AllFreeNovel
Share Us
On reflex, I take a step in her direction. Instead of falling face-first onto the floor, she lands in my arms.
Her face squishes against my neck, and I feel the press of her eyeglasses on my chin. My grip on her tightens in an attempt to support her, and she stills in my arms for a beat before struggling to get away.
I immediately let go, as she scampers until her back hits the front panel of the couch. I shift back, trying not to scare her further.
The young woman fixes her red-framed glasses before looking up at me.
Fuck.
My heart stops the moment those blue eyes meet mine—it’s the deepest blue I’ve ever seen. Her eyes almost shine behind the red frames. There’s something in her gaze that sucks all the air out of my lungs, and I’m struggling to breathe. Her gaze drops the next second, and only then am I able to take in the next breath.
What the heck was that?
“You must be—” I chew the insides of my cheek. How can I finish the sentence without panicking and also not coming off as a weirdo? “—who I’m looking for.”
A V forms on her forehead as she furrows her brows.
At the very second, a redhead accompanying Oscar rushes into the cramped space.“Rosie. Thank god we found you. Are you all right?” I get up and make way for the new arrival as she fusses over the woman I found sleeping on the couch.
Standing by the door, Oscar calls someone, letting them know we’ve found the missing woman. But my gaze doesn’t waver from the two girls as the redhead leads the couch girl out of the room.
My gaze remains on her as she passes by me. And then when she glances at me over her shoulder, her eyes meet mine and the odd spark hits me again.
Judging by the way her eyes widen and the V on her forehead deepens, I know she felt it too.
3
ZANDER
The two women from before enter the conference room, and they couldn’t be any more different from each other.
I watch as the redhead glides into the room. There’s a wide smile on her face as her long legs, covered in a tight gray pants suit, slide onto a chair across from me on the other side of the table. The way she sits tall, shoulders pushed back, leaves no doubt that she carries herself with great self-esteem.
And then there’s couch girl, who’s unlike any girl I’ve seen. She takes the chair next to her friend and places a laptop in front of her on the table. And immediately opens the flap before pulling on the sleeves of her flannel shirt, which is buttoned up all the way to the collar. The loose-hanging fabric eats up her frame, and it’s hard to make out anything about her. But it’s her face, her innocent, devoid of any makeup face. She can’t be more than twenty-five, which surprises me. This is a senior management meeting, after all.
Her continuous fidgeting makes it obvious that she wants to be anywhere but here. I glimpse a hint of pink on her cheeks, a shade I’ve never seen before.
Unlike every eye in the room, which is fixed on me, hers are focused on the laptop screen. Her shoulders are slouched forward, like she just wants to be invisible.
“Zander, meet Kristy Asher, one of our senior managers, and Rosemary Marlin, our tech wizard. Rose holds a PhD in computer science, and all of our software goes through her keen eyes before a live release. I’ve requested her to join us in this meeting.” Oscar’s warm voice is filled with pride as he makes the introductions.
My nod is returned by Kristy’s enthusiastic smile but goes unacknowledged by the couch girl.
The door to the conference room opens softly, and after giving Oscar a gentle nod, two guys pull a small food cart inside. They arrange coffee, bagels, and pastries on a side table.
Upon my request, Oscar has arranged breakfast for the group. “Everyone, please dig in,” I say. “I must admit, those cinnamon rolls are quite addictive.”
The managers chuckle at my remark, and in groups of two, they amble toward the breakfast table.
“Zander, can you give me a few minutes? I need to have a word with Rose.” Oscar is already up from his chair, and couch girl’s wide eyes trace his movements before she vacates her seat in a rush and follows him out of the conference room. Oscar closes the glass door behind him, effectively preventing anyone from hearing their conversation.
Uneasiness and anxiety thrum in my chest as I watch Oscar talking to her. His shoulders are bent forward, his stance friendly. Unlike in the room, she meets his gaze and shakes her head to whatever he’s saying.
My control snaps when he places a hand on her shoulder.
I close the door behind me and join them outside. “Is everything all right?” His hand on her shoulder drops.
“Yeah,” Oscar replies.
