Nate had been shadowing me for the past two weeks, and juggling my workload while training him was becoming a nightmare. Aaron was on the phone in his office——when a plan popped into my head.
"Nate, I'll be right back. I just need to ask Mr. Simmons a quick question."
He slid his chair back to let me pass. "Hey, Alaina? I… I actually wanted to ask you something first."
I paused. "Sure, what's up?"
His hand ran nervously through his hair. "Would you… like to go to dinner later?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Of course, Nate. Whatever helps you adjust to the company."
He grinned like he'd won a prize and leaned back in his seat, visibly satisfied.
I knocked on Aaron's door. He hung up the phone the moment he saw me and motioned for me to come in.
"What can I do for you, Miss Jackson?" he asked, eyes still scanning the documents on his desk.
I sat down, a mischievous smile tugging at my lips. "Alaina, by the look on your face, I'm guessing I'm not going to like what you're about to say."
I cut in before he could speak. "I'm drowning, Aaron. Nate's shadowing me and it's getting hard to stay ahead. I was hoping I could bring in someone else to help."
Aaron tapped his fingers on the desk, then leaned forward slightly. "So… you want to offload your work, Miss Jackson?"
I stood up with a sigh. "Forget it. I tried."
"Sit back down," he said, smirking.
I dropped back into the chair. "What's the deal?"
He glanced at some papers, then back at me. "Alright. I'll let Nate help in office. But what do I get in return?"
I tilted my head. "I'll owe you a favor. Whatever you want… that you don't already get."
His smile widened. "Send him over. But I won't like one bit of this."
I headed back to my desk.
"Nate," I said, "Mr. Simmons wants you to shadow him for the rest of your internship."
Nate stared, stunned, then stood up without a word and walked away.
Inside Aaron's office, I saw the two shake hands and sit. Five minutes later, Nate walked out and made a beeline for the bathrooms.
Later that evening, I spotted him near the entrance, waiting.
"Hey, you ready?" he asked, perking up. "I was thinking we could grab a cab to that place on Greenwich Avenue."
"Sounds good," I replied.
Just as he raised his hand to hail a cab, Aaron appeared at my side.
"Don't worry about it, Nate," he said smoothly. "We'll take my car."
Nate blinked, caught off guard. "Actually, Mr. Simmons, it was just going to be me and Miss Jackson tonight."
I glanced at Nate, confused—then mentally slapped myself. He'd hoped for one-on-one time.
Aaron's smug smile said it all. "Of course. But it's not like it's a date, right? Surely there's room for one more."
Nate clenched his fists but didn't argue.
Aaron, of course, grabbed my jacket and purse like the knight in a tailored suit he thought he was, and we headed to his waiting car. He opened the door for me before circling to his side.
"Alaina, do you mind if I get in first? I hate sitting by the door," he said with that unreadable look.
I nodded and climbed in after him.
As we pulled away, the tension in the backseat could've choked someone. Aaron stared out the window, jaw tight. Nate sat stiffly, pretending I didn't exist.
"Guys," I said finally, cutting through the silence. "I'm actually not feeling great. I think I'm going to head home."
Aaron turned, concerned. "Are you really feeling sick?"
"I'm okay," I said gently. "Nate, we can still catch up soon. Talk about your promising future with the company."
The chauffeur pulled up to my building. I gave a half-hearted wave and climbed out. Nate stayed in the car, his face unreadable. Aaron waved cheerfully, too cheerfully.
Later that night, I was halfway through an episode when Aaron called.
"Hey," I said, casual. "How'd dinner go?"
He sighed. "As expected. We stayed about an hour before Nate had something come up."
"Oh, so you discussing me at all?" I teased.
"No, you didn't come up once. It was all work talk."
Shortly after I hung up, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Aaron, overnight bag slung over his shoulder, dropping it unceremoniously inside.
"You know you can't just show up whenever you feel like it, right?" I said, arching a brow.
He turned with a pout, an exaggerated frown on his lips. "But I had such a day… doing your work and babysitting that intern."
"His name is Nate," I said, untying his tie. "And I know exactly what you were doing today."
He cupped my jaw and kissed me, slow and warm.
"Isn't it obvious?" he murmured against my lips. "He likes you. He even asked me if it was okay to ask you out. I didn't like that one bit."
He shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around me, kissing the top of my head. "Don't be mad. I just don't want anyone thinking you're… available."
I sighed and stepped back. "I know. But he won't be the last. I'm a woman, Aaron. And women are dangerous."
He smiled, his whole body relaxing. "Let's go to bed early. I'm wiped."
I nodded, letting him pull me into bed, his arms wrapping tight around me.
"Alright," he said quietly, as I curled into him. "But just so you know—the favor you owe me? It's coming soon."