"You look awfully happy today, Sierra," Beau notes as I walk into our office, ready to start another work day.

I smile with the brightness of the Eiffel Tower as I take a seat by my desk and turn on my iMac.

I am happy. And a little excited maybe.

"I have a date tonight." I have to tug back the urge to giggle like a little girl.

I haven't really been putting myself out there, ever. Not after what happened. So yes, I am excited to finally have had enough courage to download a dating app and agree on a date.

Though, maybe Tinder is more of an app that will get me killed than lead to me finding my soulmate, but I'm willing to take the risk.

I'd rather die having had at least one date in my life, than not even been on one at all. It was about time I gather some courage anyway.

"You're joking!" Beau slaps his hand to his mouth, staring at me in shock. Yup, I was just as surprised when my Tinder date asked me out.

Don't get me wrong, I happen to think I'm pretty attractive. Not that I would consider myself to be the prettiest woman in the world, but I think I'm all okay looking. I have a decent body, or as Athena would say it "a mafia wife body." I don't quite know what that means, but it sounds nice.

"Not joking. I downloaded Tinder and now I have a date."

Beau groans but it turns into a laugh. "Sunshine, you're going to get murdered that way. Tinder is like the ultimate app for serial-killer."

"Is not."

"Is too," he talks back. "I know of a bunch of cases that ended in death."

"Doesn't mean Ted is one of those serial-killer-dater," I protest, crossing my arms in front of my chest. Ted sure looks well-behaved on the pictures he uploaded.

He's thirty, works as a mechanic, is a single dad and looks...clean.

I'm sure he wouldn't murder me. Not on the first date, at least.

"Ted looks more like a second-date-murderer," I add and go to open my emails.

"I'm sorry, sunshine, but his name alone is a clear indication for being a murderer."

I laugh, though I know I shouldn't. "Just because his name is Ted doesn't mean he's going to pull a Ted Bundy on me."

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

I shake my head, letting the smile stay on my lips. If one of us is judging a book by its name right now, it's him.

"Besides, I kind of thought you had a boyfriend," Beau admits, shocking me a little. But before I'd get to answer, someone comes walking in.

"Ms. Bloom," a high-pitched voice speaks from the elevator doors. They barely opened and Athena's already starting to talk to me. Speak of being rude. "I'm here to let you know, there's a minor crisis happening at the IT support. I'm sure you will have to handle the press because this minor problem might cause some apps to shut down for a while until it's fixed."

I blink at her, internally sighing and screaming at her as well. I know IT problems happen, but they're some of the worst to get around. Often times our IT team is fast enough to fix minor bugs fast enough for anyone to notice... but when I'm being informed, that means negative lines for the Social Media business Storm invested in are about to come in, in about ten minutes.

"Wait, why are you telling me this? Why isn't one of the IT people letting me know?"

Athena shrugs. "Mr. Storm sent me, actually. He specifically told me to let you know."

"He did?" Beau looks just as surprised as I do, if not a tiny bit less even.

I don't think Mr. Storm has ever really cared who writes the press reports, unless they weren't written in his favour.

"Then you should tell him that I need a report on the situation. ASAP," I somewhat demand, yet still sounding as kind as always. "Beau, could you look over the press release on the upcoming charity event?"

Beau nods, clicking a few buttons and typing something into his computer.

"Also, Mr. Storm wants reports of the financial situation from the publishing house."

"That's not our specialty, Ms. Coffey. If he wants reports on those, he should demand them from the finance people," Beau speaks for me.

"I'm sure he knows that," I add. He has to. There is no way a man like Mr. Storm doesn't know the difference between his PR team and his finance team.

"Of course, I'm just telling you, Sierra." Why ever I would need to know that? "I'm sure he's still trying to convince you to get into publishing."

She's right. It's been good four weeks since that night. Four weeks since he's asked me if I'd want to have the job. Well, he didn't exactly offer it to me, but it seemed a lot like that's what he wanted. Me out of the Storm House and right into the Publishing scene.

Storm hasn't talked to me since, but I keep getting emails offering me the position, not from the boss himself, of course. God forbid him betting an eyelash for it. The very last I've gotten said I'd get $30 an hour, which isn't too much more to what I make now. But I'd have more hours, and therefore more money.

However, $30 an hour is way too much for the job. Though, if I didn't know I'd mess up, I would've taken the opportunity in a heartbeat. Fuck PR and get into publishing.

"I'll be waiting until he offers me $50 an hour," I joke. But honestly, I'd be a fool not to take it then. $50 an hour is like... getting paid for breathing.

"No, I need you here, Sierra. I won't survive Mr. Arrogant without you," she says, forcing some tears out. She's such a good actress.

"You'd be fine. He's kissing your ass."

"Nah, I'm sure the only ass he's thinking about is yours." She smirks, then winks at me. Yup, my twenty-five years old best friend is a total child. She is still mocking me with what happened in Vancouver four weeks ago.

Beau raises his brows, certainly having picked up on Athena's words. No one but Athena knows about what happened, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Storm has fired at least five women because they were trying to flirt with him. If the word gets out that we've slept together, imagine the amount of bullying I'd have to deal with.

Yes. Adults are just as cruel as kids when it comes to bullying. Especially at work spaces like this one. Everyone here fights for their lives.

We're getting paid way over the minimum wage, even over the average pay for our job description. Anyone who'd willingly risk losing their jobs here must be insane.

Ignoring Athena's comment, I change the topic. "I'm going out for my lunch break, just grabbing some food from across the street. Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure, let me just ask Mr. Storm if he'll need me around two. If not, we're good to go."

-♡-

"I thought you wanted to eat for lunch?" Athena says before taking a bite from her subway sandwich.

I'm sitting on the opposite side of her, casually drinking a tea. I'm not usually a tea-drinker, but lately coffee makes me sick.

"I'm not really hungry," I lie. I am hungry, but I already feel bloated as it is, I refuse to add to it by eating something.

"I could hear your stomach growl like a lion two second ago. Woman, eat."

I roll my eyes at my best friend as she pushes the tray over to me, indicating for me to take the other sandwich.

"I literally can't eat that," I tell her, covering my nose and mouth with my hand. "I never liked Tuna. Always hated the smell of it."

"Good God, you're so picky." She rolls her eyes and stands up, ready to order another sandwich.

I stop her. "Just please get me something light. I've been feeling way too bloated lately. If I add any more to it, I'll probably leave work early to go to sleep."

She laughs, throwing a napkin at me before she walks off.

While Athena is gone, I take a minute to check my phone. Okay, check my calendar. I don't usually get messages while I'm at work, so there is no need to check that.

I have a meeting scheduled for four p.m., one Mr. Storm won't attend. That's at least good to know. The last meeting he attended, about two weeks ago, he's done everything to avoid me.

To be fair, he's always avoiding everyone, so maybe I shouldn't have taken it too personally.

"I got you a salad sandwich. Is that okay?" Athena informs me when she sits back down at our table. I nod a confirmation. "Great. Hey, do you know if Beau ever truly got over his crush on you?"

"Beau?" I laugh. "He has never had a crush on me."

"He sure has." Her eyebrows rise, her forehead wrinkling lightly as if to call me out on my bullshit.

"Athena. I've only known him for five months. There is no way."

Again with her eye roll. It's annoying. Whoever decided rolling ones eyes should be a thing, I'd love to have a talk with them.

She then decides to change the topic into a whole other direction, as she always does. Sometimes it's confusing to keep up with her.

"I don't get it, Sierra. How aren't you one of the women eating their body weight in chocolate when they're on their period?"

I chuckle lightly. "I actually tend to eat way less than usual, you know that?"

"Yes, and I have no idea how."

Taking a sip from my tea, I sigh, watching my best friend eat her sandwich while I continue to wait on mine.

"How'd you get to that topic now anyway?" I frown, genuinely not being able to think of a good reason how my period and my food choice are connected right now.

"You said you feel bloated, so I just assumed."

I nod slowly, letting the information sink in. Then I'm debating whether or not I should tell my best friend that my period appears more like spotting recently, not a regular flow.

Shrugging it off, I conclude that she doesn't need to know. Best friend or not, she doesn't need to know my cycle. That just seems like an odd thing to know about.

Then my food finally arrives. Although I still fear feeling like I've ate a whole six-course meal afterwards, and not having enough motivation to continue to work, I know I need some food inside of me.

"Oh, you know, I have the best job there is," Athena says proudly, beaming at me. "Now, I know I'm just an assistant, so fetching coffee and making stupid calls, even walking random people into Mr. Arrogant's office doesn't sound too exciting—"

"It truly doesn't." I snort a laugh.

"Anyway," she chuckles, "I get the juiciest information about the company, and all the employees. It's hilarious. You know how Mr. Arrogant doesn't allow relationships within the same offices?"

I nod, pressing my lips together.

"Guess what? Joe from the project management department and Lizzie from finance hooked up. And I mean, he knocked her up. She's pregnant. Wait until Mr. Arrogant finds out."

I gasp. "Poor them." I'm not quite sure how Athena can find that hilarious. "They'll both lose their jobs. And now they're in even more need for it. Well, Joe will. He can't fire Lizzie unless he has any other reason but her pregnancy."

She shrugs. "They should have used protection. Seriously. It's their own fault. They both knew relationships between colleagues are strictly forbidden."

"You think he'd Joe keep his job? I mean, surely Storm can't be that cruel. They both have to care for a baby in a few months. Children are a lot of money."

She shakes her head at me. "Joe already had a strike from flirting with the receptionist. Storm wouldn't keep Lizzie because she is pregnant. Pregnancy means maternity leave, and she'd probably press for a raise."

I doubt it. I think she'd just be glad to keep a job that's paying her bills. And besides, he cannot fire her because she's pregnant.

"God, could you imagine what would've happened if sir boss himself got you pregnant?"

Even just thinking about what Storm would do, how he'd react has me cracking up, dying from laughter. The thought alone is way too absurd.

Thankfully, I'm not the only one finding this hilarious. Athena joins in, laughing louder than I am. I'm pretty sure some other customers are staring at us with this typical annoyed glance, but I couldn't care less right now.

"I bet he would have fired you," Athena says once our laughter dies down. But it's good it did, my stomach is starting to hurt from laughing too much.

"You think so?" My eyebrows draw together, a slight frown showing on my face.

No matter how twisted this man may be, I don't think he'd abandon me like that. Well, maybe he would fire me, but at least still make sure the baby is cared for. After all, he would have some kind of responsibility for it. He certainly doesn't lack any money.

Athena nods. "Cody begs to differ. He believes Storm is an okay man, somewhere underneath all that asshole exterior."

That's not true, I don't think. Cody always tells me how much he hates my boss, how annoying he is and how happy he is about not working for him.

"God, maybe he would pay someone to—" Athena says but I cut her off.

"Whatever you were about to say, don't finish it. You can't just assume a man, no matter how closed-up he is, wouldn't want to take some responsibility for impregnating a woman. I'm sure there are some guys out there that would vanish, but you shouldn't just assume. Especially not the way you were about to."

If there is one thing I hate more than anything, it's assumptions. Bad assumptions. And cliché assumptions.

A rich man not wanting to care for his own child? No, that's just... They deserve to be given a chance until proven they truly don't care.

Good thing, all this is completely hypothetical. I am not pregnant. Especially not with my boss's child.

Not that there would be any other guy in my life.

God, no, that's sad. I slept with Storm four weeks ago. No one came after him. And no one really came before Storm either.

Apart from him. But he happened a couple years prior.

"You're right," she says in an apologetic way. "But seriously, would you think Storm would want to co-parent?"

I shrug. Seriously, what else am I supposed to do, really? I have no knowledge of this man whatsoever. For all I know, he could be having a family of his own already. Maybe he has a wife, has kids.

Oh, God.

"Do you know if he has a wife and kids?" I ask the only person that would know for sure. After all, Athena even plans a lot of his after-work events. Well, she's managing his schedule. I'm sure he has a private one still, though.

Anyway, I'm convinced children and a wife would have been brought up. At least somehow.

She pinches the bridge of her nose, looking at me through her lashes. "You think he has a wife that he cheated on with you?"

I don't... I do? I don't know. Both?

Athena makes use of my hesitation. "Well, you certainly can't expect your Fifty Shades of Grey moment to happen with him." She grins, widely. Disgustingly.

I narrow my eyes at her, displaying nothing but utter annoyance through my eyes.

"I'm not sure anyone should really want to experience that. I mean, go anyone for being into that Sub/Dom relationship, but the love-story behind it? I don't know."

"Christian Grey and Storm are two different people. God, you think Storm is like him?" Her eyes widen, amusement dancing in them. I just bet she enjoys this talk. I don't. Not at all.

"I don't remember giving him my written consent. Nor agreeing on any kind of relationship with him."

Athena waves her hand around like she's dismissing my words. "You don't even remember the sex you've had."

And I'm glad I don't. I couldn't imagine what it would be like working for a man I remember what he looks like naked. Or remember the words he said to me while his dick was deep inside of me, or the sounds he made while thrusting in and out of me.

Would Storm be a guy that makes sounds? I have to stop asking myself this question. And the many others I have lingering inside of my brain.