Chapter Three: An Accidental Encounter
661 Words
Lara didn’t stop thinking about Ethan Blackwood until she reached home.
That annoyed her.
She unlocked her apartment door, stepped inside, and leaned her forehead briefly against the wood as if that might shake the image of his steady gaze from her mind.
He’s just a man, she told herself.
A powerful one. A dangerous one.
She dropped her bag on the chair and exhaled. The apartment was quiet, the kind of quiet that magnified thoughts you didn’t want to entertain.
Her phone buzzed.
Mrs. Adebayo: Did the delivery go well?
Lara: Yes, ma. Documents delivered.
She hesitated, then added: No issues.
She didn’t mention the conversation. Or the elevator. Or the unsettling way he’d looked at her as if she were something unexpected.
Two days later, Lara was back at Sterling Consult, elbows deep in spreadsheets, when Mrs. Adebayo appeared beside her desk.
“Lara,” she said. “Do you know Ethan Blackwood personally?”
Lara’s heart stuttered.
“No,” she said quickly. “Why?”
“He called.”
The words landed like a dropped plate.
“He called?” Lara repeated.
“Yes. He requested you by name.”
Lara stood slowly. “About what?”
Mrs. Adebayo shook her head. “He didn’t say. Only that he’d like to speak with you again. Today.”
Today.
Lara swallowed. “Did you… agree?”
Mrs. Adebayo smiled thinly. “I didn’t refuse.”
The Meridian lobby felt different the second time.
Less intimidating. More watchful.
Ethan was waiting this time standing near the window, phone in hand. When he saw her, he straightened slightly, as if he’d been bracing himself.
“You came,” he said.
“I was asked to,” she replied, adjusting the strap of her bag.
“That’s fair.” He gestured toward the seating area. “Sit.”
She did.
“What’s this about?” she asked carefully.
He studied her for a moment. “I don’t usually intervene in staffing matters.”
“Then why are you now?”
“Because you stood out,” he said simply.
She blinked. “For delivering documents?”
“For not pretending to be something you’re not.”
Silence settled.
“That’s not a skill,” she said finally.
“It is in my world,” he replied.
He slid a folder across the table.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“A short-term role,” he said. “Personal assistant. Directly under me.”
Her pulse quickened. “I already have a job.”
“I know,” he said. “This would pay triple.”
Her breath caught despite herself.
“I don’t understand,” she said carefully. “Why me?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
“Because you weren’t afraid of me,” he said at last. “And because I need someone I can trust.”
“That’s a lot to ask of a stranger,” she replied.
He met her gaze. “It’s a lot to offer too.”
She opened the folder slowly. The numbers stared back at her.
“This could change my life,” she whispered.
“Yes,” he agreed. “It could.”
She closed the folder.
“I won’t be hidden,” she said quietly.
He frowned. “Hidden?”
“I won’t be a secret assistant. Or a disposable employee. Or someone people assume is here for the wrong reasons.”
Something unreadable crossed his face.
“You wouldn’t be,” he said firmly.
She searched his expression for certainty and found it.
“Give me one day,” she said.
He nodded. “Take two.”
As she stood, he added, “Whatever you decide, it won’t reflect poorly on you.”
She paused.
“That matters,” she said.
“Yes,” he replied. “It does.”
That night, Lara lay awake staring at the ceiling.
Opportunity had knocked.
And she wasn’t sure whether to answer or run.
- Writer
