The Hookup Pact

14| Evelyn

Atlas Griffin was everywhere. Everywhere!

Every corner I turned, he was there. If not in person, then there were those stupid posters with his stupidly handsome face plastered all across campus. It was a painful reminder of that Saturday night which I desperately wanted to erase from my memory. The worst part, the posters were made by my team and I had approved them weeks ago. Talk about digging your own grave.

It also didn't help that after spending one night with him, my libido had skyrocketed after being dormant for months. I was going crazy and this man was the sole reason for it. Even when I tried to go solo with my trusty vibrator, the moment I closed my eyes, his face would flash in front of me. The events of that night at the penthouse would play on repeat with excruciating details until I was a complete mess.

And then the wave of shame would wash over me for fantasizing about him. I, out of all people, should have known better. I knew how little he thought of everyone else, of women once he was through with them and yet I let myself fall into his trap.

The reasoning that I was using him as much as he was using me comforted me only for so long because, in the end, I had let him get to me. I should have known better than falling in bed with him at the first opportunity I got after successfully keeping him at bay for two years.

I sighed when I saw yet another poster of him in the elevator of the media building as I made my way up to our studio. It had been two weeks to the night that shall not be mentioned ever again and I had successfully avoided him so far. He did try to chase me down on Monday when I went to submit the interview questions list and the order to the coach but I escaped.

For the life of me, I couldn't understand what he wanted. I had fully expected him to ignore my existence but boy was I wrong. He had literally chased me down like I had stolen his family's heirloom.

I knew I had to face him sooner than later and with the interviews starting next week, it was going to be the former. Well, I did keep him last on the list to convince myself that that would give me more time before facing him. Which I knew was bullshit but right now I needed that.

The doors of the elevator opened on the fourth floor and I walked out, pushing the studio door open. As soon as I stepped in, Samantha hurried towards me with a worried expression on her face. "Can we talk?" she asked, her voice tense.

My brows furrowed as I met her blue eyes that were desperately avoiding my gaze. She looked way too frazzled for noon. "Sure. What is it?" I asked.

She bit her lip and gestured at the door with her chin. "Let's step outside."

Now, that had alarm bells ringing in my head. Something was wrong. With sweaty palms, I pushed the door open and stepped outside, Samantha right behind me. We walked further down the corridor until we were fully out of earshot when I decided that I couldn't take the suspense anymore. "What is it? You are scaring me," I said, discreetly wiping my sweaty hands on the skirt of my sundress.

Samantha sighed and ran her fingers through her blonde hair. "Atlas has asked for someone else to interview him. He said he can't work with you. Derek has offered to step in."

"What?" I shrieked. "Why?"

I knew why but I thought he could keep his personal and professional lives separate. But of course not. Why would he leave a chance to make things difficult for me? This was his revenge on me for ignoring him. And this was exactly why I should have stayed away from him in the first place.

Now I had a disappointed Samantha to deal with and Derek breathing down my neck, ready to steal the position I'd worked so hard for.

"That's what I want to ask you. Why is he doing this suddenly?" she asked, her eyes wide. "I mean I know you and him don't see eye to eye but you both have worked professionally so far. What happened suddenly?"