You Never Knew

Chapter 6

"Here are your phones. You'll each be assigned a desk for the week and then you rotate." Matteo Matthew hands out phones as well as a binder with information and a map over the building. "I suggest you study the map and learn your way around the building quickly. Time is critical around here, don't waste it!"

He gestures to a set of elevators to his right. "Finance and regulatory assistants; those elevators, 23rd floor. Oh, and before I forget, there is one last thing..."

He grins and turn towards us. "There will be ways to earn extra... points you might say. From time to time, you will all get a text starting with 'Wave time'. Those texts contain tasks that are optional to participate in, but I highly recommend that you do. The cut is only four weeks away and trust me; you want to take every chance you can to stand out."

He looks at each of us. "Any questions? No? Then move it!"

We all scatter and move around like lost rats. Me and Jennie, as well as six other teams, move into the elevators and step out on the 23rd floor.

"Good morning! Some of you I've already met, but for the record – I'm Tom Johnstone. I normally work as a controller on the major finance department, but now I've also taken on the role as Wave manager for all finance and regulatory teams."

He smiles proudly and starts moving. "We will do a quick tour of the three floors the departments are located on. Please study your maps as we go as there is no time to fetch lost assistants."

❦

Four hours later, and I can feel small beads of sweat making their way across my back. There have been nonstop tasks for us, and although Jennie seems nice, I've gotten the feeling that she doesn't want this bad enough to power through.

I drop a large stack of receipts down on her desk with a thud. "Okay, so I've colour coordinated these. All that is left for you is to insert them under the corresponding colours in the file I showed you on the H-drive."

Jennie lets out an excited squeal and hugs me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you lunch!"

"That you do!" I smile at her as she takes her seat and start navigating through the computer. "I need  to run down to the archive to fetch a few files, and then we should have time for a quick lunch."

"I'm thinking sushi. Or pasta. Oh oh – poke bowl!"

I smile and pat my hand on her shoulder. "I'll leave that up to you. Pick wisely! I should be back in a dash." I turn and move toward the elevators.

Once down at the archive, I struggle to open the thick, heavy fireproof door. The room within is pitch dark and I start to search for the light switch.

Feeling my way across the wall, stumbling around in the dark, I fail to find a switch. I quietly curse, while trying not to trip.

Suddenly I hear movement from further into the room and my body freeze in place.

"Hello...?", my voice not as strong as I would've liked.

A single beam of light comes around the corner, shining straight into my eyes.

"You should have read the binder. It said to bring a flashlight." His flashlight is still blinding me as he walks towards me, but I can hear just how smug he is. I hold up my hand to try and shield my eyes but I cannot make out his silhouette. His voice however leaves me without a doubt who the man on the other side of the light is.

"So you do follow someone else's rules than your own?", I sass at him.

He comes closer, letting me make out the outlines of his face before he lowers the light further. "I think it's time we talk."

"Talk about what?" I try to act casual, feeling the warmth radiate from his body in the dark.

"Relationships between co-workers isn't allowed."

"So...?", I answer.

He moves closer to me, making me back up against the wall. Shivers goes down my warm back as it makes contact with the cool, concrete wall.

"You weren't part of the plan...", he says in his low, sensual voice. I feel him closing the gap between our bodies, his warm breath tickling the sensitive skin on my neck.

Holding my breath, goosebumps spread across my chest as he hover with his lips close to my ear.

"...and because of that..." His cheek, rough from a light stubble, caress my jawline. I claw against the wall, trying not to move, but there is nothing to hold on to. "... we can never happen."

He pushes himself away from the wall, away from me.

I can feel him staring at me through the darkness and I bite my bottom lip. My body is on high alert, waiting for his touch, waiting for him. Yet my brain is somehow wiser, stronger.

I force myself to steady my breath. I cannot risk breaking the rules. I want this opportunity more than anything. More than him.

However, I cannot stop myself from teasing him. "Haven't we already happened?"

He lets out a low, frustrated chuckle. "You are infuriation, you know that?"

A wave of confidence rolls over me and I step closer to him.

"I'm simply not good at playing by somebody else's rules." I press my hand against his chest, feeling his heart beat against my palm. I smile as I realise that it's not as steady as he wants to pretend it is. I affect him too.

I reach down towards his hand.

"Although, I guess some rules I have to oblige." I snatch the flashlight out of his hand and smile. "I trust you can find the way out without this."

I start to move past him, but he grabs my wrist.

"I wasn't done with that."

"That?!" My voice is dripping with sarcasm. "The name is Kiara, and I thought you said we were."

"I was talking about the flashlight..."

"I know." I smirk at him in the dark. "Just that I wasn't." I lean in closer to him. "But I'll behave if you will."

I shake my wrist out of his grip, aiming the flashlight forward and start walking in between the large shelves.

Finn lets out a loud breath before moving toward the door. I smirk to myself, but I can't shake the feeling that perhaps I've started a game I won't be able to win.

*****

A/N:
Kiara, Kiara, Kiara... Didn't we already go over this? Don't play with fire!
Do you think she'll ever give the flashlight back?

Thank you so much for reading YNK! Your support is so very important to me!