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I leaned my head against my desk. A deep groan tore out of my lips. It was eight o'clock at night. I'd been working hectically since I settled into my desk that morning.
There was an important meeting with some potential investors, and I needed to prepare for it. I'd spent the whole day preparing slideshows, talking points, and discussing strategy with the different members of my team.
I skipped lunch, in favor of working. I was even more grateful for the breakfast Sophia brought because of that.
Speaking of Sophia, I hadn’t had a chance to talk to her all day. Despite her working just outside my door, we hadn't had a chance to interact at all. It seemed she was equally as busy as I was. Whenever I caught sight of her, she was rushing off to one place or the other.
I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes. I didn't think I could stand to look at another slide. I stood up and winced at how stiff my neck felt. I rolled my head around for my neck to crack. I walked to the door; perhaps I'd walk around for a few minutes, just to stretch my legs.
I stepped out of my office and paused when I saw Sophia. She had her head on the desk resting on a stack of documents and she was fast asleep. I couldn’t help but notice she was snoring ever so softly.
Her arms were positioned like a pillow. Her dark brown hair fell around her. A smile tugged at my lips at the sight of her.
Suddenly, she jolted awake. Her gaze bounced around the office in confusion before she sighed. A piece of paper was stuck to one side of her face and her hair was a bit messy. Still, she looked perfect to me.
She blinked rapidly when she saw me. She rubbed her eyes. "Alex. I mean Sir Haynes. I mean, Mr. Haynes."
I shivered when my name rolled off her tongue. It sounded perfect on her lips. She'd only ever called me that when we were kissing. Hearing her say it made my smile widen.
"It's okay. You can call me Alex if you want." I shrugged. "Work hours are over anyway."
She finger-combed her hair. "I'm so sorry I fell asleep. I'm just so tired because I had a bad night and then this morning." She shook her head. "There's no excuse. It won't happen again."
"Don't worry about it." I bit my lip and then pointed behind me to my office. "Do you want to take a break in my office?"
"No." She shook her head again. "I don't need a break. It's fine."
"You have paper stuck to your face."
She felt around her cheeks. Her eyes widened when she touched the paper, and she ripped it off her face quickly.
"It'll just be a short break in my office. We could have some coffee." I yawned into my hand. "We both need it."
"Alright. Coffee sounds great." She pushed herself away from her desk and rose to her feet. Her lavender top was a bit rumpled, and she'd untucked it from her skirt. It wasn't until we were back in my office that I realized she was also barefoot.
Her toenails were painted pink. Her small feet made no noise as she followed me to the coffee maker in my office.
"I didn't know you were still here." I scooped coffee grounds into the machine. "I thought you left hours ago."
"If I was leaving, I would have told you. I always tell you when I leave."
"Yeah, but you've never worked this late before. I figured you forgot or something." I placed two mugs down as the coffee brewed.
"I could never forget about anything related to you." She flushed at her words. I felt my heart speed up in my chest.
"I'm still grateful for it. I'm grateful for you." She mixed in some honey with her coffee. I left mine plain and black. "Let me repay you for it."
She laughed quietly. "You got me a car. That seems like payment enough."
"That was because I wanted to. This would be because you deserve it."
"You don't need to. It's my job."
She held her cup to her lips, but she paused when she saw the windows. She moved closer, gazing out in awe. I didn't blame her. The city came alive with lights when the sun went down.
The buildings and billboards all lit up in the night and Sophia stayed frozen to the window.
