The beginning of something interesting
1106 Words
“I’ll take care of Elaine, immediately Kayla becomes my wife, I’ll end the contract with her, Seth doesn’t need a nanny if he has a mother, 6 years and he still doesn’t like her. There’s nothing I can do about it..”
Austin sighed over the phone, they had all be there, Seth really didn’t like Elaine there was nothing anyone could do about it.
“Alright, I’ll get the details then and send them to you overnight..”
Asher nodded, now that, that was out of the way, he could focus on less pressing matters.
“Hand the phone to … Kate, I have a job for her..”
Austin tapped Kate on the shoulder, as he handed the phone to her, muttering “The boss wants to speak to you”
She nodded, getting up from the desk as she moved to a corner.
“Good evening boss, what orders do you have for me?”
Asher sat on the bed, his eyes on the laptop that had just booted up, a spreadsheet had opened up soon after, showing some financial insight.
“Ah yes..Kate, good evening to you as well. I saw the financial reports, it’s good but there are some hiccups, I mark out the places that need corrections and send them back to you..”
Kate eyed Austin who had a hand on her bag of chips, continuing with that “I’ll kill you if you touch my chips” as she replied Asher.
“Understood boss I’ll get the done the moment I receive it..”
“Alright, that would be all for now..”
Austin leaned back in his chair, munching on one of Kate’s chips as soon as she turned her back. He smirked to himself, knowing full well she’d catch him eventually, but that didn’t stop him.
Kate returned from the corner, her sharp heels clicking against the polished floor, phone still in hand as she eyed Austin suspiciously.
“You didn’t touch my chips, did you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Of course not,” he replied, feigning innocence. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Kate didn’t buy it for a second. She glanced at the half-empty bag of chips and scowled. “Do you think I’m stupid?”
Austin chuckled, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his desk. “I don’t think that, but you were busy with the boss. I figured someone needed to keep them company.”
Kate rolled her eyes and snatched the bag out of his reach. “You’re impossible.”
“Speaking of the boss,” Austin said, lowering his voice as he straightened in his chair, “what did he want?”
Kate sighed and sat back down, crossing her legs as she tossed the bag of chips onto her desk. “He said he saw the financial report. There are some hiccups in it, and he marked them for me to correct.”
“Let me guess—he didn’t look pleased?” Austin asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kate shook her head. “No, actually. He sounded… calm, but you know how he is. Calm just means he’s thinking ten steps ahead of the rest of us.”
Austin leaned back again, resting his hands behind his head. “Well, at least he’s not furious. I’d say that’s a win.”
Kate frowned, her mind drifting to the unspoken tension she’d noticed in Asher’s tone. “Something’s different, though. He’s distracted. And it has nothing to do with the financials.”
Austin tilted his head. “You think it’s about Seth?”
“Could be,” Kate replied, shrugging. “Or maybe it’s about her.”
Austin smirked. “You mean his oh-so-efficient assistant? Kayla?”
Kate nodded slowly. “I don’t know what’s going on there, but Seth’s been mentioning her a lot today and it’s just their first meeting. And now the boss seems… preoccupied.”
Austin chuckled, leaning forward conspiratorially. “Well, if the kid likes her and the boss is thinking about her, maybe there’s more to this than we realize.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Don’t start spinning fairy tales, Austin. You know how he is. Work comes first. Always.”
“Maybe,” Austin said, his smirk widening. “But even Asher Coleman is human. And humans have limits.”
Kate didn’t respond, though she couldn’t deny the hint of truth in Austin’s words. Asher was a man of logic and precision, but if there was one thing that could shake his unyielding focus, it was Seth.
Austin tapped his pen against the table, glancing at Kate as she furiously typed corrections into the report. “Okay, let’s think about this rationally.Kayla has only been around Seth for a day, but the kid’s already acting like he’s found his long-lost mom. You don’t think that’s… I don’t know… unusual?”
Kate didn’t bother looking up. “He’s a kid, Austin. Kids latch onto anyone who shows them the slightest bit of kindness, especially when they’re missing something important. Seth just met her today; it’s too early to make it a big deal.”
“Still…” Austin scratched his head. “The boss bringing her to Seth at all—that’s a first. You know how he is. He barely lets anyone near the kid, let alone someone he works with.”
Kate froze for a moment, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She hated to admit it, but Austin had a point. Asher was fiercely private when it came to Seth. The fact that Kayla had already been introduced to his son—even if by circumstance—was unexpected.
She sighed, finally looking up. “Fine, I’ll give you that. It is unusual. But it’s probably nothing. Maybe Asher didn’t have a choice, or maybe Seth was just being… Seth.”
Austin smirked. “You think the most calculated man in this company just didn’t have a choice? Come on, Kate. You and I both know the boss. If Kayla’s even in the same room as Seth, it’s because he allowed it.”
Kate opened her mouth to argue but quickly shut it. Austin wasn’t wrong—Asher never did anything without a reason. She tapped her pen against the desk, her brows furrowing in thought.
“Okay,” she said slowly. “Let’s say you’re right, and he brought her around Seth intentionally. What does that mean?”
Austin shrugged, a playful grin spreading across his face. “It means we might just be witnessing the beginning of something interesting.”
- Writer
