Chapter 9: Cracks Beneath the Ice
492 Words
Chapter 9: Cracks Beneath the Ice
The office was nearly deserted by 7:30 p.m. The lights dimmed overhead, leaving only a soft amber glow from desk lamps. Nicole sat alone at her workstation, eyes burning from hours of sorting campaign drafts and reorganizing a database her team had neglected for months. She’d missed lunch. And dinner.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as the elevator dinged down the hallway.
Footsteps echoed. Confident. Unhurried.
“Still here?” came a voice, smoother than Brad’s, but laced with curiosity.
Nicole turned and found a tall, lean man walking toward her in a grey shirt, sleeves rolled casually to his elbows. His smile was charming, his hair tousled in a way that suggested both money and mischief.
“I’m Dylan,” he added, holding out a hand. “I assume you’re the new assistant Brad’s been tormenting?”
Nicole raised an eyebrow. “That obvious?”
He laughed. “You have that ‘I-just-survived-an-ice-storm’ look.”
She shook his hand, a smile breaking through. “Nicole. Nicole Lane.”
He leaned against the side of her desk, glancing over the piles of paperwork. “Wow. He really dumped all this on you, didn’t he?”
“Pretty much.”
Dylan gave her a sympathetic look. “Don’t take it personally. Brad’s been a bit… wound up lately.”
Nicole tilted her head. “Wound up?”
He gave a shrug. “Long story. But don’t worry, he’s not as heartless as he pretends to be.”
She doubted that.
Before she could respond, another set of footsteps approached, familiar ones.
Brad appeared at the corner of her cubicle, face unreadable as he took in the scene: Nicole sitting at her desk, Dylan leaning casually close to her.
“What are you doing here?” Brad asked Dylan, tone cool.
“Relax,” Dylan said with a grin. “Just saying hi to your new recruit.”
“Nicole doesn’t have time for distractions,” Brad said sharply, not breaking eye contact with Dylan. “She has work to finish.”
Dylan gave a slow blink. “Easy, Brad. I was just being friendly.”
Nicole stood slowly, sensing the air tighten like a wire being pulled taut.
Brad turned his attention to her. “Have you even finished the Morgan files?”
“I’m working on them…”
“You’ve been here all day and still not done?”
Nicole’s breath hitched. “I’ve been doing everything you assigned”
“Clearly not fast enough I have to remind you I don’t pay you to entertain my friends” His voice was cold.
Dylan straightened. “Brad…”
But Nicole had already gathered her folders, trying desperately not to let the sting show. She nodded curtly, blinking too fast.
“ I’ll stay as long as it takes sir”
She moved quickly, hoping to make it to the restroom before the tears could slip free.
- Writer
