The CEO's Kryptonite ⚣ ✓

19

What I needed was for Christian fucking Ivanov to leave my apartment.

"Don't forget: Large coffee, two sugars and-"

"And one creamer, yes, I know." I finished. He'd just made it through my apartment door when he passed be someone else.

"Nice seeing you, Janice." He nodded to Joan on his way out. Joan's expression said it all as a flash of confusion then annoyance passed through her face, but she ended up biting her tongue and just nodding.

As soon as Christian was out of sight, Joan sprung into action. She body checked me out that doorframe so hard, I almost flew into the coffee table. I guess my apartment was now a goddamn community center, I thought to myself as she made her way into my living room.

-

And this was how we got here... with Joan perched on the edge of my futon saying some more outrageous shit while I stood amongst a mess of orange juice that had just came bursting out from my mouth.

"What the hell Joan, no. Nononononono. We're not doing anything like that, that's not what's going on."

"Tell that to the next person that walks in to such a compromising position."

"There was no compromising position!"

"With him all naked like that in your kitchen..."

"He had a shirt on! It was just unbuttoned. He was getting dressed." I tried to explain.

"It makes me question what it was exactly, that got him undressed." Joan countered, looking up at me as she wiggles her eyebrows. My fingers started to gently rub the bridge of my nose. I wasn't even fully awake yet for all of this.

"I hit my head falling off my bed and he was just helping my clean the cut." I insisted, but Joan was past the point of reason.

"You know I truly understand. Who knew Christian Ivanov was hiding alladat underneath those work clothes. Hercules? Talk about Hunkules. Woohoohoo I'd like to make some sweet music-"

"Okay okay okay we're done here." I interjected as soon as she started quoting one of the muses from The Gospel Truth in Hercules. She gave me a hearty laugh as she set her things aside and helped me file all the paperwork from the night before.

That's what I truly appreciated about Joan. She'd have to damn near catch me in the act of murder, before she judged me. And even then... under the right circumstances, she'd hear me out.

Wouldn't trade that shit for the world.

Christian

"I've been calling you and texting you all morning." Brad snapped at me as soon as the door to my office closed.

I hadn't managed to look at my phone until I made it to the building. I hadn't even managed to step foot in my own office before Brad's assistant ushered me out to my first meeting of the morning. "What's the big deal? We made it to all three meetings, didn't we?" I countered.

"Yes, but we were supposed to grab breakfast with mother before all that."

My body grew a bit more rigid at those words. I had completely blanked on that.

"And when the hell was I suppose to wake up for that?" If I had gone to bed at the time I usually did, I could have easily done both this morning... but a late night with Alex would trump an early morning with my mother any day.

Speaking of Alex... my eyes wandered toward the door I'd been itching to peak through all morning. I wanted to see how his head was doing.

"Are you even listening to me?" Brad interjected, pulling me from my thoughts. I hadn't noticed he was still talking.

"Yes." No.

"Mother wants to have a dinner with you next week, sometime before you leave for your business trip. She feels like she hasn't seen you in a while."

"What the fuck, this woman was just here." I blurted out almost immediately.

"Tell that to her. She wants to see you rain or shine. And she mentioned to bring that new assistant of yours."

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