Chapter 6: Distracted
489 Words
Guy Harrison did not get distracted.
That was one of the many reasons people trusted him with billion-dollar decisions.
He noticed details.
He solved problems.
He stayed focused.
At least, he usually did.
“Sir?”
Guy looked up.
His assistant stood across the desk holding a tablet.
“Sorry?”
The assistant blinked.
He almost never had to repeat himself.
“The acquisition report.”
Right.
The acquisition report.
Guy glanced at the document in front of him.
A document he had apparently been staring at for three minutes without reading.
Annoying.
“Leave it.”
His assistant wisely chose not to comment.
⸻
Across town, Tamara was having a far worse day.
The bakery’s industrial mixer had broken.
Two staff members had called in sick.
And Emily had somehow managed to lock herself inside the storage room.
Again.
“How does this keep happening?”
Tamara stood outside the door.
Emily’s voice came from inside.
“I honestly don’t know.”
“You work here.”
“I know.”
“You have keys.”
“I know.”
Tamara closed her eyes.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Somewhere in the distance, Mia was laughing.
Completely unhelpful.
⸻
By lunchtime, things were somehow even worse.
The mixer still wasn’t fixed.
A wedding order was running behind schedule.
And Daniel Carter walked into the bakery.
Mia immediately stood up.
“Oh, for the love of—”
Daniel sighed.
“Can we not do this today?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because seeing you ruins my appetite.”
Emily nodded.
“Mine too.”
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
“You rarely are.”
Daniel looked exhausted.
Good.
Tamara wasn’t proud of the satisfaction that gave her.
Actually.
Maybe she was a little.
“Why are you here?”
Daniel’s gaze softened.
The way it always used to.
“I wanted to see you.”
A few months ago, those words would’ve meant everything.
Now they simply felt late.
Painfully late.
Tamara folded her arms.
“You’ve seen me.”
Daniel winced.
Mia looked delighted.
⸻
Later that evening, Guy attended a charity planning dinner.
A boring event filled with boring conversations.
Normally he could survive them easily.
Tonight was different.
Because someone kept mentioning desserts.
And every time they did, his mind returned to Sweet Haven Bakery.
Specifically…
Its owner.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
“Guy.”
He looked up.
Chloe Bennett smiled from across the table.
Elegant as always.
Beautiful as always.
Expected as always.
“You seem distracted.”
There was that word again.
Distracted.
Guy disliked the word.
Almost as much as he disliked the fact that she was right.
“I’m fine.”
Chloe studied him.
Then smiled.
The kind of smile that suggested she didn’t believe him.
Not even a little.
And for the first time in a very long time…
Guy Harrison wasn’t entirely sure what was happening to him
- Writer
