*Olivia*
The kitten let out a scared meow that nearly broke my heart in half. She stared up at me with her sweet, big eyes, and it made me want to save her even more. I tried to reach under the bench to grab her, but her eyes widened in fear, and she moved away from me. She let out another meow that was full of anxiety.
“Awe, what a poor girl,” I murmured. “She’s so scared. I wonder what she’s doing in a restaurant? Maybe she’s one of the staff’s pets?” I paused as I considered how we were going to get her out from under the bench. “Maybe we could get some food to lure her out?”
Alexander nodded in agreement. I ran through the crowded restaurant back to our private room and picked up two edamame beans from the bowl on the table. When I got back, Alexander was still crouching down. I couldn’t help the smile that bloomed across my face from watching a respected businessman like him down on his hands and knees trying to coax a scared kitten.
I kneeled beside him. “Come here, pretty girl,” I said and held out the food.
Alexander turned to me. “Do you like her?” he asked.
I chuckled. “Of course. Who can’t resist a cute little kitten?”
“I think that the kitten/is a present from Duke,” Alexander admitted. “I saw a cage next to him at the table. I think that he was going to give it to us as a present, and the kitten identally got loose and ran to the only dark spot in the restaurant.”
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For some reason, this made hot jealousy churn in my stomach. I didn’t really understand my reaction. “Of course, Duke would give his beloved Alexander a cute little kitten.” I tried to turn it into a joke, but there was too much jealousy seeping through my voice.
Alexander tapped me lightly on the temple. “Don’t overthink this, Olivia.”
His warm, sweet–smelling breath fanned across my face, making my head spin.
I swallowed, trying to fix my suddenly dry mouth. The edamame beans were sweating in my hands, and his gaze wasser–focused on me. When I tried to turn away from him, he grabbed onto my hand, trapping it in his warm grasp.
I sharply inhaled, and my eyes widened as I looked deep into his.
“I have full confidence that you will win against Duke,” he murmured, his eyes flickering to my lips.
“Win what?” I breathed out, but I had a strong suspicion that I already knew what he was talking about.
“Me,” he said and smirked.
This made my heart race, and my stomach jolted. The mood between us became serious, and I became overly aware of how dimly–lit this hallway was and how truly alone we were.
How was I supposed to respond to something like that? Did Alexander really think that Duke and I were in some sort of fight for his love? Because I didn’t know about Duke, but Alexander was my boss. Anything between us would be considered a scandal. And I didn’t like the way that he was talking about our non–existent love triangle. It was like a tabloid headline. I didn’t know what to say to him.
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“Did I ever tell you I used to own a cat when I was younger?” I asked, clumsily changing the subject.
Alexander’s lips twitched because of my abrupt shift in conversation, but thankfully, he didn’t call me out on it. “No, you didn’t.”
“Yeah,” I sighed, my shoulders slumping. Memories of my beautiful, Calico cat named Loue rushed to the forefront of my mind. “She was my best friend. We were inseparable. She used to wait by the window when I went to school and she knew the sound of the school bus when I came home. She would always perk up before I even walked in the house.”
A warm look spread across his face. “That’s so sweet.”
“Yes…she was the best cat ever,” I murmured, and the backs of my eyes pricked. “She died when I was fifteen.”
Alexander put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. “Pets are part of the family. Losing them is like losing a family member.”
My eyes widened as we gazed at each other. He actually understood, and it made my heart explode and my skin tingle.