Chapter 8

Allison’s POV

I quickly made a hand gesture to Hannah, and my eyes grew wide, beckoning her silently. I wagged my head from side to side, hoping my friend would pick up on the urgency in the actions. Hannah faltered in mid-sentence, the weight of my unsaid request settling in.

"Uh, anyway," Hannah said, looking back and forth between me and Collen as her voice tapered off. "Let's change the subject."

Collen’s brow furrowed slightly as his curiosity was piqued. I knew he could tell there was more to the story, something big Allison was trying to avoid. He respected her privacy, but the wolf inside him growled at the lack of answers and understanding.

The rest of lunch was eaten in near silence, broken only by fits and starts of contrived conversation. I concentrated on my food, chewing my forkfuls of green beans mechanically as I struggled to pull my thoughts together. I could feel Collen's eyes on me, weighted with unspoken questions.

As we walked back to the office, Collen walked close to me, his presence both comforting and unnerving. When we reached the building, Hannah excused herself, giving me a quick hug before heading back toward her desk.

I was about to talk to Collen when Hannah rushed up to us, concern etched on her face. "Hey, guys. Sorry to interrupt, but I just got a memo. The company has ordered everyone to stay behind after work today. There's some important information we all need to hear."

I and Collen exchanged glances. "What's it about?" Colleen asked.

Hannah shrugged, scowling in confusion. "I don't know. The e-mail didn't say anything, just that it's mandatory." A wave of trepidation shot through my stomach. I wasn't a fan of surprises, not after the emotionally exhausting day I’d had so far. "Did it say how long it would take?" Hannah shook her head. "Nope, just that we all have to be there in the main conference room.

I went back to my desk and buried myself in some work; at the appointed time, we all assembled in the conference room.

"As many of you are aware, lately, the company has undergone some dramatic changes. We've been venturing into new markets and expanding our operations. In that respect, we are going to work on a new project that will involve interdepartmental cooperation." The boss addressed them.

The room murmured with interest and concern. I locked eyes with Hannah, whose expression showed curiosity but a little concern.Their boss raised his hand for silence. "This is a huge project that will require staff members from two different departments to be paired and work closely. We believe it's going to not only foster good teamwork but also bring fresh perspectives to our work."

Excitement flickered through me. I was intrigued by the idea of working hand-in-hand with someone from another department. Straight away, my thoughts went to Hannah and how great it would be to share a big project like this with her.

The boss chimed in, "We did think a lot about the strengths of everybody and what would make good pairings so that we're most successful. You won't be able to select your partners because it has been previously done by the company. We feel that these pairings will help bring out the best in every one of you.".

At his words, my excitement dimmed a bit. I turned to Hannah, who smiled reassuringly at me. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll get paired up together. We make a great team."Hannah said.

Collen had been sitting to the side, quietly, until now, when he leaned over and softly said, "Allison, you know we're in different departments, right? It's unlikely you'll be paired with Hannah."

I felt my heart sink. I hadn't thought about that." But… I was hoping…

Collen shrugged slightly. "I know. This project, though, is supposed to cross-match skills and viewpoints. It wouldn't make any sense for them to match up people who already work closely with each other." Before I could say anything else, our boss started calling out pairings. The room was quiet as all of us listened for our names.

With every name called, my anxiety increased. I felt Hannah squeeze my hand reassuringly. "It'll be fine, Allison. Whoever you get paired with, you'll do great."

Finally, the boss said, "Allison and Collen."

At that moment, I felt my heart skip a beat. I looked at Collen, who seemed equally stunned by the announcement. Hannah's jaw dropped in shock. "Oh my god, Allison! Are you paired with Collen?

Slowly, Collen recovered first; the corners of his mouth curled up into a small smile. "Looks like we'll be working together after all."

My mind raced. I had been dreading having to deal with my complicated feelings for Collen at work, and now we were going to be partners on a major project. It felt like the universe was playing a cruel joke on me.

Hannah squeezed her hand again, this time in sympathy. "I'm sorry, Allison. I know you were hoping we'd be paired up. But maybe this will be a good thing. You two might make a great team."

I nodded, trying to think positively. "Yeah, maybe. It's just... unexpected."

The meeting finally ended. I sat there, fuming and nervous. I had been counting on knowing who my pair was, and here it was, Collen, the same person I had tried by all means to avoid. And to make matters worse, he seemed excited about it.

Colleen turned to me with a smug smile on his face. "Looks like we're going to be working together, Allison. I think we're going to make a great team."

I forced myself to smile as my mind began to race. "Yeah, I guess so." I tried to rid my tone of bitterness, though it was quite hard. I had been looking forward to the project as something that would take my mind off things.

Hannah picked up on my unease and smiled sympathetically at me. "Allison, this might just work out okay. You and Collen can draw out the best in each other. You're both so talented."

I appreciated Hannah’s attempt at positivity, but it didn’t ease my unease. I turned back to Collen. “I hope you’re right, Hannah.”