Chapter 12
930 Words
Cassian lifted his glass, swirling the dark amber liquid inside before taking a slow sip. His golden eyes flicked between Lucas and me, amusement curling at the edges of his lips. “So, tell me, Eloise,” he drawled, “does he always drag you to bars after work, or am I witnessing something special?”
I scoffed, taking another sip of my drink. “Oh, it’s nothing special. Lucas here just refuses to drink alone.”
Lucas placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. “That makes me sound like a sad, lonely man. You wound me.”
Cassian smirked, tilting his head. “I’m sure you manage.”
Lucas chuckled, but there was an edge to it, something almost wary. It made me glance between the two of them, sensing an undercurrent I couldn’t quite place.
“So, Mr. Moreau,” I said, deciding to steer the conversation, “what do you do when you’re not terrifying your employees with your mere presence?”
Cassian’s gaze lingered on me, making my stomach do a strange little flip. “Is that how you see me? Terrifying? And ‘Mr. Moreau’ was my father. You may call me Cassian.”
Lucas cleared his throat. “It’s a compliment. Eloise doesn’t impress easily.”
Cassian chuckled, setting his drink down. “I’ll take that as high praise, then.”
The conversation flowed, surprisingly smooth, as we delved into the oddities of office culture, our strangest work encounters, and even a few ridiculous bar bets Lucas and I had made in the past. Cassian, despite his sharp and unnervingly intense presence, seemed amused by our antics.
“Alright then,” Lucas said, leaning forward. “Since we have our mysterious new CEO here, why don’t we play a game? Two truths and a lie.”
Cassian raised a single dark brow. “A game?”
“Come on, humor us,” I said, resting my chin on my hand. “It’s a fun way to get to know someone.”
He sighed as if indulging a ridiculous request, but the amusement in his gaze betrayed him. “Very well. But only if you go first.”
Lucas groaned. “Why do I feel like he’s setting us up for something? I’m starting to think this was a bad idea.”
I grinned, sitting up straight. “Alright, my turn. Let’s see… One - I once accidentally sent an email complaining about my colleague to my actual colleague in question, two - I can drink Lucas under the table, and three - I know how to pick a lock.”
Cassian observed me carefully, his expression unreadable. “The email is true. No one invents a story that specific unless it’s happened to them.”
Lucas burst out laughing. “Oh, it happened. She almost died on the spot.”
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks, Lucas.”
Cassian hummed. “As for the other two…” His gaze darkened slightly, a hint of something unreadable flickering there. “You don’t strike me as the type to lose control, but I imagine you’d be resourceful enough to pick a lock. The drinking claim is a lie.”
I clicked my tongue, pretending to be disappointed. “Damn, you’re good.”
Lucas leaned back, grinning. “Alright, your turn, Cassian.”
Cassian tilted his head slightly, considering. “Very well. I’ve lived in five different countries, I once went three days without sleep, and…” he smirked slightly, “I’ve never lost a bet.”
Lucas and I exchanged a look.
“Okay, last one is definitely a lie,” I said. “No one wins every single bet.”
Cassian simply sipped his drink, his eyes locked onto mine. “Are you certain?”
I frowned. “Yes.”
His smirk widened. “Interesting.”
Lucas groaned. “See? This is why I said this was a bad idea. I already feel like I lost something.”
I laughed, finishing my drink. “Alright, fine. We’ll call it a draw. But one day, Cassian, I’ll get a win over you.”
Cassian leaned in slightly, just enough that I caught the faintest trace of something dark and spicy in his scent. “I look forward to seeing you try.”
A strange tension settled between us, one I couldn’t quite name. Lucas cleared his throat, shifting beside me. “Alright, now that we’ve established how mysterious Cassian is, I think it’s time for another round.” He waved for the bartender and she took our order.
She came back with our drinks almost instantly, even though the bar is packed. When I noticed her shy smile before she turned around to leave towards the two men sitting beside me, I asserted the why…
Lucas lifted his glass with a smirk, swirling the amber liquid inside. “So, tell me, Cassian. Is this a habit of yours? Crashing our little outings?”
Cassian chuckled, taking a slow sip of his drink. “Only when I find the company particularly intriguing.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t fight the amused smile tugging at my lips. “You mean when you enjoy keeping people on edge.”
He tilted his head, his golden gaze sharp. “Do I make you nervous, Eloise?”
I took a deliberately slow sip of my drink, meeting his stare. “Not at all.”
Lucas let out a short laugh. “Careful, Cassian. She’s got a sharp tongue.”
Cassian smirked. “I never doubted that.”
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