Chapter 106

Early the next morning, I had barely sat down at my desk when Logan opened the door to his office and barked, “Hazel. My office. Now.”

He immediately disappeared back inside of his office, leaving his door slightly ajar.

I looked longingly at the iced coffee I’d only had a few sips of this morning. My caffeine goodness would have to wait. I grabbed my pad and pen and left my desk.

Sabrina smirked at me from her desk closer to Logan’s office door. “You sure put him in a mood.”

Whatever his foul mood was about, it couldn’t have anything to do with me. I had left on time last night and didn’t speak with Logan until arriving back at the office today. He seemed fine when I left him.

Unless something happened on his date last night…?

My stomach twisted uncomfortably, as it so often did every time I thought of Logan going on that date with Connie that I arranged. I’d tried my best not to think of it, but that hadn’t worked. I tossed and turned last night, barely sleeping at all.

I really wanted my coffee.

None of this, I would tell Sabrina, so I walked right by her and entered Logan’s office. I closed the door behind me.

Logan wasn’t sitting down as usual. Instead, his back was to the room as he glanced out the window. He stood up straight with his arms behind him.

I moved to the space in front of his desk and waited to be acknowledged. When he didn’t say anything, I prompted, “Sir?”

“Last night was a disaster,” Logan said, tone flat with disapproval.

How could that be? I had planned everything around Connie’s preferences. “Did she not enjoy the restaurant?”

“She loved the restaurant. That’s the problem.”

“Uh… it is?”

“Yes, Hazel. All she did was talk about the food.” He turned to face me, and his eyes held a cold edge, sharp as an icicle and pointed straight at me.

I opened my mouth. Closed it. That… couldn’t be. Unless…? “You did try to ask her things about herself, right?”

“Of course I did,” he said. “I’m not new at this. I asked her…” His voice trailed off. His icy sheen melted, and in its place, he just seemed puzzled. “I must have asked her something.”

That didn’t bode well. “Are you sure she didn’t ask you anything? About something other than the food?”

Logan’s confusion slowly shifted into annoyance and frustration.

If they didn’t talk the whole time, what had they done? Just ate and stared at each other? No wonder the date didn’t go well!

Before taking this job as CEO, Logan had been a well-known woman enjoyer. I knew first hand that he was charming and personable when he wanted to be. There was no good reason he shouldn’t have thrived in a date like the one I had planned.

I couldn’t deny that I was secretly pleased the date had failed… but that was something I was burying deep inside of myself and not acknowledging at all.

My job demanded that these dates succeed.

“You have failed your duties,” Logan said. “You picked a suitable restaurant but left too much of the rest to chance. I have another date to night. This time, I want a dossier about my date, as well as suitable topics for conversation. Also, speak with the restaurant to arrange a romantic atmosphere for us.”

God, at this rate, he’d want me to go on his dates for him next.

But what could I say? This was my job. I hate to bear it.

“Yes, Sir.”

I left his office without a dismissal. He must have been done with me because he made no effort to stop me.

When I returned to my desk, my iced coffee was still cold. Thank God for small miracles.

I opened the datebook and researched the name of the Logan’s next date.

By the end of the day, I had a folder about her, filled with things she liked. I called a restaurant that would suit her and Logan both. I asked them to provide their most private table, and to do what they could to set a romantic ambiance.

A passed a dossier to Logan with information on his date, as well as a list of suggested topics of conversation.

Then, after work, because I was dedicated, I went to the restaurant myself, stopping at a flower shop along the way. I brought the date’s favorite flowers to the table and helped arrange the romantic candlelight with the maitre d'.

I personally requested the music that would play. I sat and listened for a while, to make sure the volume wasn’t too loud.

I imagined Logan sitting across the table from me. The lighting would suit him, highlighting his high cheekbones and the pronounced cut of his jaw. His eyes would sparkle in the candlelight.

Everything was perfect. Still, foolishly, I wished the one going on this date was me.

Shaking my head, I stood. I had done all I could here. No one would be able to say that I didn’t go above and beyond.

Even with my heart cracking, for reasons I didn’t want to think about, I was confident that this date would go much better than the last.

That confidence lasted all the way until the next morning, when Logan, standing in the doorway of his office, looked even more haggard that he had the day before.

Get in line. I was sure I looked like hell too. I hadn’t slept at all again, too busy stressing about that damn date, even if I was confident about it. It just made something uneasy grow inside of my gut, like I had a spikey cactus in there.

Maybe I was coming down with something.

“My office, Hazel,” he commanded, then disappeared inside.

Sighing, I stood from my desk and followed him. I didn’t even glance at Sabrina this time, knowing full well she’d have another shit-eating smirk and cutting remark.

I walked right into Logan’s office and closed the door.

He sat behind his desk this time, with his fingers laced together on top of it.

“Have a seat,” he said, his voice tight.

I marched to the chair and sat down.

“I need you to be upfront with me,” he said. “As your employer, I’m asking you for a straight answer.”

“Okay…?”

He cleared his throat, then leveled me with his most intimidating CEO stare.

“Hazel, why do you continue to sabotage all of my dates?”

I blinked, surprised. “Pardon?” I couldn’t have heard that right. Not after I’d been working so hard for every aspect to be perfect.

“This was another failure of a date,” he said. “Everything about it was wrong. The music was too loud.”

I knew it wasn’t.

“The flowers were the wrong color.”

They were his date’s favorite color.

“The restaurant felt too stiff. It was difficult to start a comfortable conversation.”

The restaurant was no stuffier than any of the ones he’d gone to with Dylan before. It was no near as glamorous as some of the places he went with Natalie.

“Sir.” I didn’t want to accuse him of anything. But at this rate, he was nitpicking so hard, it felt insulting. My veneer was shattering.

That date had been planned perfectly. The only reason it could have failed was because the two people there did not want it to work.

“Have you considered that it’s not my planning that caused this?” I asked, as politely as I could. I smiled, but I had to grit my teeth to do it.

“What else could it be?” he said, narrowing his eyes.

I should back down, but I’d never been super great about doing what’s best for me.

So I said, “You.”