CHAPTER FIVE: DREAM TEAM

EVAN’S POV;

Hailey’s idea was insane.

Her exact words were: “We’ll just need to lure him into the third-floor restroom, there’s a stall that doesn’t lock properly. I saw it on the buildings review board on maps… and then bam."

She hit her hand on the table.

"You’re trapped together. Just long enough to show him what he’s missing out on. It worked before, right?”

I stared at her across the table, mid-noodle slurp. “You want me to kidnap my boss and force him into a kiss in the company’s restroom?”

“Desperate times,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe you both  fall in love. Maybe he calls HR. Either way, he has to talk to you.”

“I’m not doing that.”

“Chicken.”

It wasn’t that I didn’t want Blake anymore.

I actually really did.

It’s stupid, but it’s true.

I’m not saying I’m in love with him, I’m saying I feel something for him and would like to explore it.

But this wasn’t high school. I wasn’t going to harass my boss with accidental kisses and hope that it would spark a conversation.

Besides, he’d made himself painfully clear: it meant nothing.

I wasn’t about to chase that kind of dismissal.

That's why the entire following week, I avoided Blake Thatcher like my paycheck depended on it.

Low-key, it kind of did.

Avoidance became my survival mechanism.

I came in early. I left late. I strategically “forgot” things in the supply closet just to miss elevator rides. I emailed instead of knocking. Scheduled breaks around his meetings. 

I walked different routes, I tried taking the stairs once and I swear, I almost passed out.

Mr Thatcher, for his part, seemed to be participating in our little game with equal dedication.

He barely acknowledged me in passing. Never looked directly at me when we ended up being in the same room.

On certain days, he looked unbothered and composed.

His indifference didn’t mean we weren’t noticing each other.

I felt his presence everywhere.

I felt the weight of his gaze burning into the side of my face during morning briefings.

Caught him looking when I walked into the conference room with Dennis, when I loosened my tie on a warm day.

It was all very subtle.

Or maybe I’m just delusional.

We haven’t said a word to each other since the brutal rejection.

Not directly. Not even in passing.

A whole week passed like that.

Tension stretched like an invisible wire between us.

No one else saw it. No one else felt it.

But it was there. Thrumming just beneath the surface.

And for some extremely weird reason, I began to like him more and more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Tuesday morning, an email came in:

TO: All Staff

FROM: Departmental Heads

SUBJECT: External Audit – Lead Appointment

We’re pleased to announce that Mr. Blake Thatcher and this firm have been appointed to lead an upcoming external audit for a top-tier client, Springer Pharmaceuticals.

This is a high-profile assignment that reflects our firm’s trusted reputation. Mr. Thatcher will oversee all audit operations, and selected internal team members will be contacted shortly.

Your cooperation is appreciated as we begin this important engagement.

The mood in the office shifted immediately.

Buzz. Whispers. Anxiety in shoulder blades.

Everyone knew that being chosen for a lead audit team could fast track your career or set you up for an intense burnout session with a side of failure.

By noon, we were all called into the main conference room.

The tension was already thick in the air.

We filed into the same conference room, Blake Thatcher wore navy blue. The color made him look perfect. 

His hair looked so neat and well cared for, I wanted to run my fingers through it. He stood at the head of the room like a blade waiting to be drawn.

I took a seat in the back, my body clenched tighter than a report binder.

Blake spoke clearly. Eloquently. No wasted breath.

“As many of you know, we’re heading into a firm-wide audit in the coming quarter. “

He paced once. Confident. Cold.

“HR has requested I form a small internal team to assist with this process. We will be working together and preparing all the materials for review.”

He reached into a sleek brown envelope. His fingers moved with purpose. Calm. He pulled out a set of typed sheets and scanned the top.

My heartbeat picked up.

He didn’t glance at me. Not even once.

“Team members were chosen based on performance, attention to detail, and technical ability. This is not a popularity contest. It is an opportunity to learn.”

He looked up and scanned the room, the air taut with anticipation.

“The first team member will be Dennis Creek,” Blake announced.

Applause broke out. Dennis looked both smug and sheepish as he stood and gave a small wave.

“Mr Creek has demonstrated exceptional attention to detail and process documentation,” Blake continued. “He’ll be helping compile procedural frameworks and draft reports.”

“Next person is Quin West.”

Quin fist-bumped someone nearby.

“Ms West will be supporting the database management and they’ll assist with data migration, system access, etc” he added. 

Another polite round of clapping.

Blake looked down at the sheet again.

And paused.

His jaw flexed with the smallest tic. Almost invisible. But I saw it.

He looked up.

His eyes flickered to mine for a second too long.

No!

Please no.

This is not happening.

His voice didn’t waver, but it lost a fraction of its calm.

“And the final member of the team…” he said, folding the sheet between his fingers, “is Evan Johnson.”

Loud silence followed.