Chapter 281
**Sara**
I settled into my chair, logging into the computer system while sipping my morning coffee. The office buzzed with its usual energy—phones ringing, keyboards clicking, and the occasional burst of laughter.
Mark appeared at my desk, his face unusually serious. "Hey Sara, heads up - Lucas Anderson is back from London today."
"Oh?" I straightened in my chair.
"Yeah, and you better watch out." He leaned in conspiratorially. "He's known for torturing new employees. Makes them redo reports five times, sends emails at 3 AM, expects responses within minutes."
"Mark, stop being such a drama queen!" Amy appeared, rolling her eyes. She perched on the edge of my desk. "Mr. Anderson isn't that bad."
"What's this about Mr. Anderson?" Hailey strolled over, coffee in hand. "Are you trying to scare Sara already, Mark? Cut it out."
Mark raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm just preparing her for reality!"
"Please." Hailey shook her head. "Mr. Anderson is actually pretty decent. Sure, he expects good work, but he's not some corporate monster." She turned to me. "Didn't you mention wanting to thank him for the job opportunity?"
"Yeah, I did." I fiddled with my pen, wondering if I should head to his office now.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Amy nudged my shoulder. "His office is right down that hall. Perfect time to say thanks."
"Come on, spill. Why do you really want to thank him? Nobody thanks their boss for hiring them after they've already started," Mark pressed, leaning forward with his knowing smirk.
"He's actually a friend's friend. That's how I got the referral for this position."
Hailey's eyes lit up. "Oh! So Mr. Anderson is, like a friend then?"
"No, no!" I waved my hands. "Definitely not. He's just my boss. That's all."
"Suuure." Mark wiggled his eyebrows. "Just your boss, who happens to be your friend's friend who got you this cushy job."
"Oh, stop it. It's strictly professional."
"Whatever you say." Amy stood up, stretching. "We better get back to work before someone notices this little coffee klatch."
"Right behind you." Hailey grabbed her mug. "These reports won't review themselves."
I watched them disperse to their respective desks, Mark still wearing that annoying knowing smirk.
My fingers drummed against my desk as I contemplated heading to Lucas's office. Why did I even need to thank him? Sure, Claire's connection might have gotten my foot in the door, but I earned this position on my own merit.
I stood up, smoothed my skirt, and marched down the hallway. The click of my heels against the polished floor echoed my determined thoughts. I'd crushed that interview. My MBA grades were stellar. Lucas Anderson didn't do me any favors - he hired the best candidate.
His office door loomed ahead, the frosted glass panel bearing his name in sleek silver letters. My hand hovered near the door, ready to knock, when doubt crept in. What was I even going to say? 'Hey boss, thanks for hiring me because you know Claire?' Ugh. This was stupid.
I spun on my heel, ready to retreat to the safety of my desk and pretend this momentary lapse in judgment never happened.
"Miss Parker!"
I froze mid-step. The voice belonged to Chloe, Lucas's secretary, who I'd only briefly met. She hurried toward me, her designer heels not sounding on the floor. How did she do that? Mine sounded like a tap-dancing elephant in comparison.
"Perfect timing," Chloe's perfectly glossed lips curved into a smile. "Mr. Anderson was just asking for you."
What could he want? I'd only been here a few days. "Oh? Did he say what it was about?"
"No, but he seemed eager to speak with you." Chloe gestured toward his office door. "He's free now if you'd like to go in."
"Right. Yes. Of course." I smoothed my skirt again. "I'll head in now."
I approached the door, my knuckles barely grazing the wood, when his voice called, "Come in!"
I opened the door and stepped into his office. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the glittering city skyline, sunlight streaming across the polished hardwood floors.
Lucas sat behind a massive mahogany desk, his suit jacket draped over the back of his chair.
"Sara!" He stood up, flashing that million-dollar smile. "How are you settling into your new role?"
"Mr. Anderson, everything's going great. The team's been really helpful."
He waved his hand dismissively. "Please, I thought we discussed this. It's Lucas. We're friends - or at least friends of friends." He winked. "No need for formalities."
"Right, sorry... Lucas."
"Have a seat." He gestured to one of the plush chairs facing his desk. "Coffee? Chloe makes an excellent espresso."
"Oh no, thank you. I've already had my morning fix." I perched on the edge of the chair, trying to look professional while fighting the urge to sink into its comfortable depths.
"Ah, a fellow coffee addict. Good to know." He leaned back in his chair, completely at ease. "How's Claire, by the way?"
"She's good! Still being Claire." I couldn't think of a diplomatic way to describe Claire's current adventures.
Lucas chuckled. "That could mean absolutely anything knowing her."
"You have no idea," I muttered under my breath.
"What was that?"
"Oh, just agreeing. Claire's quite the character."
He nodded, a bemused expression crossing his face. "That she is. But enough about Claire - tell me how you're finding everything here. Any issues? Questions? Concerns?"
"Everything's been great, actually," I said, settling comfortably into the chair. "The team's incredibly supportive, and I'm picking up the systems quickly."
"No issues with any of the procedures or protocols?"
"None at all. Mark, Hailey, and Amy have been walking me through everything step by step."
"Good to hear. You know, I specifically structured your position to prioritize learning." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "We want you to absorb as much as possible in these first few months. Once you have a solid foundation, we'll assign you more substantial projects."
"That sounds perfect."
"And, of course," he added with a casual wave of his hand, "there are performance-based bonuses for exceptional work. The HR team probably covered all this during your orientation?"
"Yes, they did. Jennifer went through everything in detail."
"Excellent." He nodded, adjusting his tie. "Well, that's all I wanted to check on. Just making sure you're settling in properly."
"I appreciate that." I stood up, smoothing my skirt. "Thanks for taking the time to check in."
"Of course. My door's always open if you need anything."
I nodded and turned toward the door, my hand reaching for the handle.
"Oh, Sara - one more thing."
I pivoted back, catching him adjusting his tie again. "Yes?"
"I was wondering if you're free this weekend? There's this new French restaurant downtown I've been meaning to try. Thought maybe we could discuss your career trajectory over dinner?"
Was this a friendly dinner or something else? The way he was fiddling with his tie made me suspect the latter.
I stood frozen for a moment, my mind racing through possible responses. The way Lucas kept adjusting his tie and that subtle shift in his tone suggested this wasn't just a casual business dinner.
"Oh, this weekend?" I kept my voice light and casual. "That's really thoughtful of you to offer."
Lucas smiled, leaning back in his chair. "It's supposed to be incredible - they've got this chef from Paris who does amazing things with truffles."
"Sounds fancy." I adjusted my bracelet, buying time to formulate a diplomatic response. "I should probably mention I already have plans this weekend."
"Ah." His smile dimmed slightly. "No worries if you're not interested. It was just a friendly invitation - I like to get to know my team outside the office sometimes."
"That's really nice of you." I matched his casual tone. "And I appreciate the invitation. It's just been a crazy week with the new job and everything. Still trying to get my bearings, you know?"
"Of course, of course." He waved his hand dismissively. "There's always next time. No pressure at all."
"Thanks for understanding." I smiled, genuinely relieved at how smoothly this was going. "I should probably get back to work."
"Right, yes." He straightened some papers on his desk. "Don't let me keep you. And Sara?"
"Yes?"
"My door's always open if you need anything. Work-related, of course."
"Thanks, Lucas. I appreciate that."
I slipped out of his office, releasing a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. My heels clicked against the floor as I returned to my desk, my mind replaying the conversation.
Dinner? To discuss career trajectory? Yeah, right. I'd seen that move before - the classic boss-asking-employee-to-dinner routine. Though Lucas had played it smooth, real smooth. That casual mention of the French restaurant, the thing about the truffle chef...
I settled into my chair, absently straightening the stack of reports on my desk. Claire had mentioned Lucas was single. "Lucas is gorgeous! Like, 'makes other men look like potato sacks' gorgeous." She'd said with that signature wiggle of her eyebrows. "Totally single."
Well, good for him. I wasn't here to scope out potential dates but to build a career. That conversation in his office? Just another workplace interaction to file away and forget about. Besides, I had whatever this thing was with Tom.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Whatever that interaction with Lucas meant, it wasn't worth overthinking. My computer screen blinked to life as I logged back in.
I pulled up the spreadsheet I'd been working on earlier, diving into the familiar comfort of Excel formulas and data analysis. This was what I was here for - not office politics, not fancy French restaurants with truffle chefs, and definitely not trying to decode whether my boss was just being friendly or something else.
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