A Bet

Emma could still feel the weight of Chris’s words pressing against her as she left his office. The confidence in his tone and his absolute certainty that he would win were infuriating.

As soon as she stepped outside, the senior secretary, a woman in her mid-fifties with sharp eyes and a no-nonsense demeanour was already waiting for her.

“You must be Emma,” the woman said, giving her a quick once-over. “I’m Margaret, the senior secretary, and you'll be his assistant. I've been informed that you're starting immediately; let’s not waste any time.”

Emma straightened her posture. “Of course.”

Margaret nodded approvingly. “Good. Follow me.”

Margaret led her through a brief orientation, explaining company policies and her daily responsibilities and introducing her to a few coworkers.

The work wasn’t complicated—mostly managing schedules, organising files, and ensuring that Chris’s day ran smoothly, not forgetting the part she'd need to follow him on trips and business meetings.

After the introductions, Emma began her tasks for the day, losing herself in the process.

The hours passed quickly. Emma kept busy answering calls, organising schedules, and familiarising herself with the work environment.

She was relieved to have something to occupy her mind and take her focus away from her egotistical boss and the ridiculous challenge she had agreed to.

As the office began to wind down for the day, Chris remained at his desk, running his fingers through his dark hair, a habit he had when he was deep in thought.

The soft buzz of his phone pulled him from his reverie, and upon seeing the caller ID, he sighed. He knew exactly why she was calling; he had told her countless times he wasn't interested, but she insisted on pushing him.

"Mother," he said the moment he answered the call, tilting his chair back for a more comfortable position, knowing he was in for a long conversation.

"You haven't been coming home lately," she said. He didn’t want to explain that his absence was due to her constant pressure to do things he didn’t want to do.

"I've been busy, Mother," he replied instead.

"You’re always busy. I want you to come home today, Christopher," she said, sounding more like a demand than a request.

Chris exhaled, understanding that arguing was futile with that tone she had used. “Fine. I’ll come by later.”

“Good.” She hung up before he could change his mind.

He ran a hand through his hair again, taking a deep breath as he pushed himself up from his desk.

Rolling his shoulders, he stepped out of his office. His gaze immediately landed on Emma, who was shutting down her computer, gathering her things, and preparing to leave.

He smirked and walked over to her.

“I can drop you off,” he offered casually, hands in his pockets.

Emma stiffened before she rose to meet his gaze and shook her head firmly. “No, thanks. I’ll manage,” she said in a rush.

There was no way she was letting herself be in a private space with him. That would give him the chance to flirt with her, but she didn't want that.

Chris tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into that infuriating smirk she was beginning to hate.

“You know, saying no today doesn’t mean you won’t agree tomorrow… or the day after,” he murmured, his smirk deepening when he noticed her cheeks flush.

Seeing her unsettled, he chuckled, before stepping past her toward the elevator.

Emma let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. He had a way of getting under her skin, and she kept letting him do that.

Shaking her head, she packed her things and headed out, stopping by Margaret's office to inform her that she was leaving for the day.

Stepping out of the company building, she inhaled the evening air before bringing out her phone from her purse to call for a ride, something she had planned on doing while still in the office, if not because of Christopher Jacobs.

After booking the ride, she was just about to put the phone in her bag when it rang; checking the caller ID, she retreated to a small shaded area designated for employees and settled onto a bench before answering.

“Hey,” she greeted, her voice a mixture of anticipation and fatigue.

Ivy’s voice was practically vibrating with excitement. “So? How did the interview go?”

Emma exhaled. “It wasn’t exactly an interview,” she said, making Ivy frown in confusion.

“Uh… what do you mean?” she asked in curiously.

“My boss is my one-night stand guy,” Emma said, and Ivy frowned since Emma hadn't told her about having one-night stands.

“What one-night stand, guy? When and how did you have a one-night stand?” Ivy asked in confusion.

Emma bit her lip before launching into an explanation. She told Ivy everything—the moment she stepped into Zeden, how Evelyn had taken her to the club and how she'd met Chris and told him about the job. She went further to explain how she had walked into her supposed boss's office only to realise who Chris really was, the tension-filled conversation in his office, and the way he seemed to enjoy watching her squirm.

By the time she finished, Ivy was cackling.

“Oh my 'God', Emma, this is 'gold'!” she said, making Emma groan.

Ivy just wasn't getting her point. “It’s 'not' gold, Ivy. It’s a nightmare.”

“No, babe, this is a ‘romance novel waiting to happen’,” Ivy interjected through her giggles. “You 'slept' with your boss before even knowing who he was. That’s straight-up ‘forbidden office romance’ levels of juicy!” Emma could hardly argue, knowing Ivy had always been a die-hard romantic, and to think she was already thinking something could happen between her and her boss just seemed to make arguing more difficult.

Rolling her eyes, Emma grumbled, “Not helping.”

“Okay, okay. Why didn't you tell me about this? What if he hadn't challenged you that way? Would you have really missed this opportunity of rebuilding your life?” Ivy asked, and Emma sighed.

“I really don't know what I'm doing, Vee,” Emma said, and Ivy could hear the distress in her tone.

“Is he hot?” Ivy asked, making Emma frown as she wondered what that had to do with the whole discussion.

“What does that have to do with—”

“It has everything to do with you working for him. So tell me. Is he hot?” she asked again.

Emma hesitated before muttering, “Yes, but...”

Ivy grinned through the phone. “And how was the sex?” she asked again, and Emma groaned.

“Seriously, Vee?”

“Just answer.”

Emma sighed, cheeks warming. “It was… good.”

Ivy gasped dramatically. “Emma!”

“What?” Emma asked in confusion.

“You hesitated. Which means it wasn’t just "good'. It was 'mind-blowing'.”

Emma huffed out a heated breath before answering. “Fine! It was 'amazing'. Happy now?”

Ivy burst out laughing. “Very.” Then, in a more serious tone, she said, “Listen, Em, if you don’t want to end up in his bed 'again', I’d advise you to quit now. Quit now that you have the chance.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “It’s not like that. What happened between us was just a spur-of-the-moment thing,” Emma said irritably.

Why was everyone doubting her self-control? First, it was Christopher, now Ivy. She would prove them wrong.

Ivy hummed thoughtfully. “Sure, sure. But I bet you won’t last a month without falling for his charm again. Judging from all you said, he's going to actively pursue you. Can you resist him?”

Emma narrowed her eyes. “I will 'not' end up in his bed again, and yes, I can.”

Ivy’s laughter turned sly. “Wanna bet on that?”

“What?” Emma asked incredulously.

“You want to bet on actively resisting him? You think I'm underestimating you, don't you?” Ivy said, and Emma paused, her competitive streak kicking in.

“What are we betting?” she asked after a moment's thought.

Ivy hummed in thought. “I’ll think about it and tell you when you eventually lose to me.”

Emma sighed and shook her head. “You’re impossible.”

“And 'you’re' in trouble,” Ivy teased. “Careful, Em. That man sounds like danger wrapped in a designer suit.”

Emma sighed, staring up at the city skyline. She already 'knew' that, but she wasn't about to back down from a challenge—well, two now if she were to count Ivy's bet.

"So, how was the day's work?" Ivy asked, shifting away from their previous conversation.

Exhaling a breath, Emma launched into how her day went. They were still talking when her ride arrived.

After saying her goodbyes, she ended the call and walked over to her ride.

Though she knew she enjoyed that night with Chris and would've loved to have something like that again, she wasn't going to let that happen especially now that she knew he was her boss.

Now, she was more determined to prove not just Ivy wrong but also her boss.

However, deep down, a small, treacherous part of her wondered if she could really resist the temptation that was Christopher Jacobs.