13. A Date?
1082 Words
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As June surfed through the wide variety of audience at the conference, Alex Romano approached her.
"You're doing a great job, keeping up with the chaos," Alex said, his eyes dancing with mischief.
June forced a smile, her cheeks still flushed from the encounter with Heath. "Thank you," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "It's all part of the job."
"He whisked you away and banged you just now, didn't he?" Alex missed nothing.
June's eyes widened and she felt a blush creep up her neck. "What are you talking about?" she said, trying to sound indifferent.
Alex leaned closer, his smile knowing. "I know that look, June," he murmured. "You're glowing. It's either the pregnancy glow or the after-f**k glow. Which one is it?"
June's cheeks burned, and she hoped the lighting was dim enough to hide her embarrassment. "You're insufferable," she said, trying to laugh it off.
Alex leaned closer, his gaze intense. "I'm just observant," he said, his voice low and seductive. "And I can see that you're enjoying yourself with the new CEO. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, according to me. But if the orthodox board members find out... Then it will be a different story. So play safe."
Alex didn't wait for June's reply and walked away.
June's heart raced as she watched him go.
"What the hell was that?" she muttered to herself, trying to process what had just happened. "How does he know everything?"
"June, are you okay?" Heath approached her.
June took a deep breath and turned to face him, trying to compose herself. "Yes, I'm fine," she said, avoiding his eyes. "Just talking about stuff with Alex."
Heath's gaze was sharp. "What stuff?"
June shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Just work stuff," she said, hoping he didn't detect the lie in her voice.
Heath studied her for a moment before nodding. "Good," he said, his eyes lingering on her. "We need to keep our focus on the conference."
June wanted to tell him that it was he who needed to focus. It was he who had instead f****d her in a bathroom stall.
But she kept her mouth shut and nodded. "Of course," she said, plastering a smile on her face. "The conference is the priority."
Heath's eyes searched hers for a moment before he leaned in and whispered, "And after that, we'll have our little celebration," his breath hot against her ear.
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After the conference, the duo came back to the office to be welcomed with applause. They had aced the conference and won over everyone.
"In my office, June." Heath's voice was professional but there was a glint of mischief in his eyes.
June knew that look. It was the look of a man who had something other than work on his mind. But she couldn't let herself get distracted. Not when there was so much to do. "Boss, I really should be catching up on emails and preparing for tomorrow's meeting," she protested, her eyes darting to her phone.
Heath leaned back in his chair, his arms folded behind his head. "June, we've just pulled off the conference of the year. You can spare one evening for a well-deserved dinner, can't you?"
June looked up from her computer, her eyes weary but determined. "Dinner, Heath? Are you serious?" she asked, her voice laced with exasperation.
"Why not?" Heath's smile was charming as always. "We've earned it. Besides, I've got the perfect place in mind."
June's eyes narrowed. "This isn't about the conference, is it?" she accused. "You just want to get me into bed."
Heath held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. "On the contrary, it's about celebrating our victory," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "And I thought a nice dinner would be the perfect way to do it."
June rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean," she said, her voice stern. "This isn't a good idea."
"Oh, come on," Heath cajoled. "It's just dinner. We can talk about work if you want."
June looked at him skeptically. "It's not about what we talk about Heath. It's about what people might think if they see us in a non-work setting."
Heath leaned forward, his gaze intense. "Do you really care what people think?" he challenged. "Or are you just scared of what you might feel?"
June's eyes narrowed. "You know I'm not scared," she said, her voice firm. "But we can't afford to let our personal lives interfere with work."
"But who says it's personal?" Heath countered, his smile widening. "We're just two colleagues celebrating a successful conference."
June didn't know why the man wanted to go to dinner. All he actually wanted from her was s*x and she was the fool who ever so easily served it to him on a silver platter. Then why was he setting the mood or going on dates?
Ever since the conference, she had a foreboding feeling in her heart that things were going to go down. She was feeling something akin to love for her boss s***h f**k-buddy. It was not good.
"Come on, June," Heath pleaded, his blue eyes shimmering with excitement. "It's not every day we pull off a deal like this. Besides, it's just dinner."
June's fingers tapped anxiously on her desk. "You know what people will think," she said, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. "They'll think we're..."
"Dating?" Heath supplied, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "Well, they wouldn't be wrong, would they?"
"Heath, please. Don't even joke about it. Everything will go down if that happens!" She was worried about Heath's reputation which was only slightly improving after the success of the conference. And of course, she was worried about her own career.
"I will make sure no one finds out. I will book a private room. Whatever you want." He pouted. "Please. Wait, you owe me. You said you would do anything if I got through the board meeting last day. This is my favor."
June stared at him mutely for a moment.
He winked at her.
June sighed, unable to resist his charisma. "Fine," she said, her voice resigned. "But just dinner. And no funny business."
Heath didn't respond.
She should have figured out that it was a bad sign but she was excited about the dinner and conflicted about her feelings to see the glint in his eyes.
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- Writer
