"THEN SHE GAVE me her number!" Harry exclaimed as we were signing in to work. "After I told her I just needed to have some fun."

"Women these days," I rolled my eyes. "Not surprised."

"Women? Well, she's like eighteen." Harry shrugged, signing his name in the panel as well.

"Eighteen?" I raised my eyebrows. "Shooting for the youth now, aren't you?"

"Well, the youth is more...lively and energized-"

"Woah, I don't think I wanna have this conversation in this ungodly hour." I glared at Harry as he grinned.

"Just sayin'," he shrugged and I shook my head at him.

As usual, Harry was dropping me off at the shared office I work in. But just as we neared it, I noticed the boxes with all my stuff I'd prepared to be moved to my new office are gone. Kade and Belle are the only ones inside.

"Where are all my stuff?"

Kade shrieked. "Good fucking morning to you, too. Jeez."

"Morning," I chuckled at his overreacting.

"They took your stuff upstairs. I think Yendor is waiting for you there," Belle informed me.

"Speaking of the devil," Harry mumbled. I turned around to see Ms Yendor walking towards our office. "I gotta run; this isn't even my floor."

"Alright," I tell him.

"See ya, Flower," he playfully pulled on my hair. I turned around and glared at him, pinching his arm.

"Ow, ouch!" He quietly exclaimed but grinned at me before acknowledging Kade and Belle. "See you, guys."

Just as Yendor is entering our spacious office area, Harry is emerging from it. Yendor gives one disapproving look to Harry that makes him flip her off discreetly behind her back and leaves.

She had her hair in a usual updo bun today, but I can see the makeup she tried to put on and failed. She turns to me steadily.

"Gatti," she addressed, both her hands clutched behind her back. "You've noticed I had your packed belongings transferred to your new Editor office."

"Yes, sir," I nodded.

"You are going to follow me now," Yendor orders and turns around, me having to follow her after exchanging looks with Belle and Kade.

God, everyone was right calling her Robot Yendor.

I follow her up to the twelfth floor, which is about five floors up from where my shared office was. In the elevator, she reminds me of the regulations and rules of this place as if I'm actually new here. When the elevator dings, she's still talking.

If I knew I was going to have this conversation, I would've had double the amount of coffee.

"Also, you are meeting with your first Author. That's your first assignment as an Editor, so do not screw it up, Gatti." Yendor informs me and stops in her tracks. "Anything you need, there's a secretary that works with you and six others on this floor."

"Okay. Thank y-"

"Here's your work," she points inside the office. "Get on it."

I glance inside and almost gasp for seeing a familiar face. I frown and part my lips when the man smiles smugly at me. I would've had triple the amount of coffee.

"I-" I turn to Yendor, but she's already vanished like a ghost.

I turn the knob and walk myself in, staring at the guy I have already met in The Violet a few nights back. Same grey eyes, same sleek black hair, same fucking gorgeous smile.

"What is this?" I lick my lips in thought. "What are you doing here?"

The guy stands up, and I'm so shaken that I don't move when he takes confident steps towards me.

"My name's Mason Waskott." He extends his hand for me to shake, but I stare at it until he raises an eyebrow, so I do and he chuckles when I take it back. "And you're Fiorella Gatti, my new Editor."

Does he have a long lost twin and the world is that small, or is he playing games with me? Or, maybe it's just pure coincidence? I remember this introduction with Mason before. I part my lips, obviously making him even more amused. "You're the author I'm supposed to work with?"

"Yes, is there something wrong?" He challanges. "I thought Miss Yendor explained everything."

"But you..."

"I," Mason Waskott starts and takes his seat, "hope we can start working on my book in the nearest time. I want it published as soon as possible."

I raised my eyebrows at him, then slowly made my way behind the desk that is now mine. I haven't had a chance to check the room out because of this grenade sitting in front of me. I rest my purse on the desk and sit down.

"You knew who I was," I couldn't look him in the eye long enough.

"At The Violet?"

"Yes,"

"Yes," he said. "I did."

I kept staring at him, not because he looks absolutely attractive-which he does-, but also because he's acting like that's just a normal thing. To pop in and know who I am, as if I had a pointer above my head with my name on it.

"But how?" I shake my head.

"I happened to be in the same place at the same time." Mason shrugs.

"No, I meant, how did you know who I am?" I squinted my eyes slightly.

"Well," he chuckles and leans back in his seat. "You don't give yourself much credit."

"It's a bit creepy," I smile nervously. "You walked up to me and asked me by name. I don't think I was drunk yet, so I remember I didn't give you it."

Mason laughs, teeth all white and charming and I squirm in my seat. Suddenly, the ring of a melody chimes in the air and the supposed author slides his phone out, frowing at the screen.

"Yes?" He answers. "I'm here. Yeah," Mason glances at me. "Not now. Kind of right in the middle of something."

He forces a laugh and I look away, standing up to admire the settings of my new office.

"I'll talk to you later." Mason hangs up before he stands up. "My time is up."

"Oh?" I turn around.

"I will be arranging with Riley an appointment to start on the book."

"Riley?" I ask, confused.

"Your," he pauses, pointing outside the glass window, "secretary."

"Oh," I facepalm. This needs some getting used to. "Yes, of course."

"Hopefully by then you're more settled in," he smiles.

"Hopefully." I awkwardly laugh and shake his hand before watching him walk out the door and down to the lifts.

•••

how the duck

are you sure you weren't wasted then?

you might've told him your name

I rolled my eyes as I read Belle's texts. We were discussing how weird the situation with Mason was. I was still creeped out and needed to make sense of it.

i wasn't

i remember it clearly

it was so weird then but i didn't make a big deal of it

are you wasted NOW?

🙄 face it, it's weird

the weird thing is tho

when i told harry about him

he was like idk who u talkin about

but i saw them walking out together of the violet that night!

you must've been on smth dude lmao

hmmaybe

i was a bit drunk then

so that kinda makes sense

but that mason guy doesn't.

maybe he's a secret admirer!

is he hot??? ;)

or a stalkeR

but that's weird nah

and yes, he is very much so

oooohh

get yoself a man pls

did you forget the part where we are basically coworkers?

no thanks

oh yeeeah that would be so unprofessional god no

i can SMELL the sarcasm from 5 floors up

get yoself a mAN

i mean other than connor cuz ik that shit is flamin

yeah right

i feel bad about it

cause the guy's trying

but how do i show him that i'm not interested w/o hurting his feelings ???

bruh

that wooden brick has no feelings

don't be rude belle i'm serious

just tell him you're not interested

that's so hard tho

nah

just next time he's all up on you tell him!

i bet u handled that with lots of guys before ;)

HAHAHAHAno.

harry made that job very easy for me trust me.

Little did I know, Harry was still making that job easy for me.