Author's Preface
[Annie]
Over the next three days, I do everything I can to avoid Kai.
I leave forty-five minutes earlier in the morning and take the stairs instead of risking the elevator.
In the evenings, I stay late, hiding out in the archive room or finding some excuse to keep working until I'm sure the executive floor has cleared.
At the office, I keep things strictly professional.
I make sure every report goes in early and every question gets a short answer.
And whenever I have to step into Kai's office, I'm gone again before either of us has a chance to say anything unnecessary.
[ *** ]
On Thursday afternoon, ten minutes before the workday officially ends, I step into Kai's glass-fronted office to drop off the finalized council review binders.
"The revised briefs and budget figures for Project Horizon are finalized, Mr. Sterlings," I say, placing the folders on his desk. "If you don't need anything else, I'll head down to finish logging the afternoon correspondence before I leave."
I turn toward the door, but his voice stops me.
"Annie."
I stop, turning back with an even, practiced expression. "Yes, Mr. Sterlings?"
Kai slowly leans back in his high-backed chair, reaching up to slide off his glasses.
He sets them on the desk and looks at me.
"You've been in and out of this office in under thirty seconds every time you've delivered a file for the past three days," he says, his voice measured and remarkably calm.
"And I haven't seen you in the apartment building corridor, the main lobby, or the garage even once since Monday morning."
"I've been busy with the Project Horizon campaign, Mr. Sterlings," I reply, maintaining a steady, polite composure.
"Most of my work has been elsewhere. Is there a problem with the briefing?"
Kai stares at me for a moment, his eyes lingering on my stiff posture by the door.
I know he doesn't believe me, he doesn't press.
Instead, he picks up his glasses, slides them back into place, and pulls the binder toward him.
"The filings are thorough," he says quietly, dropping his gaze to the paper. "Have a good evening."
"Goodnight, Mr. Sterlings."
Down in the staff garage, I have just unlocked my car door when my phone vibrates violently against my palm.
[ *** ]
Mom: We are at the central railway station. Come pick us up right now.
I stare at the screen, stunned.
I hit the call button immediately. "Mom? What do you mean 'we'? What station?"
"The main central platform, Annie," Mom says over the blaring station announcements and train whistles.
"My train was arriving, and your grandmother decided to come along with me. The luggage is heavy and the taxi stand is chaos. Hurry up."
Showing up without warning is typical of Mom, but by the time I make my way through downtown traffic, most of my annoyance has given way to relief.
It has been almost a full year since I've seen either of them in person.
Twenty minutes later, I'm making my way through the crowded station with two heavy bags in my hands while my grandmother clutches my elbow and talks nonstop about the damp city weather.
Mom follows beside us with two oversized cloth totes filled with food from home.
When we finally ride the elevator up to my apartment floor, the doors slide open to reveal Kai standing right outside his unit, wearing a dark fitted sweater and turning a key in his door.
He pauses as the elevator chimes, pulling his key from the lock.
His expression softens when he sees us.
"Good evening," Kai says, stepping back to hold the heavy access door open for us.
"Oh, hello there, young man," my grandmother says, giving him a quick but very thorough once-over.
She turns her head toward me. "Annie, who is this?"
"This is Mr. Sterlings, Grandma," I say quickly, my face warming as I try to usher them toward my door. "He's my Manager at the firm. He lives down the hall."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Kai says smoothly, moving forward with natural courtesy. "Please, let me assist you with those."
Before I can stop him, he takes both bags from my hands and carries them to my door.
"Thank you so much, dear," my grandmother beams, watching him with obvious, unreserved approval.
"Thank you, Mr. Sterlings. We have it from here," I say stiffly, unlocking the door as fast as my hands will allow.
Kai sets the bags down inside the entryway and straightens, his eyes meeting mine briefly.
"Have a pleasant evening."
[ *** ]
The second the apartment door clicks shut, my grandmother turns around, her face lit up with excitement.
"Annie! Is he single? He's tall, polite, and looks like such a good boy! He seems like a wonderful match for you."
My face flushes hot, the awkwardness of the past few days bubbling over. "Grandma, please. He's my boss. We work together. That's it."
My mother sets the heavy tote bags on the kitchen counter with a sharp, resonant thud.
"A boss is a boss, Mama. Always tied to his desk, arrogant, and consumed by work. I don't like those types for Annie."
Mom wipes her hands on a napkin and pulls a neatly folded slip of paper from her coat pocket, laying it flat on the dining table. "Which brings me to the actual reason we're here. On Sunday afternoon, you have a date."
I stop dead in my tracks. "A what?"
"A date. I arranged it with my close friend," Mom says calmly, taking off her coat.
"Her son is thirty-two, a completely self-made entrepreneur who built his own software company, and an absolute gentleman. I've already spoken to him and his mother."
"Mom, please cancel it!" I groan, pressing my palms against my temples.
"Work is absolute chaos right now with a major campaign rollout. I don't have the time or energy for a setup."
"You're already twenty-eight, Annie," Mom cuts in, her tone leaving no room for argument.
She doesn't mention James or everything that happened back at university, but I know it's on her mind.
"You have a stable job, you work endless hours, but you haven't dated a single person since your university days. You are meeting him for dinner on Sunday, and that is final."
I open my mouth to protest, but the overwhelming exhaustion of the past four days catches up with me all at once.
"Fine," I sigh, pulling the folded paper off the table. "Just this once. Text me his details."
[ *** ]
By Sunday evening, my bedroom is a mess.
After spending more than an hour getting ready, I finally straighten my hair, part it neatly down the middle, add a thin wing of eyeliner, and step into a pale blue satin gown with a draped neck scarf.
It's strapless, fitted at the waist, and has a slit high enough to make me wonder if I should have picked something less ambitious.
I grab my black purse, throw a dark coat over my arm, and head out.
[ *** ]
The venue Oliver has selected is L'Amore , an upscale Italian establishment known for its understated luxury—dark walnut paneling, soft amber lighting, and low, jazz-infused acoustics.
The maître d' escorts me through the main dining room toward a private banquette near the courtyard windows.
Oliver is already standing when I reach the table.
He's tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed well enough to make me wonder if Mom gave him advance warning about me.
"Annie."
Oliver smiles as he steps forward to pull out my chair. "You look beautiful. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Thank you, Oliver. It's a pleasure to meet you too," I reply, sitting down and setting my black purse on the plush leather seat beside me.
[ *** ]
The restaurant lives up to its reputation.
The waiter brings sparkling water and wine, followed by burrata and pasta.
Oliver is easy enough to talk to.
He asks questions about my work, listens when I answer, and makes me laugh more than once over dinner.
The evening is going well, at least on the surface.
Still, I find myself checking the time when I think he isn't looking.
He tells me about his company, the expansion he's been working on, and the penthouse he recently bought downtown.
By the time he starts explaining how he manages work-life balance, I've already checked my phone twice under the table.
When the waiter clears the entrée plates, Oliver leans back slightly, resting one forearm on the edge of the table as he surveys me with open interest.
"Your mother didn't tell me you were this beautiful," he says with a smile. "I can see why she speaks so highly of you."
"That's very kind of you," I say, keeping my smile polite.
I reach into my purse to check the time. "It's getting close to nine, and I have an eight-thirty executive briefing in the morning, so I should plan on heading out shortly."
When the leather bill presenter arrives at the table, I immediately draw my payment card from my purse and set it beside the tray. "Let's split this, please."
Oliver doesn't hesitate.
He picks up my card and hands it back to me before placing his own on the tray.
"Not a chance." He smiles. "You can get the espresso next time."
I catch myself before my eyebrows can raise.
I'd already decided there wouldn't be a second date, but his confidence is almost impressive.
"Thank you for dinner, Oliver," I say with a polite smile as I tuck my card back into my purse.
We step through the glass doors, and the cool night air hits us after the warmth of the restaurant.
The valet area is busy, with luxury cars lined up beneath the warm lights outside the restaurant.
"I'll wait with you until the valet brings your car around," Oliver says, shifting his coat over his shoulders and taking a natural step closer to my side.
"Thank you, but you really don't have to stay—"
The sentence dies in my throat.
Standing less than fifteen feet away near the central marble pillar, waiting for his own vehicle, is Kai.
He wears a tailored charcoal wool overcoat over a dark suit, his silver-rimmed glasses catching the warm lantern light.
Beside him stands Lucy, looking radiant in an ivory silk wrap coat, her fingers lightly trailing along his sleeve as she speaks animatedly about an upcoming council event.
Kai isn't looking at Lucy.
He isn't looking at the valet board, either.
His eyes are locked squarely on me.
His gaze moves over me, lingering for a moment before returning to my face.
Something shifts in his expression, so briefly that I'm not even sure I saw it, and then he's composed again.
Before I can process the encounter, the head valet pulls Oliver's silver sports coupe up to the curb, closely followed by my own dark car.
"Here we are," Oliver says pleasantly.
He steps up beside me, extending a hand to lightly press against the center of my upper back as he guides me down the marble steps.
When we reach my open driver's door, Oliver turns to face me.
Gently, he takes my hand in his, raising it slightly and brushing a soft, lingering kiss against my knuckles. "Thank you for the wonderful company tonight, Annie. I'm really looking forward to our next date."
The moment Oliver's lips touch my knuckles, I catch Kai's reaction.
He glances at Oliver's hand holding mine, then at him.
His expression barely changes, but something in the way he looks at him makes me pull my hand back a little too quickly.
"Goodnight, Oliver," I say quickly, slipping my hand free and forcing a polite smile before getting into my car.
I pull the door close, my pulse thumping against my ribs.
Shifting the car into drive, I check the side mirror as I smoothly pull into the street traffic.
Kai is still standing on the steps, his hands in his coat pockets, watching my car until I merge into the main avenue.
I grip the steering wheel tightly as I make my way through the quiet city streets, a strange knot settling in my chest—an irrational sense of guilt, as though I've somehow broken an unwritten rule.