Ava had trouble sleeping; it wasn't exactly nightmares, but rather the restless tossing that occurs when the brain won't stop talking. Wallace's gaze continued to pierce her skull while Logan Blake simply existed.
For someone who was supposedly an observer, he was too composed, too vigilant, and unconcerned. Something about him irritated her, like an unidentifiable tag on the back of a shirt that would not go away.
In the morning, Ava made the decision that if she was going to be watched, she might as well look famous.
With an iced coffee in one hand and a false sense of confidence in the other, she entered Wallace & Grey Consulting.
Her black blazer was sharpened to cut glass, and she purposefully clicked her heels against the marble.
No uneven hair strand and no smudged mascara. She made sure her entrance had timing even though she wasn't late. Thompson would be mentioned if someone were to write a report.Ava appeared intimidating or as though she is the building's owner.
Lena was sitting by Ava's desk like a news anchor ready to reveal the week's biggest scandal when the elevator doors slid open on the tenth floor.
With her eyes wide open, Lena leaned in. "Can you guess who was called to the dragon's slayer?" Lena asked her.
"Shrek?" Ava asked, sipping her coffee as if she had endless time.
"Wallace," Lena said, shaking her head in disappointment.
"Can I at least finish my caffeine before execution?" Ava moaned, knowing that nothing good was going to happen.
Lena said, "Nope, He said now," while Ava inhaled deeply.
The two smells that pervaded Mr. Wallace's office were costly wood polish and professional disapproval. Ava hurried over to his office to avoid his issues.
Wallace didn't even look up from his tablet when she gently knocked. He simply waved her inside as if she were a prearranged disruption.
While continuing to scroll through his tablet, he said flatly, "you're not in trouble," before raising his head.
Ava was clearly a little relieved that he had reassured her there were no problems.
"Yet," he continued, since based on her response, she was already more at ease than normal. That was unusual, though, as he typically skipped the disclaimer and went directly to the disapproval.
"Good morning, sir," Ava said, maintaining a neutral tone despite her caffeinated inner sarcasm. Before arriving at the office, she had already increased her self-confidence. He did look up this time, his keen eyes examining her.
He told her, "I am assigning you to assist Logan Blake."
Ava blinked, then blinked again, as if she had misheard.
"Sorry, assist who?" She asked incase she heard someone else or something else.
Wallace said it again to clarify everything. "Blake, He's analyzing things internally. You will serve as his point of contact." He continued
"That's unexpected," Ava remarked as she adjusted her watch.
Wallace arched an eyebrow as if sensing her reluctance and said, "Unexpected?"
She remarked, "I just thought Mr. Blake worked alone, he gives off that whole mysterious loner with a tablet on his hand."
Wallace disregarded her remarks immediately. "He requested a sharp person, someone who is unpredictable but familiar with the company." He said.
"So now I'm unpredictable, Fabulous!" Ava's mouth quivered.
She continued to nod. "Obviously, I'm glad to assist." She responded.
As if she had already bored him, Wallace tapped his screen and concluded. "Good, He's expecting you in the Strategy Room in ten minutes...dismissed."
Usually, everyone sweats in the Strategy Room. It is used for discreet firings or investor pitches. It had a large mahogany table, polished walls, and an oppressive silence.
Logan Blake was already there when Ava entered, leaning against the table with a tablet in his hand as if it were a part of his bloodstream and his sleeves rolled up just enough to appear effortless.
Calm and steady, his gaze flicked up at her entrance.
"Miss. Thompson," he said with ease.
"Observer," she said, tossing her bag onto the table and settling into a chair.
He barely pulled one corner of his mouth upward.
"I hear I've been assigned to babysit you," Ava remarked casually.
"Wallace must have been desperate." She continued.
Seated across from her, Logan folded his hands as if he had already won the interview. "Desperation wasn't the cause, It was a request.
She hesitated at that. "A request?" Glancing at him intimidatingly, she asked.
He gave a nod of approval and Ava asked him why after blinking twice.
"Because you're the only one here who doesn't perform," Logan said after observing her with the patience of someone who had already written down her complete psychological profile.
Ava's eyes narrowed as she questioned him. "Is that meant to be a compliment, or are you spying on me?"
He looked at his tablet and said, "Maybe both."
With her arms folded, she reclined in her chair. "I dislike being observed." Sincerely, she said.
"You work in a glass building," he retorted.
She rolled her eyes and recognized the spreadsheets that appeared when Logan tapped his tablet. Only that he wasn't examining department KPIs or sales metrics. He was keeping tabs on people, timing, movement, and patterns.
Ave said slowly, "You're not here to observe, you're here to dig."
Logan did not refute it. "My goal is to identify fissures before they become sinkholes." His voice was sharp but calm as he spoke and his eyes were fixed on her.
"You'd be shocked at how fast things fall apart." He added.
The way he said it, as if he had already witnessed this place burn, made her stomach knot.
She said, "So what exactly do you need from me?"
"Honesty, clarity and patterns." He answered. It was clear that there was something about him based on the way he responded.
"And what do I get in return?" She insisted on acting cunning as usual.
After pausing, he said, "Answers." At this point, he knew he had to look into Ava's diary.
She didn't show it, but her pulse skipped a beat.
"Answers to what?" She stumbled.
"The kind you've been avoiding." He answered.
She was irritated by how cruel it was, although he didn't know her, he was making an effort.
Lena was already sitting like a parrot at her desk, anticipating rumors.
"So? Was it uncomfortable? Did he say anything strange? Is he a robot in secret? Tell me he's a robot, please" she insisted as soon as Ava took a seat.
Despite her brain's constant reminders that he is not strange, Ava continued to stare at her screen.
"That's disappointing, He's strategic." She answered Lena's question.
Lena raised her eyebrows. She teased, "Is that code for sexy?" knowing that it might be the case.
"No, it's code for dangerous with a spreadsheet." Ava answered and Lena gave a dramatic gasp.
Logan seemed unconcerned as he strolled through the office. He was calm, impartial, and unfazed, which naturally made him stand out even more.
Every department head looked up as he went by and suddenly, every intern had an excuse to linger near the printer.
Ava detested being conscious of him although Logan Blake's mystery wasn't the issue. The issue was that he was deliberate. He seemed to be planning three steps ahead with every word, every look, and every quiet moment.
She glared at her to-do list while tapping her pen against her notepad. Her thoughts kept returning to Logan even though she had actual deadlines for her work.
His warning, his voice, and the responses you've been avoiding kept ringing in her head.
"Avoiding what, exactly?" She questioned herself.
Even though she wanted to brush him off, she knew that this was just the beginning because Logan Blake wasn't there for a casual reason, and what scared her the most was that he was staring at her.