CHAPTER SEVEN: CHLOE

ME: He wants to discuss the trip. Over lunch. That he’s paying for.

HEIDI: Woah.

ME: Do you know what’s weirder?

ME: HE THANKED ME FOR THE COFFEE.

HEIDI: …Perhaps you should book an appointment with his doctor. Or did he hit his head on the way to the office this morning?

ME: He seems fine. Aside from the being nice part. I’m a bit scared.

HEIDI: Maybe he really does have a crush on you and he’s trying to soften you up to seduce you when you’re on your business trip.

ME: I’m having a weird enough day as it is without your crazy fantasies, thank you very much.

HEIDI: I’m just saying. Why else would he suddenly start being nice?

ME: I don’t know, but Harvey was in there. I suspect it’s his fault.

HEIDI: Is it a bad thing if The Bastard is nice to you though?

ME: Of course not. The whole reason I’m leaving is because he’s a total prick and I want a nicer boss.

HEIDI: What if he becomes one?

ME: Too little too late. I bet it’s all a ploy to create a better working environment, so I don’t hand in my resignation.

HEIDI: Told you he wants you.

ME: He wants my skills, not me.

ME: Stop talking shit.

I dropped my phone into my bag and stared at my computer. It didn’t matter how many times she told me that Theodore had a crush on me. It didn’t make it true.

Besides, he was the kind of person who acted on things like that.

At the very least, I expected him to be a gentleman to women he was interested in.

This weird ‘thank you’ that kept coming out of his mouth was something I wasn’t familiar with.

I wasn’t sure he’d ever thanked me until today.

He’d certainly not been much of a gentleman. Things like opening and holding doors were something I did for him, and I could count on one hand the number of times he’d returned that gesture.

Maybe I was a bit old-fashioned. I was perfectly capable of opening and holding doors for myself and many other people, but whenever someone held a door for me, it showed a hint of kindness and consideration.

Values I appreciated in a person.

Values I was unsure my boss truly possessed.

Theodore’s office doors opened, and he walked out, adjusting his tie. “Ah, Miss St. James.” He paused in front of my desk. “I have to check on something in accounting. Can we delay our meeting by around twenty minutes?”

Was that a trick question?

Obviously, the answer was yes, but usually his request would be framed as an order.

“That’s not a problem, sir,” I replied slowly. “Would you like me to go with you? Or is it something I can do for you?”

“No, it’s nothing big.”

“Should I order lunch, then? You didn’t say what you’d like to eat earlier.”

“No need. It’s already done.”

“It—” I pressed my lips together.

What in the fuck was happening today? What kind of parallel universe had I woken up in?

“Daniel!” Theodore crossed the office and stopped in front of Daniel’s desk, producing a slip of paper. “Can you go and collect this lunch order for me? It’s the next street over.”

“Y-yes, of course, sir,” Daniel replied, taking the piece of paper. “Shall I go now?”

“Yes. The collection time is in ten minutes.” He tapped his fingers against the desk and smiled. “Thank you. I’ll be right back.”

What the…

Another thank you?

“What was that?” Melody whispered after he’d disappeared. “Is Mr Black ill?”

“I have no idea,” I replied. “He’s been a bit weird all day. I’m starting to think he hit his head while showering this morning.”

“I’m a bit scared.” Daniel got to his feet and leant forwards as if he could still see the shadow of the boss through the glass doors. “I almost feel as though I’m being tricked into human trafficking or something. Like how those nail salons are a front for drug dealing and that.”

He’d been watching too many movies.

“If it eases your mind at all, that lunch place is perfectly legit. He eats there at least twice a week. They usually deliver it, but he probably didn’t order it in enough time,” I assured him, getting up. “Melody, stay here. I’m running to the PR department.”

“You are?” She peered up at me.

“Yes. Harvey was in Mr Black’s office earlier this morning, and I plan to beat him up until he tells me what he knows about this weirdness.” I adjusted the waistband of my skirt and marched towards the doors, only to have Daniel beat me and hold it open for me. “Ah, thank you!”

I made my way down to the PR department and let myself into the hubbub with my key card. It was always slightly chaotic in here with all the different teams working together in a way that was both opposing and cohesive. Combined with the endless ringing of phones, I honestly pitied anyone who had to work with such noise.

I couldn’t do it.

“Ah, Chloe!”

I turned at my name and smiled. Louie Alberts, the department’s heartthrob, had one hand raised in greeting. “Louie. How are you?”

He beamed his signature thousand-watt smile at me. “I’m better for seeing you. What brings you to our humble department?”

Ah, good.

We were flirting.

Well, he was flirting.

“I’m here to see Mr Park. Is he around?”

Louie smacked his lips. “In his office, I believe. And here I thought you’d finally come down to see me to tell me you’ll have dinner with me.”

“Mr Alberts, stop flirting with women who aren’t good enough for you,” Harvey said, walking into the main office. “Miss St. James, stop distracting my staff.”

“You little—” I started towards Harvey, but Louie laughed.

“Sir, I believe you’re mistaken. Miss St. James is far too good for me,” he said humbly, pressing his hand to his chest.

At least we agreed on something.

Womanisers weren’t my type.

“We’ll agree to disagree.”

“You,” I said, grabbing Harvey’s lapel. “Come with me.”

“Miss St. James, what will people say if they see you dragging me around so seductively?” Harvey gasped.

“He’s my cousin!” I reminded everyone, yanking him into his office. “Hi, Shanna.”

“Hi, Chloe,” his secretary said. “Is he bullying you again?”

“It’s not bullying when I always beat him,” I quipped. “I’m borrowing him for five minutes.”

“Shanna, help,” Harvey whimpered, reaching a hand out towards her.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ve done something to deserve it, sir,” Shanna said, turning her attention back to the files she was sorting.

Heh.

I knew I liked her.

I shoved Harvey into his office and closed the door behind us. “Tell me. What did you do to him?”

He adjusted his jacket, frowning at me. “What do you mean?”

“My boss. What did you do to my boss? He’s being… nice.” I shuddered. “It’s scary, Harvey. He thanked Daniel for going out to collect the lunch he himself ordered.”

“Oh, that.” Harvey fought back a laugh. “He asked me how to be a better boss, and I told him he should try complimenting his staff and saying thank you once in a while.”

I wrinkled my face up. “I should have known it was you. Now the office is all weird. He even smiled.”

“Man, he really applies himself to stuff, doesn’t he?”

“Tell him you made a mistake, and we don’t want him to be nice.”

“No can do.” He shook his head, sitting down. “He really wants to try to be a better boss to the three of you.”

“If this is a ploy to make me change my mind about resigning, tell him to cut it out. I won’t change my mind. Ever.”

“I know, I know.” He waved his hand. “Can’t you just humour him? He’s trying.”

“Oh, he’s always been trying,” I said through gritted teeth. “Trying my patience.”

“Is it bad if he tries to be nicer to you? You have to live with him for six weeks, after all.”

I opened my mouth to make a smartarse retort, but whatever it was died on my lips. He wasn’t exactly wrong, was he? The idea of living with the Theodore Black I knew was positively terrifying, but a nicer version of him who could say ‘thank you’ didn’t seem all that bad.

Wow. The bar really was low.

“Right,” I replied after a moment. “I suppose you’re not wrong. It doesn’t make it any less creepy, though.”

Harvey grinned. “He’s not as bad outside of the office as he is in it.”

“We know different out-of-office Theodore Blacks.” I walked over to the door and glanced back. “By the way, tell Aunt Fizz I don’t know if I can make it to her party because of this trip. I know we’re leaving before, but I’ll try and see if I can make it back.”

He nodded. “Will do. Shouldn’t you be getting back now? For your little lunch date?”

“Shut up and stop giving my boss weird ideas!”

***

“This is for you, and this is yours,” Theodore said, setting food cartons down in front of both Daniel and Melody. “I noticed that whenever you order Italian food for lunch, you always have a mushroom risotto, Melody, and Daniel always has a carbonara.”

My babies both blinked at him.

Concern flitted across his face. “Did I get it wrong?”

“No, sir, no,” Melody said quickly. “That’s exactly what we order.”

His expression immediately brightened. “Good. I thought I’d made a mistake.”

“Um, thank you, sir,” Daniel said, pulling the food down from the higher ledge onto his desk. “That’s very kind of you.”

“Not at all. You’re working hard.” Theodore turned to me. “Are you ready?”

“Just a moment,” I said. “I need to send this email first.”

“All right. I’ll wait in the office for you.” He picked up the bag and carried it into his office.

“Miss St. James!” Melody whispered, getting to her feet and staring at me with wide eyes. “Really, what’s gotten into him today? Is this poison? Are we going to die? Aren’t executioners always nice to their victims before they kill them? Is this our famed last meal before we’re dropped into a pit of lions?”

Ah. They were both watching too many movies.

I sent the email I was working on and got to my feet with a soft laugh. “No,” I said, gathering the files she’d printed out earlier for me and my small work laptop. “He’s an extremely observant man. It’s actually one of his better qualities.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Come now.” I leant against their desk. “You don’t think he got to where he is by sheer dumb luck, do you? He notices everything about everyone. I’m not surprised he knew exactly what you eat whenever we order Italian food for lunch. I’d be willing to bet he also knows your favourite sandwiches, salads, and how you take your tea and coffee.”

Daniel stared at the doors to Theodore’s office. “You know… That would be a bit scary if he were anyone else, but somehow, it makes sense when it’s him.”

I smiled. “I bet that when I go in there, my food will be a beef ravioli in a white sauce with a rocket salad on the side.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because when I order Italian food, I have two orders: ravioli for a working lunch and prawn linguine for a normal lunch. This is a working lunch.” I tapped my fingers against the desk. “Enjoy, you two.”

I walked over to the office and knocked on the door before poking my head in.

“Come in,” Theodore said. “Beef ravioli and a rocket salad, right?”

Melody’s gasp tickled me, and I stepped inside while choking back a laugh. “That’s exactly it, sir.”

“Good. Come and sit down.” He motioned to the seating area where he’d laid the food out on the coffee table. “Oh, maybe we should have used one of the meeting rooms instead.”

“We’re here now.” I set my laptop and file down on the table and turned on the laptop. “Did you get a chance to review the plans I sent you earlier?”

“Yes. They only pertained to the living and working arrangements, is that correct?”

“Yes, sir. Only unavoidable meetings are currently in place on your work schedule for now, but I’ll make sure other meetings that require you to call in are scheduled on the same days to lessen the back and forth.” I logged into the laptop. “I’ve also been assured by Cassidy that one of the rooms at the cottage is being turned into an office space for you.”

“What about you?”

“I will be perfectly fine at the kitchen table.”

“Nonsense. You need a proper workspace.” He shook his head.

Oh. Was he being kind again?

“And I can’t be shouting up and down the stairs at you whenever I need something.”

Never mind. There was the real reason.

“Eat before your food gets cold.”

“Yes, sir.” I opened the cartons with my food. “Let’s wait and see until we get there. It won’t be long until the letting office will be renovated, so we can always move there.”

He made a noise that could have meant anything. “You should know that I opposed the idea of us living together,” he said after a moment. “I didn’t believe it was a good idea, but I was overruled by my grandfather.”

“Believe me, sir, I have never been under the impression that it was your idea.”

He peered over at me. “You make it sound as though I think living with you is a nightmare.”

“I live with myself. It is a nightmare.”

“Miss St. James—”

“You believe in a work-life separation that living with your secretary doesn’t allow for,” I said, cutting him off. “For what it’s worth, I feel the same way, so don’t dwell on it too much.”

He stared at me for a moment before nodding and turning to his food. We both ate in silence for a few minutes as I tapped away at my laptop with one hand, then when he was done, he took the files relating to us living together.

“If it helps, I’ve stayed at Buckley Cottage before, and it’s more than big enough for us to coexist. Cottage isn’t exactly the right word for it,” he said. “Most people think of little thatched roofs when they think cottage, but this one is more of a rather large house than anything else.”

I dabbed at the corner of my mouth with a napkin. “That was the impression I got, yes. Large enough for us to have our own space.”

“Exactly.” He peered over at me. “Are you sure you’re all right with these arrangements? We’ll be travelling up separately, and it’s not too late to find another place for you to stay.”

“What’s the point? We’ll be working together every day anyway, and that includes visiting the offices and the lake lodges. I’ll be picking you up on a daily basis if we stayed apart, and that’s inefficient. Not to mention needless expenses on fuel, sir.” I closed up my food boxes.

“Right, of course.”

“That said, I do believe we need to reframe how we discuss it. If we say we’re ‘living together,’ people may get the wrong idea. I’d prefer to think of us as roommates.”

His lips twitched to one side. “Roommates?”

“Yes. That’s essentially what we will be.” I cleared my throat and reached for my glass of water. “And roommates should have ground rules in place. That’s what we need to discuss today.”