A Favor To My Boss

Emma's POV: Shrill beeps shattered the silence. Please, not the alarm already. Let last night be nothing but a nightmare, I begged inwardly. A groan escaped me as I snatched up my phone, silencing the alarm and tossing it aside. I sank back onto the bed, reaching for painkillers before I even thought about getting up. Dragging myself out of bed felt impossible. Work was the last place I wanted to be after everything that happened, but there was no way I could let that mess spill into my job. Eventually, I forced myself to get moving—shower, get dressed, choke down some breakfast. I left my car parked and chose to walk, hoping the fresh air might shake the nerves off and give me a moment to think before seeing Brandon. Standing in front of the office building, I hesitated, wrestling with whether I could actually go through with it. After a long pause, I made up my mind. No matter what, I'd play it cool and pretend nothing had happened. Drawing in a few steadying breaths, I pushed through the doors. "Good morning," I greeted the receptionist, giving her the most convincing smile I could manage. "Good morning, Emma. Just a heads up—he's in one of his moods again today." she said, giving me a friendly smile. "Thanks for letting me know," I said, forcing a smile. The real reason for his sour mood was obvious— it was all because of what happened between us. With slow, measured steps, I approached his office and tapped gently on the door. "Come in," he called out, his voice flat and unreadable. That cold tone was exactly what I feared. I fixed a polite smile on my face and stepped inside. His eyes found mine the moment I walked in, echoing the same intensity I'd seen just hours ago. This time, I forced myself to pretend not to notice. "Would you like some coffee or anything else before we get started?" I asked, smiling at him. On the surface, I managed to look composed, though behind my back, my fingers fidgeted restlessly. Every muscle in my body felt tense, but I couldn't let any of that show. He watched me in silence, his expression unreadable. "No, I'm fine. We need to get started. My schedule's packed, and I'll be traveling more than usual these next few weeks," he said with a nod. "I need you to come with me," he added. Wait— did I hear that right? Usually, he left me behind when he was travelling. In all my time working with him, I could count on one hand the times I'd actually traveled by his side. He never needed me—every place he visited came with assistants of their own. "What? Since when do I tag along on these trips?" I asked, surprise edging into my voice. "Since when do you second-guess what I ask of you? It's part of your job, Emma," he said with a blank expression. I could see right through his reasoning, and I didn't like being maneuvered this way. Technically, he was right. Supporting him was part of my job, even if it wasn't usually necessary. . "Make sure you're included in all the hotel bookings you've already handled for me. I want it finished before the day's out," Brandon remarked, diverting his gaze to the computer, returning to the task he was working on before I walked in. "Understood, sir," I said, turning to leave. "And where do you think you're going?" he asked. Seriously, what was with him today? I fought the urge to roll my eyes and faced him again. "I'm about to update those reservations, just like you told me to," I replied, forcing my voice to stay calm. "You can use my laptop and handle it here," he said, gesturing to the device on his desk. A resigned sigh slipped out as I crossed the room. I took a seat and Brandon slid his laptop my way. I nodded, settling in to start the reservations, acutely aware of his gaze lingering on me while I worked. For a moment, I paused and looked up, meeting his eyes. "Emma, about what happened last night—" he said. "No need to dwell on it. Let's just move on," I replied, giving a little shrug. "I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have let things get that far. It was out of line." He spoke with a gentle look in his eyes and a tenderness in his voice. "Really, sir, it's fine. We both had too much to drink, things just got out of hand." I tried to offer a reassuring smile. He gave a small nod, then refocused on his own screen. Returning to the task, I quickly added my name to each of his hotel reservations. A stroke of luck meant there were still a few rooms left—though L.A. proved trickier. Only one room remained for the three nights he'd need. "Mr. Simmons, there's an issue with L.A. The hotel's fully booked; there aren't any rooms left," I said, glancing up at him. "There's always the option of sharing with me. It's a double room anyway," Brandon said. "And where exactly am I supposed to sleep?" I asked, eyebrows knitting in confusion. "Right there in the bed, obviously. Where else would you go?" He said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Surely he was joking. After last night, the last thing I wanted was to end up tangled in the same bed with him. Still, with no other options available, what choice did I have? Finding a new hotel at this point wasn't an option. "Fine," I replied, though my tone made it clear I wasn't thrilled. "You make it sound like I'm the worst roommate ever." He let out a laugh. "It's not that. It's just going to be... incredibly awkward." "Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior, Miss Emma. You have my word." He smiled. "Don't even start with the flirting. I'm serious—I can't take any more of it today." Brandon said, "I warned him, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he only winked at me." Focusing on my work, I did my best to keep my mind occupied, though every now and then, I caught him glancing my way with that infuriatingly charming smile. Hadn't he just finished saying last night was a mistake? All that talk about boundaries and regrets, yet he was watching me with the same desire as before. I kept reminding myself—hooking up with my boss would be the oldest cliché in the book. That wasn't a road I wanted to travel. Still, there was no denying it. Something in the way I saw him had shifted. I'd be lying if I said this was the first time I'd been attracted to him. Two years of stolen glances and unspoken tension had finally started to feel impossible to ignore. My body kept betraying me, drawn in by every little thing he did, even when I knew better. "Emma, you doing all right over there? You look a million miles away." Brandon asked. "Mmm," I responded, unable to form more words than that. "Care to share what's on your mind, Miss Emma?" he asked with a soft suggestion of a smile on his lips. "It's nothing. Really. I just need to finish this work—if you'd stop making it so difficult," I retorted. "That's all the answer I needed. Clearly, I'm in your head," he said with a smirk. Instead of dignifying him with an answer, I scooped up my laptop and retreated to the far side of the office. His laughter followed me, but I ignored him. Not long after, he crossed the room and paused right in front of me. I glanced up, not sure what he wanted this time. "Is there something you need?" "I was about to grab a coffee. Want one?" he asked sweetly. "Sure, I guess," I replied, confused. Getting me coffee wasn't exactly his style, so the gesture had me wondering. Maybe he was turning over a new leaf, or maybe there was some game I hadn't figured out yet. Either way, I wasn't likely to get an answer soon. When Brandon left, I let out a sigh and clung to the hope that whatever spell he'd cast would wear off—sooner rather than later.