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The ride home feels endless.
I just slept with my boss, and he practically kicked me out of his home afterward.
* * *
Back in theoffice on Monday, everything feels different.
Brittany eyes me curiously as I slip behind my desk, avoiding her pointed stare.
I still feel out of place, out of sync. Everything that happened this weekend feels surreal now, as if it occurred in a different world altogether.
Mid-morning, I glance up to see Ryan approaching, hands shoved casually in his pockets. My stomach twists slightly. Ryan and I haven’t really spoken since he was abruptly moved to another department.
He leans against my desk, smiling cautiously. “Hey, Sasha.”
“Hey,” I say softly, forcing a polite smile.
“You okay?” he asks gently. “You look…off.”
I shrug, avoiding his gaze. “Just tired, I guess.”
He nods slowly, a frown tugging at his brow. “So, listen. I just wanted to confirm—are we still good for that date we talked about? Friday night?”
Oh, right. The date. I swallow thickly. “Um?—”
His eyes widen slightly, sensing my hesitation. “Oh. If you don’t want to go?—”
“No!” I say quickly, guilt gnawing at me. “It’s not that. I just…lots going on lately.”
He chuckles softly, running a hand through his hair. “Okay, got it. Well, think about it. Let me know. No pressure.” He hesitates, studying my face. His tone grows gentler, more cautious. “Is this about someone else?”
My heart nearly stops. “What? No. Why would you think that?”
Ryan shrugs awkwardly. “You’ve been distracted lately.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “Just tired, I guess. Didn’t sleep much.”
He raises his brows, a faintly teasing glint in his eyes. “Crazy weekend?”
I tense slightly, glancing away. “You could say that.”
He nods, chuckling quietly. “I know how that goes. I’m still adjusting to the new department. It’s weird, you know? Everyone’s super uptight. My new supervisor already hates me, and it’s only been like a week.”
“Oh, come on. I doubt she hates you.” I try to keep my tone casual.
He grimaces dramatically. “Trust me, she does. She’s got a stick so far up her ass she can barely sit. Honestly, the entire team’s miserable. You know whose idea this restructuring was, right?”
I shake my head slowly, unease creeping through me.
He leans in slightly, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial murmur. “Our beloved CEO, Damien Zaitsev himself. Apparently, he thought shaking up all the departments would be good for morale or efficiency or whatever bullshit HR excuse they gave us. But you know what I think?”
“What?” I say softly, my chest tightening at Damien’s name.
Ryan’s mouth twists slightly, frustration clear in his voice. “I think it’s just another one of his power moves. Keeping everyone off-balance so he stays in control.”
I glance down at my hands, not sure how to respond.
Damien’s face, his dark eyes full of heat, flashes in my mind. The man Ryan describes sounds nothing like the one who touched me so tenderly, whose vulnerability flashed briefly through his carefully controlled exterior.