novelxo Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Evie
The last place I expected to be was back in the boss" office. He was pouring
himself a cup of coffee, humming a small tune as he did so.
I sat quietly in my chair, my hands folded on my lap, as he headed back to his
seat and took a long sip. He hadn't mentioned what the meeting was for
specifically, but I had an inkling that it was about what happened with Jasper.
With his free hand, he drummed his fingers on the desk and gave me a long
stare.
I cleared my throat. “You wanted to see me, boss?”
me
“Yes, Evie.” He set down his mug and sat back in his chair. “It's about what
occurred the other day.”
“Oh, no.” I shifted in my seat. “I can explain. Timothy was-"
“Is,” he cut me off, his eyes narrowing, “Still in business with you, correct?”
I wiped my sweaty palms on the sides of my skirt. “Y-Yes, sir.”
“Good.” He stood up and took another sip of his coffee. “And I'd prefer if you kept
him on. I have an assignment for you, Miss Evie. One that could decide the
future. of your career.”
“I don't think that'd be necessary, sir,” I said weakly.
The boss went on anyway, “I want you to get as much dirt as possible on
Timothy. I want you to learn about his hobbies, all the interviews he's ever had,
even down to what kind of drink he prefers. Then when you've done that, find a
way to entertain him!”
I was growing increasingly angsty as he revealed his scheme. This meant total
proximity to Timothy, even down to tracking his every move throughout the years.
The boss clearly didn't realize what kind of history we already had, but he was
asking me to do the very thing I was trying to avoid.
“And if you're hospitable enough, he might end up becoming a public success.
story for the firm,” the boss said proudly. “Do you understand?”
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13-02
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Chapter 18
The influx of information was making me nauseous. Asking me to study Timothy's
personal life was one thing, but having to cater to him for the good of the
company was another. As was as if the universe was holding a personal vendetta
against me.
“Yes,” I said, slightly winded. “I understand.”
“Good!” The boss stood up and started walking toward the door. He swung it
open and gestured for her to exit through it. “Get right on it, Evie. We're relying
on you.”
1 left his office covered in a thin sheen of sweat. I hadn't realized how much I was
sweating until the cool air from the ceiling fan hit my neck. I returned to my desk
and opened my laptop, ready to get to work.
“What did the boss grill you for this time?” A coworker of mine, Paulette, came
and stood beside me, pressing her hand on my shoulder. “I heard about Jasper’s
little tussle with Timothy.”
I gave her a tired smile. “He wants me to entertain Timothy, basically as an
apology for what happened with Jasper.”
Paulette snickered. “Ah, figures he'd stoop that low. Just groveling at the guy's
feet at this point.”
My other coworker, Jimmy, peered at us from over his computer screen. “Wait.
He asked you to do what?”
I sighed, hating that the boss had made a skeptical out of me yet again. “I have
to do damage control
guarantees he’llor Jasper, basically. If I show Timothy a fun time, the boss
guarantees he'll bring the company more success.”
Jimmy shook his head, disappearing behind his screen. “I always knew he was a
kiss—ass jerk.”
Paulette shushed him, covering her grin with her hand. “Keep it down, will ya?
He's right there in his office!”
Jimmy waved his hand carelessly. I guess he'd been at the job long enough that
him getting fired was like a sweet relief more than something detrimental. My
whole career was resting on this job, however, so I didn’t have the luxury of
calling out the boss“ ass—kissing ways.
As the two of them settled down, I turned back to my laptop and started
searching
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Chapter 18
52%
the internet for Timothy's profile. He had several of them, and plenty of fan-made
accounts as well. If only one of his fans had decided to become his lawyer
instead.
He had his fair share of winning shots. There was some philanthropy in there as
well, that combined with orchestrated visits and interviews with dedicated fans.
He had a smile on through it all. Those smiles, mostly meant for the public, never
reached his eyes
Still, I was gradually starting to fill in the blanks now. He'd grown some much
from when they met years ago. He had basically been on his way up since
making the pro-team. However, there was one year that he seemed to have
stopped all competition.
I searched all over the web for more information on this short disappearance, but
his fans were just as clueless on the matter. No coach had stepped forward
about it either. What happened that year?
I switched back to looking over more interviews of his, hoping that a few
answers. would pop up on the matter. Instead, I saw something more
provocative. With each interview, I saw that he'd once been so spontaneous, but
had matured as the years went on.
He seemed to really love hockey beyond something he did in his spare time. In
one video, the interviewer asked him a more personal question. The man asked
him what his favorite activity was, and I grabbed my pen and notepad in
preparation.
Timothy gave him a shy smile and said that he enjoyed hiking. He went on about
how he was a hiking enthusiast and that he often went on extreme trails by
himself. This was big news for the boss, but I couldn't help the sinking feeling in
my stomach at the thought of hiking with Timothy.
I stood slowly and shut my laptop. It was best not to keep the boss waiting,
although I was starting to consider lying in this case.
With a sigh, I walked to the boss“ door and knocked lightly. He opened the door
and raised his eyebrows, urging me to speak.
“He likes hiking,” I said. “I saw that he’s been on a few advanced trails in the
past.”
The boss smiled wide. “Brilliant! Tiffany?"
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Chapter 18
His assistant, Tiffany, was seated at the desk closest to the entrance. She lifted
her head and waited for his response.
“Book us a flight and three rooms for the closest hiking trail,” he demanded. He
then turned to me and grabbed my shoulders. “You get that boy on the phone
and invite him to join us. I'm counting on you, Evie.”
I gasped, almost forgetting the fact that he'd been expecting me to go along with
them. “But would he really feel up to a hiking trip right now? I mean, he’s still
worrying about the case.”
“Well, this would be the perfect time to distract him!” the boss cheered, clapping
his hands. He pointed at my pocket. “Get him on the phone. Now!”
I nodded firmly as he turned away and rushed back to his office in excitement. I
grabbed my phone and searched for Timothy in my contacts. With a deep breath,
1 hit the call button.
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I arrived a little earlier than necessary
at the airport. Hopefully, the extra
time. would allow me {o)gather I
\/ x
myself before imothy showed up. I
was a nervous wreck after our call,
stuttering and clinging to the phone
5 Vis v
like I'd just faced death. itself. The
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It also didn’t escape that Timothy had practically outed our “relationship” to the
public with his apology. That, coupled with his reputation as a womanizer would
complicate things. Who knew what would happen if we were spotted in public
together.
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Initially, I had hoped that the boss
would stick around and make our
meeting a little less oe We hs went
off to Tbe e flight.
That lef me alone at the seating
area, forced to wait for Timothy to
arrive. My stomach gargled and I
slapped a hand over it, annoyed at
myself for skipping yet another meal.
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The nerves had gotten rid of my
appetite for a few hours, but they
were back in full (heen
ight my doi bs 5 reached into
y purse for the packet. of chopped
) 3
hazelnut that I'd been snacking on.
While I enjoyed their roasted flavor,
they were barely holding me over.
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“Evie!” a deep voice called from behind me, and it came with the soothing scent
of cologne.
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Wed, 20 Mar
Chapter 18
I turned and saw Timothy walking in my direction, his face surprisingly calm for
the occasion. There was a muffin in his hand, which he held out to me after
taking the seat beside me. I stared at it for a moment before giving him a
questioning look.
“It's hazelnut,” he said, pressing it into my hand. “I figured you would need a
snack. before the flight.”
“Oh!” I shook my head, slightly less confused. “How'd you know I liked hazelnut?”
He pointed at the packet of chopped hazelnuts still in my hand. “I, uh, saw that
you were carrying those around. I figured you would like this muffin. I'm sure it
would be more filling, too.”
I stared at the dessert, feeling my mouth water as the sweet aroma intruded my
nostrils. He had timed it perfectly, as though he knew he could sway me into his
act of kindness with my own hunger. How typical.
“I'm fine, thank you,” I said, gently pushing it away.
The corner of his lip turned upward, forming an all-too gentle smile. “It's not
poisonous, I swear. You shouldn't worry so much.”
I answered with a grunt, looking away before he eventually pulled the muffin
away with a shrug. He took a bite out of it and stared forward, his expression
pensive as he watched the surrounding chaos of the airport.
He accused me of worrying too much when I wasn’t worrying enough! First, he
threatened Jasper for me, now he was offering me muffins? What was he trying
to accomplish with all of this?
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