Chapter 1
“You probably don’t know this, but I’ve never been in a relationship before. I’m as pure as the driven snow. Unlike you, with your complicated love life—an ex-fiancé, that guy who keeps messing with your hair, and let’s not forget Wayne,” Hayden said calmly, almost maddeningly so.
I opened my mouth to retort, but before I could speak, he lowered his gaze. “So, really, I should be the one worrying. If people find out we shared a room last night, they might think I’m not so innocent anymore.”
“Are you saying I ruined your precious purity?” I snapped, my temper flaring.
“Not at all. You were very well-behaved last night—no improper advances whatsoever,” Hayden replied, his tone dripping with feigned innocence, as if he were a damsel in distress and I the villain.
'Unbelievable,' I fumed silently, too angry to articulate my thoughts.
I vented my frustration on the custard roll, tearing it apart as if it had personally offended me. “If you want to stay pure, you better keep your distance from me,” I retorted after swallowing the last bite.
“That might be tricky, unless we stop working together,” Hayden said, laying down his napkin.
I was left speechless.
By the time I finished breakfast, Demi was also finishing hers. She said goodbye to her old friend, promising to call ahead next time she visited Seavora to properly catch up.
As soon as she was in the car, she turned to me. “Keira, what were you and Mr. Hart talking about? He wouldn’t stop chatting with you.”
I felt exasperated. Clearly, even while lunching with her friend, her attention had been fixated on Hayden and me.
“Nothing much,” I replied, attempting to shut down the conversation.
Demi blinked, unconvinced. So I added, “Just work stuff. Looks like we’ll be pulling more overtime.”
“What?!” Demi’s cheerful expression vanished. “Mr. Hart has zero compassion! He’s totally ruthless.”
We drove to the amusement park, but Hayden wasn't yet there. We parked just as he arrived—on an electric bike.
“Keira, does Mr. Hart ride an e-bike every day? I didn’t think there were still guys who’d actually do that,” Demi said, shocked. I was a little surprised too. I’d assumed he took a cab or the subway, but apparently, he used a bike-share electric bike.
“Mr. Hart, you should ditch that bike and ride with us. There’s plenty of room in Keira’s car,” Demi suggested, as if doing me a favor.
I was about to speak when Hayden looked at me. “Alright. I appreciate it, Ms. Kay.”
Once again, I was speechless. Twice in one morning, he’d left me speechless. I couldn’t even properly vent my frustration.
So, I snapped at Demi instead. “Next time, could you maybe check with me before making decisions like that?”
Demi understood my irritation immediately. “I was just trying to be efficient and think about safety. Mr. Hart isn’t familiar with the area, and riding an e-bike could be dangerous. If something happened to him, how would we finish the project on time?”
Again, I was speechless.
“I’ll make sure to ask you next time,” Demi promised, giving me a playful hug.
I sighed, relenting, and tapped her head. “You’re in charge of all the running around today.”
“No problem! I’ve got the legs for it,” Demi replied, her optimism unwavering. “Great, then you can work with Mr. Hart today. I’ll head over to the other side to coordinate with Eugene on the other progress points,” I said, determined to avoid Hayden.
But as soon as I reached Eugene, my phone rang. It was Demi. “Keira, I’m done over here.”
“What?” I asked, confused.
“Mr. Hart said we’re taking the day off,” Demi said, infuriating me.