“soon as you start
To make room for the parts
That aren't you it gets harder to bloom in a garden of
Love love love love”

—Bottle It Up, Sara Bareilles

CHAPTER SIX

I put the papers in the copier machine, impatiently waiting for the copies to be made. I just couldn't wait to go home. My conversation with Evan was still swirling in my head and no matter how much I tried to brush it off, I couldn't stop thinking what my life would've been like if I didn't chose to become a con artist.

I loved conning. It gave me a sense of power. I started it out of spite, but now it had become an addiction. A habit. It was a distraction I had grown to love.

This job was a part of my plan, nothing else, but having never done something like this before, I was being reminded of my life before becoming a con artist more often than I'd like. And it just made me wonder...

Ella was right. I was burying myself too much into the job that didn't matter to me which was swaying away my focus from my real job. I had to gain Evan's trust, first in the workplace, then outside it too, but I had fucked up multiple times today. Maybe that's why I was feeling so broody and anxious the whole day.

"Why can't I fucking get anything right?" I mumbled angrily, snatching the copies I made.

"My exact question."

I froze on hearing the sound of his deep voice.

This wasn't the right time. I really needed to gather myself together, work out my plan properly and become mentally prepared for this before I could face Evan again. I couldn't be 'lost' again. Somehow he always caught me off guard when it was supposed to be the other way around. It irritated me to no ends.

"Mr Carter." I said stiffly, turning around to find him staring at me. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I came here looking for you." he purred out, his lips curling up dangerously. "I didn't want you to leave before we completed our talk."

"I bet you didn't." I mumbled. He was probably wallowing at the idea of lecturing me, telling me how bad I was at my job. He seemed to love having the upper hand always. It would've worked well for him too, that is, if I wasn't the exact same.

"It's past my work hour. Can't I be yelled at tomorrow?" I gave him a nasty look. He raised his eyebrows in amusement, making me scoff. I walked past him to the door and tried to twist open the knob, but it wouldn't budge. I repeated the action a few times, before turning to glare at him.

"Why is this not opening? Did you do something to the locks?" I asked suspiciously. Doing suspicious things naturally made me suspicious of a lot of things.

"Seriously? Why would I do that? Why would anyone do that?" he frowned at me, visibly annoyed by my accusation.

I would do that, I don't tell him. Except I didn't like being locked up in a small space like this at all, it only further fuelled my anxiety and made me feel claustrophobic. I wanted to get out of there.

He sighed. "Let me check." he shook the knob a few times, but the door wouldn't open. He rumbled lowly, taking out his phone and putting it to his ear.

"Give me your phone." he held out his free hand towards me.

"Why?" I frowned.

"I'm not getting signal on mine. Let me try using yours."

"I don't have it with me. I left it on my desk."

"Well, then." he moved to a corner of room and casually sat down on the floor, against the wall, relaxed. He appeared so calm, completely opposite to how I was feeling. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirts upto his elbows, revealing his strong, masculine forearms. I couldn't help my gaze from lingering on his body a minute too long.

"Can you stop staring?" he said, snapping me out of my daze. His smug expression was back on his face. He folded his arms behind his head, a slow smirk rising up his lips.

"What do you think you're doing? This isn't your overpriced couch for you to slack off. We're stuck here, in a copier room! Shouldn't we be doing something?" I grumbled in annoyance.

"What do you suggest we do, Ms Stone?" he pushed off the wall, his eyes darkening mischievously. "What do you have in mind?"

My thighs tightened together. He knew damn well the effect he had on me, but I was determined not to let him play me this time.

"What do you have in mind?" I challenged back, taking a bold step towards him.

His smile widened, interest sparkling in his eyes. He tilted his face to the side, rubbing his jaw. "Do you really wanna know?"

"Don't play with me." I narrowed my eyes at him, ignoring the heat rising in my stomach. I wasn't going to give in to him so easily. I wasn't going to be one of the many. No, I wouldn't give him that satisfaction. By now I was able to understand his game very well. I wanted to make him ache for me like I was aching for him.

I blinked.

Like I was aching for his money, I corrected myself.

"This is all your fault that we're stuck here."

"My fault?" he questioned bizarrely. "I understand it's a part of who you are, but stop being so dramatic. I'm sure someone will let us out soon."

"How soon is your soon anyway." I mumbled under my breath. I walked closer to him, briefly glancing in his direction. Then I slowly, quietly sat down beside him, putting atleast a metre's distance between us.

I waited for him to comment on it, but he surprisingly didn't. I stole a look in his direction and saw him staring straight ahead, his body language radiating calmness. I tried to mimic him and not fidget, but the small space kept making me anxious.

I was okay with pretending to not be okay to get my targets' sympathy.

But I never liked for my targets, or anyone for that matter, to see me in my actual state of vulnerability.

I had been distressed since the morning and I felt like I was slowly reaching the peak of it. I had bad days every once in a while where my anxiety level would hit the skies, but I usually dealt with them alone. That was how I preferred it. I didn't want anyone to see me in a weak state which is why I had to keep it together. I had to-

"I went through your press release." Evan began suddenly, cutting through the silence that had surrounded us. "It was quite well written."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "You're... serious?"

He rolled his eyes at me, his expression playful. It almost seemed like he was fighting back a smile. "You're quite observant, Ms Stone. I'll give you that. You made note of every important detail at the fundraiser. It surprised me, really. I didn't think you were that attentive."

"Wow, you just praised and criticized me in the very same sentence."

He chuckled quietly, his eyes slightly crinkling at the corners. "You deserve both."

"I expect you to be punctual and take your responsibilities more seriously from next time onwards. Don't make me regret letting you come to Chicago." he said, more seriously this time. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." I could feel my lips lift up. "It's clear."

My mood lightened as his words registered. I made a mental note to give Ella an earful about letting me get wasted last night. She was usually the more responsible one between us.

"Have you been there?" Evan questioned, eyes filled with curiousity.

"To Chicago? Surprisingly no. I love traveling, but Chicago hasn't happened for me yet." I answered truthfully. My own response surprised me for a second. I hadn't completely admitted it to myself, but I was quite excited about going on this trip.

"What has happened for you, then?"

"Not much." I shrugged. I didn't want to share too much. I preferred being the one asking questions, rather than the one answering them. "Although I want to change that in future."

"I think you'll have a good time in Chicago."

"We're going there for business." I reminded.

"So what? Doesn't mean we can't have fun." I held his gaze for a second, before shaking my head in amusement, a quiet laugh escaping my lips.

I was about to reply when we heard someone fidgeting with the door knob of the copier room from outside. The door was pushed open to reveal middle-aged woman staring us in surprise. She gapped at us, her wide eyes moving from Evan to me, then back to Evan. I quickly got up from the floor, followed by him.

He offered her a smile, explaining to her how we had gotten stuck in there and thanked her for opening the door. She nodded her head, a deep blush covering her cheeks. I wasn't even surprised at that.

"C'mon, let's get you out of here." he whispered to me so only I could hear. My eyes flickered to him and realisation hit me.

He had known I was feeling anxious and claustrophobic the whole time. He hadn't directly said anything about it, but he was trying to distract me this entire time and take my mind off the situation.

After our conversation in his office today, it was as if he somehow understood how I didn't like being asked if I was okay, how for some reason, it just made me not feel okay.

I felt something warm in my chest.

He understood.

"Thank you, Evan." I beamed at him cheerily before I could stop myself. I saw his lips part slightly.

My day had suddenly gotten a lot better, I realized as I walked out of the copier room.

+++++

Please vote if you enjoyed reading. It would mean a lot to me.

Q - What's your dream job?