Chapter 3
As the days went by, Sophia's behavior became increasingly erratic. She would often "accidentally" interrupt my meetings with Alexander, and would make snappy comments about my ideas in front of our colleagues.
I tried to brush it off, focusing on my work and building a good relationship with the team. But Sophia's constant jabs were starting to get under my skin.
One day, as I was working on a project, Sophia sauntered into my office, a sly smile on her face.
"Hey, Emily, I just wanted to give you some advice," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "You should really work on your presentation skills. You don't want to bore Alexander to death."
I felt a surge of anger, but I kept my cool. "Thanks, Sophia, but I think I'm good."
Sophia shrugged, her smile never faltering. "Just trying to help."
As she walked out, I couldn't help but wonder what her problem was. Was she jealous of my connection with Alexander?
Speaking of which, Alexander had been acting strange lately. He would often find excuses to "check in" on me, and would linger in my office, chatting with me about everything from my weekend to my favorite books.
I couldn't help but feel like he was interested in me, but I pushed the thought aside. He was my boss, after all.
As I was packing up to leave for the day, Alexander appeared in my doorway, a stack of papers in his hand.
"Hey, Emily, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, his eyes cr crling at the corners.
I nodded, my heart skipping a beat. "Of course, Alexander."
He walked in, closing the door behind him, and handed me the papers. "I wanted to go over the marketing strategy for the new product launch. I think we can make some changes to really make it pop."
As we pored over the papers, our heads bent together, I felt a spark of electricity. It was getting harder and harder to ignore the tension between us.
As Alexander and I worked together, the tension between us grew thicker. I could feel his eyes on me, lingering on my skin, and I knew I wasn't imagining the sparks flying between us.
But Sophia was getting increasingly agitated. She would glase at me whenever Alexander was near, and her comments grew more biting.
One day, as we were working on the marketing strategy, Sophia piped up, "I think we should focus on social media, Alexander. It's where the real engagement is."
Alexander nodded, his eyes scanning the data. "I agree, Sophia. But we need to make sure we're targeting the right audience."
I spoke up, "I think I can help with that. I've been analyzing the data, and I think I can pinpoint the exact demographic we're looking for."
Alexander's eyes met mine, and for a moment, we just stared at each other. "I think that's a great idea, Emily," he said, his voice low and smooth.
Sophia's face darkened, and she muttered under her breath, "Of course you'd think that, Emily. You're the CEO's pet."
I felt a surge of anger, but Alexander intervened, his voice firm. "That's enough, Sophia. Let's focus on the task at hand."
As the meeting wrapped up, Alexander asked me to stay behind. My heart racing, I nodded, feeling Sophia's glare burning into my skin.
When we were alone, Alexander turned to me, his eyes intense. "I wanted to talk to you about the marketing strategy. I think you're really onto something with this demographic."
I nodded, trying to keep my cool. "Thanks, Alexander. I think we can really make this work."
As he spoke, his voice low and husky, I felt my resolve weakening. I knew I had to be careful, but I couldn't help the way I felt.
Suddenly, his phone rang, breaking the spell. Alexander answered, his expression darkening. "I have to take this," he said, his voice tight, and walked out of the room, leaving me feeling flushed and confused.