Face To Face

The elevator stood waiting.

For a heartbeat, I didn't move.

Leonard Parker was inside.

Alone.

He leaned casually against the handrail at the back of the elevator, one ankle crossed over the other. His suit jacket was gone, leaving only the crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms. The top two buttons were still undone, giving him an effortless elegance that should have been illegal.

His gaze shifted toward me.

Calm.

Patient.

As though he'd known I would be standing there.

My fingers tightened around the empty coffee cup.

Breathe.

Jonathan's words echoed inside my head.

Act normal.

Leonard extended one hand toward the open space beside him.

A silent invitation.

There was more than enough room.

Refusing to step inside would only make me look suspicious.

So I forced my feet to move.

One step.

Then another.

As soon as I crossed the threshold, I locked my phone and pressed it against my chest, hoping it would hide the trembling in my hands.

I turned to face the closed elevator doors instead of him.

The doors slid shut with a soft hiss.

Silence.

The elevator began its ascent.

I could hear nothing except the faint instrumental music playing through the speakers and the steady hum of the motor.

Then...

I felt him move.

Not enough to touch me.

Just enough for me to become acutely aware of his presence.

Every instinct told me he was standing closer than before.

I could almost feel the warmth radiating from him.

My heartbeat climbed into my throat.

Don't react.

Don't panic.

Act normal.

"Good morning, Blair."

His deep voice filled the small space, warm and unhurried.

Goosebumps spread across my arms.

Startled, I instinctively stepped sideways to create a little more distance before turning to face him.

I pushed my glasses higher onto my nose, grateful for the familiar gesture.

"G-Good morning, Mr. Parker."

Wonderful.

So much for sounding calm.

A faint smile tugged at one corner of his mouth.

Not mocking.

Amused.

He slipped both hands into his trouser pockets.

"How are you today?"

"I... I'm fine."

The words came out too quickly.

"And you?"

The moment they left my mouth, I regretted them.

Why had I asked?

His smile widened almost imperceptibly.

"I'm very well."

He rested one shoulder against the elevator wall, studying me with those impossibly blue eyes.

"In fact, I had quite an interesting evening yesterday."

I swallowed.

Please don't.

He held my gaze for another second before adding, almost casually,

"I went to the gym after work."

My stomach dropped.

Every muscle in my body tensed.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Oh..."

It was all I could manage.

"I'm glad to hear that."

His expression remained perfectly composed.

"And while I was there," he continued, "one of the most memorable things that's happened to me in a long time occurred."

Heat rushed to my face.

There was no escaping this conversation.

No pretending anymore.

Jonathan had been wrong.

Leonard Parker had no intention of letting last night disappear.

I drew in a slow breath.

If this was going to end...

It had to end now.

"Mr. Parker..."

His eyes remained fixed on mine.

"What happened yesterday..." I began carefully, "...should never have happened."

I forced myself to keep looking at him.

"I'm truly sorry if my behaviour was... unprofessional."

The word sounded inadequate.

"It won't happen again."

For the first time since the elevator doors had closed, genuine surprise flickered across his face.

It vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared.

"Oh?"

His voice was soft.

"What a shame."

Before I could answer, the elevator continued its silent climb toward the executive floor.

"Oh?" he repeated, a hint of amusement colouring his voice. "What a shame."

I frowned.

"And was it really you, Miss Blair?" he asked lightly. "What an... unexpected surprise."

I looked at him in disbelief.

"You know it was me."

The words escaped before I could stop them.

"You made sure I knew that this morning."

His smile lingered, infuriatingly calm.

"I meant what I said," I continued, forcing myself to sound professional. "I'm sorry. I'd really like us to forget what happened and go back to the way things were."

"The way things were?" he echoed.

"Yes."

His expression became unreadable.

"I see."

The elevator continued climbing in silence.

For one hopeful second, I thought the conversation was over.

Then he pushed himself away from the wall.

One slow step.

Then another.

Instinctively, I backed away until my shoulders met the polished metal behind me.

He stopped just in front of me, close enough for me to catch the familiar scent of cedarwood and spice lingering on his skin.

My pulse stumbled.

He rested one arm against the wall beside my head.

Not trapping me.

But close enough that escaping would have meant brushing past him.

"Miss Blair," he said quietly, "have I behaved unprofessionally with you today?"

"N-No."

"Yesterday?"

I shook my head.

"No."

"Then why are you apologising?"

Because I couldn't tell him the truth.

Because every time he looked at me, I forgot how to think.

Because I'd spent half the night trying to convince myself the man outside that shower hadn't been him.

Instead, I whispered, "I'd just rather things went back to normal."

His gaze drifted briefly downward.

For a fleeting moment, it rested on the open collar of my blouse before returning to my eyes.

A slow smile spread across his face.

It wasn't arrogant.

It wasn't mocking.

It was dangerously charming.

So this...

This was the smile people talked about.

The one that had earned Leonard Parker the nickname Heartbreaker.

I suddenly understood why.

"Miss Blair," he said, his voice lower than before, "after yesterday..."

He paused just long enough for my heartbeat to quicken.

"...I found myself thinking about you for the rest of the evening."

I forgot to breathe.

"I wasn't expecting that."

Neither was I.

"I value my sleep," he continued with effortless composure. "Without it, my work suffers."

I stared at him, unable to tell whether he was teasing me or being completely serious.

"So," he said, tilting his head ever so slightly, "perhaps you could help me solve that problem."

My mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion.

Was he...?

No.

Surely not.

Professional.

Think professionally.

"O-Of course," I replied, clinging to the first sensible interpretation I could find. "Who would you like me to contact? If you give me the details, I'll arrange an appointment."

For the first time since the elevator doors had closed, he looked genuinely caught off guard.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face before disappearing just as quickly.

At that precise moment, the elevator chimed.

The doors slid open onto the executive floor.

Neither of us moved for a heartbeat.

Our eyes remained locked.

Then, without another word, Leonard stepped past me and walked straight toward his office.

I followed several paces behind, my legs feeling strangely unsteady.

He reached the glass door, pushed it open and disappeared inside.

A second later—

Bang.

The door slammed shut with enough force to rattle the surrounding glass.

Laila jumped in her chair.

So did I.

Silence settled across the executive floor.

I stood frozen, staring at the closed office door.

In nearly two years of working for Leonard Parker, I'd never seen him lose his composure.

Not once.

Whatever had just happened inside that elevator...

It had affected him too.