Something whirred. I pressed another. The machine hissed and steam shot out from somewhere, and for a second, I thought I was doing something right. I hit a third button motivated by my progress.

The entire machine shuddered and then spat out something that looked like mud. I stared at it. This wasn’t coffee.

Behind me, soft footsteps approached. The click of heels that was missing meant it could only be one person.

Theo.

He took the mug from my hand before I could even move. He lifted it, sniffed it, and made a face like I had handed him piss.

“This,” he said, tilting the cup toward me, “is what you managed? On your first task?”

My mouth went dry. “The machine is a little…intense.”

He slowly arched a brow.

“I upgraded your position and salary,” he said slowly, “and you can’t operate a coffee machine?”

The way he said it was like he was personally offended by my incompetence.

“I’ll learn,” I said, trying to sound confident but instead it came out more like a question. “Eventually.” I added hoping to salvage the situation.

He handed the mug back to me. “Start now.” And to make matters worse, he stood beside me to witness my humiliation.

Mara’s smirk behind him was so bright I could use it as a flashlight.

I tried again. And again. And again. By my sixth or tenth attempt, the machine made one final noise before the coffee sprayed sideways, splashing on Theo’s sleeve. That was the final straw.

“I...I can clean it,” I offered quickly.

“Absolutely not,” he replied, taking a step back. “Just…stop touching things.”

Which was exactly the sort of thing you would say to a toddler. Or me.

Mara swooped in, pressed two buttons, and instantly produced a perfect espresso. She handed it to him with a sweet smile. He nodded at her, then glanced at me again.

“I’ll see you in my office in ten minutes,” he said.

When he left, Mara leaned on the counter. “Wow,” she said lightly. “That was painful to watch.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “I was worried it wasn’t obvious.”

I was not in the mood for her mean girl antics on top of everything.

By noon, I had already messed up two email threads, forwarded a private message to the entire floor, and somehow archived an important document Theo needed.

Every time I passed Mara’s desk, she smiled looking satisfied by all my mistakes. I already hated myself for not managing simple tasks. I was not cut out for this. I wanted to scream it to the entire floor.

By lunch, I wanted to escape the floor and the office as a whole. Eve had told me of her lunch spot and I was more than glad to see her friendly face.

“Rough morning?” she asked, the minute she saw me.

I sighed, poking at a cherry tomato in her salad like it had personally wronged me.

“Everyone has bad days,” I replied tiredly.

“Especially the first ones,” she said, patting my hand. “You’ll be fine hun. We have all been there.”

I snorted. “Great. Glad to know everyone here also doesn’t know how to make coffee.”

But Eve’s sympathy lasted all of three seconds before her eyes gleamed with mischief.

“So…” She dragged the word out. “How was Theo?”

I blinked confused. “What?”

“Oh, come on.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “That man walked into our floor earlier this morning and I swear half the room ovulated.”

I choked on a carrot. “Eve!”

“What?” She held her hands up in mock innocence. “I’m just saying, if he was around me every waking second, I would need a minute alone in the supply closet.”

“He looks like every other man in this city,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I can point out at least ten men on the street who look better.”

“Aha!” She replied as she pointed her fork at me as if she had just solved a crime. “That is what women say when they are lying to themselves.”

“I’m not interested in him,” I said firmly.

All she did was just smirk, leaning in,“Listen, if Theo makes a pass at you,and I’m not saying he will, but also I’m absolutely saying he might, do not pass up the opportunity. Men like that are prime bachelor crop.”

I blinked. “W… what?”

“You heard me.” She fanned herself dramatically. “Tall, handsome, smells nice. Filthy rich.Unicorn stuff.”

I dropped my fork. “I’m not interested in him, Eve.”

Why was she not listening to me? The last thing on my mind was a man and most especially him.

“Sweetheart…” She tilted her head, studying me. “I hope your baby daddy is worth it if you’re willing to pass up Theo Starvos.”

That one stung but I stared at her then I rolled my eyes so hard I was pretty sure they touched the back of my skull. “Could we get back to work now?”

“Fine, fine,” she said, though her grin told me the conversation was far from over. “But if Theo asks you for help with anything this afternoon, you better not say no unless it’s illegal.”

I grabbed my phone and stood. “I am going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Oh, please,” she said, waving me off. “You need to live a little.” She did not let up until we got back to the office but the break had been pretty helpful.

Back from lunch, I barely made it through the lift doors before I noticed Theo leaning against my desk.

Great. I could already tell nothing good was going to come from our interaction.

“Miss Hale,” he called. “I have a dinner tonight.”

I blinked. That was… nice? People ate dinner?

He continued before I could reply. “It’s the Lila Sterling Annual Gala.”

My stomach dropped. My event. The one I used to host every single year.The one I had completely forgotten was still supposed to happen. My life was still moving without me.

Orion had proposed early so it wouldn’t overshadow my gala. Funny how that moment felt like it belonged to someone else’s life now.

“I… didn’t know you planned to attend,” I said carefully. I had never seen Theo at any of my past galas, not once. He had not run in those circles.

“Well.” He straightened. “I am attending.”

I waited for him to continue, hands clasped behind my back, waiting for him to clarify exactly what that had to do with me.

Finally, he said it. “I would like you to accompany me.”