3: BALLS AND BOOZE

Working at King's Enterprises had been hell. Ethan had been assigning me more work each day, clearly doing it just to piss me off. No one in the office seemed surprised at the workload piling up on my desk. In fact, the staff seemed to avoid eye contact with me altogether, as if associating with me would make them targets of his wrath as well. It was almost seven p.m., and I was still sitting in my office, trying to get through the never-ending stack of documents Ethan had sent over earlier in the day.

My eyes burned from staring at the computer screen for hours. The office was quiet now, most people having left an hour ago. I sighed heavily, rubbing my temples in an attempt to ward off the headache that had been building all day.

A soft knock on my office door broke the silence, and I looked up to see Ethan standing there, his expression unreadable. “What are you still doing here?” he asked, his voice low but with that edge of authority he never seemed to lose.

I rolled my eyes. “What does it look like?” I pointed to the mountain of documents stacked on my desk. “You’ve been burying me in work all day, so I’m trying to finish it.”

He stepped further into the office, his gaze shifting from the papers to me. “It’s late. You should stop working and go home.”

I almost laughed. “I’m fine, really. I’ll finish up soon.”

“No,” he said, more firmly this time. “Close up. Now. You’ll finish it tomorrow.”

I stared at him for a moment, wondering what had brought on this sudden concern for my well-being. But I was too exhausted to argue. With a sigh, I closed the binder I’d been working on, grabbed my laptop, and slung my bag over my shoulder.

Ethan moved to hold the door open for me, and we walked out together. The office was eerily quiet, with only the sound of our footsteps echoing through the empty halls. We headed to the elevator in silence, the tension between us palpable but unspoken.

As we rode down to the ground floor, Ethan finally broke the silence. “Am I going to see you tonight?” he asked, his tone casual but his words heavy with something else—something I couldn’t quite place.

I frowned, confused. “Why would you?”

He glanced at me, the corner of his mouth twitching with a faint smirk. “You didn’t hear? There’s a fall party tonight. Happens every year.”

I blinked. “No one told me.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow, looking amused. “Samantha didn’t send a memo to you?”

I bit the inside of my cheek, remembering the way Samantha had sneered at me days ago. “No, she didn’t.”

“Well, consider yourself informed now,” Ethan said with a shrug. “You should come. It’s a good opportunity to meet more of the team. Plus, it’s... tradition.”

I hesitated, not entirely sure if I wanted to spend more time around him—or Samantha, for that matter—outside of work. But part of me knew I couldn’t just avoid these events if I wanted to be taken seriously here. This was more than just a job—it was a chance to prove myself, to show that I could thrive even under the pressure Ethan seemed determined to put me through.

“I’ll think about it,” I said finally, my tone noncommittal.

Ethan nodded, though I could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn’t convinced. The elevator doors slid open, and we stepped out into the lobby. He paused for a moment, watching me as I adjusted my bag on my shoulder.

“I’ll see you there,” he said, his voice soft but firm, as if it wasn’t up for debate. Then, without waiting for my response, he turned and walked toward the parking garage, leaving me standing in the empty lobby.

---

Later that evening, I found myself standing in front of my closet, staring blankly at the rows of clothes. Why did I care about this stupid party? I could just stay home, relax, and avoid the inevitable awkward encounters with Ethan or Samantha. But something inside me—maybe it was pride, or maybe it was just stubbornness—pushed me to go. I wasn’t going to let them think they could intimidate me, not in the office and certainly not at a social event.

After much deliberation, I settled on a sleek black dress that wasn’t too flashy but still made a statement. I paired it with simple jewelry and heels, taking one last look in the mirror before heading out the door.

The party was being held at an upscale rooftop bar downtown, and by the time I arrived, the place was buzzing with people from the office. I spotted a few familiar faces, including some of the senior managers, but my eyes were immediately drawn to Ethan, standing near the bar with a drink in his hand. He was talking to a group of colleagues, but his gaze flicked toward me the moment I walked in.

I could feel the heat of his eyes on me as I made my way to the bar. I ordered a drink and tried to blend in with the crowd, but it wasn’t long before Ethan appeared at my side.

“You made it,” he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear.

I took a sip of my drink before responding. “I did.”

He glanced around the room, then back at me. “Enjoying yourself?”

“I just got here,” I replied coolly, keeping my tone neutral.

Ethan smiled, but it was the kind of smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Good. Because I’d hate for you to feel out of place.”

I raised an eyebrow, sensing the underlying challenge in his words. “I can handle myself just fine.”

He tilted his head slightly, studying me with that same piercing gaze he always seemed to have. “We’ll see.”

Before I could respond, Samantha appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. She looped her arm through Ethan’s, her smile bright but her eyes cold as they landed on me.

“Well, isn’t this cozy?” she said, her tone dripping with false sweetness.

“Samantha,” I greeted, my voice flat. I wasn’t in the mood for her games tonight.

She leaned closer to Ethan, pressing herself against him in a way that made me want to gag. “I hope you’re enjoying the party, Madison. It’s always such a great way to... get to know everyone better.”

Her meaning was clear, and I could feel the tension between us rising. I wasn’t about to let her get under my skin, though.

“Absolutely,” I said, giving her a tight smile. “I’m sure I’ll get to know everyone... including you.”

Samantha’s smile faltered for a split second, but she quickly recovered. “Of course. After all, we go way back, don’t we, Maddy?”

My stomach twisted at the use of the nickname she’d used to mock me in high school, but I kept my composure. “Yes,” I said, my voice calm but firm.

Ethan watched the exchange in silence, his expression unreadable, but I could see the obvious irritation in his eyes.

"We should get more drinks" he said, interrupting I and Samantha’s weird conversation.

"Yes" Samantha said clapping her hands gleefully.

"I don't know if Maddy can handle the alcohol " she sneered.

"I'll be alright" I said coolly.

Ethan ordered some shots and a bottle of champagne and we began drinking.

We took several rounds of vodka and my throat had began to burn but I was determined to not look like a kill joy.

I pushed through and downed the content of my glass.

I was beginning to feel slow and tipsy and the alcohol seemed to make Samantha even more obnoxious.

"Are you alright?" Ethan asked.

I nodded, unable to find words to describe how I was feeling.

"Do you want to see something cool?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Come with me" he said, pulling my arm.

"Where are you off to?" Samantha asked.

"Madison is wasted, I want to make sure she gets home safely" Ethan replied as we made our way to the elevator.

"Why did you lie to her?" I asked as soon as we were inside the elevator.

"I didn't want her to come with" he laughed.

The elevator finally came to a halt and Ethan led the way to a room. He had reserved a suite in the hotel and as much as I wanted to run back to the party, I was too curious to know what he wanted to show me.

We arrived at the door and he swiped his card, granting us access to the large room.

"Come" he said, signalling to me.

He led the way to the balcony which had an amazing view of the city.

"Wow!" I whispered under my breath.

"Seattle is beautiful from up here" he sighed as we took in the view.

I nodded in agreement.

"You know what else looks beautiful tonight?" He said softly.

"If you say me, I'm going to punch you in the face" I said firmly.

"God no! I was talking about the river !" He laughed.

I chuckled in embarrassment.

"But you do look beautiful" he said tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ears.

"What changed Maddy?" He asked.

"Please do not call me Maddy" I frowned.

"I'm sorry" he laughed.

"Would you let me kiss you?" He asked with a straight face.

And without waiting for a response, his lips crashed into mine.

His kiss was fierce and overwhelming and my breath was caught in my throat.

His soft hand gently wrapped round my neck, pulling me closer as he deepened the kiss.

I finally gave in and granted him access into my mouth.

His lips tasted of wine and a hint of vodka.

His mouth made its way to my neck, gently sucking and leaving hickeys around my pale skin.

He finally pulled away and stared down at me, his 6ft frame towering above me.

Our eyes locked and his lips were red and swollen.

"The things I want to do to you Miss Taylor" he said biting his bottom lip.

It must have been the alcohol but the words that spilled out of my mouth were beyond my control.

"What did you say?" He asked, inching closer to me.

"Do whatever you want to me".....