Chapter 0002

“No way, no way!” Annie squeals as she grabs my phone from my hands. Her pale blue eyes sparkle with mischief. “He knows this is a pub, yet here he is, rushing over like your knight in shining armor!”

“This is absolutely crazy. I can’t even believe it! Five minutes? That’s so fast!” Lily cries, her arm catapulting back for the phone.

The two of them are growing louder by the second, and now I’m starting to get a headache and regret my message.

I’m honestly speechless now. My friends must be overthinking things, surely. I mean, Anderson is just so professional in the office. He cares for his subordinates, and I know that.

Besides, I’ve never messaged him outside of the working hours in the past, so that must have made him inclined to believe it must be something serious.

Even if that’s not the case, I can’t help but continue panicking in my head over the fact Anderson will be here soon.

As the end of the five minutes approaches, Lily and Annie decide to step aside to let me handle this situation on my own. They sit at a table in the back of the bar, watching me like I’m their newest form of entertainment.

Standing at what I can imagine to be over six feet tall, Derek Anderson is a white yet tanned man in his late thirties with dark brown hair on his head. He has his usual dark smudges under his eyes, which match his exhaustion. He’s also just about one of the most good-looking men I’ve ever seen.

Anderson approaches, keeping his smile spread out on his face. I take a deep breath, and tell myself to calm down.

“Congratulations on your promotion, Esme,” Anderson says once he’s closed the distance. He looks really good tonight.

“T-Thank you,” I stutter out, trying to keep my composure. “I’m looking forward to taking on the new responsibilities.”

We both sit at the bar together, still keeping one another in our line of sight.

I do put a lot of time into my job, and it is genuinely rewarding and fulfilling. I mean, the years I’ve put into it have given me such a rush of pride. But thinking of Ryan’s complaints scratches at the surface of my skin.

“I brought you a gift to celebrate,” Anderson states, holding out a small bag for me to take from him.

Surprised, I reached out for the bag. What could he have possibly grabbed for me in the five minutes it took for him to arrive?

I slowly open the box, seeing a beautiful necklace inside. My jaw drops.

“W-w-what? How did you—?”

Anderson gives me a smile, nodding at the box. “I happened to notice your phone’s wallpaper recently, and…” He rubs the back of his neck. “I hope that it wasn’t too personal.”

I can’t hide my stunned expression. This is so thoughtful of Anderson, and I raise my eyes to his. How do I even thank him for this?

The necklace, a beautiful silver chain with a dark blue heart wrapped around it, was supposed to be a gift hint for Ryan to find. I picked it out because I knew how perfect it would match my own dark blue eyes.

I’ve been eyeing this for weeks and was so, so hopeful he would figure out my desire to own it.

I’m so confused because this is like my dream birthday! Though, in reality, it’s all a mess—yet here I stand with my own boss, my eyes wide and mouth agape as I hold onto the beautiful jewelry.

This is Anderson handing over this gift, though. Not my own husband.

“So, what’s the matter?”

“I’m getting a divorce!” I blurt out without a thought.

My boss’s expression morphs, and he gives off a strange expression. “Sorry?” He questions.

My nerves are growing, and I feel inexplicably and desperately wanting to escape this incredibly awkward situation. My personal life doesn’t need to be brought up in front of Anderson, so what am I doing talking to him like we’re old friends catching up?

Out of professionalism, it’s imperative that my personal matters are handled privately and have nothing to do with him. What am I even doing calling him to the bar and divulging that I’m leaving Ryan behind?

Abruptly, I make my voice sound natural, though it doesn’t feel as such. “What I meant to say was,” I start, another breath to calm myself. “I’d like to request time off.”

Anderson raises his left eyebrow.

I nearly cough. “I need to handle the…related paperwork, if that’s okay, sir?”

“Is that all?” Anderson asks after the silence becomes too stuffy. He’s frowning slightly, and I notice his posture slightly worsen.

For some reason, as I continue to stare at the man, I feel a sense of something. Is it…disappointment? Why?

Instead of probing him with more questions, I nod my head up at the tall man. His eyes, dark and honestly somewhat mysterious, crash against my skin like a hot laser burning into me.

“That’s all, yes,” I finally reply.

“Very well,” Anderson says, straightening his suit jacket. “Your time off is approved. Though, I have one more question, Esme.”

I turn my head to the side at the statement.

“Are you here alone tonight?” Anderson asks.

Not wanting to lie but still feeling a bit nervous, I nod my head again. “Yes, I am.”

Anderson stands back up to depart, wiping something off of his jacket. As he does this, a waiter comes up to me and deposits a drink in front of me.

“Oh, no, I didn’t order—” I start to say, unsure where this mystery drink came from.

“Charge it double and put it on my tab.”Anderson deadpans.