Page 56 of All That She Needs

"Liam doesn't see anyone without appointments," she cut in, her tone cold and dismissive.

Was this girl for real? I stared at her for a moment longer before deciding to ignore her attitude. I had no time for this nonsense. This little girl was trying to intimidate me, but it wasn't working. "Could you just let him know? Please. My name is Asha. I work at Fortis Steelworks, just across the hall."

She shook her head and leaned back, pointing to a stack of empty notes on her desk. "You can put your name and number there, as well as your purpose for the meeting. He'll get back to you when he has the time."

I blinked at her, incredulous. Didn't she notice Liam coming in and out of my office? I had assumed everyone on this floor was aware of our friendship, given how often we interacted. It never occurred to me I would face this much resistance just to see him. Her dismissive attitude felt unwarranted and oddly confrontational.

"Oh, well," I said, pretending to be disappointed as I reached inside my bag. "I guess I'll just call him then." I casually opened my phone and scrolled through my contacts, stopping at Liam's name.

Her expression shifted, surprise flickering across her face. The deathly glare she shot my way made it clear she didn't like that I had Liam's number. Abruptly, she stood up and snapped, "Like I said, Liam doesn't take meetings without an appointment. Do you know how many people try to get in here to see him? The media are constantly hounding our office, not to mention those women who can't seem to take a hint." She narrowed her accusing eyes at me as she said the last part.

"Right," I said, brushing her off. I turned my back to the girl and lifted my phone to my ear after dialing Liam's number.

But before the phone even rang, I heard a familiar voice. "Asha?"

I swiveled around to find Keith walking into the office, his smile wide but mixed with surprise at the sight of me. "Keith, hi." I beamed at him, relief washing over me as my patience wore thin with this girl's attitude.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, walking over to me.

"I'm here to see Liam," I replied, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. Because the moment the first word left my mouth, I was hit with a little wave of nerves, reminding me of my original purpose for being there. I still had no idea how to ask him out. God, I was probably too old for this.

Keith was stunned for a moment, processing my words. "Seriously? Oh, my God," he breathed. "He's going to be so pleased to see you."

I couldn't help but chuckle a little, seeing him so stunned. I guess he had every right to be surprised—after all, I had kept my distance from Liam for so long. Keith's wide-eyed reaction said that this was probably the last thing he expected.

"Is he busy?" I asked, pointing at the girl, who was still glaring at me like she wanted to murder me. "This lovely girl said Liam doesn't see anyone without appointments. Sorry for dropping by unannounced."

Keith shot the girl a frown before turning back to me. "I'm pretty sure he'll want to see you." He motioned toward the door separating the lobby from the main office. "Come on, I'll take you to him."

I glanced at the girl one last time and smiled, her glare still firmly in place, before following Keith inside.

As we stepped further into the office, I noticed it had a casual, open layout—nothing like a traditional corporate setup. It was clearly designed for a young, energetic crowd. Instead of rows of assigned desks, there were scattered workstations with cozy armchairs, bean bags, and standing desks where people could move freely. Some sat on couches with their laptops, while others gathered in clusters at long communal tables, their discussions lively and animated. People moved between work and relaxation areas seamlessly, some taking a break in a corner filled with hammocks and soft cushions. Others stood around a coffee bar, chatting while grabbing snacks.

"I love your office," I said. My voice was full of awe as I took in the space. The vibrant, relaxed energy in the room was inspiring. "Looks like it'd be fun working here."

Keith laughed lightly, as he took a step to stand next to me. "That's the goal. We wanted it to feel like a second home, so they're relaxed enough to forget we've been burying them withwork." He chuckled again and pointed toward a group huddled around a ping-pong table, with their laptops on top of it. "Even meetings can get a little unconventional around here."

The open layout featured several meeting spaces with glass walls, seamlessly integrating them into the rest of the office. In one of those rooms, I spotted Liam sitting at the head of a table, engaged in conversation with several people sitting around him. As if he sensed my presence there, he turned his head to me. The moment our eyes met, I felt a spark of electricity flicker between us.

He looked shocked, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. I gave him a small wave. He slowly stood from his seat, as if he was processing the fact that I had crossed the threshold into his world, finally breaking the distance I had kept for so long.

"Looks like I don't even need to tell him," Keith remarked, following my gaze.

"He's in a meeting," I said quickly, trying not to make a big deal of it. "It's probably best if I just wait. I don't want to bother him."

But just as words left my mouth, Liam was already making his way around the table, heading straight for the door. Keith chuckled. "The meeting has officially adjourned."

Liam opened the door and stepped outside, taking slow, deliberate steps as if he was still trying to wrap his head around the scene. There were quite a few people surrounding us, but it was like I was the only one he saw. "Hi," he said softly when he reached me, giving me a dimpled smile. "You're here. Finally, in my space."

Oh, dear. The way he was so happy to see me almost brought me to my knees.

I smiled brightly, warmth blooming in my chest at his reaction. "Hi," I whispered, feeling my cheeks flush under his intense gaze. "I'm here to see you."

"Okay," he murmured, his eyes scanning my face, as if waiting for me to say more.

"Nice office," I said, pulling my gaze away to look around. His staff nearby gawked at us, some with mouths slightly ajar, as if it was a rare sight for their boss to have a woman visit him at the office. Then I realized Keith was no longer beside me—he had wandered over to the coffee bar, standing with Theo. Theo, wide-eyed, had his hands over his mouth, looking as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing either.

"Thank you," he replied, still looking at me with the same intensity.

---