The man I should avoid
1215 Words
The Man I Should Avoid
I couldn’t breathe.
Okay, that wasn’t entirely true.
I could breathe.
I just… forgot how to do it properly the moment my boss said his name.
Ethan Carter.
The man I had just spilled coffee on.
The man standing at the front of the room like he belonged there.
The man I was now supposed to work closely with.
Of course.
Of course this would happen to me.
“Lara?”
My boss’s voice snapped me back.
“Yes?” I said quickly, straightening in my seat.
“I assume you’re ready to assist Mr. Carter with everything he needs.”
Everything he needs.
My stomach tightened.
“Yes,” I replied, forcing confidence into my voice.
“Good.”
I nodded, even though my thoughts were anything but organized.
Across the room, Ethan was watching me.
Not openly.
Not in a way anyone else would notice.
But I felt it.
That same steady gaze from the café.
Calm.
Observant.
And just slightly amused.
Which made this situation ten times worse.
“Let’s begin,” he said.
His voice carried easily across the room, smooth and controlled, instantly commanding attention.
Everyone shifted their focus to him.
Including me.
Even though I really, really didn’t want to.
He moved through the presentation with quiet confidence, explaining the project with a level of clarity that made it obvious he knew exactly what he was doing.
No hesitation.
No unnecessary words.
Just precision.
And control.
It was… impressive.
Annoyingly so.
I tried to focus on the content.
I really did.
But every time he spoke, my mind betrayed me by replaying that moment in the café.
The coffee.
The way he looked at me.
That faint smile.
I pressed my pen harder against my notebook.
Focus.
Work.
Not him.
But then—
“And Lara will be assisting directly with coordination.”
My head snapped up.
Ethan was looking straight at me.
Of course he was.
“Which means,” he continued smoothly, “we’ll be working closely moving forward.”
A few people in the room nodded.
Someone made a comment about efficiency.
But I barely heard any of it.
Because his words weren’t just professional.
There was something underneath them.
Something only I seemed to notice.
And it made my pulse quicken.
The meeting continued, but I felt different now.
More aware.
More… exposed.
By the time it finally ended, I was already gathering my things, ready to escape before anything else could happen.
“Lara.”
I froze.
Slowly turned.
Ethan stood a few steps away, completely unbothered by everything that was currently happening inside my head.
“Yes?” I said carefully.
“Stay a moment.”
Not a question.
A statement.
My instincts told me to leave anyway.
But my boss was still in the room.
So I stayed.
The others filtered out, one by one, until it was just us.
The door clicked shut.
Silence settled.
And suddenly, the air felt heavier.
Ethan didn’t speak immediately.
He simply walked closer, stopping at a comfortable distance.
Professional.
But not distant.
“So,” he said.
I crossed my arms lightly.
“So.”
“That was an interesting way to start the day.”
I exhaled.
“You’re not going to let that go, are you?”
“Not yet.”
“That’s reassuring.”
A hint of a smile appeared on his face.
“You took my coffee.”
“I panicked.”
“You didn’t check the name.”
“I didn’t think there’d be consequences like this.”
“And now?”
I met his gaze.
“Now I think I should’ve stayed in bed.”
That earned a quiet laugh from him.
Low.
Brief.
Unexpected.
“You handled it well,” he said.
“I spilled coffee on you.”
“You took responsibility.”
“That doesn’t erase what happened.”
“No,” he agreed.
“But it says something about you.”
I frowned slightly.
“What does it say?”
“That you don’t run from mistakes.”
I almost laughed at that.
“If only you knew.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“Then tell me.”
I shook my head.
“Let’s keep this professional.”
“Of course,” he said easily.
But something about the way he said it made me feel like he didn’t entirely mean it.
Or maybe… he just wasn’t limited by it.
“I’ll send you the project files,” I added quickly. “And coordinate with the team.”
“Good.”
“I’ll also handle scheduling.”
“Efficient.”
“That’s my job.”
“Yes,” he said, his gaze steady. “It is.”
There was a pause.
Not awkward.
Just… intentional.
“Anything else?” I asked.
“Yes.”
My heart skipped.
“Don’t rush into situations without thinking,” he said calmly.
I blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“This morning,” he clarified.
“Oh.”
Right.
“That won’t happen again.”
“I believe you.”
“Good.”
Another pause.
Then—
“You seem different now.”
I frowned.
“Different how?”
“More controlled.”
“That’s because I am.”
“And earlier?”
“I was late.”
“And now?”
“I’m working.”
He studied me for a moment.
“As long as you don’t pretend too much.”
My chest tightened slightly.
“I don’t pretend.”
“Everyone does.”
“Not me.”
“We’ll see.”
I didn’t like that answer.
Not at all.
“I should go,” I said.
“You should.”
But he didn’t move.
Neither did I.
For a brief second, the space between us felt… charged again.
Like something was building.
Quietly.
Dangerously.
Then I stepped back.
Breaking it.
“I’ll send those files,” I repeated.
“I’ll be waiting.”
I nodded.
Turned.
And walked out of the room without looking back.
---
The rest of the day didn’t give me a chance to breathe.
Emails.
Calls.
Schedules.
Everything moved quickly.
But no matter how busy I got—
I kept thinking about him.
About the way he spoke.
The way he observed.
The way he seemed to see more than he should.
By the time I finally sat down at my desk again, Mia was already watching me.
“Well?” she asked.
“Well what?”
“You. Him. The tension.”
“There is no tension.”
She gave me a look.
“Please don’t insult my intelligence.”
I sighed.
“He’s just… my boss.”
“Temporary boss.”
“Still counts.”
“And the coffee incident?”
“Forgotten.”
“Liar.”
I didn’t respond.
Because I wasn’t sure I believed that either.
---
Later that evening, as I packed my bag, I told myself something important.
This was work.
Nothing more.
No complications.
No distractions.
No mistakes.
But as I stepped out of the office and into the fading light of the evening, one thought refused to leave my mind—
If this was only the beginning…
Then I had a feeling avoiding Ethan Carter was going to be impossible.
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