The CEO and Fate✔️

Chapter 14

"You look beautiful, hun," Gretchen cooed as I walked out of my room in my dress.

I stared at my grey ball gown, a floor length piece with a slit that risked baring a little too much. Though beautiful was not the right word to describe it. Ominous felt better. Yes it was stunning, but it was also a reminder of everything about tonight that could go so wrong.

I had bought it last night. Despite every instinct in me that told me not to after my conversation with Jake.

"Is it enough?" I asked worriedly.

She grabbed my arm and tugged me out of my doorway, barely avoiding tripping on her own yellow evening dress as she did so. "More than enough. Don't shrink away from it for a second," she said, trying to sound serious despite her obvious inability to walk in something that was longer than a pencil skirt.

I smiled. "Gretchen, you're too good at what you do."

"Try telling Ember that," she muttered.

We walked out of my room into the main studio where the rest of the group were waiting or panicking over their appearances in my floor length mirror. I hadn't know that the get-ready party would be occurring at my penthouse until they showed up at my door with no other place to call home. Now they were here to stay.

Josh walked over looking a little small in such a big suit, despite his six foot frame. "Gretchen, I-I," he stammered. "That dress is magnificent. And, so are you."

Gretchen grinned. "Aw thanks Joshie. I'll make sure to pass on your compliments to my designer Veronica. She wasn't sure if the yellow was too bright."

He shook his head. "N-no not at all. In fact, maybe not bright enough. You're good enough to outshine everyone."

She tilted her head. "Alexa here is working real hard to change that."

I laughed. "Now Gretchen—"

"HENRY!" Haley shrieked.

We all rapidly turned the other way, all to see Henry with an empty wine glass and the most amused expression on his face as he held back snickers at their coworker, a look of horror plastered to her face.

"I better go fix that," Gretchen sighed. "Be right back. Then we'll be almost ready to leave."

I waited patiently until Gretchen was out of earshot before I turned to Josh. Though this didn't seem my place, that conversation was too cringe and uncomfortable not to address.

"Hey," I said softly. "Look Josh, I don't really know you all that well, but I've been around flirting long enough to know when it's there."

His cheeks flushed pink. "It's not what it looks like, Alexa."

I shook my head. "Don't be embarrassed," I told him. "I'm just not sure of your group's dynamics to know why or if it's a good idea."

He frustratedly sighed and shoved his hands in his pocket. "Gretchen's always been the hardest worker of all of us. And once she got promoted, I thought my shot was out the window. But ever since you came along she's been slowly hanging out more and more with us again, and even though Henry and Haley don't think it's a good idea, I at least wanted to shoot my shot."

"So you do like her," I concluded.

He sheepishly nodded. "I'm not good enough for her, I know that. And the fact that every compliment I give her flies over her oblivious pretty head is just proof that she'll never see me that way."

"I mean," I said, not denying it, "do you want some help? I could kinda poke her in the right direction if this is really what you want."

At that, he vehemently shook his head. "No way. That game has too many middle men. I just want Gretchen to come to like me on her own, without any push or guilt because of how long we've been friends."