Coffee and the coldest man alive

Zara Harper

The air in the office felt denser the moment I saw him. I felt like I was dreaming, or like I was seeing things.

The Alexander Sterling.

He walked past me like I didn’t exist, like he didn't even see me. But I felt him. His scent hit me first, crisp, clean, woodsy, then his presence washed over me like static. His shoulder brushed mine while passing to his office, and I swear to God, every nerve in my body lit up like firecrackers.

My knees buckled. The hallway blurred. It felt like the walls were closing in on me, squeezing out all the air. A sharp breath caught in my throat and I had to steady myself against the wall.

I was rooted to the marble-tiled floor, watching the man I gave my body to stride ahead of me in a tailored suit like the night we shared never even happened. My heart pounded wildly in my chest, a nauseating drumbeat in my ears. I'm utterly screwed.

“Zara?” The voice snapped me out of it. I turned, startled, and found the kind-faced woman who had been showing me around. I hadn’t even caught her name. “Are you alright?”

I nodded stiffly, trying to gather myself. “Y-yes. Sorry. Just… overwhelmed.”

She smiled sympathetically. “It’s a lot on your first day, I understand.”

I nodded numbly, but my heart was somewhere else, still stuck in that hotel room, between that man’s sheets, and now echoing down the halls of Sterling Enterprises.

My desk sat right in front of his office, an intimidating glass-walled corner suite overlooking Manhattan. The city buzzed far below, oblivious to the emotional storm brewing inside me. I had to force myself to breathe.

The woman, who re-introduced herself as Angela, I really felt bad because I forgot I name, she explained everything to me. “You’ll manage his calendar, prep his coffee, field his calls. Don’t mess up his coffee.. he’ll notice. He notices everything.”

I nodded as she continued talking, her voice lowering slightly. “Alexander Sterling is brilliant, but he’s cold. Has no time for mistakes or sentiment. He values perfection, only perfection. Keep your head down, do your job well, and don’t try to get close. He doesn’t do… friendly.”

Angela left me to settle in, and as soon as I was alone, I rushed to the bathroom, which was quite hard to find, and locked myself in a stall. The tears came before I could stop them.

How was this happening? Out of all the people in New York City, how on earth was he my boss?

What if he fires me? What if he thinks I'm a shallow person? What if he tells someone what I did? What if… he doesn’t even remember me? I don't know why but that one thought hurt the most.

I wiped my tears, reapplied my lip balm with trembling fingers, and told myself to keep it together. I had a job now. A salary. Insurance. Money for mum’s treatments. I have to be optimistic 

I didn’t come this far to fall apart on day one.

The next task: his coffee.

Nancy had already warned me. Two sugars. No cream. Extra hot. Imported beans only. Ground fresh. I followed her instructions like a sacred ritual.

Then I walked, no, marched, into his office, hoping to God my hands wouldn’t shake.

He didn’t look up from his desk. I placed the cup gently on the edge of his desk. He picked it up, took one sip, and then spat it back into the cup like he just drank poison.

His eyes lifted to meet mine, cold and unwavering. “What on earth is this, take this out of my sight now"

I blinked, caught off guard, swallowed hard and gave a small nod before retreating.

The next one was too bitter. The third not hot enough. The fourth, I honestly couldn’t tell what was wrong, but his face twisted with disgust like I’d poisoned him.

It was the fifth coffee that finally passed inspection. He sipped it, said nothing, then turned back to his laptop.

I stood there awkwardly until he finally said, “You’re dismissed.”

I fled. Straight to the supply room where I cried silent, hot tears behind a stack of paper boxes.

What kind of man humiliates someone like that on their first day? I took five different trips, going to and fro, making coffee for this man, or maybe… maybe he did remember me, and this was punishment. Maybe this was how Alexander Sterling handled women who dared to touch his world for a night.I hated that the memory of his mouth still lingered on my skin.

Before heading home, I stopped by the pharmacy and picked up mum’s medications. The total nearly made me cry again, even with the money Alexander had left. But at least I could pay for it now. That was something.

When I got home, the apartment was dim. I found Mum in bed, curled under a thin blanket, the TV quietly humming in the background.

She smiled weakly when she saw me. “Hey, baby girl.”

“Hey, Mama,” I said, setting the bag of medicine down on the side table.

“The doctor said the cancer is getting worse,” I might need to be admitted, she said softly, almost too softly to hear.

I sank onto the bed beside her, taking her hand. “I know. That’s why I’m working even harder now.Went for my first day of work today.”

She squeezed my hand. “That’s my girl. I'm so proud of you cupcake".

I smiled and we sat in silence for a moment. Then I kissed her forehead and whispered, “Rest, okay?”

I went to my room, shut the door, and collapsed onto my bed in the dark.

I called Jules, my best friend. She answered on the second ring, voice full of curiosity.

“So? How was day one?”

I laughed bitterly. “You know the guy I told you about? The one-night-stand?”

" What about him?” Jules said wryly.

I sucked in a breath. “He’s my boss.”

There was silence on the line for a full five seconds. Then, “Zara. Harper. WHAT?!”

I told her everything that happened, the coffee nightmare, the stare-down, the humiliation, every single detail.

“Girl, this is karma doing gymnastics. What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “I’m really scared, Jules, what if he fires me.”

"He dare not" Jules answered like she had any influence in his decisions

Beneath my fear… there was something else. Something darker. A curiosity.