Page 15 of Stuffed

"Shut up. I was just… making sure he found them."

"While hiding behind a display case?"

"It wasn't hiding! It was… strategic observation."

My phone buzzes again and we both dive for it. Ivy gets there first, holding it out of reach as she reads it.

Zane

The projections really might need another review. Tomorrow. Nine a.m.

"Oh my God," she squeals. "He's using work as an excuse to see you again!"

I snatch my phone back, heart racing as I read his message. "Or maybe he actually found issues with our numbers."

"Please. Those projections are solid and you know it. You triple-checked everything."

"Four times, actually," I mutter, staring at my phone. "Should I play it cool? Wait to respond?"

"Since when have you ever played anything cool where Zane Mercer is concerned?"

She has a point. I type quickly.

Me

I'll bring the raw data. And maybe more cookies?

His response comes faster this time.

Zane

Just bring yourself… and the glasses.

"Holy shit," Ivy breathes, reading over my shoulder. "That was almost… flirty?"

"The glasses thing is probably professional," I say, but my cheeks heat up. "He probably just wants to make sure I can see the spreadsheets clearly."

"Right. Because nothing says 'professional meeting' like specifically requesting eyewear." She fans herself dramatically. "Face it, Tess. The Ice King is melting and apparently he has a little nerd fantasy."

"More like thawing slightly," I correct, but I can't help smiling. "Did you see his face when I broke down our debt ratios, though? He was actually impressed."

"I saw something, alright." She starts wiping down counters, shooting me knowing looks. "Though I was more focused on the way he kept finding excuses to lean over your shoulder. Pretty sure he wasn't just interested in your Excel formulas."

"He was probably checking my math."

"He was checking something, alright." She throws her rag at me. "The question is, what are you going to do about it?"

I catch the rag, twisting it in my hands. "I don't know. Push harder? Back off? Every time I think I'm getting somewhere with him, those walls come right back up."

"So knock them down."

"It's not that simple."

"Why not?" She stops cleaning, turning to face me fully. "I’m going to use your same words that you said to me. You're not that shy teenager anymore, Tess. You're a successful businesswoman who knows what she wants. So go get it."

I think about the way Zane looked at me today—not just with professional interest, but with something deeper. Something that sent a shiver of excitement through me and made my heart race.

"You really think he's interested?"

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