Look, I’m not the kind of guy who gets himself into messy situations. I’m careful. I plan things out. I keep my personal life and work life in completely separate boxes. But right now, at 3:00 in the morning, sitting on my couch with a whiskey I haven’t touched. I’m realizing that sometimes life doesn’t care about your boxes.
My name is Carter Hayes and I need to tell you what happened tonight before I lose my mind. I work at a marketing firm in Denver. Started there about 10 months ago as a senior strategist. The pay was good. The work was interesting. And my boss was someone I never expected to complicate my entire existence. Her name is Sloan Mercer, 31, 3 years older than me.
She had this dark red hair that she always wore pulled back tight like she was trying to control it. A green eyes that could cut through your excuses in half a second. She wore these perfectly tailored blazers and heels that clicked against the office floor like a countdown. Everything about her screamed controlled, competent, untouchable, and I was so stupidly attracted to her.
It made me feel like a teenager. For the first 6 months, I handled it. I was professional. I focused on my work. I didn’t let myself think about the curve of her neck when she leaned over my desk or the way she’d bite her lower lip when she was concentrating. I definitely didn’t think about what it would feel like to make her lose some of that control.
