Hooked Him with My Abs

On my best friend's birthday, I got absolutely hammered. The next day, when I woke up, I stared at the chat history on my phone, my face flushed crimson. "Hey, you there? Let me see those abs." Along with the message was a transfer of five thousand bucks. The recipient was a guy I had just added a few days ago, a major client of our company. The chat history was short and to the point. He replied with just one word: "Okay." Oh God, just let lightning strike me dead! A week ago, my boss sent me a WeChat message. "Grace, our company has a new project. This is the client's WeChat. You're in charge of this one." "Got it, Mr. Elizabeth. You can count on me." Heh, work's rolling in. I rubbed my hands together and sent a friend request to the guy. He accepted it instantly. I followed protocol, introduced myself, and we briefly discussed work. The client wasn't much of a talker, but that was normal. A busy boss like him wouldn't have time for chit-chat. His silence made my job a breeze. "Grace, did you get another project?" Katherine, who joined the company a few years after me, was a bit envious. She was quite capable but still lacked experience, so Mr. Elizabeth assigned her to my team for guidance. "You'll be handling them in a few years too." I reassured her as I packed up my things. Our company is great because we don't have to work overtime, which I love. We clock out right on time every day. Unlike my best friend's company, which often forces overtime, leaving me to drink and flirt with handsome guys alone. As a modern urban woman, I have two main hobbies: drinking and admiring handsome guys' abs. Sadly, as a perennial single, I only get to look, not touch. "My birthday is coming up. I've invited several handsome guys. Make sure to take advantage of it." Talk about perfect timing! My best friend knows me too well. I imagined drooling over nonexistent abs and decided to buy a dress to boost my luck in love. But as I glared at the handsome guys in front of me, flirting with each other, I suspected my friend had invited the wrong group. What a spectacle... That's it! I'm ending our friendship after this meal! Drowning my sorrows in food, I ended up being the biggest eater at the party. After a few high-proof drinks, my mind went fuzzy, and I ended up bonding with those lively guys, calling each other sisters. Sadly, none of them had abs. What happened next is a blur, but I woke up around noon the next day. I figured my best friend must have brought me home, so I opened WeChat to ask her. But as soon as I glanced at the screen, I was dumbfounded. "Hey, you there? Let me see those abs." Along with the message was a transfer of five thousand bucks. The contact was Warren, the major client I had just added a few days ago. Actually, that wasn't the worst part. The kicker was that Warren replied. "Okay." Okay, okay, okay... That word echoed in my mind, and I felt my face flushing rapidly. If a bull saw my face, it would definitely charge at me. Oh God, just let lightning strike me dead! "Mr. Collins! I'm so sorry! I was drunk!" "Please just pretend I didn't say anything!" As soon as I sent the message, I saw he had sent an address along with a text message. "Come over when you're sober." Oh crap, is he planning to shut me up for good? "It's fine, just come over." I pictured a pot-bellied, balding boss flashing me a creepy grin. Goosebumps suddenly prickled my skin as a chill of dread and helplessness washed over me. I rubbed my arms, feeling a bit like crying. Warren had sent me the address of a swanky high-end restaurant. I made my way to the second floor, weaving through a crowd of elegantly dressed men and women, and approached the man sitting in the corner. "Mr. Collins..." I greeted him tentatively, and breathed a sigh of relief when he responded. Thank goodness, he wasn't some middle-aged creep; otherwise, I'd really suspect he invited me here to silence me. "You can serve the dishes now," Warren instructed the waiter, giving me a chance to really take him in. His profile was clean and smooth, with a perfectly shaped nose—definitely a handsome guy. "Ms. Parker, you seem to have left in quite a hurry?" he remarked. What? I glanced at Warren's sharp suit, then down at my own loose sweatshirt, the kind with a cartoonish half-naked stud on it. As I surveyed the attire of those around us, my face started to burn with embarrassment. "Uh, Mr. Collins, I had a bit too much to drink last night. Please don't mind me," I stammered. "No worries, I asked you here to discuss business," he replied. "Could you start by giving a detailed introduction to your company's products?" Warren's cool tone contrasted with his incredibly captivating eyes. I cleared my throat, pulled out the prepared materials, and forced myself to focus on work. ... Our discussion was interrupted by the arrival of the appetizers. "Let's eat first," Warren suggested. To my starving self, his clear voice was like music to my ears. As soon as he took the first bite of his salad, I eagerly dove into my food, manners be damned. Once my stomach was full, my senses returned. It was only then I realized the handsome man across from me had stopped chewing at some point and was smiling at me. "Haha, the food here is really good," I blurted out, my language skills regressing to caveman level in the presence of such a good-looking guy. Maybe this is why I still don't have a boyfriend, I thought, tearing up. After the meal, Warren didn't resume our interrupted work discussion. Instead, he chivalrously offered to drive me home. I had to admit, based on looks alone, Warren was my ideal type. Plus, I could tell through his shirt that he probably had abs. Unfortunately, all we had between us was a cold, businesslike relationship. I sat in the passenger seat, my thoughts drifting. "If you want to see abs, now's your chance," he suddenly said. "Cough, cough... cough," I choked, startled by his words. Was this a case of sweet talk followed by a sucker punch? I quickly glanced at him, noticing a hint of amusement on his face. Phew, thank goodness, he was probably joking. I nearly considered jumping out of the car. "Mr. Collins, I didn't realize you had a sense of humor, haha," I said, noticing Warren pause for a moment before falling silent. I felt the pressure mounting. A handsome guy with a serious face was easy on the eyes, but not on the heart. Was he secretly plotting to badmouth me to my boss? Alarmed, I thought I should say something. "Mr. Collins, about last night, I really didn't mean it. I always black out when I drink too much." I kept my head down, not daring to meet Warren's eyes. Just as the tension in the car became suffocating, his clear voice broke the silence. "I didn't take it to heart. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."Wow! Guys like him are a rare breed these days. Looking back at the clients I've dealt with, most couldn't resist cracking jokes that made my skin crawl. I have to admit, Warren's actions definitely earned him some serious brownie points with me. "Oh no, it was totally my fault. As long as you're not upset, we're good." Warren and I exchanged a few polite remarks, gradually steering away from the topic before we courteously said our goodbyes. Once I finally stepped through my front door, I could let out a huge sigh of relief. Being crammed in a small space with a total hottie was nerve-wracking, to put it mildly. I'm immensely grateful that Warren isn't a big mouth, or else my "glorious deeds" would have spread throughout the entire company. Ah, the dangers of being around such eye candy. Even though our company isn't big on overtime, when we land a big project, things get hectic. Take now, for instance—our team hasn't left our desks for days. "Katherine, organize those files and send them to me." "Simon, make a statistical table." ... Caught up in the whirlwind of work, I gradually forgot about that embarrassing day and threw myself into work. Warren and I hadn't crossed paths again; all our chats were strictly on WeChat. The collaboration was progressing smoothly, and I sent each stage of the documents to his email. "There's a discrepancy in the data here," Warren suddenly messaged. I was a bit taken aback. I'd gone over that document countless times. How could there still be a mismatch? I opened the file and meticulously reviewed it again. As I went through it, a chill ran up my spine, spreading through my whole body. There was indeed a data discrepancy in the document, and even worse, it was in a crucial section. If this mistake went unchecked, not only would I lose responsibility for this project, but I'd also face a hefty compensation fee. Thankfully, Warren's keen eye caught the error. Once I put down my phone, I realized my legs were like jelly. Fighting off the unease, I took a sip of my now-cold coffee, letting the cold liquid calm my frazzled nerves. I was grateful for my habit of keeping detailed records of the process. I opened the folder and went through it page by page from the beginning, but no matter how I looked, the documents seemed fine. If the documents were spotless, then it had to be a slip-up on someone's part... My heart dropped as I bit my lip, not wanting to dive deeper into that thought. Our team was responsible for this project, and no one else had handled it. Honestly, I hated the idea of suspecting my team members. They were all great folks who'd been a huge help to me as their leader. Now that there was an issue, I had no choice but to look for the cause among them... "Do you need my help?" Warren messaged again, his charming eyes with a hint of a smile flashing in my mind. "Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Collins, but this is my responsibility. I wouldn't want to trouble you." Warren was indeed a great person, but my mood didn't improve despite his kindness. The faulty data was a heavy weight on my mind. The pressure pushed me to stay late and work overtime. It was already six in the evening when I went to the adjacent room to grab something. As I approached the office door, I saw Katherine, who should have left by now, rummaging through my desk. I made a deliberate noise, watching her freeze in place. "Katherine, what are you doing here so late?" "Grace? Why haven't you left?" "Too much work, had to stay and catch up. What are you doing at my desk?" "I... was just looking for something." I clearly saw a flicker of panic cross her pretty face, and the heaviness in my heart deepened. "I don't recall having anything you need at my desk.""Grace, you're always so busy, how could you possibly remember everything? I did leave something with you, though." Katherine lifted the item in her hand, showing it to me as she spoke. It was a USB drive, decorated with a cute sticker, unmistakably hers. "You left a USB drive with me?" "Yes, this afternoon." Katherine was back to her usual self, not a hint of anything unusual. "Is there a problem, Grace?" Her face wore its usual smile, as she casually asked if I needed any help. I just shook my head, kept quiet, and let Katherine go. I firmly believe that every action leaves a mark. Even if nothing seems amiss, a thorough investigation will surely uncover clues. After three grueling days of overtime, I finally wrapped up my tasks. This meant I could finally start looking into that mistake. I discreetly set up a tiny camera at my workstation. I hid it well, so it was virtually undetectable. Pretending to be sick, I took a few days off and left the less critical tasks to my team. With their skills, those parts shouldn't pose any issues. The days off were leisurely, but my mind was anything but at ease. I spent my days glued to the surveillance footage, watching my team pass by my desk, gathering to discuss work. Everything seemed perfectly normal. But I knew, the more normal it appeared, the more suspicious it was. My patience finally paid off when I caught sight of something unusual.