Page 35 of Romance with Mr. Bossy Pants

“Yep. I’ve known her forever,” Amber grins. “I’m Amber. You’re not trying to steal my bestie from me now, are you?”

Michelle giggles and drawls. “Nah. We can all be friends!”

“Right. Well, in that case, we can have some spontaneous dance parties. That just comes with the territory over here. Are you up for that?” Amber winks.

“Count me in!” Michelle chimes.

The three of us laugh. Amber leaves and Michelle and I chat about her room while we indulge in sugary bliss.

“Time for bed, sweetheart,” Daniel’s voice announces from a distance.

“Ok but say hi first.” Michelle turns her phone to him.

There he is, dreadfully handsome in a green T-shirt. His killer blue eyes stare back at me and quickly dart away.

He pops his face into the camera. “Hi Chloe.”

“Smile,” Michelle quips.

When his mouth curves upward, I see a genuine, heartfelt smile that lights up his eyes. In that brief second, the cold, stoic facade melts away, revealing a tenderness I hadn’t noticed before. His smile catches me completely off guard, making my heart skip a beat.

I wonder what else he’s hiding under that icy exterior.

10

Daniel

The weekends always pass too quickly, especially when they’re filled with Michelle’s arts and crafts camps and ballet classes. Her instructors tell me she seems happier. I’ve noticed it, too.

Michelle is more confident and her laughter lights up her face, filling the house with familiar comfort, like when Maddie was still around. As much as I try to keep my attention on Chloe as a professional, I can’t help but think she plays a big part with the positive shift in Michelle. They had another FaceTime date over the weekend, this time over a quick lunch. Michelle’s voice becomes cheerful every time they talk. I listen in the background and chuckle under my breath at their conversations.

It’s Monday. Strutting by Chloe’s office, I notice she isn’t in yet. I wonder if our conversation about her lunch date made her leave. She was visibly upset and the way she defensively spoke to me…I wouldn’t be surprised if she quit.

I still don’t regret telling her she deserves better, even if I didn’t use those exact words.

Are you worried, Daniel?

Had I been too hard on her? Was it too much to ask her work from my house? Yelling at her for taking lunch? What if… what if she actually did quit?

My mind flashes multiple images at once. The colorful dress she wore on her first day, her red scarf, her casual appearance during FaceTimes with Michelle.

Get a grip, Daniel.

I shake it off. She’s just your Assistant. People come and go at will. If she decides to leave, it’s her choice. Ms. Chen will find a replacement for me in no time. Unless she can’t.

No other applicants? That has to be a mistake.

I walk over to the window behind my desk before settling into my chair. In the reflection, I see my navy three-piece suit—the most color I've worn in the office in four years. Maddie was my sunshine, with an incredible ability to command a warm presence in every room she entered. Whenever things got tough, she was the steady anchor, always knowing what to say and coming up with brilliant, innovative ideas for the company.

But when she died, a part of me died with her. My will to smile just vanished. We painted the building black, mirroring the emptiness I felt inside. I started wearing only black or gray suits and my interactions with the staff were a direct reflection of my mood. Maddie's absence left a void that nothing could fill, the strange feeling somehow tugging at my stomach now.

Fine, I lied.

Chloe is the best assistant I’ve had, so if she doesn’t show up, I might actually feel like I lost something good.

More importantly, Michelle would lose a friend, and I don’t know how she’d react. She doesn’t have a lot of friends.

I open my laptop. The earlier I get to my routine, the better.

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