Mina closed the door of her office after getting in, then leaned on it with her hand still on the door handle and sighed deeply, closing her eyes.
Three seconds later, she opened her eyes and quickly looked around the office, making sure Jared hadn't somehow gotten there first. There was no telling what that devil could do.
"Get it together, Mina." She muttered, walking to her desk and taking a seat.
Just few days ago, her mind was occupied only by the thoughts of getting this contract. She had hoped and prayed and worried over it. Her friends had joined her too... partly. For the most part, they were teasing her, saying she only prayed when she needed something from God, which wasn't far from the truth if she was going to be honest with herself. But she wasn't.
Now, she'd gotten the contract AND another thing to occupy her mind so much she could hardly think about the contract.
Why him? Of all the people in Forte, why Jared freaking Onfroy?
Her phone chimed. A text from Maggie. "What's up? Still alive? Or should I call HR to file a workplace exorcism?"
She almost laughed. Almost.
Instead, she replied. "He's here. The project started today."
"WHAT?!" Maggie replied almost instantly. Then;
"Okay, deep breaths, little demon. No need to murder him before payday."
Mina tossed her phone on the desk and sighed. Her reflection in the glass wall looked composed - smooth bun, crisp white shirt, red lipstick that screamed confidence and authority. Unfortunately, her pulse told a different story.
Underneath the corporate armor, her heart was still doing laps around Jared Onfroy's voice.
"That's unacceptable." She muttered, with a determined look on her face.
She had spent two years building herself back up, brick by stubborn brick, picking the pieces of her shattered heart in the process. He might have left with most of the pieces, yeah, but she wasn't about to let a smooth talking bastard from her past bulldoze it all down.
A knock came at the door.
She straightened immediately. "Come in."
It was Nia, the bubbly intern from earlier with a stack of files that looked taller than her entire work experience.
"Ma'am, these just came in from the legal team. Mr. Onfroy asked that you..."
"Leave them there." Mina interrupted, her tone sharp.
"Yes, ma'am." Nia murmured, setting down the files. Then, "uh... he said he'd like to see you... after lunch. To finalize the project deadline."
Mina smiled tightly. "Oh, of course he would."
Few minutes after Nia left, Mina opened her laptop, determined to lose herself in emails and contracts. But no, there he was already, in her inbox. Jared Onfroy, subject headline: "Timeline Review - 3pm?"
She glared at the screen. "He thinks I breathe on his schedule, huh?"
Still, she typed back, "Fine. My office. Don't be late."
Two minutes later, a reply; "Wouldn't dare to."
She cursed under her breath. "Son of a..."
By 3pm sharp, Jared was there.
Same clean-cut suit, same cologne that seemed to live rent-free in her senses.
He stepped in, smile small but genuine. Was there anything still genuine about him?
"You said not to be late."
"Sit." She said, rolling her eyes and then focusing on her laptop. "Let's keep this efficient."
"You look..." He started.
"Busy." She cut in, smoothly. "I know."
The corners of his mouth twitched. "That's not what I was going to say."
"I don't care." She said, typing on the keyboard aggressively, not because she was being professional, but because she needed her hands busy or else it'd be all over him instead.
They discussed project milestones, budget allocations, deadline -- all the while trying hard not to stare at each other for too long at a time.
At one point, they both reached over for the same document, and their hands brushed. For a second, neither of them moved.
Mina blinked first, then pulled back fast.
"Mr. Onfroy. Focus, please."
"I'm trying. That's the problem." He said quietly.
She looked up sharply. And there it was again.. that face, that warmth. That maddening,dangerous warmth.
For a moment, she forgot where they were, the office, the staff, the whole world, everything.
Her mind flashed back briefly to the nights she'd fall asleep on his chest while he hummed tunelessly into her hair. To the morning she'd found out he'd left her for a man who could offer him something she couldn't. What that was, she still hadn't figured out.
And it still hurt. God, it still hurt.
But she wasn't going to show it. Not to him.
Then her phone chimed again, a text from Maggie lighting up the screen; "Just checking in. You stabbed him yet?"
This time, she couldn't help but huff a laugh.
"What's funny?" Jared asked.
"Nothing that concerns you." She said, coolly. "Meeting's over. You can leave now."
He didn't.
Instead, he stood slowly, looking right at her like he was memorizing every part of her face.
"Fine." He said finally. "But you can keep pretending all you want, Mina. We both know this isn't over."
The door clicked shut behind him.. and Mina would've sworn her head was about to explode. The silence he left behind had her whole heart, brain, mind, body filled with the ghost of feelings she swore were dead.
She rubbed her temples hard. "Lord, give me strength. Or a new Project Manager."
Because he was the one who walked away two years ago. And now he was walking back into her life like nothing had shattered.
"Get it together, Mina." She said, taking a deep breath in. "You've survived worse. You'll survive him."
Her phone chimed again and she swiftly picked it up. But it wasn't from Maggie this time. It was a notification from HR; "Mandatory Team Retreat - Chai Beach Resort. Attendance required."
She froze. The email listed all department heads... including Project Manager: Jared Onfroy.
Mina let out a low groan, dragging her hands down her face. "Oh, hell no."