Page 5

I sit at my desk, staring at the screen, trying to focus on the campaign we’re working on for Empire City Estates. The marketing team is small, but we’re busy. Even now, my inbox is overflowing with emails. Normally, I’d be all over it, eager to impress my boss and make a name for myself here. Today, I’m struggling to focus.

It’s been almost a month since that night. The night with Timur. I can still feel the heat of his touch, the way his hands roamed my body like he owned me. My skin tingles at the memory, and my mind drifts back to the sensation of him pinning me down, his lips claiming mine with a hunger I’ve never known. I shift in my chair, uncomfortable with how much that memory affects me.

Sneaking away the next morning felt like the right decision. I remember lying there, tangled up in his sheets, the sunlight creeping in through the curtains, and knowing that this was a man who had way too much going on in his life. He seemed like the kind of guy who had women on rotation—no strings, no attachments. That’s not what I want. I want something real, someone who’s actually going to care. And that night with Timur, as incredible as it was, wasn’t going to lead to that.

Besides, he was obviously a successful businessman. Empire City Estates is one of the biggest real estate agencies in New York, and I’ve already seen his name pop up in connection to them. He’s the kind of man who’s married to his work, and I’m just… me. A marketing intern. I couldn’t imagine a world where I’d fit into his life.

Still, I can’t stop thinking about him. Random moments from that night flash through my mind, distracting me at the worst times. I’ve even caught myself blushing, for no reason, in the middle of the day. It’s embarrassing. Nothing helps.

I even tried to, well, fix the problem myself. Bought a vibrator, thought it might take the edge off. It didn’t. In fact, it only made me more frustrated because nothing compares to what I felt that night. It’s like he ruined me for anyone else with just one night. It’s maddening.

My fingers hover over the keyboard, the email I’m supposed to be drafting barely started. I sigh, leaning back in my chair. I need to snap out of it. This internship is important to me. I’ve worked so hard to get here, and I can’t afford to let a man, even one as intoxicating as Timur, mess with my head like this.

***

Later, I’m sitting in front of the bright white of my laptop, one earphone in and lost in thought. Timur still plagues my mind no matter what I do—or where I am, apparently.

“Earth to Jennifer.” A voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I blink and look up to see Maeve standing in front of me, a smirk on her face. She’s holding a stack of folders, her dark hair falling in waves over her shoulders. “You’ve been spacing out all morning. What’s up?”

I force a smile. “Nothing. Just trying to focus.”

Maeve raises an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Uh-huh. You’ve been trying to focus for the last thirty minutes, staring at the same email. Spill.”

I let out a breath, running a hand through my hair. “It’s nothing. Just… a lot on my mind.”

Maeve sits on the edge of my bedroom desk, crossing her arms. “Is this about the guy from the party? The one you bailed on?”

I groan inwardly. Of course she’d bring that up. “It’s nothing,” I repeat, but Maeve just gives me that look—the one that says she knows exactly what’s going on.

“Jennifer, come on. I know you. You don’t just sleep with random guys. So, this is a big deal, right? What happened?”

I hesitate, not sure how to explain it without sounding ridiculous. “It was just… intense. I don’t know. I thought it was going to be a one-time thing, and now I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Maeve grins. “Must’ve been good.”

“It was,” I admit, my voice low. “Really good. That’s the problem. I’m not cut out for… that. Whatever that was. He’s probably forgotten about me already, anyway.”

Maeve frowns. “You don’t know that. Maybe he’s thinking about you too.”

I shake my head. “Doubt it. He’s not the type to settle down. I’m not the type to get involved in something that’s not going anywhere.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think you’re overthinking it,” Maeve says, hopping off the desk. “If you’re not ready to deal with him, that’s fine. Just don’t let it mess with your head. You’ve got this internship, and you’re killing it here. Focus on that.”

I nod, appreciating her support. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” she winks, walking away.

I try to return my focus to the screen, but my mind is still scattered. Maybe Maeve is right. I am overthinking it. What happened with Timur was amazing, but that’s all it was. A moment. A night. I need to move on.

I take a deep breath and start typing, determined to lose myself in work. Even as I do, the thought of Timur lingers at the back of my mind, like a shadow I can’t quite shake.

***

The next day, I’m sitting at my desk, staring at the computer screen, trying to get my mind off everything else and focus on work. Social media posts aren’t exactly the most exciting thing in the world, but they’re my responsibility, and I’m determined to make the best of this internship. The marketing team is big, and I’ve mostly flown under the radar so far, which is fine with me. I’m still learning the ropes, and I don’t need the extra attention.

Just as I’m about to post the latest update, I hear my name.

“Jennifer?”

I glance up, surprised to see none other than Liam Russel, the head of the entire marketing department, standing at the entrance to the office. He never addresses anyone directly, much less someone as low on the totem pole as me. A few people turn their heads in my direction, and I can feel the weight of their stares. Great. Did I mess something up?

“Jennifer Jewels, right?” he asks, looking directly at me.

I swallow hard, trying to stay calm. “Yes, that’s me.”

He steps farther into the room, his gaze sweeping over me, making me feel like I’m being examined. I don’t think he’s ever even noticed me before. The team is pretty large, and I’m just an intern. Why would the head of marketing care about what I’m doing?

“Can I have a word with you?” he asks.

My heart sinks. Oh no, this has to be bad. My mind races as I try to think of what I could’ve possibly screwed up. The social media posts I was in charge of were fine, right? I didn’t make any glaring mistakes, did I? They weren’t that bad. Maybe one or two typos, but nothing catastrophic. Still, my pulse quickens, and I can feel a bead of sweat forming on my forehead.

I stand up, smoothing down my skirt as I walk over to him. “Sure, Mr. Russel.”

He’s got that mysterious expression on his face—the kind that could either mean you’re in serious trouble or something completely different. Everyone’s watching now, and the tension in the air is thick.

He looks me up and down for a moment, and I fight the urge to squirm under his scrutiny. “I’ve been looking for you,” he finally says, his tone still unreadable.

My heart skips a beat. Why would he be looking for me? Did someone complain about my work? Did I miss a deadline? Before I can ask, he continues.

“I’ve been reviewing the metrics on our latest social media campaigns, the ones you’ve been running,” he says. “I have to say, I’m impressed.”

I blink, taken aback. Wait—did he just say he’s impressed?

“You’ve done an exceptional job,” he adds, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Your posts generated a significant number of leads. In fact, we haven’t seen this kind of response in a long time. The engagement metrics spiked overnight. It’s not something that happens usually, and you’re the one responsible.”

I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks. “Thank you, sir,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

Suddenly, the office bursts into applause. I hadn’t even noticed that everyone had been listening in, and now they’re congratulating me. A few people smile in my direction, and I can’t help but smile back, feeling a mixture of relief and pride. I didn’t mess up—I did the opposite.

Mr. Russel’s expression softens a little. “You should be proud. It’s a big win for the team, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the higher-ups. I want you to prepare a presentation on the strategy you used, or if you have any new ideas, feel free to include those. You’ll be presenting with me in front of the board of directors during the monthly meeting. It’s an important meeting—we need to keep the board, especially the chairman, convinced that we’re on the right track.”

My stomach flips. Did he just say I’ll be presenting with him, in front of the board of directors? This is huge. Presenting in front of the people who control the fate of this company? I try to keep the excitement contained, but I can feel my heart racing. This is the kind of opportunity that could make or break my career.

“I—I’d love to,” I stammer, still in shock.

“Good. You’ve earned it,” Mr. Russel says with a nod before turning to leave. “The meeting is next Friday. Be ready.”

As he walks away, the office starts buzzing again, but I’m still rooted to the spot, processing what just happened. Me, Jennifer Jewels, presenting in front of the board of directors? This is insane.

I sit back down, and I try to focus on my computer screen, but my mind is still racing. Presenting in front of the board of directors? I can hardly believe it. For the next hour, I stare at my email inbox, trying to answer messages, schedule social media posts, and work through my task list, but I’m distracted.

Timur’s been pushed to the back of my mind now that something this huge has dropped into my lap, but every once in a while, he sneaks back in, like a lingering thought I can’t quite shake. I didn’t think much about that night after I snuck out, convinced that leaving was the best thing for me. A guy like him probably forgot all about me the second I left.

Still, the memory of his hands on my body, the way he commanded me like I was his… it’s impossible to forget. Every now and then, I catch myself thinking about him. His rough voice, his confidence, and how he made me feel more alive than I had in years.

I force myself back to work, trying to dive headfirst into a task that requires all my attention. It works for a little while, until Maeve sends me a text: Dinner tonight? I smile, feeling a sense of relief. There’s no better way to calm my racing thoughts than catching up with my best friend.

By the time I leave the office and get home, I’m too jittery to sit still. As soon as I walk through the door of our tiny dorm apartment, Maeve pops her head out of her room. “Hey, superstar! How was work?”

I drop my bag on the floor and collapse onto the couch, grinning from ear to ear. “You are never going to believe this.”

Maeve, as always, picks up on the excitement in my voice instantly. She rushes over, sitting cross-legged on the couch next to me. “What? Spill!”

“I’m presenting in front of the board of directors next Friday,” I say, still unable to believe the words coming out of my own mouth.

Maeve’s eyes widen. “Wait, what? The board of directors? Like, the actual bigwigs of the company?”

“Yup,” I say, the reality finally starting to sink in as I say it out loud. “Liam Russel asked me to present with him. It’s wild, right?”

Maeve lets out a squeal of excitement, throwing her arms around me. “Jen, this is huge. Like, this is your big break!”

“I know,” I say, laughing as she pulls away and claps her hands together. “I’m kind of freaking out about it, but in a good way.”

“We need to celebrate again!” she declares, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Another party, maybe? Remember that guy from last time? Maybe you’ll bump into him again.”

I roll my eyes but can’t help but laugh. Of course, she’d bring up Timur. Maeve’s been teasing me about him ever since I told her about what happened. “I doubt I’ll see him again, and even if I did, it was just a one-time thing.”

Maeve raises an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. Sure, you keep telling yourself that.”

I shake my head, trying to sound more convinced than I actually feel. “It was just… a distraction. I’ve got too much going on now to worry about him.”

“You can say that, but he left a mark,” Maeve says, grinning as she nudges my arm. “Come on, it’s obvious you’re still thinking about him. You can’t deny he was hot.”

I let out a sigh, leaning back against the couch. “Yeah, he was, but that’s the thing. Guys like that? They don’t stick around. Besides, I’m not looking to get my heart broken by some mysterious businessman.”

Maeve tilts her head, giving me one of her knowing looks. “Or maybe you just don’t want to admit you actually liked him.”

I grab a pillow and playfully smack her with it, but I know she’s not entirely wrong. “Okay, fine. Maybe I liked him a little. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s probably got a million women lining up for him. I’m not trying my luck.”

Maeve chuckles, shaking her head. “I don’t know, Jen. Maybe he’s different. Maybe he’s into you.”

I scoff. “Yeah, right. He’s probably already forgotten about me. That night was fun, but I’m not going to sit around hoping for something more. I’ve got this presentation to worry about.”

Maeve shrugs, not pushing it further, but I can tell she’s still thinking about it. “Fine. But you know, you deserve to have fun too. You don’t have to choose between work and letting loose every once in a while.”

“Trust me, this is what I want,” I say, smiling at her. “I’m excited about the presentation, and I’m not going to mess this up by letting myself get distracted.”

“Fair enough,” Maeve says with a grin. “Still, if another party happens to pop up, you can’t blame me for trying to set you up again.”

I laugh, shaking my head as I relax into the couch. Even though Timur is still lingering in the back of my mind, I focus on the one thing that matters right now: work. This presentation is my chance to prove myself, and I’m not about to let anything get in the way.