DINNER TREATS.

Avery let out a deep breath as Nathaniel wrapped up the meeting and dismissed everyone to their respective departments.

She gathered her files quickly, smoothing down her dress as she followed the other employees out. She wasn’t about to risk staying in the same room as the man she’d had a one-night stand with.

“Miss Cole.”

Avery stopped in track as her name rolled effortlessly off Nathaniel’s tongue, her chest tightening at the sound of her name.

A few of her coworkers exchanged a suspicious look before filing out of the conference room.

"Kindly wait behind."

She slowly stepped back, her folder still clutching tightly to her chest.

“Uhm. Yes, sir?” She turned, forcing a smile.

Nathaniel remained seated at the end of the table, his face calm and expressionless.

“I went through your file again this morning,” he began, his gaze still fixated on his laptop.

“You listed some experience with digital marketing campaigns. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir. I—I worked on a few projects during my internship. Mostly media engagement and ad placements.”

He nodded, jotting down. "Good. We will be handling a project next month, and we will need to restructure the department outreach. Would you be able to assist the team leader for the project?"

"Oh! Definitely, sir. " Avery smiled, masking the tension building in her gut.

“Alright. That's all, Miss Cole. You may leave,” Nathaniel said, dismissing her without looking up.

Avery nodded and turned to leave, yet something inside her felt oddly hollow. She couldn’t explain why his dismissal left her feeling so empty.

Maybe she was still holding on to the warmth she felt that night, or perhaps it was just the fantasy she had been romanticizing in her head. Whatever it was, it had better stop before it messes things up.

Outside the conference room, she exhaled shakily. This was a professional environment, and she wouldn't allow her feelings to get in her way.

She forcefully shook off whatever she was feeling and sauntered through the hallway, her heels clicking softly against the tiled floor. She took a halt at the front of a room that had bold letters written on the door, “MARKETING DEPARTMENT.”

Avery stepped in, feeling a dozen eyes sweep over her. She froze for a moment, awkwardly stranded in the middle of the room.

Two hours, and she was already making a spectacle of herself on day one.

"You must be Miss Cole. Come over here, please." A woman who seemed to be in her late thirties peeked out from behind her desk, her gaze settling on her.

"Yes, ma'am." Avery nodded as she made her way towards the woman's desk.

"Welcome to the Marketing Department." The woman said with a polite smile. "I'm Miss Graham, the head of this department."

Avery straightened her posture. "Nice to meet you, ma'am."

Miss Graham gave a nod and flipped through the files on her desk. "I've gone through your CV. Quite decent. You studied business administration?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I noticed you're also proficient in digital marketing campaigns. You will be assisting the team with campaign and client proposals for now." she looked up, meeting Avery's eyes. "We have a presentation scheduled for next week. You will be assigned to work with the team lead for the project.”

She adjusted her glasses before proceeding. "You need to familiarize yourself with our current project. I hope you're ready to commit to this work, Miss Cole? We value hard work and flexibility here."

Avery swallowed hard. "Definitely ma'am. I understand you."

"Good. Your desk is over there." Miss Graham pointed towards the desk sitting across a giant flower vase.

Avery made her way towards the desk, brushing off the lingering gazes as she settled in.

As she settled into her desk, the thought she kept pushing away resurfaced.

The way Nathaniel’s gaze had settled on her the moment she walked into the conference room and how easily he’d looked away, dismissing her like she was nothing.

On second thought, she was absolutely nothing to him, not that he had asked her to be his absolute sweetheart under the moon that night.

They had both had a mutual moment of pleasure, which was certainly not a big deal.

What was she even expecting? To be pulled aside and passionately get claimed? That the man who owned this multimillion-dollar company would kneel and confess his love to a lady whom he had a one night stand with?

"You're ridiculous, Avery," she muttered, laughing under her breath.

A bitter, humourless sound curled out of her mouth as she tried organising her workspace.

As the day unfolded, she buried herself in the little work she was assigned to. She accessed the marketing software, went through the old reports given to her, drafted a short social media caption, and organized the marketing files and spreadsheet.

5:00 p.m. came so soon, and Avery was eager to go home. She tidied up her workspace and sent the necessary documents back to the marketing lead.

She was about stepping out when Miss Graham cleared her throat to speak.

"To celebrate the onboarding of our newly employed workers, we will be having a dinner treat at the Maison Étoile restaurant as usual." Miss Graham grinned as the whole room went into a frenzy, the employees streaming out of the office in excitement.

As Avery made her way out, a petite lady came dashing towards her, looping her arm through hers. She had a smile that could melt a warrior's heart.

"Hiii. I'm Elena from the planning and strategy department. I'm also one of the new employees. Been trying to catch up with you, but you seemed very busy throughout the whole day."

"Oh! Nice to meet you, Elena. I'm Avery." She smiled politely.

The sunset gleamed brightly as Avery and the rest of the team arrived at the restaurant. It was one of the few upscale French restaurants in New York.

She inhaled the fresh air, Elena's hand still wrapping around her arm.

Inside, the dim golden lighting glowed softly as they stepped in. On the walls were framed black and white art decor, reflecting the refined taste of the elite.

Avery and her colleagues settled on the golden-draped chair. Luckily, Avery couldn't spot Nathaniel in their midst, which gave her instant relief.

Giggles and whispers filled the room as they patiently waited for Miss Graham to proceed with the dinner treats.

"First and foremost, I'd like to officially welcome our new members. We are thrilled to have you on board. Our boss won't be here to welcome you guys due to his tight schedule. So, on behalf of our boss, Mr. Nathaniel Hale, I'm welcoming you all to—"

The words had barely left her lips when Nathaniel appeared at the doorstep, walking majestically towards them. The whole room fell into total silence as their gaze darted towards him, confusion etched across their faces.

His hands remain tucked in his pocket as he settled on the only vacant chair across Avery.

His expression was professional, warm and cold all at once. Nothing in his demeanour hinted at the man he had once spent a night with. For a moment, their eyes met and Avery's heart fluttered in her chest, heat rising in her core. But just as quickly, Nathaniel looked away, as though she were nothing more than another employee.

Avery swallowed hard, her chest tightening. Of course, she was merely an ordinary employee.

Moment later, he signalled to Miss Graham to carry on as he adjusted his posture.

Miss Graham rose to her feet, raising a slender glass of champagne that was brought in by the waitress.

"To more successful projects," she said, her eyes sweeping across the table. "And to our newest members. Welcome to HALE MARKETING FIRM."

They all raised their wine, clicking their glasses against each other.

"Thank you," Avery murmured, bowing her head slightly as the waitress began serving the meal ( Coq au vin, tender chicken in red wine sauce). A delicious French meal.

Laughter and giggles drifted from the employees.

Avery tried to compose herself before Nathaniel.

Every time their eyes met, she distracted herself with a glass of wine, pretending his presence had nothing on her.

When the dinner drew to a close, Miss Graham stood once more. "Thank you all for coming. I hope the new members enjoy this little treat."

The room echoed with cheerful chatter as everyone began to rise. Elena nudged Avery playfully. "We survived day one." She beamed.

Avery smiled faintly. "Yes... we did."

As Avery followed the others out, her gaze drifted towards Nathaniel. He stood near the exit, speaking with one of the employees who seemed to be in a high position as Miss Graham.

For the briefest moment, his eyes flickered to hers again… Just long enough to make her heart skip a beat before looking away.