Logan was early to work, arriving just as the eldest member, Victor, had stepped into the office. He hadn't really talked to the senior member since he started working here, gathering that Victor was probably set in his ways and didn't like the change around here; not to mention that the title of marketing lead was being passed on to someone newly transferred probably was a sore spot for him.

Still, Logan sent him a smile, staring at his salt and pepper hair rather than his eyes. "Morning."

Victor only nodded, opening his bag and pulling out some papers and his laptop. Logan did the same, plugging in his devices and opening up the manila folders he received from the finance team.

Just as his computer booted up, Keanu and Jennie rounded the hallway corner, engrossed in a conversation. Logan turned to them. "Morning."

Jennie turned to him with a smirk. "You're early today."

"Didn't want to repeat last time."

Keanu laughed. "At least there's no briefing today."

"Yeah," Logan mused. The middle-aged marketing member, Ramona, rounded the corner with her oversized purse, carrying two tumblers as she always did. Keanu had joked that she liked bringing her whole house to work. Ramona set her bag down with a thud, setting the tumblers precariously on her desk. "Morning, Ramona."

"Good morning, darling," she replied out of breath. "Golly, it sure is hot out today."

Victor looked up from his screen. "The high is eighty-nine today. The news said there'd be a breeze, though."

"Well, I sure hope so, Vic."

Keanu, who sat next to Logan, tapped on his desk with a pen. "Hey, I heard you got stuck in the elevator yesterday. What's all that about?"

"Yeah," Logan said nervously. "I did. Took about an hour."

Jennie preened her head toward the two of them. "And not only that. I heard Spencer O'Ryan say that you were with the CEO?"

Ramona and Victor whipped their heads toward them, the fastest he's seen either of them move. Logan wished his seat would swallow him completely. Of course, they found out about yesterday.

Ramona let out a gasp. "With Callum?"

"Yes, actually." There was no point in denying or lying about it, Logan figured. He hoped they'd just let it go after a while, but by the look of his two older and two younger coworkers, it seemed like the day would drag on as long as yesterday.

"I'd faint if I had to share a room with him," Ramona fanned herself as if the thought alone was terrifying.

Victor scoffed. "Out of fear or swooning?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

He rolled his eyes. "You told me you found him attractive a couple of years ago."

Her face scrunched in disgust. "That's gross, Victor. He is way too young for me; you know this. Not to mention, he is not my type anymore."

As the two chatted about their past types, Keanu turned to Logan. "Did he threaten to fire you?"

"No, he was actually quite nice, if I'm being honest." The look on their faces made Logan immediately regret saying anything at all.

"Nice?"

"Yes. Like anyone else in this office."

Keanu shook his head. "Must be interested if he's playing nice."

Jennie frowned. "Did he try to hit on you in there?"

"What? No," Logan reared back.

Jennie shuddered. "Try to get you to come home with him?"

Logan shook his head. "Why would he—"

"Don't tell me, did he ask you for your number or ask to go on a date somewhere?"

"No." Logan sighed. "Guys, we literally just got stuck in an elevator. Nothing happened. I mean, we talked. But it was just small talk, nothing more."

Keanu and Jennie didn't look convinced, staring Logan down. "Callum doesn't do small talk. Definitely interested."

Jennie nodded in agreement. "Guaranteed."

Logan massaged his temples. "No. It was just awkward, and sitting in silence for almost an hour would've just been weird, regardless."

"I'm not buying it." Keanu made a face before scooting his chair back to his usual spot.

Logan sighed. "Whatever, we probably should discuss that assignment due at the end of the month."

"Later," came Jennie and Keanu's simultaneous response. They quickly turned back to their screens as Logan wondered if he'd have to do the assignment himself. Victor and Ramona across from them were still engrossed in some conversation.

Logan scrolled through his emails, taking a mental note of what he needed to research for their advertisement. If he had to do this on his own, he'd at least start today by looking up the specs the production and design teams sent.

By lunch, Logan was exhausted. He spent most of the morning researching some graphics sites he had found and spent a good time learning and scrolling through the many different color palettes the site offered. He had finally found a folder of workable colors to use that he'd mess around with for some conceptual ideas.

The other marketing team members had already gone down to the food court downstairs, and luckily, Logan had the elevator to himself on his way down. He tried not to think about the things Callum had mentioned, but it was impossible not to. There were still so many mysteries and unknowns that Callum had barely scraped the surface. He had brought up his ex-wife, which must've been a big sore spot, but Logan knew that there were many other people Callum's dated that he didn't mention—not that any of it was Logan's business, to begin with, but it did leave Logan wondering.

As the numbers atop the door went down, the thought of dating anyone even remotely like Callum seemed outlandish. Especially after Chris, Logan had never considered or even thought about dating anyone, let alone talking to someone to get to know them. Hell, Logan hadn't remembered the last time he remembered getting to know anyone besides Chris. They had dated for years, and their dates weren't exactly romantic if Logan could call it that.

Of course, Logan had considered that moving to Los Angeles met a fresh start; he wondered if he would be open to the idea of dating someone again. This time, he'd be sure to go through all the stops to make sure they weren't just some other Chris to fuck him over again, possibly even do a background check on them for safe measures.

Logan shook his head as the doors opened to the first floor. Dating was overrated; men were overrated. He had told himself this while he packed his belongings and boarded that one-way plane ride here. It still was, he admonished, before walking down the long hallway to the crowded food court. He glanced at the different vendors and the ever-busy coffee shop in the middle of the room. He never knew what to order; everything sounded good. But aside from the busy line for coffee and the sandwich shop he usually stuck to, something else caught his eye.

Charlotte Ching, Callum's secretary. She held a padfolio in one hand, the other held her phone to her ear, engrossed in a conversation, or only partly engaged, given she was scanning the crowd as if looking for something—or someone.

Logan watched as the secretary gazed over the crowd before settling in his direction. He was half tempted to turn on his heel and head back up to his cubicle but froze when she started walking toward him. He could imagine her heels clicking the tiles with rigor, her dark hair bouncing side to side as she walked quickly with intent.

"Ms. Ching." Logan straightened his back as she smiled, a curious glint in her eyes. "How may I help you?"

Dread filled his pores as she didn't respond right away. What would bring the secretary to approach him? Was this about the elevator mishap? After all, Logan had noticed her scolding Callum after they were freed; maybe she needed to talk to him about it too? Or perhaps this was about being the marketing lead; was it a mistake that Callum finally realized?

She cleared her throat, holding out a card, shiny and black. "Have you bought your lunch yet?"

"Lunch?"

"Or did you bring some from home?" She pursed her lips. "I suppose that's also an option that I hadn't thought about."

"Oh," Logan said. "No, I haven't. I was debating what to eat."

"Splendid." She extended the black credit card out between them. "Mr. Dawson would like to apologize for yesterday formally. Feel free to treat yourself to lunch today with his card."

Logan stared at the card like it was a deadly animal. Sure enough, when he glanced down at the outstretched card, he spotted the CEO's name. "I—uh, it's alright, Ms. Ching. I couldn't possibly—"

"He insists," she said with a grin, interrupting him as if she had expected him to decline. "I'm sure you're well aware of his streak of gossip around the office. For any inconveniences yesterday has caused you, I recommend purchasing one of the wagyu cheeseburgers from the food truck across the street. Also, upgrading the fries to their garlic truffle or honey butter style is really ideal. One of the best."

And expensive, Logan wanted to argue. He had been interested in the truck when he first started working here but remembered the hefty price tag that had deterred him. Despite how tempting one of those juicy burgers sounded, he shook the thought and lightly pushed the card back to her. "I can't accept that. I'll buy a sandwich or salad from the food court. Thanks, though."

She frowned. "Hmm, now, that won't do. Mr. Dawson has insisted that he wouldn't take no for an answer. I can accompany you in line if that makes it easier. Besides, I must also purchase our lunches while I'm here."

At this point, Logan could tell that a few of the workers he recognized were watching their exchange. Despite this being Charlotte instead of Callum, Logan still didn't like the unwanted attention.

"Sure," Logan lamented. "I'll go with you."

Charlotte grinned. "Lovely, take as much food as you like."

Logan didn't argue; instead, following a few strides behind her to the different counters. He knew exactly which held the cheaper lunch items, including the grab-and-go bowls or the gas station-style food items to microwave. Those were the things he had gravitated toward before, given trying newer options was a bit intimidating, and he'd hate to waste. In New York, Logan often ordered the same hot dog combo from Saul's hot dog stand across the street from the office. It was convenient, and Logan hated walking any further from the office, especially when Chris had that tracker on his phone.

After some thinking, Logan settled on a sandwich with chips and a soda. Usually, he'd just order the sandwich and order a fancier drink at the other shop. But this was a happy medium, as the combo did come out cheaper than he usually paid. Logan wouldn't let Callum purchase a $15 meal for him, even if Charlotte were buying it with his card.

As Charlotte inserted the credit card and accepted the receipt, Logan turned to her. "Thank you for doing this. You really didn't have to, Ms. Ching."

"Charlotte," she corrected as she handed him his food. "You make me sound like an old teacher."

Logan smiled. He followed her back into the main dining area, the sound of her heels clicking against the tile at a more leisurely pace than earlier. "Well, thank you for the meal, but yesterday wasn't exactly anyone's fault. I can buy my lunch."

"Nonsense," she said. "It technically is Callum's fault for not getting the inspection done sooner. Besides, one meal won't hurt his wallet."

Logan scoffed. "Still—"

"He is quite the stubborn CEO, Logan," she told him. "Although, I would've gotten the more expensive meal."

"Well, it's okay. Truthfully, I feel like I owe him for listening to me in the elevator, not the other way around. But so long as this is just a one-time thing, I can accept this."

"Excellent."

"Can't believe he sent you to do this," Logan remarked. "I mean, sure, he's the CEO, but sending the secretary to grab his lunch?"

She laughed, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "Silly, but it's better he's not the one buying your meal. Could you imagine the whole company's uproar if he had been here paying for your meal?"

Logan hummed. "I suppose you're right."

"Besides, Callum's unofficially banned from the food court. Not after the last fiasco that nearly ended in a food fight." She winked, taking a few strides toward the elevators, not giving Logan a chance to ask what that meant. On her way out, he could hear her say, "enjoy your lunch, Mr. Corbett."

Even as the sound of her high heels faded, Logan was left still processing what had happened, aimlessly finding an empty table to sit at for the remainder of his lunch.

———

A/N: As part of the ONC hype, I will be shouting out some of my fellow ONC peeps from the discord server I'm in! These individuals may or may not be entering into the official ONC, but will be participating in a version of ONC (or NONC) where they will still be following along with the prompts and deadlines.

For this chapter's promo, we have the amazingly talented amaro_valentin's Never Not Yours

Blurb:

On the threshold of being forced to marry a woman he has never met, an overly-compliant viscount elopes with his charming yet poor fiancée; but when the road to marriage gets bumpy, he needs to be honest about what he truly wants in life before the woman he loves walks away forever.