On My Boss's Menu

I stared at my phone, a cold sweat breaking out on my palms. My coldblooded boss had just received the "City's MustEat List" that my fat fingers accidentally forwarded.

The number one spot wasn't some Michelinstarred restaurant. It was his name: Brooks.

The screen lit up with a text from him: [You want to eat?] Oblivious at the time, I had replied instantly: [Can I?] Chapter 1 After dragging myself home from overtime, I was comfortably curled up in bed, queuing up for a match in my game.

My best friend suddenly sent me a link: [The City's MustEat List!] I was just about to click it when the match started. I expertly swiped the chat window away.

I was deep in the zone when a banner notification popped up at the top of my screen. It was a text from my boss. [The Juicer (402837): Any good food places nearby?

Give me a recommendation.] Evil capitalist. It was bad enough that I had to stay late at the office with him, but he couldn't even let me breathe after I clocked out!

I signed an employment contract, not a bill of sale. With so many employees in the company, why did he have to come to me for every little thing?

To let him know that even corporate drones have a breaking point, I deliberately waited until my game finished before halfheartedly forwarding him the link my bestie sent.

Then, I immediately fired up another match.

After finishing the game on a high note, I finally tapped into our chat log. [The Juicer (402837): ?] [The Juicer (402837): You…] [The Juicer (402837): Want to eat?] Oh, did Brooks suddenly grow a conscience?

Thinking of me when there's free food on the line. Only an idiot turns down a free meal.

I sent back a drooling emoji. [Can I?] The screen showed: [typing…] But Brooks never sent a reply. I tossed my phone aside with a huff. The bastard probably changed his mind!

No wonder he only sent those few words with a tenminute gap in between. Was it really that hard of a decision? First thing the next morning, I slipped into Brooks's office.

He had just arrived and was facing away from me, shrugging off his suit jacket. His expensive, customtailored shirt stretched taut across his broad shoulders.

The collar was slightly undone, revealing his sexy collarbone.

The thick, full muscles of his arms strained against the sleeves, leading down to a dangerously explosive Vline, and further down… "Ahem." I snapped back to reality to find Brooks staring at me with dark, unreadable eyes.

Remembering how much he hated people spacing out on company time, I hurriedly shoved the folder in my hands toward him. "Brooks, here's the proposal I finished last night." He loosened his tie and tossed it onto the back of his chair with a hint of irritation. "Yeah.

Just leave it on the desk." He pulled out his chair and sat down.

Seeing me still rooted to the spot, he glanced up. "Is there something else?" Looking at the dark circles under his eyes, I hesitated before speaking. "Did you not sleep well last night, boss?" "Insomnia." Ah… that couldn't be because of me, right?

I pushed my luck and probed, "About what you mentioned last night… does the offer still stand?" Brooks stiffened, his expression shifting into something unnatural. Seriously?

It was just buying me a meal, was it really that terrifying? But on second thought, Brooks was famously cold and ascetic.

Word getting out that he was eating alone with a woman would definitely impact his reputation. Not to mention, I was his secretary. Ugh, was he really just being polite last night?

Brooks spoke with noticeable difficulty. "You really want it that badly?" I forced a bright, eager smile. "Hehe, I've just been living like a monk for too long.

I really want some good meat." I’d been eating so many salads for my diet lately that I was practically turning green. I desperately needed to mooch a steak off him! Brooks froze.

His Adam's apple bobbed heavily, and his deep eyes darkened. "I'll think about it." … After all that, he was still just stringing me along!

And he had the nerve to look like he was the one being taken advantage of.

I roasted him to hell and back in my head, but my face practiced a flawless, professional smile. "I'm just joking with you! You're so busy, I couldn't possibly take up your time.

I'll just ask someone else." Chapter 2 Someone else?! Brooks's face instantly darkened.

He ground his back teeth together, a harsh crease forming between his brows as his dark eyes locked onto me like a predator.

He took a sudden step forward, his towering frame instantly suffocating the space between us. "Fine, I'll do it," he growled through gritted teeth. "Don't you dare go looking for other men." My brain shortcircuited.

Why did it feel like I was a helpless captive being aggressively claimed by a mafia boss?

He cleared his throat, the tension in his shoulders tight. "This is my first time… with you. Is there anything I should be aware of?

I need to prep." Oh, he's asking about my dietary restrictions. How considerate. Everyone in the office knew I lived for spicy food.

I swallowed hard, my mouth already watering. "I like it rough and heavy, so the more intense, the better!" A furious flush spread from his neck all the way to the tips of his ears.

He pointed at the door. "Get out!" I grabbed a fresh coffee from the breakroom and slumped back at my cubicle just as my phone buzzed.

It was my best friend. [Did you look at the list? Which one are you picking?] [I just locked it in with Brooks. He's taking care of the arrangements.] [Bitch, are you for real?!

Cassidy, how do you even walk around with balls that huge?!] [I've been squeezed dry by this capitalist machine for years.

What's wrong with cashing in on some employee benefits for once?] [OMG!

After crushing on him for years, you're actually going to sleep with the billionaire tyrant?!] I was just about to type back a snarky comeback when a coworker slid up to my desk, looking over her shoulder like a corporate spy. "Cassidy, did something massive go down at the company recently?" I gave her a weird look. "No?

What kind of rumor mill did you stumble into this time?" She leaned in, her voice a hushed whisper. "During the morning briefing, Mr. Brooks was totally spacing out.

It scared the crap out of all of us!" "Are we filing for bankruptcy?

Cassidy, if you have inside intel, you have to warn me!" Remembering how furiously flushed Brooks had looked when he kicked me out of his office, my smile turned a little stiff.

I had only been thinking of myself and totally forgot the guy practically lived on a bland, zerospice diet. "He probably just pulled another allnighter.

Didn't you see the dark circles under his eyes?" I waved her off. "With a workaholic like him, you're better off worrying about dying at your desk than the company going under." After shooing my coworker away, I shot a guilty glance at Brooks as he strode out of the conference room.

His jaw was clenched, his brows drawn together in a tight V, a muscle ticking in his cheek. I hadn't seen that look on his face in years.

After surviving the cutthroat corporate world for so long, he had perfected the impenetrable mask of a ruthless CEO.

Hell, even when a coworker accidentally dropped a shirtless gym photo of him into the main company Slack channel, he hadn't blinked.

He had just turned to me, deadpan, and asked for my professional opinion. What was I supposed to say? I just praised his abs like my life depended on it.

Which was entirely the truth—the man was built like a Greek god, so the compliments flowed effortlessly.

Ever since that day, half the women in the office—myself included—had secretly added a very specific string of measurements to his contact name. Hey, don't judge.

A girl needs some premium eye candy to survive the corporate grind.

When the weekend rolled around, my bestie demanded I come over to her place, claiming she had a topsecret briefing for me.

I had no idea why she was treating a simple dinner like a military operation, but I played along. I unlocked a city bike and pedaled my way over.

I never had time to hit the gym with my insane work schedule, so the cardio was a bonus. That was exactly when Brooks's text came through.

Chapter 3 I pulled out my phone. [The Juicer (402837): Strawberry or chocolate, which flavor do you prefer?] He's already ordering dessert? Hell yes. My stomach is ready.

Gripping the handlebars with one hand, I wobbled as I frantically typed out my reply: [STRAWBERRY.

DEFINITELY STRAWBERRY!] Before I could hit send, a flash of orange darted across my vision. A tiny orange tabby cat shot out from the bushes right into my path.

I jerked the handlebars by pure reflex. The already unsteady bike lost its center of gravity, tires skidding aggressively on the pavement.

Before I could even brace myself, I slammed hard onto the concrete. A sharp, piercing pain shot up from my ankle.

I lay there for a solid minute, waiting for the world to stop spinning. I twisted around to inspect the damage.

The skin was scraped raw, and within seconds, my ankle had swollen to the size of a baseball.

I tried to rotate my foot, planning to stand, but the second I put weight on it, a blinding jolt of agony made my scalp tingle.

Gritting my teeth, I hopped on one foot to the curb and hailed a ride to the ER. An older doctor with reading glasses perched on his nose barely glanced at my Xrays.

Clearly deeming my minor sprain beneath his pay grade, he waved over a nearby intern to handle it. The incredibly cute, young intern was obviously green.

He smelled like crisp peppermint soap, and as his hands wrapped around my ankle to apply the ointment, his fingers visibly trembled.

His clear blue eyes darted up to meet mine, wide with nervous panic. A sharp sting from my ankle yanked me back to the present.

The intern was massaging the ointment into my skin with his palm. He clearly had zero control over his pressure—alternating between painfully hard and awkwardly soft.

It was pure torture. I was just about to tell him to back off when my phone suddenly rang. Pulling it out, I realized I still hadn't replied to Brooks.

And Brooks despised people who left him on read. I swiped to answer, bracing myself for a lecture, but his voice came through the speaker surprisingly soft.

Husky, even. "Did you see my text?" "Hss…" I hissed as the intern pressed a bruise. "Yeah, I saw it." "Why didn't you reply?

You don't like those?" His voice dropped an octave, dripping with a strange, heavy tension. "Cassidy… don't tell me you need extreme flavors for this, too? Fine.

Tell me what flavor you want… I'll find it." I didn't even have the brain space to process what the hell he was talking about. The heavy hand on my ankle suddenly dug in hard.

A cold sweat broke out across my forehead as a jolt of pure agony shot up my leg. "Ah! It hurts!

Please, be gentle…" Blinded by the pain, I couldn't string together a coherent sentence for Brooks. I frantically mashed the end call button.

I sucked in deep, ragged breaths, waiting for the sharp throbbing to subside.

When my vision finally cleared, I realized my fingers were locked in a death grip around the young intern's wrist.

My nails were digging so hard into his flesh that violent purple crescent moons had bloomed across the back of his pale hand. Chapter 4 I immediately dropped his wrist.

Before I could even apologize, his clear voice beat me to it. "I'm so sorry!

I'm so sorry… I should just go get the attending doctor!" The young intern's face flushed beet red as he scrambled to his feet, looking as panicked as a kid caught stealing candy.

Seeing him about to bolt, I grabbed his sleeve. "If you go get him now, you're just going to get chewed out.

It won't fix anything." He hesitated, stopping in his tracks. "But your ankle…" I tugged him back down into the chair. "It's fine. Keep going.

I trust you." He looked at me, then down at my swollen foot.

Under my encouraging gaze, he finally started applying the ointment again, his touch incredibly careful this time. "You're not mad?" he asked softly. "Other patients paying good money would've thrown a massive fit if they got stuck with someone with such terrible technique." I offered a small smile. "I'm not mad because it's just a twisted ankle, I'm not exactly bleeding out," I joked, keeping my tone light. "Everyone has to start somewhere." "Who knows?

Maybe one day you'll be a hotshot surgeon saving thousands of lives. I'm not going to rob society of a toptier doctor over a little bruise.

So, you better not make me regret trusting you, okay?" After getting HR to approve a threeday sick leave, I fully embraced the couch potato life.

I slept in until my body naturally woke up, lazily reaching for my phone on the nightstand. The company gossip group chat was already blowing up. [Why is Mr.

Brooks suddenly on a rampage again?!] [Right?! You guys didn't see his face… It's the middle of summer and I literally broke out in a cold sweat!] [Help!

Our team lead went in to submit a proposal and got ripped to shreds. He's literally hiding in a bathroom stall crying to his wife on the phone right now!] [Stop scaring me!

I have a document he needs to sign later. Am I going to make it out alive?!] [Rumor has it… and I mean, strictly rumor…] [Mr.

Brooks might, possibly, probably be… going through a bad breakup…] [!!!!!!] [WHAT?!] [Since when was he even dating anyone?!] [How could something this massive happen without notifying me, the main character?] [Impossible!

I've never even seen a woman within a tenfoot radius of him.] [Excuse me! And who exactly are you?] Still halfasleep, I scrolled through the chaotic flood of messages.

That was way too much tea for this early in the morning! No wonder Brooks didn't pick up when I tried calling him back last night after I got home.

I had no idea which absolute legend managed to not only date a workaholic tyrant like Brooks but actually dump his billionaire ass. She was my new hero.

Thinking about how I had hung up on him midsentence last night, a sharp twinge of guilt hit me.

I tapped on his profile icon and typed out a quick message. [Boss, I had a sudden emergency last night. I didn't mean to hang up on you.

So… is it too late to lock in that strawberry flavor?] Chapter 5 I had barely set my phone down when it rang.

Brooks was calling. "Cassidy, I don't know how other men operate, but I have never been casual about this." His voice was absolute ice. "While I have no right to interfere in my employees' private lives, the absolute least you can do is not let it affect your work!" How could a man with a 98degree body temperature spit words so cold?

I was on approved sick leave! "I'm sorry, boss. I really wasn't feeling well, which is why I took a few days off." "Is it that severe?

You need three whole days to recover?" Didn't I write the reason clearly on my PTO request? "Uh… well, it's not super severe, it's just a little swollen.

Walking is a bit difficult right now…" "Shut up! Cassidy, what do you take me for?

Your oncall entertainment?" "Don't tell me… you purposely answered my call last night just so I could hear?!" "Huh? What are you talking about?

Isn't that your rule? 'Always answer my calls'?" "Fine. Then let me ask you: didn't I tell you not to look for other men? I was already preparing!" "You couldn't even wait two days?

Or did you change your mind that fast? Since you chose me first, you don't get to just toss me aside!" "Stay exactly where you are.

You're going to explain this to my face!" Brooks fired off the words like a machine gun, giving me zero chance to respond before the line went dead.

I stared at the blank screen, my brain shortcircuiting. I had no idea what the hell he was rambling about, but why did it feel like I was being used as a standin for his ex?

Did getting dumped really melt his brain this much? Was he projecting his ex onto every woman he saw now? Psycho. I tossed my phone onto the couch in annoyance.

When the doorbell rang, I was sprawled across the cushions, doomscrolling. The second I sat up, I caught sight of my ratty pajamas. Ugh. Can I just pretend I'm not home?

The doorbell buzzed again, aggressive and relentless. Resigning to my fate, I dug a pair of baggy sweatpants out of my closet and pulled them on.

The moment I swung the door open, I jumped back. Two men with freezing expressions stood on opposite sides of my doorframe like hostile bouncers.

Ignoring Brooks's murderously dark face, I turned to the unexpected visitor on the right. "Ezra?

What are you doing here?" The young guy scratched the back of his neck, looking at me with pure apology in his clear blue eyes. "Cassidy, I came to make it up to you." "My technique was terrible last night and I ended up hurting you.

I went home and practiced all night. I really hope you can give me another chance to make it right." … He really didn't need to be this intense.

He had already apologized over text half a dozen times since we exchanged numbers last night.

I was just about to politely decline when Brooks suddenly spoke, his jaw ticking, his face a thunderous mask of rage. "So, when I called you last night, you were with this pathetic loser?" I didn't expect Brooks to be so downright vicious.

My brain stalled for a few seconds. The air in the hallway instantly froze into solid ice. I shot a panicked glance at the young intern.

He visibly wilted, looking like a kicked puppy. "I'm sorry, Cassidy." "It's my fault for being so useless and making you suffer.

But I'm still young, I'll definitely improve in the future. You said you'd believe in me, right?" Seeing his careful, fragile expression, my heart softened.

I nodded. "Is this uncle one of your guests too?" Chapter 6 Brooks looked like he had just been electrocuted.

He radiated a dangerous, purely primal Alpha energy as he closed in on the younger guy cowering to the side, looking ready to punch his lights out.

He roughly yanked his expensive silk tie loose, his sharp jawline ticking with tension. His dark eyes locked onto Ezra like a wolf stalking its prey.

Seeing the situation about to spiral completely out of control, I quickly stepped between them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa… Boss!

If there's no massive emergency, can we just table this until I'm back in the office?" Brooks froze.

A dark, humorless chuckle escaped his chest. "Cassidy, I must be out of my damn mind." He spun on his heel and strode toward the elevator without a second of hesitation.

I had no idea how I managed to piss off his billionaire highness this time.

I was just letting out a heavy mental sigh when he suddenly whipped back around and marched right back to my door.

Terrified he was about to drop another bombshell, I beat him to the punch. "What now?" Brooks narrowed his eyes at me, his chest heaving slightly, looking like a man whose massive ego simply couldn't comprehend how he was suddenly competing with a college kid. "I'm just curious if you women are all into these weak pretty boys," he practically spat, his voice dripping with venom. "Maybe I should take notes.

Who knows? Might come in handy someday." Without waiting for an invitation, he shoved past Ezra and invited himself straight into my apartment.

I rolled my eyes so hard they almost got stuck in the back of my head. I looked helplessly at the two massive egos now occupying my living space