ᵖʳᵒᵛⁱᵈᵉʳ, ᵗʰᵉᵒ ʲᵃᵐᵉˢ

05

HOTEL CAESAR AUGUSTUS
capri, italy
september 5, 2024
thursday
12pm

i was pacing alone in the lobby of the hotel while on the phone with kim who was blabbering to me about some work fiasco that she swore was 'important.'

"can you believe that they'd do that? i mean the assistant quit on the spot and now i'm assistantless." she complained.

i chuckled into my phone. "they probably quit because you were working them too hard." i teased.

"shut up, i'm serious." she replied, her tone a mix of agitation and amusement.

i leaned against the marble pillar and looked out of one of the large windows. "are you going to find a new assistant?" i asked.

she huffed. "yeah, but it's harder than you think. they have to be the total package. professional, trustworthy, capable, a team player, good with tech and able to deal with my last-minute decisions." she rambled off the traits of the ideal assistant.

i nodded as if she could see me. "you're kim kardashian, you'll find someone."

she sighed, "i guess so, but it's still a headache. i'm thinking of putting out an ad online or something, see if i can get any promising candidates that way." she explained.

i responded to her and then looked up only to see theo walking through the lobby, he hadn't noticed me yet. i turned my body away from him, my back turned to him.

"maybe you should just promote one of your employees or something, someone you trust," i suggested, almost whispering now.

kim groaned. "ugh, i would but they're all too invaluable in their current roles, i don't want to disrupt their roles just to have them as an assistant."

"that's true.." i replied, still keeping my face hidden from theo. i was starting to feel guilty for not saying hi to him, but still didn't feel ready to face him after last night's encounter.

"anyway, i gotta go. i have a lunch meeting with anna dell'orso in thirty minutes. i'm sure she's going to try to talk me into another ridiculous collaboration." kim said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"alright, have fun with that." i replied. "text me later, we'll catch up, okay?"

she agreed and we said our goodbyes. i hung up and turned around, only to be met with theo looking right at me. i felt a jolt of excitement and terror run through my body, and i flashed him a nervous smile.

"hello." he said, his voice smooth and velvety. his gaze was steady, and the intensity in his eyes made me feel like i was under a microscope.

i mustered up a small smile and waved. "hi." i felt tongue tied and awkward, my mind racing to find something to say.

"i saw you talking on the phone, but i didn't want to interrupt." he said, his smile warm. he looked at me, his expression hinting at curiosity. "who was that?"

i shifted my weight from one leg to the other, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. "oh, that was kim." i replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

"ah, the sister?" he asked, his eyes filled with intrigue. he gave me a small smile that sent a flutter through my chest.

i chuckled nervously, fiddling with the strap of my bag. "yeah, that's the one." i joked lightly, trying to play it cool.

"is she doing well?" he asked casually, his smile remaining. it was as if he found my awkwardness amusing. his gaze held mine, making me feel like i should explain myself.