IT'S NORMAL TO BE FLUSTERED AT WORK

   Myra's P.O.V

I stood there, frozen from head to toe.

'Oh my God! Oh my God!!!' My mind screamed the words over and over. 

'This is the man I had a one-night stand with.'

What was I supposed to do? 

Say something? 

Pretend I'd never seen him before?

 My lips parted, but before I could get a single word out, Jade spoke first.

 "You're the new secretary, I take it." His tone was flat, businesslike, lacking all traces of mirt.

"Yes, Mr. Dantrix," I respond, though my mind was still a messy rollercoaster.

He turned and walked toward a drawer at the side of his desk, his back to me now. "Get settled in," he added, without looking back.

I blinked.

That was it? No flicker of recognition, no pause, nothing?

For a moment, I was a bit confused. Then, slowly relief filled my body. 

It seems like he didn't recognize me. He didn't know I was the woman he slept with just last week.

I walked toward the desk that had clearly been set up for me, glancing back at him once before sitting down.

But the relief didn't last long. As I opened my laptop and pretended to busy myself, a different thought crept in my mind, but it stung more.

'Is it because I looked different that night? Or is it because he's pretending not to recognize the fat woman he slept with, now that he's sober and can actually see me clearly?'

The thought made my knuckles clench and I suddenly hated myself for even feeling like I was worth more that night, but I pushed the thought away before it could drown me. I had a job to do, and I wasn't going to let my insecurities ruin the best opportunity I'd had in weeks.

The day moved fast after that.

I familiarized myself with his schedule, organized files Brandon handed over, answered calls, and tried to keep my hands from shaking every time I had to walk past Jade's desk.

By midday, I'd settled into the work well.

Then, around two, I checked the schedule on my tablet and stood up from my desk.

I approached his desk, my heels clicking softly against the floor. 

"Mr. Dantrix, you have a conference meeting in the next ten minutes."

He didn't look up from his laptop. "Okay. Give me two minutes to finish up here."

I stood there, waiting.

And that's when I made the mistake of actually looking at him.

He looked so different in the daylight. Gone was the loose, easy confidence from that night at the club, the leather jacket, the bike, the cocky smirk.

 In its place was a man in a perfectly tailored suit, sleeves rolled to his forearms, sharp and composed and entirely in control.

My eyes drifted to his hands as they moved across the keyboard, fingers tapping with quiet precision.

I remembered exactly what those hands had done to me that night, the way they'd gripped my waist, the way they'd touched me like they knew my body better than I did, and drove me to sinful temptations.

Heat rushed straight to my face.

'Stop it, Myra.'

"All done," he said, closing his laptop and standing.

I jumped slightly, caught off guard.

 "Great. Let's, um, let's go then, Jade." The name slipped out before I could stop it.

His brow lifted slightly. "It's Mr. Dantrix here."

Heat crept further, my face burning a bright red.

 "Right. Sorry, Mr. Dantrix."

He didn't say anything else, just grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and walked past me toward the door.

I face palmed at my stupidity and followed after him.

The conference room was already filling up by the time we arrived. I took a seat slightly behind him, tablet in hand, ready to take notes.

Watching him in that meeting was like watching a different person entirely. 

He was direct, commanding the room without raising his voice once. Every question he asked cut straight to the point, every answer he gave left no room for any argument.

I took notes diligently, writing down everything, project timelines, budget concerns, names of shareholders I didn't recognize yet but assumed I'd need to know soon.

By the time the meeting ended, my hand ached from writing so much, but I felt strangely... energized. 

Being able to work like this again, made me happy. It was one of the things, Vincent had taken away from me after our marriage.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of emails, scheduling, and small tasks. Before I knew it, the clock struck six, and I began packing up my things.

I walked toward his desk, where he was still seated, eyes fixed on his laptop screen.

"Good night, Mr. Dantrix," I said softly.

"Good night," he replied, not looking up.

I lingered there for a second longer than I should have, my eyes tracing the line of his jaw, the way his brow furrowed slightly in concentration.

He looked up suddenly, catching me staring.

 "Is there a problem? Do you need something?"

I quickly shook my head.

 "No. Sorry. Good night."

Then I turned and walked out of the office, my heart hammering the entire way to the elevator.

******

   Jade's P.O.V

The moment she walked out of my office, my eyes lifted toward the door, watching her disappear through the transparent glass.

I leaned back against my seat, rubbing my temples.

It wasn't that I didn't recognize her. How could I ever forget that face? It had been stuck in my mind for an entire week.

But she'd looked so uncomfortable the second she walked in, like she was bracing herself for something. I didn't want to make it worse. 

So I pretended I didn't know exactly who she was, pretended my chest hadn't tightened the moment I turned around and saw her standing there.

I opened my drawer, and there it was. The bracelet.

'Should I give this back to her?'

I stared at it for a long moment before closing the drawer again, deciding against it. Maybe later.

Running a hand through my hair, I let out a low groan and packed up for the day.

By the time I reached the garage, my driver was already waiting beside the car.

"Good evening, sir," he said, opening the door for me.

"Evening, Matthias," I said, sliding into the back seat.

He got in, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

 "Would you like to head to the club, sir, or straight home?"

I rubbed my jaw, thinking. 

"The club first."

"Okay, sir."

He started the engine, and we pulled out of the garage.

The music was already loud by the time I stepped into Onyx Seramis. The place was packed, as usual, customers laughing, drinking, dancing under the flashing lights.

"Good evening, boss," a few of my staff greeted as I passed.

I gave them a nod, not stopping. I rarely came here straight from the office, but tonight I had a meeting. 

Someone important.... probably 

I walked toward the back room, my private office, and pushed the door open.

The man inside stood the moment he saw me.

"Good evening, Mr. Dantrix," he said, extending a hand. "It's an honor to meet you."

I shook his hand, studying the man.

I walked past him toward my desk and sat down, loosening my tie slightly.

"So," I said, leaning back. "Shall we talk business now, Mr Cross?"

He smiled.  Absolutely."