Intimate Night With My Boss

What happens when you wake up next to your boss after a night you barely remember? Cassie Jones blinked her eyes open and checked out the unfamiliar ceiling of a hotel room. Her head swirled with fragments of the night before, and her body ached. She turned her head slowly and froze. Lying beside her was Luca Carter—her boss. Luca Carter, CEO and owner of Carter LLC, the most influential company in South Welsh, wasn't just any boss. His reputation alone was enough to make anyone pause. They whispered about him that any woman who tried to get too close or tried to secure a future as Mrs. Carter disappeared. Gone. No explanation, no trace, no happy ending. Cassie’s pulse raced. She didn’t want to be a cautionary tale. She had a whole life ahead of her, dreams and plans. I couldn’t stay in that room. She slid out of bed as quietly as possible, her heart pounding with every movement. Torn fabric and wrinkled silk covered the floor, and she had scattered her clothes. She picked them up, her face burning. Her dress showed how reckless and intense the night had been. How had this happened? She attempted to put the evening together. The Lush-Garden Suite had been the site of a company dinner. According to the medium, it should have been nothing more than an evening out with her coworkers, but the wine flowed freely. She had one drink, then many. Everything went blank. She couldn’t remember how she got in the room, much less in bed with Luca Carter. She remembered the faintest memory of her being bold—on top of him—and her cheeks burnt hotter. What had she been thinking? I didn't have time to dwell on those thoughts. Cassie pulled on her clothes, grabbed her bag, and slipped out of the room, heart pounding as she hurried down the hallway. She didn’t stop until she was safely outside, where the cool morning air slapped her in the face like a wake-up call. She didn’t notice the paper that fell from her bag in her rush. --- Finally, Cassie returned to Jonny Park, the mediocre flat complex she lived in with her best friend and roommate, Agatha Sue. It was just after seven in the morning. Agatha was up now, leaning on the kitchen counter with a mug in hand, when she opened the door quietly, hoping not to get attention. "You’re just getting home? Where were you all night?" "Curious, but not an accusation." Her tone was different. Cassie’s mind was scrambling for an excuse, and she swallowed hard. She forced a smile and said, 'Uh, yeah'. "The company dinner ran late. I had a little too much to drink, and it was at the Lush Garden Suite. I crashed at a coworker’s place because I didn’t want to wake you." Agatha raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. "I hope you’re feeling better. Did you grab my resume? I need it for my job application today. It's this afternoon, the deadline." Cassie’s stomach dropped. Her hands grew more frantic by the second as she rummaged through her bag. The resume wasn’t there. 'I think I lost it,' she said, so small. Agatha sighed, but her face softened. "It’s okay. I’ll print another one later. It won’t matter, anyway. I probably won't get the job." Cassie quickly replied, 'Don’t say that.' Agatha shrugged again. "I’m serious. It’s hard to compete when you have no degree or no experience. If I don’t get this, I’ll go to the factory or Walmart. Do not forget me, okay? When you make it big." Guilt bubbled in her chest, and Cassie frowned. "Don’t talk like that. You’re my sister. When I succeed, we both will. Remember, that’s the promise?" Something in her eyes was distant, but Agatha’s lips curved into a faint smile. She whispered, "You always say the right thing, Cassie." With a teasing glint, she added, 'If we ever liked the same guy, would you give him up for me?' Cassie blinked at the unexpected question and laughed lightly. "Of course. You come first, always. I have one for you, but plenty of men are out there." The tension broke, and Agatha chuckled. "I was just joking. Now, take a shower. You smell like a bar." She smiled, went to her room, and her shoulders sagged as soon as the door shut behind her. Her mind raced with worry. She was only an intern. Right? The odds of crossing paths with Luca Carter again were slim. He was at the top of the corporate ladder, and she was barely on the first rung. Someone like him wouldn’t even remember her face, indeed. At least, she told herself. --- Luca Carter stirred awake back at the hotel. The early morning light cast sharp features into shadow, and his head throbbed from the aftermath of too much whiskey. Running a hand through his messy hair, he sat up and tried to assemble the broken images of last night in his head. He looked at the crumpled sheets, a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth. If not for the clear evidence of the previous night, he might have thought it was all just a dream. He caught something on the floor. He picked up the piece of paper and leaned over. A resume. His piercing gaze scanned the name at the top: Agatha Sue. He repeated the name on his tongue, his face unreadable. So, that was her name. The slightest smirk was on his lips, and Luca leaned back against the headboard. He would keep this little discovery to himself for now.