Page 22 of (Un)Planned

This job wasn’t supposed to be complicated, just another steppingstone to getting my name on the company letterhead. The hardest part of this job was supposed to be managing the other agents, not my assistant who had invaded all my thoughts. I’d worked with my last assistant for years, and while I loved her like family, I never noticed what she did outside of my office. Calla’s every action intrigued and ensnared me. With Marie, I never had toworry about her breaking into my office and rearranging everything. She wouldn’t insist on using pastel legal pads, leaving stacks of varying hues all over my office.

I never found myself pausing at the elevator for her, waiting until the exact right second so we could walk into the office together.

At the thought, I glanced through the glass window, watching as Calla twisted her hair up into that intricate little knot. There was no question in my mind that last night was a mistake. We’d been playing with fire from our first glance, practically daring each other closer to the edge. All my common sense flew out the window when I saw that look in her eye, daring me to toe the fading line between us. I didn’t know where it had come from, this odd need to be close to her, the overwhelming desire to see her smile curve just for me. It was all I could think about.

It was also thelastthing I needed.

Christ, I needed to get myself together. I was leading a multi-million-dollar expansion, not getting my rocks off at a high school dance. I didn’t have time to worry about other people right now, not when work was supposed to be my sole focus.

But with each day I spent with Calla, the boundaries between us blurred even more. It had only been a couple of weeks, and my attraction to her was driving me mad. What would happen if we kept working together? Would I be able to reinforce my walls, or were we inevitably going to crash into each other?

I forced myself back to my computer, pulling up an email thread between myself and a casting agent. Just as I started to tick off my checklist, Calla’s laugh echoed through the walls. I instantly sat up straighter, my eyes darting to her desk. All I could see was the high back of her chair, herauburn hair tied up in some kind of fancy knot. But that wasn't what caused my grip to tighten.

No, that would be Jack perched on the side of her desk. He leaned over, brushing his hand on her forearm under the guise of showing her something on the computer. It was innocent enough, nothing I could condemn him for without drawing suspicion.

And yet, I was having a tough time not strangling him.

Before I could overthink my actions, I stormed out of my office, arching a brow at Jack and Calla. She immediately averted her eyes, suddenly preoccupied with the forms on her desk. Jack, however, just smirked at me. “How’s it going, boss man?”

“Busy,” I said, my tone laced with annoyance. “Maybe I should have delegated more tasks to your team.”

“Oh, we’re actually in the middle of that negotiation for–”

“Then get to it,” I snapped, taking my suddenly sullen mood out on my friend. “I want that deal closed by the end of the day, contract on my desk in the morning.”

Jack’s brow lifted, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he lifted off Calla’s desk, squeezing her shoulder once. “See you later?”

“I’ll think about it.”

As soon as Jack disappeared down the hall, I stepped back toward my office, holding the door open. “Calla, a word?”

Tension immediately rippled up her spine at my request, but she stood, stepping in front of me to take a seat across from my desk—another inconsistency. When we worked in my office, Calla always chose one of the leather lounge chairs or sprawled out on the plush carpet, usually kicking off her heels and letting her redwaves down.

But today, none of that happened. Instead, Calla perched on the edge of the chair, her hands crossed in her lap. I stepped behind my desk, settling into my seat, but I kept my eyes on Calla. She squirmed under my attention, and a strange sort of discomfort twisted in my chest. It wasn’t the first time I put one of my employees on edge, and usually, it didn’t bother me. At least, it never did before this woman started working for me.

Calla cleared her throat. “Is there something you need, Mr. Ayad?”

“Stop.” I held my hand up. “Please, Calla. Stop with the Mr. Ayad crap. Stop with the cold shoulder.” I leaned back, rubbing my hand over my jaw. “If I crossed a line at the bar, I apologize. I don’t know what got into me.”

Calla stared at me for a long moment. “There’s no reason for you to apologize.”

“I can admit my mistakes,” I answered, almost too sharply. “And if I made you uncomfortable–”

“You didn’t.” My eyes jumped up, meeting Calla’s soft expression. “I’m not upset with you, and you didn’t do anything that bothered me. I’m just…” She looked up at the ceiling as if it held all the answers. “I’m confused, Theo.”

Join the club. I’d been confused since I hired Calla, too wrapped up in worrying about her to make any logical decisions.

She sighed, then continued, “You made sure I knew about the no-fraternization rule. You almost had a coronary when you thought I was hitting on Jack. But then, last night, you wereflirtingwith me at the bar.” She arched her brow. “That was flirting, right?” I swallowed, debating between the truth and a lie for so long that Calla stopped waiting for an answer. “Either way, it didn’t upset me. But it was a mistake to let things go that far.”

I shook my head. “Nothing happened.”

“But it could have,” Calla cut me off. “You’re my boss, Theo. Even if there wasn’t a rule against us dating, it still would be a bad idea. We work too closely together. If we crossed that line and it all fell apart? I’d be the one left standing in the ashes.” She placed her hand on her chest. “I’d be the one crushed.”

“You wouldn’t be–”

“Yes, I would.” Calla stood, now pacing the floor of my office, almost talking to herself more than me. “And not to mention, we want completely different things out of a relationship. I’m looking for love,connection, and you’re looking for…”

“One night.”

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