C5 Unplanned Invitation

Adrian stared at the closed door long after Elena had left his office. He could still hear the faint click of her heels fading down the hall.

What the hell was wrong with him?

He’d just complimented her. Complimented. That alone was enough to make his assistant raise an eyebrow. And now, instead of getting back to work, he found himself drumming his fingers on his desk, distracted by the memory of her smile.

He glanced at the clock. 1:15 PM.

She probably hasn’t eaten.

Adrian frowned, shaking his head. Why do I care? She was his personal assistant — not his responsibility. He had no business concerning himself with whether or not she’d had lunch.

His eyes flicked back to his computer screen, scanning the endless stream of emails. He stared blankly at the words, but his mind refused to focus.

Before he knew what he was doing, his hand moved to the intercom.

“Elena.”

There was a pause, followed by a crackle. “Y-Yes, Mr. Blackwood?”

“Come back to my office.”

Another pause. “…Right now?”

“Yes.”

The intercom clicked off. Adrian exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. What am I doing?

A soft knock interrupted his spiraling thoughts.

“Come in.”

Elena peeked her head through the door, eyes wide with curiosity. “Is something wrong?”

He hesitated. This was a terrible idea. He should send her back to her desk, forget this ever happened, and bury himself in work.

But instead, the words slipped out before he could stop them.

“Have you had lunch?”

She blinked. “What?”

“Lunch,” he repeated, leaning back in his chair. “Have you had it?”

Her brow furrowed. “Um… no, not yet.”

Adrian nodded once, as if that settled it. “Join me.”

Her mouth fell open. “What?”

He arched a brow. “Is there an echo in here?”

“No, I just….” She blinked rapidly. “You want me to have lunch with you?”

He shrugged, feigning indifference. “It’s already past one. I’m hungry. You’re here. It’s practical.”

She stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “Practical,” she echoed.

“Unless you’d rather not.” He reached for his phone, ready to pretend this entire conversation never happened.

“No!” she blurted. “I mean… sure. Lunch. That sounds… practical.”

Adrian stood, buttoning his jacket. He motioned toward the door, and she scurried after him, still looking as if she couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

The walk to the private elevator was quiet.

He could feel her sneaking glances at him, no doubt wondering if this was some elaborate prank. The elevator doors slid open, and they stepped inside.

“So,” she ventured as the doors closed. “Do you… always invite your assistants to lunch?”

“No.”

“Oh.” She shifted awkwardly. “First time for everything, I guess.”

The elevator hummed softly, and Adrian found himself glancing down at her. She looked nervous, fidgeting with the strap of her bag. Her eyes darted everywhere but at him, like she was trying to memorize the buttons on the control panel.

He should’ve found it irritating. Instead, it was… oddly endearing.

The doors slid open, and they stepped into the sleek, modern restaurant that occupied the top floor of the building. It was quiet — a perk of being the CEO. The hostess greeted them with a polite smile, leading them to a private table by the window.

Elena shifted uncomfortably in her seat, glancing around at the lavish decor. “Wow. This place is… fancy.”

Adrian arched a brow. “You work in a billion-dollar company.”

“Yeah, but the cafeteria has plastic trays and suspicious-looking sandwiches. This is… linen napkin fancy.” She poked at the perfectly folded napkin as if it might bite her.

Adrian hid a smirk behind his menu. “Order whatever you’d like.”

She hesitated, glancing at the prices. “Maybe I’ll just get a salad.”

“Elena.” His tone was soft but firm. “Order what you want.”

She bit her lip, scanning the menu again before reluctantly settling on pasta. The waiter took their orders, and soon, they were left alone, the silence stretching awkwardly between them.

“So,” Elena began, twirling her glass of water.

“Do you always have tense business meetings over lunch, or was today special?”

Adrian’s lips twitched. “It was special."

“Thought so.” She leaned forward conspiratorially. “I have to ask — what’s the deal with Liam Hart?”

His jaw tightened. “It’s complicated.”

“Complicated how?”

He sighed, swirling his glass. “We used to be friends. Business partners.”

Her eyes widened. “Wait… that Liam Hart? The guy who owns Blackthorn Enterprises?”

“The very same.”

“What happened?”

Adrian hesitated. For a moment, he considered brushing her off. But there was something disarming about Elena — something that made him want to lower his guard, just for a moment.

“He betrayed me,” he said quietly. “Over a deal we built together.”

Her face softened. “I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. “It was a long time ago.”

They fell into silence, the weight of his words hanging in the air. Then Elena cleared her throat, offering him a small, hopeful smile.

“Well… if it makes you feel any better, I think you handled yourself pretty well today. You didn’t even flip the table.”

Adrian huffed a quiet laugh. “High praise.”

Their food arrived, and as they ate, the conversation grew lighter. Elena filled the silence with stories about her old jobs, each more disastrous than the last. Adrian found himself unexpectedly… entertained.

By the time they finished, the tension had eased. As they rode the elevator back to the office, Adrian caught himself glancing at her — at the way her eyes lit up when she talked, at the small dimple in her cheek when she smiled.

She was a distraction. A frustrating, unpredictable distraction.

*********************

Elena practically floated back to her desk, though her brain was still struggling to process what had just happened. Lunch. With Adrian Blackwood.

She plopped down into her chair, staring blankly at her computer screen. No amount of caffeine could’ve prepared her for the whirlwind of emotions she’d experienced in the past hour. One minute she was delivering meeting notes, trying not to trip over her own feet, and the next? She was sitting across from the most intimidating man she’d ever met, sharing pasta and personal stories.

She dropped her head into her hands. “What just happened?”

“Something wrong?” came Daisy’s voice over the phone.

Elena straightened, blinking at the screen. She’d forgotten they had a quick-call habit whenever things got overwhelming. She fumbled for her headset, heart still racing.

“You won’t believe what just happened.”

“Try me.”

Elena inhaled deeply. “I had lunch with Adrian Blackwood.”

There was silence on the other end. Then — “What?!”

“Shh!” Elena hissed, glancing around the office. Thankfully, no one was paying her any attention. She lowered her voice. “It just… happened. He called me back to his office after I dropped off the meeting notes and asked if I’d eaten yet. Then he invited me to lunch. Just like that.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Daisy sounded breathless. “The Adrian Blackwood — your cold, broody, unfairly gorgeous boss — invited you to lunch?”

“Yes!” Elena whispered furiously. “I thought I was hallucinating. The man barely speaks, let alone… socializes.”

“What did you talk about?”

Elena chewed her lip. “Honestly? It was kind of… nice. I mean, tense at first. He’s not exactly the chattiest person. But then I asked about that Liam Hart guy from the meeting — apparently, they used to be friends.”

“No way.”

“Yeah. Something about betrayal over a business deal.”

“Of course.” Daisy sighed dramatically. “A tragic backstory. It makes him even hotter.”

Elena groaned, dropping her head onto her desk. “Daisy, please.”

“Hey, I’m just saying.” There was a grin in her voice. “So… are you in love with him yet?”

“What?!” Elena nearly choked. “No! Absolutely not.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.”

Elena buried her face in her hands. “He’s my boss.”

“Okay, but… do you want him to be your boss?” Daisy teased.

“Daisy!”

“Alright, alright.” Daisy laughed. “But admit it — you’re at least a little curious about him.”

Elena sighed, leaning back in her chair. “I mean… yeah. A little. He’s just so hard to read. One minute he’s cold and distant, and the next… he’s inviting me to lunch and telling me I did a good job.”

“Maybe he likes you.”

Elena scoffed. “Please. The only thing Adrian Blackwood likes is closing deals and glaring at people."

“Uh-huh. Well, I say keep your eyes open. And maybe buy a new dress. Just in case.”

“Goodbye, Daisy.”

Daisy cackled as Elena hung up, shaking her head.

She leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. Adrian Blackwood was a mystery — and she had no business trying to solve him. But still… she couldn’t stop thinking about the way his eyes softened, just a little, when he’d told her she handled herself better than expected.

She was in so much trouble.