Ex with Benefits (Sequel to Roommates with Benefits) [NEW VERSION]

4. A new beginning

The soft glow of my computer screen was the only source of light in the dark office. I was deep in my research on marine life in the Caribbean when a sudden voice startled me out of my focus. "Seems I'm not the only night owl here, huh?"

Startled, I jerked my head up and caught sight of Jeremy standing by my desk. His easy chuckle filled the silence as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized with a sweet smile.

I adjusted my glasses and leaned back against my chair, feeling a slight blush creep onto my cheeks. "No, I ..." I mumbled, trying to discreetly straighten out the mess that covered my desk. I felt like an awkward high school nerd all over again under Jeremy's gaze. "I was just distracted."

"Pulling an all-nighter again?" He asked, his brown eyes reverberating with amusement.

"Not by choice." I sighed, nodding in the direction of Jeff's empty office.

Everyone had left hours ago. The only way I would be able to deliver the project by 9 am the next day was if I spent the whole night working on it. Part of me was relieved, because that meant I had an excuse not to go home. Thankfully, Sean had texted me earlier saying Gloria had somehow convinced her sister to join them. So, my kids were all safe and sound at his place.

I'd considered texting Lukas to tell him I was going to work through the night, but ... what was the point? Even if I did go home, he wouldn't notice. Hell, he'd been sleeping in the guestroom for about a year now.

"Ahh ... the Ogre has locked you in his castle again, I see." Jeremy declared dramatically, making me smile a bit as he slapped his chest. "Have no fear, my damsel, I will save you."

Jeremy Reynolds was one of the main writers and narrators at our company, known for his smooth voice and captivating scripts. He not only wrote some of the best documentaries produced here, but also lent his voice as their narrator. He was pretty much a rockstar in the field. Rumor had it that even Netflix wanted him, but he'd refused their offer.

For me, he was just the goofy writer I found myself working with every once in a while. Jeremy's theatrics had a way of lightening the otherwise oppressive atmosphere created by Jeff.

Right now, he stood there with his hand on his hip, a mock-heroic glint in his eye, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. "Well, Sir Jeremy," I played along, gathering up the scattered papers into a less chaotic pile. "Your quest is noble, but I'm afraid this dragon is made of deadlines and tea stains, not scales and fire."

He chuckled, then pulled up a chair across from me, sitting right next to my computer's monitor. "Looks like that dragon needs slaying," he said, nodding at my disorganized desk. "Mind if I keep you company? I've been known to wield a pretty mean pen."

"Don't you have your own dragons to slay? Or do you like staying after hours just to ambush unsuspecting victims?" I teased, glad I could take a break from my pathetic thoughts for a moment. Jeremy had a reputation for making work feel less like labor and more like an eccentric kind of fun.

He may have not been conventionally handsome, or not ... Lukas Bennet level of handsome (and hardly anyone was, let's be honest), but his boyish grin added a touch of charm to his face. His cute and funny manners made him difficult to hate and extremely easy to enjoy his company.

"Oh, my dragons are already tucked away for the night. I was just about to make my way home when I caught sight of my favorite damsel in distress, toiling away under the tyranny of fluorescent lights." He brought a hand to his heart as his light brown eyes stared into mine as the golden glow from the setting sun played off his features, emphasizing the twinkle in his eyes. "It seemed only chivalrous to offer my services."