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His words echo in my mind for the rest of the night.
13
HUNTER
As the night progresses, I notice that something seems off with Maya. There's tension in her smile, a certain distance in her eyes that wasn't there before. I watch her make her way through the crowd, her laughter ringing out as she converses with people she has met. But I can tell something is bothering her.
Finally, I find Maya standing alone, looking out over the balcony.
"Maya... is everything all right?" I take my fingertips to her shoulder strap.
She turns to me. "Of course. Why wouldn't it be?" Her voice is full of forced cheerfulness.
"You seem... distant," I press. "Something's not right."
She gives me a playful shove, her laughter a little too high-pitched. "You're imagining things, Boss. It's been a long day, that's all."
I look at her, unconvinced. There's a moment of silence between us. Finally, she lets out a sigh, a mixture of frustration and sadness.
"Okay, fine!" She crosses her arms over her chest. "You hurt my feelings, all right? There, I said it!"
Finally, she let it out.
"What did I do?" I am careful to keep my voice gentle so she doesn't spin out into a tornado of emotion. I know how women are.
She glares at me for a moment. "You said I wasjustyour assistant, Hunter."
It takes me a few moments to understand what she's trying to say. I find myself replaying our conversation with David. My words replay in my mind."She's just my new assistant."
I hurt her feelings? I didn't mean it that way, of course. It was just... easier that way. Less complicated. I was caught off guard.
"Maya... I... I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You're more than an assistant to me."
She's not convinced.
"It's just... It flew so effortlessly out of your mouth..."
I notice that her voice is a little shaky.
"I was caught off guard. I didn't know how to respond. I... I panicked a little." I admit, my eyes dropping to the floor. "How about we talk about it tonight when we get back on the yacht?"
"Promise?"
I give her a nod. "I promise.” I take a deep breath, deciding to try to lighten the mood. “Besides, you can’t stay mad at a guy who got you a Dior gown, can you?” I say, raising an eyebrow at her.
She raises an eyebrow back at me in retaliation. I knew that'd get her riled up. "That is a low blow, Hunter. Using the gown to your advantage."
"Hey, I'll use whatever I can to get back on your good side and off of your sass list." I give her my best charming look.
"All right, all right." She shakes her head, fighting back a smile. "We'll talk about it tonight. For now, I'm still mad at you."
"Fair." I extend my hand out to hers "Ready to ditch this party and make our own?
She rolls her eyes at me but puts her hand in mine. "Only if you promise to keep that charming wit of yours in check."
"No promises, darling." I wink at her, leading her toward the exit, slipping out so nobody sees us.
As we're about to slip away to the car, a voice stops us. "Hunter, Maya!"
