Collision
1409 Words
Mr. Peterson's office was at the far end of the seventh floor, behind a glass door that usually stayed closed unless someone was getting promoted or fired. Right now, through that glass, Ariana could see three figures: Mr. Peterson himself, looking sweaty and nervous; a woman in a sharp business suit who was probably from HR; and Ethan Knight.
Ethan was leaning against Peterson's desk with his arms crossed, looking completely at ease in a way that made Ariana's stomach twist. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit that fit him perfectly, his dark hair styled with that effortless precision that came from having money and someone paid to make sure you always looked good.
He looked nothing like the man from the club. That man had been raw, intense, almost vulnerable in the dim lighting and the late hour.
This man was all business. All power.
Ariana's heels felt like they were made of lead as she approached the door. Sophie had scurried back to her desk, but Ariana could feel the eyes of half the department on her back. Everyone wanted to know why the CEO was asking for some random analyst.
She wished she didn't know the answer.
She knocked once, lightly, and Mr. Peterson nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Come in! Come in!" He rushed to open the door himself, ushering her inside with a level of enthusiasm she'd never seen from him before. "Ariana, thank you for joining us. This is Mr. Knight, our CEO, and Karen from Human Resources."
"Ms. Carter." Ethan's voice was smooth, professional, giving away absolutely nothing. His dark eyes met hers, and for just a second—less than a second—she saw something flicker there. Recognition. But then it was gone, and he was extending his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."
Finally?
Ariana's hand moved automatically, grasping his in a handshake that was firm and brief and completely appropriate. His palm was warm. She remembered how those hands had felt on her skin.
She dropped his hand like it had burned her.
"Mr. Knight," she managed, her voice steadier than she'd expected. "It's an honor."
"Please, sit." He gestured to one of the chairs in front of Peterson's desk. Ariana sat, keeping her posture straight, her hands folded in her lap. Professional. Composed. Definitely not freaking out.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I asked to meet with you," Ethan continued, moving around the desk to stand beside Karen from HR. Mr. Peterson had retreated to the corner of the room, looking like he wanted to disappear into the wall.
"I am curious," Ariana admitted carefully.
"I've been reviewing personnel files across all departments," Ethan said, picking up a tablet from the desk and scrolling through it with casual efficiency. "Looking for talented employees who might be being underutilized in their current positions. Your name came up."
Ariana blinked. That was... not what she'd been expecting.
"My name?"
"Your analysis on the third quarter revenue streams was exceptional," Karen chimed in, consulting her own tablet. "You identified patterns that our senior analysts missed. Mr. Knight was quite impressed."
Ariana's mind raced. The third quarter analysis. She'd submitted that three months ago, back when her life still made sense. She'd spent two weeks on it, working late nights because she'd actually found the project interesting, had seen connections in the data that seemed important.
And then she'd turned it in to Mr. Peterson and never heard about it again.
"I... thank you," she said slowly. "I didn't realize anyone had even looked at it that closely."
"Peterson." Ethan's tone could have cut glass. "Why wasn't Ms. Carter's work circulated to the executive team?"
Mr. Peterson looked like he might throw up. "I, ah, there were several submissions, and I was prioritizing based on seniority—"
"Seniority." Ethan's expression didn't change, but something in his voice made even Ariana flinch. "So you buried exceptional work because it came from someone junior? That's your system?"
"No, sir. That is, I didn't mean—"
"We'll discuss this later." Ethan dismissed him with a look, then turned back to Ariana. "Ms. Carter, I'd like to offer you a new position. Senior analyst, reporting directly to the executive finance team. Significant pay increase, better benefits, and projects that would actually challenge you."
Ariana felt like the floor had dropped out from under her.
A promotion. He was offering her a promotion.
"I..." She didn't know what to say. This was good news. Great news, even. The kind of career opportunity she'd been hoping for but hadn't expected for years.
So why did it feel like a trap?
"There's one condition," Ethan continued, his eyes never leaving hers. "The executive team is currently working on a major acquisition. It's time-sensitive and requires someone with your analytical skills. You'd need to start immediately, and there would be significant overtime required for the next several weeks."
"Working directly with you?" Ariana asked before she could stop herself.
Something flickered in his expression again. "Among others. My CFO would be your direct supervisor, but yes, you'd be in regular contact with me. Is that a problem?"
Yes. Yes, it was absolutely a problem.
But she couldn't say that. Not with Mr. Peterson and Karen watching, not with her career hanging in the balance, not when turning down an opportunity like this would require an explanation she absolutely could not give.
"No," she heard herself say. "No problem at all."
"Excellent." Ethan handed the tablet to Karen. "Draw up the paperwork. I want Ms. Carter transferred by end of day."
"End of day?" Ariana repeated faintly. "Don't I need to finish my current projects?"
"Peterson can reassign them. This is priority." Ethan finally looked away from her, addressing Karen. "Make sure she has access to all relevant files and schedule a meeting with the team for tomorrow morning. Eight AM."
"Yes, sir."
He turned back to Ariana, and this time when he looked at her, she could have sworn she saw a hint of something that wasn't quite professional. "Welcome to the executive team, Ms. Carter. I think you'll find the work much more stimulating."
The way he said "stimulating" made her cheeks burn.
"Thank you," she managed. "I won't let you down."
"I don't think you will." He held her gaze for a moment longer than necessary, then nodded once and headed for the door. "Peterson, my office. Twenty minutes."
Peterson scrambled after him, leaving Ariana alone with Karen, who was already typing rapidly on her tablet.
"Well," Karen said with a bright smile, "congratulations! This is quite the opportunity. Mr. Knight doesn't usually take such a personal interest in individual employees."
"No?" Ariana's voice sounded distant to her own ears.
"No. You must have really impressed him with that analysis." Karen stood, smoothing down her skirt. "I'll have the contracts ready for you to sign within the hour. In the meantime, I'd suggest packing up your desk. Your new office is on the fifteenth floor."
The fifteenth floor. The executive level.
The same floor where Ethan Knight's office was located.
"Great," Ariana said weakly. "That's... great."
By five o'clock, Ariana had signed more papers than she'd ever seen in her life, packed up her desk into two sad cardboard boxes, and said awkward goodbyes to Sophie and her other coworkers, all of whom seemed torn between being happy for her and being jealous.
Her new office was small but private, with actual walls instead of cubicle partitions and a window that overlooked the city. There was a new computer waiting for her, already set up with her login credentials, and a stack of files labeled "CONFIDENTIAL" that looked intimidating as hell.
She was standing in front of that window, watching the sun set over Manhattan and trying to process what had just happened to her life, when she heard a knock on her doorframe.
She turned.
Ethan stood in her doorway, his suit jacket gone, his tie loosened, his sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms that she absolutely should not be noticing.
"Settling in?" he asked casually, like this was normal. Like they were normal.
"Mr. Knight." She took a step back instinctively. "I wasn't expecting—"
"Ethan." He stepped into her office and closed the door behind him. Not all the way, she noticed. Just enough for privacy. "I think we're past formalities, don't you?"
Her heart was racing. "
- Writer
