Page 68 of Company Ink

"You threw me to the wolves. Or a wolf, I should say."

"But it worked out, right?!" Kitty exclaims.

"Uh-huh," I hum, playfully scowling at my red-headed colleague.

"Sor-ry," she sings in a cutesy tone. "I'll make it up to you via alcohol. I'll sneak some to the retreat next weekend."

"Retreat?" I ask.

"Yeah, remember Nadine mentioned it? Every year Pearson & Associates take their employees on a two-day retreat to one of the islands as a way of saying thank you. It's always the weekend after C.A.N." Kitty tilts her head. "We deserve some appreciation too, right?"

"Yeah, I guess we do! What happens during these retreats?"

"Lots of team-building exercises, yoga, canoeing—the works. It's pretty fun, just remember to bring your bug spray," she sings.

"Yay..." I force a smile. "Bugs." I love the outdoors as much as the next person, but mosquitoes? Those little fuckers arenotmy friends.

"Alrighty, I gotta get back to work," Kitty says, rolling back to her desk and I begin sorting through all the emails that came in over the weekend.

Just before lunch, I get an instant message from Adrian.

Adrian Cavallero: Are you free right now?

Cassandra Carrington: Yup. Give me a minute

I lock my computer screen and make my way to Adrian's office. Knocking lightly, I turn the handle and enter. Adrian is standing beside his desk, a wrapped box perched on the table.

"She's alive," he observes with a playful grin. "Welcome back from the 'depths of hell' as you put it in your email on Friday."

I chuckle. "There is nothing common about the common cold. I'm almost thinking it was the flu."

"Well, I'm glad that you're healthy once again," he says nodding towards the box. "I have something for you."

He got me a gift? I narrow my eyes. "What is it?"

Adrian smirks knowingly. "Open it."

Taking two strides to his desk, I begin tearing open the wrapping as carefully as possible. He doesn't need to know how I actually open gifts; let's just say I'm not the type of person that saves wrapping paper. When I lift the lid to the box, my eyes widen in pure fucking joy. No way!

"Oh...my...God!" I exclaim slowly, hypnotized by the glistening gems of Cavloretta Couture's newest summer line of stilettos. "You didn't..."

Adrian laughs. "I take it you like them?"

I snap my head up, our eyes meeting. "Uh—yeah! These are the ones I was showing you in the car last time. I can't believe you actually remembered."

"It was a twenty-eight-minute drive, Cassie, and you talked about these shoes for a solidtwenty. Kind of hard to forget," Adrian replies with a grin. "I hope the color is fine."

"Silver goes with everything," I mutter, rotating the shoe in my hands.

"I was thinking you'd like to wear them to the gala on Friday," he says slowly, and I look at him his eyes hesitant.Oh no..."I was also wondering—" Fuck. Don't ask me what I think you're going to ask me. "If you'd like to go together. I was planning on asking you last week but then you were sick..." he trails off, running an almost nervous hand through his hair.

I bite the inside of my cheek, immediately feeling unease and guilt stirring in my belly. "I would, Adrian but—" I put the shoe back in the box and close the lid. "But I've already agreed to go with Mr. Pearson."

Adrian's expression hardens, the light in his eyes dwindling into an opaque fog. "You're going withPearson?"

"Yeah...he um—asked me last week," I whisper, almost angry that he looks so upset. "Is that a problem? Is there any reason Ishouldn'thave said yes?"

Adrian sighs, a brief look of defeat capturing his features. "You're free to do as you please, Cassie. How can I be upset? It's not like we're—" He stops, biting his lip.

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