Daisy Hartley

I've made freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries.
Sarah sits across from me, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and mischief as she sips her latte.
She knows me better than anyone. She's waiting for me to spill, and I don't plan on disappointing her.

"So" she begins, setting her cup down and leaning in. "How's it going with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Annoying?"

I roll my eyes so hard I think they might get stuck. "He's is the absolute worst, Sarah. I don't know how I'm supposed to make him fall in love with me when every conversation we have turns into a battle of wits."

Sarah shakes her head, sympathy etched on her face. "Ugh, what a jerk. I don't know how you do it. If I had to deal with a boss like that, I'd have quit on day one."

"Trust me, I've thought about it," I mutter, taking a sip of my coffee.
"But I need this job, and I need to make him fall in love with me to keep it. How am I supposed to do that when he's such an ass?"

Sarah leans in, her eyes narrowing. "Tell me everything. What did he do this time?"

"Where do I even start?" I say, throwing my hands up.
"Just yesterday, he gave me an assignment that he for sure knows I can't finish in one night. And he want it done by tomorrow."

Sarah's jaw drops. "No way! That is so messed up. So how do you plan on finishing it?"

"I don't, I can't finish it. I hardly know anything about fashion, he gave me the assignment just because he knew I would fail. And fuck he got me." I scoff.

Sarah shakes her head in disbelief.
"What an asshole. Seriously, Daisy, how are you supposed to turn this around? How do you make an asshole fall in love with you?"

"I don't know!" I exclaim, exasperated. "It's like every time I try to be nice or professional, he finds a way to push my buttons. And then I end up snapping back, and we're right back where we started."

"Maybe you need to take a different approach" Sarah suggests, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Not saying you should let him walk all over you, but maybe try to find some common ground. Show him you're not just the snarky comments and eye rolls."

"Common ground? With Gray Archer? The man is a robot, Sarah. He has no emotions, no interests outside of work, and certainly no sense of humor."

"Everyone has something" Sarah insists.

I sigh, looking out the window at the bustling street outside. "I guess you're right. But it's hard when he keeps his guard up all the time. He never lets anyone in."

"You're Daisy freaking Hartley. You can do anything. If anyone can break through that icy exterior, it's you." Sarah says firmly.

I take a deep breath
"Alright. I'll give it a shot. But if he drives me to murder, I'm holding you responsible."

Sarah laughs, raising her cup in a toast. "To surviving Gray Archer and maybe, just maybe, making him fall for you."

I clink my cup against hers, a reluctant smile tugging at my lips.
"To the impossible."

"Okay, enough about Gray Archer," Sarah says, flipping her hair back dramatically. "Let's focus on this insane assignment he gave you. What exactly do you have to do?"

I groan, rubbing my temples.
"I have to create a board of today's fashion trends and write a detailed report on it. Normally, this would take a week, but no, he wants it by tomorrow. He knows I don't know anything about fashion. I swear he's setting me up to fail."

Sarah's eyes widen.
"Wow, he really is a piece of work. But don't worry, I'm going to help. We need to impress him by finishing this board."

I shoot her a grateful look.
Sarah pulls out her phone and starts scrolling.
"Alright, let's see what the internet has to say about today's fashion. We'll gather images, trends, and notes. I'll help you put it all together."

We spread out across the dining table, our laptops open and magazines strewn everywhere. Sarah's enthusiasm is infectious, and soon we're both immersed in the world of fashion, laughing at the ridiculous trends and marveling at the beautiful designs.

"Did you see this?" Sarah says, holding up her phone to show me a picture of a model wearing an outfit that looks like it's made entirely of feathers. "Who actually wears this stuff?"

I laugh, shaking my head. "Maybe peacocks? I can't imagine walking down the street in that."

Sarah grins. "Okay, so maybe not all trends are practical. But look at this one, apparently oversized blazers are in. That's something you could definitely pull off."

"Yeah, if I want to look like I'm swimming in fabric," I say, but I save the picture anyway.
"At least it's better than the feather monstrosity."

We keep working, bouncing ideas off each other and slowly piecing together a cohesive board.
Sarah is a lifesaver, her knowledge and enthusiasm making the task feel less daunting.

Just as we're getting into a groove, the front door creaks open, and my Liam steps in.
He spots Sarah at the table.
Their relationship has been rocky ever since he made a snide comment about her cat,
Mr. Whiskers.

"Oh, great" Liam mutters, dropping his bag by the door. "What are you guys doing?"

Sarah doesn't even look up from her laptop. "Nice to see you too, Liam. And for your information, we are making a board of todays fashion."

Liam walks to the kitchen looking at our work. "What do you know about fashion?" He asks Sarah.

I shoot him a warning look. My brother can be a lot sometimes.
"More than you do." Sarah shoots back.

"Relax, I'm just joking with you Sarah" he says putting his hand on her head then messing her hair up.

"Hey! Dont mess it up" she says laughing then putting it back up in her claw clip.
He snorts.

"Well good luck to you guys, I'm heading to my room" he says walking away.

We go back to work, we manage to put together a decent fashion board. By the time we're done, it's late, and I'm exhausted but relieved.

"Okay, I think we've got everything," I say, looking at the completed board. "You're amazing, Sarah. I couldn't have done this without you."

She smiles, packing up her things. "Anytime, Daisy. Now go and impress Gray Archer's with this. Show him what you're made of."

I grin, feeling a newfound confidence.
"I will."

As she leaves, I take one last look at the board. It's vibrant, detailed, and exactly what I need to impress Gray. Maybe, just maybe, I can pull this off.

***

The next morning, I wake up early.
I make my way to Grays house, the fashion board carefully tucked under my arm. Despite our rocky relationship, it's my job to make him breakfast, and I'm not going to let him throw me off my game today.

"Morning James." I wave at the old man as he offers me a smile. "Morning Daisy." He says as I head inside.

His house is as immaculate as ever when I let myself in. Everything has its place, just like Gray likes it.
I head to the kitchen and start whipping up a simple but delicious breakfast, scrambled eggs, toast, and freshly squeezed orange juice. As I cook, I can't help but feel a bit of anxiety creeping in.

Gray walks into the kitchen, impeccably dressed as usual, with his eyes glued to his phone. He barely acknowledges me as he sits down at the table.

"Good morning, Mr. Archer" I say, forcing a polite tone.

He grunts in response, not looking up from his screen. Typical.

I set his breakfast in front of him, and he starts eating without a word. I take a deep breath, knowing this is my moment. I pull out the fashion board and place it on the table beside his plate.

"What's this?" he asks, finally glancing up at me with a frown.

"This is the fashion board you asked for," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "I stayed up all night working on it."

He puts his phone down and leans forward, scrutinizing the board.
For a moment, his expression is unreadable. Then, I see it, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He doesn't say anything, but I can tell he's impressed.

"This is... quite detailed," he says slowly, his eyes moving over the images and notes. "You did all this in one night?"

"With some help from a friend" I admit, crossing my arms defensively.
"But yes. I did."

He studies the board a bit longer before looking back at me. "It's... adequate."

I raise an eyebrow. "Adequate? That's all you have to say?"

He shrugs, picking up his fork again. "It's a good start. But next time, I expect you to handle it on your own."

I bite back a retort, knowing it won't do any good to argue with him. Instead, I decide to take a different approach. "You know, for someone who gave me such a tight deadline, you could at least say thank you."

He looks at me, his expression hardening. "I'm not wasting my time on unnecessary things." he says.

I bristle at his words but hold my tongue. This is exactly why I can't stand him. He's impossible to please and even harder to read. But seeing that brief moment of shock on his face gives me a small sense of satisfaction.

Back at the office, I'm still frustrated with Gray.
The fashion board presentation didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped, but at least it seemed to catch him off guard.

I'm typing away at my desk when the door opens, and in walks Eleanor Archer.
Her presence always commands attention. She's rich, elegant, and with an air of superiority that could choke a room.
She glances around, her eyes finally landing on me with a calculated look.

I rise from my desk, forcing a professional smile. "Mrs. Archer. How can I help you?" I say looking over at Gray who is now looking at us. Shit. He can't know we work together.

She motions for me to follow her, and we step into a small conference room for privacy. The door closes behind us, and her demeanor shifts from polite to critical in an instant.

"How is our little arrangement progressing?" she asks, arching a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. Her voice is cold, and I can tell she expects results.

I swallow hard, feeling the weight of her expectations. "It's... not going as well as I'd hoped. Gray is"

"Difficult? Unapproachable?" she cuts in, her tone sharp.
"I'm well aware of my nephew's flaws. That's why I hired you."

I take a deep breath, trying to keep my composure. "He doesn't let me in. Every attempt I make to connect with him is met with resistance. I'm doing everything I can, but it's like he's built a fortress around himself."

Eleanor's eyes narrow, and she looks at me with a mixture of disappointment and disdain. "I didn't hire you for excuses. I hired you for results. You have to succeed. Failure is not an option."

I nod, feeling the pressure mounting. "I understand. I'll keep trying."

"You'd better" she says, her voice dripping with condescension.
"Gray needs to see you as indispensable. Make him rely on you, need you. Do whatever it takes. I didn't invest in you for nothing."

Her words sting, but I bite my tongue. This deal is my lifeline, and I can't afford to mess it up. "I will, Mrs. Archer. I promise."

Eleanor steps closer, her eyes piercing into mine. "See that you do. Remember, you're not just doing this for yourself. You're doing it for your family. Don't let them down."

With that, she turns on her heel and leaves the room, leaving me standing there, feeling a mixture of anger and determination. I've got to find a way to break through Gray's walls, no matter what it takes.

As I head back to my desk, Gray walks out of his office. He stops in front of me.
"How do you know my aunt?" He asks and I have to look up to see his face. Has he always been this tall or have we just never been this close?

"I...I'm a fan. I know her from the magazines." I say even though I had never heard about the Archer family before everything happened.

He nods.
"Want to have lunch?" I ask suddenly to break the silence.
He has turned down my every offer to have lunch with him for the past two weeks and I guess the answer will be the same today too.

"Sure."

Wait what.

"Oh...okey. I'm just going to get my bag then." I say shocked by his response.

I run to get my bag then walk into the elevator with him.
We walk to a nearby Thai restaurant. The aroma of spices and herbs instantly fills the air.
"What do you want?" He asks.

"I'll just take what you have." I say smiling.

"Mine is spicy." He says warning me.

"Are you saying I can't handle a little spice" I say crossing my arms.

"Just warning you." He says then orders two meals paying for us both.

I go to sit at the table near a window and Grey takes the seat in front of me.

Umm...so what do I even say. Is this a date. No wait he still hates me, so it's not a date. It's just two people eating together.

As we wait for our food, conversation flows surprisingly smoothly.
Gray asks about my background, and I share snippets of my childhood.
"What about your parents?" He asks since I haven't mentioned them.

"They died two years ago." I say trying to keep up a smile.
"Sorry." He says.

"No it's fine, I'm better now." I say even though I am not. Nothing is better. Nothing has been better since my parents died.

The food arrives shortly after and I'm grateful for the distraction.
The dishes look delicious but very spicy.
I take a cautious bite of the curry, and immediately my nose starts to run and my eyes water. I reach for my water glass, trying to cool the fire burning in my mouth.

Gray chuckles softly, a sound I'm not used to hearing from him. "Told you."

I nod, blinking rapidly to clear my eyes. "Yeah, it definitely is...spicy"

He smirks, taking a sip of his own drink. "You know, in Thai culture, they say if you can handle spicy food, you can handle anything."

"Well, in that case, I must be invincible" I say, attempting to lighten the mood despite the heat radiating from my mouth.

We continue eating, and gradually I start to relax. Gray surprises me with his wit and humor, and I find myself enjoying his company in a way I never expected.

So we finally got a sweet side of Gray. What are your thoughts on him so far?