Just The Right Black

Chapter 3

Green? Really?!
Ariana thought.

She hadn't even spent a good hour with him and he was already getting on her nerves. No one did that to her. Well, the fact that she was already tethering on the edge of pissed when Director Jack pulled her off the operation she was on with her team was probably why it was easy for him to get to her. He was gradually becoming a pain in the ass.

She needed to get over him calling her Green quickly or she was going to let her reaction towards it get in the way of her job.

Ariana sighed, inaudibly, as she tried to clear her thoughts.

But really? How would he like it if she called him 'Grey'?
Ariana thought.

Oh, stop being petty for chrissakes.
She scolded herself.

She recalled the moment she turned her gaze to look at him and met his grey eyes. It almost seemed like they were looking into my soul. The scar that ran a few inches above the arch of his brow into his hairline could have easily been the one reason his perfectly chiselled face wasn't perfect, but the case was exactly the opposite. She almost didn't notice it because a few locks of his dark hair fell over it, covering it.

Marvis pulled up in front of the company and Ariana got out just at the same time Jace did, not waiting for Marvis to open the door for him. She walked behind him into the building that had the word 'black' carved out in all caps at the top of the all-black entrance.

The second they walked into the building, heads turned, steps quickened, the path cleared and there were a lot of greetings directed at him and Jace said nothing, just gave them a curt nod as he headed towards the elevator.

Ariana stepped into the private elevator after he did, lingering next to the access control.
"What floor?"

"Forty."

Ariana pushed the button and stood back, one of her hands holding the wrist of her other hand in front of her as she waited. Behind her, Jace's eyes were glued to his phone. Well, that was until the elevator door opened on the fortieth floor. He tucked his phone in his pocket and walked past the short narrow hallway that led to a large front desk where Bridget, his assistant waited for him.

"They're in meeting room one."
She handed him a folder which he flipped through.

"Thanks, Bridget."
He handed her back the folder and turned right, opposite her desk and towards the meeting room.

Ariana gave Bridget a curt nod and she smiled at her before Ariana followed Jace. She stopped outside the room he entered and stood at ease outside the door. She heard a couple of greetings before the meeting started.

Ariana still stood there an hour later starting to get restless and impatient. She wasn't supposed to be here, this wasn't her job. Well, it was but she was used to being in on the action and not standing still doing nothing. Yes, she usually had to wait for targets to make a move before the team jumped in but at least she knew the action was near.

"Can I get you something?"

Ariana turned to Bridget who was seated behind her desk.

"A chair maybe, or water, coffee."

Ariana smiled politely,
"No, thank you."

It was another hour later when Ariana was so close to moving away from her position and start pacing. She could hear what they were talking about it didn't sound very interesting, not to her anyway.

She was about to start pacing when the door opened and men in suits filed out, chattering about something they'd just finished discussing probably.