Chapter 11
1130 Words
The bar was lively, the warm glow of dim lighting casting a golden hue over the polished wood and clinking glasses. The low hum of conversation blended with the occasional burst of laughter, creating an atmosphere both inviting and intimate.
Lucas led me to a secluded booth near the back, away from the crowd but close enough that the energy of the place still pulsed around us. He slid in across from me, his gray eyes flickering with something unreadable as he leaned back against the seat. The casual confidence in his posture was almost distracting, but I refused to let it show.
“I was beginning to think you’d bail on me,” Lucas teased, a slow smirk pulling at his lips.
I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I shrugged off my coat. “Please. You’re the one who practically begged me to come.”
His brows lifted, amused. “Begged? That’s a strong word. I recall extending a simple invitation.”
I tilted my head, giving him a knowing look. “And yet here we are.”
He chuckled, shaking his head as he signaled the waitress. “What are you drinking?”
“Same as yesterday, something strong.” I didn’t hesitate. After the couple of days I had, I needed it.
Lucas grinned, clearly pleased by my answer. “Whiskey it is.”
The waitress took our order and disappeared, leaving us in a moment of comfortable silence. Lucas’s gaze never wavered from mine, the teasing glint in his eyes replaced by something else – something heavier.
“You’ve been distracted lately,” he observed, his tone light but edged with curiosity. “Everything okay?”
I hesitated, my fingers tracing the rim of the menu. How was I supposed to explain the strange dreams, the dizzy spells, the unsettling familiarity of a man I’d just met? I barely understood it myself.
“Just work stress,” I lied, offering a small smile. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
Lucas didn’t look convinced, but he let it go, nodding as our drinks arrived. He raised his glass to me. “To handling it.”
I clinked my glass against his, taking a sip of the burning liquid. The warmth spread through me instantly, loosening the tight coil of tension I hadn’t even realized I was holding.
“So,” he said, swirling his whiskey. “Now that it’s been a couple of days, what’s your impression of our new CEO?”
I nearly choked on my drink.
Lucas’s smirk returned. “That bad huh?”
I set my glass down, coughing lightly. “I – No, I mean, he’s… fine. He’s just…” I trailed off, searching for the right words. Intimidating? Overwhelming? Unsettlingly familiar? “Intense.”
Lucas chuckled, his gaze darkening slightly. “That’s one way to put it.”
“You know him, don’t you?” I asked, trying to sound casual. From our earlier short, but very intense conversation in the breakroom, I got the impression that they definitely know each other.
He hesitated just long enough for me to notice. “We’ve crossed paths.”
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s vague.”
Lucas only grinned, taking another sip of his drink. “It’s a vague subject.”
Before I could push him further, the air in the room shifted. It was subtle, a prickle at the back of my neck, a sudden awareness that hadn’t been there before.
Then I heard it.
“Mind if I join you?”
My stomach tightened at the sound of that smooth, rich voice. I turned my head, and there he was.
Cassian stood beside our table, impossibly composed, his golden eyes gleaming with something unreadable. He was still in his suit, the top buttons of his shirt undone, his tie absent. It was a disarmingly casual look for someone so meticulously put together.
Lucas’s jaw tightened just slightly, but his expression remained neutral. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Cassian’s lips curved into a knowing smirk. “I like surprises.”
His gaze flickered to me then, lingering just a second too long. “Eloise.”
I swallowed, suddenly very aware of how my name sounded coming from his lips. “Mr. Moreau.”
His smirk deepened, but he didn’t correct me. Instead, he slid into the booth beside me, his presence overwhelming in an instant. The space that had felt comfortable before now felt suffocatingly small.
Lucas exhaled through his nose, taking a slow sip of his whiskey before setting his glass down. “Didn’t take you for the bar type.”
Cassian leaned back, his arm resting along the back of the booth – dangerously close to my shoulders. “I have many sides, Lucas. You just haven’t seen them all.”
There was something charged in the way he said it, something unspoken hanging between them that I couldn’t quite decipher. I glanced between them, feeling like I was missing a crucial piece of information.
The waitress returned, her expression shifting when she saw Cassian. “Can I get you anything, sir?
“Whiskey,” he said smoothly. “Neat.”
She nodded quickly before hurrying off, clearly flustered. I couldn’t blame her.
I took another sip of mine, determined to regain some sense of control over this situation. “So, what brings you here?” I asked, keeping my tone polite.
Cassian turned his gaze on me, and for a moment, I regretted asking. His eyes were sharp, assessing. “I was curious.”
“About what?”
His smirk returned, lazy and confident. “You.”
A slow heat curled in my stomach. I opened my mouth to respond, but Lucas beat me to it.
“That so?” His tone was light, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it.
Cassian didn’t look away from me as he answered. “She’s intriguing.”
I let out a breath, trying to ignore the way my pulse picked up. “I’m really not.”
Cassian tilted his head slightly. “You’re not a very good liar, Eloise.”
Lucas snorted, amused. “She really isn’t.”
I shot him a glare. “Whose side are you on?”
He grinned. “Whichever is more fun.”
The tension that had been building eased slightly, and I let out a breath, shaking my head. “You two are impossible,” I blurted out, suddenly regretting it.
Cassian chuckled, and the sound was rich and deep. “You have no idea.”
Something about the way he said it sent a shiver down my spine, but I didn’t dare ask what he meant. Instead, I took another sip of my drink, wondering what the hell I’d just walked into.
- Writer
