Replacing my ex

Chapter 18

At 7:00 AM on Monday morning, I pushed through the revolving glass doors of Legacy Tower, my steps infinitely lighter than they had been all last week.

“Lila!” someone called out from my left.

I turned to see Leo.

“Leo, hi!” I greeted him with a wide, genuine smile, walking over.

“Hi. I have something for you,” he said, nodding toward the back of the vehicle.

“Okay,” I answered. “Do I have time to run upstairs and show my face first? Just so the boss man knows I’m actually on the clock.”

He smiled, shaking his head.

“Go ahead. I’ll be in the car.”

“Thanks. I’ll be as quick as humanly possible,” I promised, spinning on my heel and rushing toward the bank of elevators.

I dropped my bag at my desk and marched straight to Cole’s office. I knocked twice and pushed the door open.

“Good morning, sir,” I said brightly.

“Ms. Storm,” he said in acknowledgment.

“I had the outfit you lent me dry cleaned and brought it with me today. I can give it to Leo to …”

I trailed off when I caught the sudden, freezing shift in his expression.

“Ms. Storm,” he said, his voice dropping into a register that sounded dangerously like a warning.

“Sir?” I asked, instantly losing my footing.

“I did not lend you the outfit,” he stated coldly, pronouncing the word lend as if it left a foul taste in his mouth. “Besides, you and I hardly wear the same size clothing.”

“Oh. Thank you, sir, but it’s far too expensive for me to keep. I really can’t accept…” trailing off again under the heavy, forbidding glare he leveled at me.

“That will be all, Ms. Storm,” he said, waving a hand dismissively.

I turned and practically fled, letting out a massive, shaky exhale the moment the heavy door clicked shut behind me.

Back downstairs, I tracked down Leo in the underground parking.

“Leo, my man,” I chirped, bouncing over and holding out a fist.

He bumped it with a grin, then reached into his jacket pocket and handed me a neatly folded piece of paper.

“Read this first.”

I unfolded the paper.

Lila,

I hope your Monday morning is treating you well. I’ve given Leo your laundered clothes from Friday to return to you.

Also, dearie, I’m hoping you can do me a bit of a favor. I tried to get Coley to eat some breakfast this morning, but as usual, it didn’t go as planned. I’ve sent a proper meal over for the both of you.

I hope you can humor a helpless old woman.

— Mrs. Norris

At the very bottom, she had scrawled her phone number. I couldn't help the fond smile breaking across my face.

“After you finish reading the note, I’m supposed to give you these,” Leo said, gesturing toward the front passenger seat.

“Would you like some help carrying it all upstairs?”

“Yes, please, I’d love that,” I admitted.

Leo and I rode the elevator up together, and he graciously deposited Mrs. Norris’s culinary care package straight into our kitchenette.

“Thanks Leo,” I said. “Have you already had breakfast?”

“No. But I’m okay,” he said

“Take these cookies, at least, or I will be deeply offended,” I insisted, shoving a small Tupperware container into his chest.

“Lila- ” he started to protest.

“So, how do I find you later to return these empty containers to Mrs. Norris?” I cut him off smoothly, hoping to distract him.

He shook his head in amusement.

“Put your number in here,” I said, handing him my phone.

He took it and typed his number.

While I saved his contact, he popped open the tupperware and bit into a cookie.

“You know what would be great? A fresh cup of coffee to wash that down,” I said.

“Goodbye, Lila,” he laughed, turning on his heel and walking out.

I set to work brewing a fresh, aromatic pot of coffee. Then, moving with quiet efficiency, I knocked on Cole’s door and stepped inside.

Wordlessly, I began setting up his breakfast on the low coffee table, making two quick trips to bring everything in. I could vividly feel the weight of his sharp gaze following my every move.

“Your morning coffee, sir,” I announced before darting back out the door.

I was practically running on nervous energy.

Back in the kitchenette, I sat down and quickly ate my own portion of Mrs. Norris’s breakfast. Once I finished, I washed the dishes, packed up the containers, and pulled out my phone to fire off a quick, grateful text to Mrs. Norris.

The moment I settled back down at my desk, the intercom buzzed sharply. It could only be the one other person already in the office this early.

“Yes, sir?” I answered politely.

“Come in,” he commanded.

I stepped into his office, noting with a small sense of triumph that he had actually eaten the breakfast, leaving the utensils neatly organized on the tray just like before.

“We need to go over my schedule for the week,” he said, gesturing to the chair.

“Yes, sir. I’ve actually been working on a new system for that,” I said, pulling out my tablet. “If you check your email, I sent you a link to a secondary, color-coded Google Calendar. You still have full access to the company-wide master calendar, but I created this private one specifically for us to cut down on daily clutter and secure your schedule.”

“Show me,” he instructed.

I leaned forward to reach across his massive mahogany desk, but the sheer width of it blocked me from getting close enough to point at anything meaningful.

“Come round,” he directed.

I walked around the side of the desk, pulling my tablet up beside his monitor. Together, we went through the color-coded blocks, mapping out his week hour by hour.

“Only you and I have backend permission to edit this one,” I explained.

“What’s this purple event everyday at 1:30pm?” he asked.

“Lunch,” I replied smoothly.

“You’re scheduling my lunch?” he asked, an eyebrow arching in disbelief.

“Yes, sir,” I said without missing a beat. “And just so you know, it’s the only event on the entire calendar that you don’t have permission to change or delete.”

Cole slowly leaned back in his leather chair, shaking his head with a look that hovered somewhere between disbelief and profound amusement. He turned his head to look up at me.

And suddenly, I became hyper-aware of just how close we were. The air in the office felt heavy, charged with a sudden, electric tension.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, taking a half-step back.

“That’s everything concerning the schedule, sir. Is there anything else you need me to handle today?” I asked, desperate to break the spell.

“That will do, Ms. Storm,” he murmured, his gaze lingering on me a beat longer than necessary.

I turned on my heel, marching over to the coffee table to scoop up the breakfast dishes and escape back to my desk before my racing heart gave me away.