BETWEEN TWO DEVILS

TWO BOSSES

Two days later, I walked into Vance Enterprise with my head high and my hands shaking, not knowing what to expect.

New job. New start. Personal assistant to Mateo Vance. The man I’d spent six years trying to forget.

HR had sent me the memo last night: _Board Meeting, 9AM. You’ll be representing Mr. Vance’s office as his assistant._

Simple enough. Walk in, take notes, walk out. Don’t make eye contact. Don’t breathe too loud. I thought I had it all on lock.

I pushed the glass door open at 8:55AM.

The boardroom was already full. Twenty executives in suits, all talking in low voices.

And at the head of the table…

Mateo.

He looked up when I entered. Dark suit, no smile. Those eyes that used to memorize my face now scanned me like I was a stranger.

Which I was, I guess. To him.

“Ms. Delgado,” he said, voice flat. Professional.

“You’re late.”

“I’m not—” The words died in my throat.

Because the seat to his right was occupied.

Noah.

The handsome man I had met at the club two nights ago. He was in a navy suit, laughing at something the CEO said. When he saw me, his whole face lit up with surprise.

“Miss Olandria! What a pleasant surprise. I never thought I would see you again…”

The room went silent.

Twenty pairs of eyes swung between me and Noah. I could feel the confusion in the air.

Mateo didn’t smile. He just tapped his pen on the table once. Twice.

Noah stood, pulling out the chair beside him. “Sit here.”

All throughout the meeting I couldn’t concentrate. I was lost in my thoughts, wondering what Noah was doing in my workplace.

I couldn’t wrap my head around what was going on…

“Ms. Delgado… Ms. Delgado…” I immediately jolted out of my thoughts to Mateo’s voice calling me.

“Meet me in my office.” He commanded.

I had completely gotten lost in my thoughts back there. When I got to his office, he gave me some files and told me to sit and wait for his secretary to give me the memo of what I’ll be doing.

“Go get me a cup of coffee,” he ordered.

I stood up and it felt like his whole eyes were watching me as I walked out of his office. So many questions I wanted to ask, but who was I going to ask?

Walking right out of his office, I immediately ran into Noah. He was all smiles—the kind of safe smile—and he was like, “Watch where you’re going, baby girl.”

Baby girl??? I wasn’t supposed to think much of that, but I still did. Because I’m still wondering what he was doing here and how he was related to Mateo.

I knew working here was gonna make me nervous, but seeing Noah here made the nervousness more intense. But I know I was going to pull through this. “It’s just my first day at work,” I told myself.

But little did I know, it’s the beginning of my dilemma.