No room to refuse

(Sebastian) I had spent most of Monday pretending I hadn't seen Zara Morgan outside the conference room. It wasn't working. Every time someone mentioned the new marketing coordinator, I remembered her standing beside Priya, staring at me as though she'd seen a ghost. I hadn't expected to see her again after finding that note beside my watch. I certainly hadn't expected her to work for me. I read her personnel file twice before closing it. Her qualifications were excellent, and the campaign she'd presented during her interview was better than most proposals I'd received this quarter. She had earned her position without my involvement. That mattered more now than it had yesterday. At four thirty, I asked Priya to send Zara to my office before she left. “Is this about onboarding?” Priya asked. “There's something I need to discuss with her.” “Of course, Mr. Wolfe.” After she left, I tried to finish a contract. I read the same paragraph three times without understanding it. That irritated me more than I cared to admit. No woman had ever distracted me from work like this. A knock came at five. “Come in.” Zara entered with her bag over one arm. Her hair was still pinned back, and her expression told me she would rather be anywhere else. She closed the door but stayed beside it. I stood behind my desk. “You wanted to see me, Mr. Wolfe?” “Sebastian is fine.” “Not here, it isn't.” I looked at her for a moment. “All right. Mr. Wolfe, then.” “Is there a problem with my paperwork?” “No. Your paperwork is fine.” “Then why am I here?” “You left without saying goodbye.” Her eyes widened. “You're joking.” “Not entirely.” “I left a note.” “I noticed. Very thoughtful of you to tell me not to miss you.” She looked toward the door. “I thought we agreed it was one night.” “We agreed not to exchange names.” “And now we know them. Congratulations to both of us.” Despite myself, I smiled. She was nothing like the employees who agreed with everything I said. Zara was clearly nervous, but she refused to let me use that against her. I liked that about her. It also made this conversation more difficult. “I've added you to the executive rebranding project,” I said. Her expression changed immediately. “You did what?” “The team begins tomorrow. You'll be working directly with me and several department heads.” “Why?” “Your interview presentation impressed the hiring committee.” “That's not what I asked.” I walked around the desk. “I wanted you on the project.” “Because of my work, or because of Friday?” I didn't answer quickly enough. She gave a humorless laugh. “That's what I thought.” “Your work is good, Zara.” “Then let it speak for itself. I spent weeks preparing for those interviews, and I didn't even know who you were.” “I know.” “Do you? Because you've just given people a reason to think I got special treatment.” I stopped a few feet away. She was right, and I hated that I'd put her in this position. I'd seen her name on the project list and used my authority to move it higher. At the time, I'd told myself her qualifications justified it. “I shouldn't have made that decision without speaking to you,” I said. “No, you shouldn't have.” “I won't remove you unless that's what you want. The work deserves to be considered on its own.” “And if I say I don't want to work directly with you?” “Then we'll discuss another assignment with the team.” She seemed surprised by that. I wasn't sure whether to be offended or embarrassed. Perhaps I had given her enough reasons to expect the worst. She shifted her bag higher on her arm. “I need this job,” she said. “Not because I want to be near you. Because I've worked for it.” “I understand.” “I don't think you do. Ryan spent three years making me feel foolish, and I finally have something that's mine. I'm not risking it for another man who thinks he can make decisions for me.” Her words stung, although I deserved them. I wanted to tell her I wasn't Ryan, but she already knew that. What she didn't know was whether I could be trusted. I couldn't demand that she believe me. “Friday wasn't a mistake to me,” I said. She looked up. “It was supposed to stay separate from my life.” “Was it a mistake to you?” She took a moment to answer. “I don't regret it. That doesn't mean I want it happening again.” I stepped aside, leaving the path to the door clear. “I won't ask you to pretend it meant nothing. But I won't make your job depend on what happens between us either.” “Good.” She reached for the handle, then stopped. “And please don't call me Trouble at work.” “Understood, Ms. Morgan.” She opened the door. Before leaving, she turned back and looked at me. For a second, I thought she might say something else. Instead, she walked away. I sat at my desk and stared at the project file. I'd wanted to see her again, and I'd managed to make her question whether she belonged here. That wasn't what I'd intended. Intentions didn't change what I'd done. My phone was beside the keyboard. I opened a message to Priya and began asking for Zara's schedule for the week. Halfway through, I stopped. Knowing where she was every hour wouldn't make her trust me. I deleted the message. Then an email arrived from the project coordinator. The subject read: Rebranding Team Assignment Concerns. I opened it, expecting a question about staffing or deadlines. Instead, I found a forwarded comment from Marcus Reid in strategy. Why has a brand new marketing coordinator been placed on the CEO's priority project before completing her first day? Who approved this exception? I read it twice. Marcus hadn't mentioned Zara by name, but he didn't need to. He'd noticed her appointment already. And by tomorrow, other people might be asking the same question. Zara had warned me exactly what could happen. I had just given them a reason to doubt her.