A Step Closer to Love

Chole had helped Arabella get the right snacks for everyone and set the table. They were still arranging the room when everyone started filing in.

“There you are cutie,” Aaron said his tooth shining through.

“Stop it you playboy,” Mia said pushing Aaron in as he was blocking the door frame.

“Playboy? Why would you say that and give Arabella the wrong impression of me?” Aaron yelled.

“Because you are a playboy. You even flirt with the authors too” Mia answered.

Aaron rushed towards Arabella who stood still as she watched the interaction. It was a sight to behold.

“Arabella do not mind whatever she says she is just jealous that I didn’t ask her out,” Aaron said winking at her.

“Stop it you playboy,” Olivia said as she entered carrying a bunch of documents

“Is she also jealous because you didn’t ask her out?” Mia snickered at Aaron.

“I have no idea why the two of you are against my love life” Aaron groaned and went back to take her seat.

“Your love life” Olivia scoffed sorting through the documents where she had taken her seat. “You are just a boy who wishes to date everyone you can before you finally get old” she added.

When Aaron had started working with them a last year he had taken the liberty of asking Aurora out. She in turn exposed him in the general meeting only for them all to notice he was asking them all out including the last editor who quit.

“Arabella for your mental health and safety I would advise you don’t listen to a word he says,” Mia said.

“He is full of lies” Noah added as he entered.

“You too? Aren’t you supposed to support me as a brother?” Aaron asked going to take his seat.

He had wanted to make a move on Arabella after all she was cute enough to be proud of. He could take her to his school reunion coming up at the end of the month and brag about how he landed a nice and pretty girl.

“Because we all know you and you are not one we would want her to fall victim to,” Noah said sitting down too Henry entered the room silently and came to sit down.

“Okay, then shall we begin the meeting?” Ryder said as he entered and sat down.

“Where are they?” Ryder asked as he noticed that both Aurora and Kieran’s spot was empty.

“I think they should be on their way,” Chole said in her seat.

“Arabella be a darling and tell them to hasten up. We are waiting for them” Ryder said.

“Why are you sending her? Aurora would only bully her” Mia said.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

She had been the one to defend her colleagues whenever they were wronged and she noticed Aurora’s subtle hostility towards her since she arrived yesterday.

“Then should I go myself?” Ryder asked thrown back by Mia’s comment.

“Of course. Don’t you preach and promote a work environment where everyone is equal?” Mia asked batting her eyelashes.

Ryder seems to be put in a tough spot. He did promote the equal work space but how could they be sending him on errands now?

Ryder sighed in a frustrated tone before pulling his phone out of his pocket. He dialed the numbers of Kieran and Aurora in a voice call and put it on loudspeakers.

“You jerks” he screamed as soon as the line got connected.

“Why are you calling me that?” Aurora said in a whiny tone.

“Is it until I have to come get you from your offices? Or should I use a carriage to bring you to the meeting room?” Ryder asked.

“On my way already,” Kieran said before cutting off his own side of the line.

“That rude jerk” Ryder commented lowly.

“I am not coming,” Aurora said before cutting her side of the line too.

“Why did I ever agree to do business with these nutcases?” Ryder remarked loudly.

The door opened and Kieran walked in striding slowly to sit down.

“Don’t sit Don’t sit” Ryder said as Kieran tried to sit down.

“What?” Kieran asked checking the chair behind him maybe something might have stained the chair.

“Go get Aurora,” He said when Kieran stood up straight.

“Me?” Kieran asked putting his hand to his chest.

“Then should I do it?” Ryder asked.

“If you want to,” Kieran said sitting down.

“Without Aurora, we can’t go ahead with this meeting and whenever she acts up like this it’s usually because of you,” Ryder said.

Kieran did not like the sound of what Ryder had just said so he frowned deeply at him.

“That frown would not change anything about the situation. We have to have a meeting and I am a hundred and one percent sure that Aurora is sulking because of something you did” he added.

“I did nothing so somebody else can go get her,” Kieran said resting her back and head and then closing his eyes.

“How many people believe that Kieran is the best to go get Aurora?” Ryder asked.

Kieran’s eyes shot open to see the vote and everyone’s hand apart from Arabella was up.

“What are you doing?” Chole whispered forcing Arabella’s hand up.

Kieran felt a string of betrayal when Arabella’s hand went up. She on the other hand was unaware of what was going on. She did not understand and only put up her hand because Chole said so.

“See that? This is office democracy and we all think you should get her”

Kieran stood up and sighed to himself. He wondered how he got himself into this mess. Aurora had acted up like this quite a few times. She used the office workers to get herself dates with him and he knew that would be the outcome once again.

Whenever she needed something from him she sulked during their meeting and he was always sent to get her. She made a deal each time because Kieran hated to pal with his work and she knew that fact.

He knocked on her office door and took a deep breath and entered the office. He saw her in her jacket and bag strapped over her shoulders but she was sitting in her chair.

“Why must you do this every time?”