In love with my powerful Boss

pte

ew Bo

fancy consulting firm in downtown Chicago. My job? I make PowerPoint slides look sexy, write catchy slogans, and nod enthusiastically in meetings. It's not rocke

having stayed up late binge-watching a sci-fi show about alien invasions. My tie was crooked, my hair was doing its own thing, and

leaned over my cubicle wall. Her eyes were wide, like

ed, trying to fix a t

g. Like, today. And his

ugh but fair, the kind of boss who'd yell at you for missing a deadline but then sneak you a donut at the Christmas party. Retiring? That

id, squinting. "Isn'

t graduated from Harvard Business School. Word is, she

ol. "As long as she doesn't mess

with that. Meeting's in te

ished around a table meant for half that many. The air smelled like cheap cologne and nervous sweat. Ever

he wal

er navy blazer and pencil skirt screamed "I mean business," but her face? That was the kicker. Sharp cheekbones, piercing green eyes, and lips that looked li

hawk picking out which mouse to eat first. The room went dead silent. Even Da

d memorized in the womb. "I'm Isabelle Hargrove, your new CEO. My father has decid

slipped out of my hand and clattered onto the table. Isabelle's eyes

been coasting. I'm here to make it great. That means hard work, efficiency, and results. If you c

mach did a flip. I needed this job. My landlord wasn't exactly the "pay me whenever" type, and I wasn't qua

ter deadlines. Every word was precise, like she'd practiced it in front of a mirror. She didn't

something about her. She was so... intense. Like a puzzle I wanted to solve. Or a storm I wanted to chase, even if it meant getting struck by lig

id suddenly, snappin

ed. "Uh

department's last campaign was... adequate. But adequate isn't enough. I expect

er the table, which I took as a hint to say something intell

I exhaled, realizing I'd been holding my breath. Ma'am?

he time Isabelle dismissed us, my brain was mush, and my notepad

pounced. "So, what do yo

"She's... intense. But she's got a

're defending her? Wow, Ethan

kly. "I just mean, you know, she

n love with her. She doesn't strike me as the type

nyone, especially not guys like me, who showed up to work with taco sauce stains on their shirts. But still, the

conditioning and the occasional creak of a chair. I was halfway through a spreadsheet when I heard heels clicki

oking surprised to see me. "M

g to sit up straighter. "Work

w a flicker of something-approval, maybe?-but it was gone so fast

speak. She started to walk away

ea

tomorrow. It's

h was still crooked from this

stunned, my heart racing like I'd just run a marathon. Fix my tie? Was that... flirting? No, definitely not. She was just b

Isabelle was my boss, my terrifying, beautiful boss, and I was already in way over my head. One thing was clear: I had to step up my game, or

nse, or was there a softer side hiding under that perfect bun? Did she laugh at dumb jokes? Did she secr

belle Hargrove might be my missing piece, but getting close to her w