Page 13 of The CEO's Sweetheart Deal
"A party?" she repeats, skeptical.
"To welcome Rooted Pantry into the family," I explain. "It's important for morale, for team building. I hope you'll be there."
She hesitates, and I find myself holding my breath again, inexplicably anxious for her answer.
"I'll think about it," she says finally.
It's not a yes, but it's not a no either. And I'll take it.
“You’re right about the time.” I stand. “We should get to work.”
We head to the door at the same time and nearly end up bumping into each other. Her natural scent invades my space, and I go weak in the knees.
“Sorry,” she says, at the same time as I say, “Excuse me.”
“You go–”
“No, you first.” I gesture towards the exit.
She gives me a strained smile and scurries for the door. With her back to me, I sigh. Nope, us working together won’t be awkward at all.
Not… one… bit.
CHAPTER 6
ALICE
"There you are!" Sydney materializes from around the hallway corner, her dark red hair swinging as she cuts off my path to the sanctuary of my office. "I've been waiting for you to get in. How was your coffee date?"
"It wasn't a date," I correct her, brushing past to continue down the hallway. She’s trying to make me laugh, but I’m not in the mood. "It was a business meeting."
In my office, I drop my leather messenger bag onto the mahogany desk that has been my command center for the past seven years. The surface is meticulously organized — color-coded folders, not a speck of dust, a small pathos whose leaves hang off the corner of the desk. Order in my physical space has always helped me maintain control when other aspects of my life spin into chaos.
Like now.
"So?" Sydney has followed me into the office, and her eager expression reminds me of a kid waiting to hear gossip at recess. "What happened? What was it about?”
I begin arranging the already-arranged items on my desk, a nervous habit. "Well… we came to an understanding of sorts."
"An understanding?" Her perfectly shaped eyebrows arch. "Okay. I’m listening.”
“We agreed to focus on what's best for Rooted Pantry. He's promised to respect my creative vision for the company."
"And you believe him?" She takes a seat in the chair across from my desk, crossing one long leg over the other.
The question gives me pause. Do I believe Oscar? Twelve years ago, I would have trusted him with my life. Now, I'm not even sure I would trust him with a coffee order.
"I don't know," I admit. "But what choice do I have? The acquisition is final. I can either work with him or watch from the sidelines as he dismantles everything we've built."
"Hmm." Sydney studies me with an intensity that makes me squirm. "What about those smoldering looks he keeps sending your way? Did you bring those up?"
"Smoldering?" I snort, though a flush creeps up my neck.
"Oh please.” She rolls her eyes dramatically. "I saw the way you two were circling each other yesterday. There's enough tension there to power the entire building."
"Any tension you perceived was pure professional antagonism," I insist, booting up my computer to signal the end of this discussion.
Sydney taps a manicured finger against her chin. "You know what I think?"
