Page 5 of Confused AF (At First #2)

five

~ Otto ~

B y day three, I had settled into a rhythm that didn’t involve daily panic attacks or waking up before the sun rose. All the initial kinks from that first day had been ironed out, and as a bonus, the airline had located my lost luggage.

Having to taxi to the airport to pick it up had been a pain in the ass, but at least I had clothes for the rest of the trip.

It also helped that the expo had kept me too busy to overthink every little detail.

Despite being seated on one of the back rows, there had been steady traffic to my table, and I always had a decent-sized crowd for my tutorials. Even better, I had appointments booked out through the end of the week for private consultations, with only a couple of time slots left open.

I had arrived at the Spellbound Expo with cautious optimism and humble expectations. Even booking one consultation would have been a huge win, but this? I never could have imagined this level of success in my wildest dreams.

At the same time, I didn’t have any delusions that one convention would change my life, or even the trajectory of my career. It did open the door, though—for exposure, future opportunities, and new possibilities that hadn’t been available to me before.

And I couldn’t have done any of it without Vaden.

He took care of the bookings and kept me on schedule, making sure I had plenty of breaks throughout the day so I didn’t exhaust myself. He answered basic questions about pricing, what a consultation involved, and about how long a session would last.

When the business cards ran out, he refilled the rack. If I forgot to eat, he was right there with a snack and a latte.

Most importantly, Vaden kept me sane.

He didn’t judge me for my meltdowns, nor did he try to change me. He just met me in that messy space with calm assertiveness and made things suck a little less.

I still struggled, resistant to give up control, but he didn’t let my stubbornness deter him. Oddly, it never came across as uncomfortable or overbearing when he stepped in and took over. It never felt like he had overstepped a boundary or taken my choices from me.

Rather, it felt…nice. Safe. And as the week progressed, I found myself relying on him more often and giving in more readily.

Of course, I tried to keep things professional, but the more time we spent together, the harder it was to remember why crossing that line would be a bad idea. I also couldn’t help but wonder how things might have been if we had met under different circumstances.

Sometimes, I thought he might feel the same way.

He seemed far more invested in my personal well-being than a typical assistant, and every now and then, I would catch him staring at me when he thought I wasn’t looking.

The way he touched me didn’t feel practiced either, or even casual, for that matter.

He honestly just seemed to like touching me, and I got the impression that he didn’t always realize when he did it. More instinct than intention, I guess, which made those soft brushes and gentle caresses even more special.

Like now.

His hand rested on the back of my neck, his thumb idly moving up and down the side of my throat. His attention, however, remained fixed on the tablet in his other hand.

“That was the last appointment for the day.”

“What? Why?” The clock in the corner of the screen showed just after three o’clock, and we still had hours before the convention center closed the doors for the day.

“You have that tutorial in thirty minutes,” he explained. “The one about the wings.”

I turned my head to hide my grin. The man was absolutely hopeless, but he tried, and instead of annoying me now, I found it kind of cute.

“It’s a winged eyeliner tutorial for beginners,” I clarified.

“That’s what I said.”

“Of course,” I agreed easily as I shifted a little closer. “What else?”

“Then you have the interview with that influencer at five.”

My eyebrows drew together as I tried to recall the information, but I found nothing in my memory banks. “I have an interview?”

“I told you about it yesterday.”

“No, you didn’t. Which influencer?”

He dragged his thumb up the edge of the screen to scroll to the time slot on the schedule. “Chloe Rae.”

“Shut the fuck up.” I practically shouted, jerking around to face him. “Are you serious right now?”

“Otto.” Dropping his hand from my neck, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I told you about this yesterday. You agreed.”

“No, you really didn’t. I think I would remember this.”

As one of the OG beauty influencers, Chloe Rae had the reach, the brand deals, and the undying loyalty of her nearly fifteen million followers. Actual celebrities had appeared on her channel, including some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

While we technically worked in the same industry, our social standings existed in completely different zip codes. Hell, half the products on my table came from her newest line of cosmetics.

So, how on earth did she even know my name?

“Do you want me to cancel?”

“Are you crazy? No!” I grabbed my head in both hands and breathed deeply through my nose. “Is this real? Are you fucking with me right now?”

“Okay, whoa.” Placing the tablet down on the table, Vaden grabbed me by the elbows and ushered me into the folding chair I used for clients. “Easy. Just breathe. Do you want some water?”

I shook my head. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Well, that would be embarrassing.”

His glib response startled a chuckle out of me, pulling back the panic just enough for me to regain some measure of control. Lifting my head, I pinched the hem of his charcoal blazer and tugged him closer.

“Tell me everything.”

He took my hands, cradling them in his own, and crouched down in front of me. “There’s really not much to tell. She liked your butterfly eye shadow tutorial yesterday, and when I bumped into her at the bakery up front, she asked if you’d be interested in an interview.”

It sounded too easy. Stuff like this definitely did not happen to me.

“This is really real?”

“Yes.” Damn, he had a great laugh. “This is really real, and I’ll tell you another secret.” He crooked his finger, beckoning me closer. “You deserve it.”

Every cell in my body rebelled at the very idea, but I didn’t immediately refute him. I forced myself to sit with it for a moment, to let his words penetrate past the denial. Yes, on some level, it felt too good to be true, and no one really trusted things like that.

I had worked my ass off to build my business, though. Nothing in my life had been handed to me, and even earning a seat at the expo had been a massive accomplishment.

I’d done that.

Grinning, I sat up a little straighter. “Hell yeah, I do.”

Vaden laughed again, the sound warm and indulgent as he cuffed me lightly on the side of the head. “That’s what I like to hear.”

“Thank you.” I let every ounce of gratitude and sincerity seep into my voice. “I don’t know if I could have done this without you.”

“It’s my job.”

I shook my head, hating the way he made it sound like another task on his to-do list.

“Don’t do that. That’s not—” I cut myself off and blew out a shaky breath. It didn’t matter. If he didn’t feel the same way about me, pushing the issue would only make things weird. “Just…thank you.”

Vaden tilted his head, studying me in that way of his, like he could see past every wall I’d ever built.

“You know,” he said after a moment, his voice softer now. “You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit. I’m happy to take care of the little stuff so you can focus on what you love, but you don’t need me.”

My smile wobbled, my bottom lip trembling as I stared into his eyes. “You’re wrong.”

“You’re a lot stronger than you think, Otto, and you’ve more than earned your place here. Don’t minimize that.”

His words hit me in the chest, stealing my breath, and I gripped his hand like a lifeline as I fought to steady the rush of emotions. Though I had an amazing support system back home, I wasn’t used to this particular brand of validation—this unfiltered, unwavering belief in me.

The moment lingered, neither of us seemingly in a rush to break the spell. The silence that stretched between us didn’t feel awkward, but it did have a heaviness to it, filled with something unspoken, something almost fragile.

But as much as I wanted to stay with him in that moment, it couldn’t last.

The world came rushing back without my permission, the sound deafening after the quiet, overwhelming in a way that it hadn’t been before. “I guess I should start getting ready for my tutorial.”

“True,” Vaden agreed, but he didn’t move. “How about I grab you some coffee while you get everything set up?”

I bobbed my head eagerly. “Yes, please.”

Vaden chuckled, cuffed my ear again, and pushed to his feet.

From there, the rest of the afternoon passed without incident. I had a smaller audience for my tutorial than in previous days, likely due to the panels going on at the same time. It was kind of hard to compete with expensive swag bags and brand giveaways.

Still, I had enjoyed interacting with those who showed up, and I appreciated how engaged they’d been. When a woman who looked to be in her early forties had copied the technique perfectly, I didn’t know who had been more excited, me or her.

I loved it when something I suggested clicked with people, and it made my heart happy to see the immediate boost in their confidence.

Once everyone had dispersed, I glanced around for Vaden, frowning when I didn’t see him. Though he liked to give me space while I worked, he usually didn’t go too far.

Thinking maybe he had wandered off to find something for an early dinner, I shrugged and started packing away my products. I didn’t have anything else on the schedule for the day after my interview with Chloe, so I figured I might as well get a head start on breaking everything down.

“Leaving so soon?”

I froze, my hand hovering over my makeup brushes. I glanced up, but I didn’t lift my head, meaning the only thing in my line of sight was a pair of slender legs draped in loose cotton. I didn’t need to see the face to recognize that voice, though.

“What do you want, Kassidy?”

“Is it true?”

“Is what true?” I asked, still not looking at her as I returned to the task of packing away my tools.

“Do you really have an interview with Chloe Rae?”

It would be satisfying to confirm the interview, maybe even rub it in a little, but I didn’t. I would love to say I considered myself above such pettiness, but in actuality, I knew better than to include Kassidy in my business.

It had been a hard lesson to learn, and one I vowed never to forget.

Three years ago, I’d had the ideas, the formulas, and the perfect shades for my enchanted eyeshadow collection. I had just lacked the magic necessary to bring them to life. When Kassidy had agreed to partner with me, it had seemed like a dream come true, a turning point in my career.

Our “collaboration” had lasted for three months—just long enough for her to steal years of my work and market it as her own.

“You’re really not going to talk to me?” She huffed and stomped her foot. “Or even look at me?”

I kept my head down and continued working, sighing in relief when she eventually gave up and marched away.

It had been like a punch in the gut to see her at the expo that first day, especially knowing that she had made it there because of what she’d taken from me. Reopening old wounds wouldn’t change what had happened, though, and at this point, I just wanted to move on and forget I had ever met her.

Lost in thought, I moved on autopilot, carefully separating and boxing the various tools of my craft. Despite the distraction, I made decent progress, and I had just finished packing away the color-changing palettes when I felt a familiar presence behind me.

“There you are,” I greeted without turning.

“Change of plans,” Vaden said, crowding against my back and bending his head close to my ear to be heard over the noise. “I just spoke to Chloe’s assistant.”

“Oh?” I tried to make it sound casual, but my hands stilled, and I couldn’t stop the tension that crept into my neck.

“Her panel is running late, and she wants to know if you’d be okay with rescheduling the interview for tomorrow morning.”

Okay, that didn’t sound so bad. In fact, I actually kind of preferred it. Not only did it give me more time to prepare, but I’d be rested and able to think more clearly.

“No problem. Do we have room in the schedule?”

Vaden stepped closer, his chest pressing against my back now. “I suggested nine o’clock, before the doors open. That way you won’t be distracted or have to hurry to your next appointment.”

“That’s actually kind of perfect.” Then again, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Vaden had a knack for knowing exactly what I needed in any given moment.

When I felt him start to pull away, I abandoned my packing and turned to face him. “We should probably—”

The words died in my throat when my mouth collided with his. Apparently, he hadn’t moved away, and our respective positions had brought our lips into perfect alignment. An accident, and nothing a blushing apology couldn’t fix.

I didn’t pull away, though.

And neither did Vaden.