Chapter 6

Brittney’s pov

I froze.

My brain scrambled to recall the key points of his speech, but my nerves betrayed me.

“Well, uh..you mentioned the new expansion into…”

Jordan raised up his hand, I took it as my cue to shut.. the.. fuck ..up.

“If you’re not listening why are you here?”

My cheeks burned in embrassment as I stammered. “I…I was listening, I just…”

“Enough,” he hissed, turning his attention back to the table.

I felt like disappearing, tears pricked the coner of my eyes. I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but how could I not? Being scolded, isn’t something new to me, but coming from someone like him. It made my heart ache.

He continued adresssing the meeting, and I tried as much as possible to avoid his gaze. But I failed every attempt.

When the meeting closed, and we’re back at the office, he said nothing. I kept glancing at him, for clues, anything at least. But his expression was neutral.

I felt worse.

But I kept my composure, I don’t even know how the remaining time went by.

“We’re closed for today, Ms. Summers.” He stated, “you can leave if you’re done.”

Oh, of course I’m done. “Yes sir,”

I turned to leave but his voice stopped me mid step . “Ms. Summers,” he called out. “I’m sorry about earlier.”

I froze, I wasn’t sure if I heard him correctly. Jordan Carter, the same man who seemed to thrive on being intimidating and aloof was apologizing to me?

I turned back to him, my heart beating fast, “no sir, I should be the one apologizing, I’m sorry I wasn’t paying attention at the meeting.”

His gaze softened slightly, and he gave a slight nod. “Jordan, call me Jordan,” he requested, his voice softer than I’ve ever heard.

My heart skipped a beat, unsure of where this was heading. “Okay sir—I mean Jordan.”

His lips quirked slightly, not quite a smile, but something close. “Brittney, I was wondering if you’d join me for a drink. There’s a place nearby.”

The words felt surreal, as though I’d stepped into Someone else’s life. I couldn’t believe my boss, my high school crush, was asking me out.

For a while, I just stood there, staring at him, my pulse racing in confusion. But as tempting as the idea was, I couldn’t accept.

“I appreciate the offer,” I muttered, trying to steady my voice. “But I really can’t.”

His brows furrowed slightly, but his face remained composed. “Can’t, or won’t?”

I swallowed hard, “it’s not about you Jordan. I just….i need to keep things professional between us.”

He studied me, his dark eyes searching for mine. I thought he might challenge me, but instead, he nodded slowly.

“I see,” he muttered, his voice calm but distant.

“I hope you understand,” I added, trying to soften the blow.

“Of course,” he responded. “You have your reasons.”

My heart ached, there was a flicker of disappointment In his eyes, but was hidden by his stoic expression.

“I’ll let you go then,” he stated, turning his attention back to his desk.

“Thank you. Have a good night.” I murmured, clutching the strap of my bag for some support as I head out.

I felt a mix of relief and regret. Turning him down had been the right thing to do. Hadn’t it?

But I couldn’t stop thinking about how he looked at me, or how his voice softened when he called my name. I can’t entertain any of these, there’s too much at stake, my job, my independence, and my already fragile heart.

Whatever it is between us has to stay buried.

For now.

I walked inside my home, the familia smell of home cooked food filled the air. my shoulders, tensed from the long day, eased slightly as i stepped into the house.

“Brittney!” A familiar voice called out from the kitchen.

I blinked in surprise and hurried towards the sound.

“Flora?”

There she was, Standing by the stove, stirring a pot with a wooden spoon in her hand. My younger sister, Flora, had always had an energy that could brighten any room, and seeing her here now, I couldn’t deny the amount of joy im feeling.

“Surprise!!!” She squealed, flashing me a wide grin.

“What are you doing here?” I giggled, rushing over to hug her tightly. It had been months since I’d seen her, and the warmth of her embrace soothed something in me I hadn’t realized was aching.

“I got a break from classes so I thought I’d come visit my favorite sister,” she teased, pulling back to look at me.

“Oh, stop it,” I beamed, laughing as I wiped the moisture from my eyes. “You’re my only sister flora.”

“Exactly,” she shot back with a wink, setting the spoon down and pulling back a chair for me. “Come on, sit down. I’ve got dinner almost ready.”

I obeyed, sinking into the chair with a sigh. “You didn’t have to do this, you know!”

“I wanted to,” she insisted, her tone softened as she glanced at me. “You’ve been through so much lately, Britt. The least I can do is make sure you eat something that doesn’t come out of a vending machine.”

I laughed again, although the sound wavered so slightly. She wasn’t wrong though.

“Still,” I trailed off, watching her move around the kitchen with ease. “It’s really nice to have you here.”

“Nice? Please, you’re lucky,” she teased, handing me a glass of water before sitting across from me. “So, spill. What’s been going on? Work? Life? Mystery men?”

I nearly choked on my drink. “Mystery men? Flora!”

“What?” She giggled, feigning innocence as she leaned forward, her elbows on the table. “You’ve got that look Brittney.”

“What look?”

“The ‘something’s on my mind, but I’m too stubborn to talk about it’ look,” she teased knowingly.

I sighed, “it’s just, work is stressful, that’s all.”

Her gaze softened, “you’re not alone in this, you know that, right? If you need to talk or vent or whatever, just say the word.”

I considered telling her everything. About Jordan, about how Tony treated me, about how torn and vulnerable I feel.

But I couldn’t, not yet.

I offered a small smile instead, “thank you flora. It means a lot.”

“Anytime,” she replied, standing up to check on the food. “Now let’s eat, and then we can binge watch something cheesy and awful. Sounds good?”

I laughed, truly laughed this time and nodded. “Sounds perfect.