“You let me helpyoutoo. Henry’s stubborn — he’s never once asked me for a personal favour. Well, unless you count that time he made me pick up his dry cleaning.”
James gasps dramatically. “He didn’t!”
I laugh. “He did. But seriously — if you need anything, please call me. Here, take my mobile number.”
“Well, I can’t refuse a lovely lady’s number, now can I?” James chuckles. He’s such a flirt. How this sunshine of a man raised a walking raincloud like Henry is beyond me.
An alert pops up — the Wrights are waiting on Teams. I quickly finish the call and patch them through.
The meeting goes surprisingly smoothly. Henry lets me jump in with suggestions, and Mrs Wright takes an instant shine to me. By the time I’m gushing about infinity pools and ocean-view kitchens, she’s grinning like a cat in cream. When the meeting ends, I glance at Henry — his expression unreadable.
I start gathering my notes, assuming he’ll dismiss me as usual, when I remember James’s call. “Oh — your dad rang earlier. He said the doctors might let him go home tomorrow. He sounded really good, Henry.”
His head lifts, and for the briefest moment, the exhaustion in his eyes softens into relief. “That’s… great news. Thank you.”
His gaze lingers on me — steady, searching. It’s intense enough to make my pulse trip. I have to look away before I combust.
“Oh, and Matilda,” he says quietly, his voice rough around the edges. “Great job today. Really.”
My heart flips.Great job.From Henry. I might actually frame those words.
“Y–yes,” I stammer. “Thank you. I’ll pencil in a meeting to go over the next steps.”
He nods, that small smile ghosting his lips — the kind of smile that could undo a person if they weren’t careful.
The warmth lingers long after I leave his office. I can’t seem to shake it — that heavy, magnetic pull between us. Every time I glance through the glass wall, Henry’s there, eyes on me, green and unreadable.
By the time I check the schedule and see the only slot available for our project meeting is Thursday at 5 p.m., my brain’s mush. I send the calendar invite and swear I hear the faint chime of his computer. When I look up, he’s already watching me — and this time, there’s the faintest flicker of a smile.
I need to leave before I start imagining things. Preferably somewhere with wine. Lots of it.
I grab my phone and text Rachel:
Matilda: Wine. My place. 8:00 p.m.?
Her reply is instant.
Sis <3: I’ll bring Chinese.
Perfect. I’ll bring the confusion, the butterflies, and the overwhelming need to figure out what the hell is happeningbetween me and my emotionally unavailable, dangerously attractive boss.
Ten
Henry
I’m not sure when something shifted in me—when I started looking at Matilda Green in a completely different light. Maybe it was the night I dropped her home, the flash of her red heels against the car floor, her bare legs crossed at the knees. Maybe it was her wide-eyed look when she thought I was going to kiss her—or maybe it was the fullness of her mouth that made the idea so damn tempting.
Or maybe it was this morning, when she took my hand without hesitation. No overthinking, no words—just quiet understanding. The warmth of her skin seeped into me, steadying something that’s been off-kilter for a long time.
Whenever it happened, it’s completely screwed with my head.
Every time I glance through the glass now, she’s already looking back. Those blue eyes—wide, curious, unfiltered.
Her calendar invite pings for Thursday’s meeting, and I stare at it longer than necessary. I’ll probably have to cancel sinceDad’s being discharged tomorrow, but truthfully, I don’t want to. I want the time alone with her. To figure her out. To figureusout—whateverthisis.
The once bouncy, overly cheerful assistant has turned into this quiet puzzle of floral heels and ridiculous pens. When did she get that Baby Yoda pen? How did I never notice?
Hours slip by, and I try to focus on work, but my brain refuses to cooperate. Then I see her rise from her desk, slipping on her coat, blonde curls falling over her shoulders. I check the time—5 p.m. She’s leaving. My eyes drift down to her legs, then the heels.
