DREAM TO YOU

DREAM TO YOU

By Shilalo

Thalia Beaumont had a problem.

A very handsome problem.

Unfortunately, the man responsible for it didn’t exist.

At least, not in her real life.

For the past three months, the same man had appeared in her dreams with such consistency that Thalia had begun to suspect her subconscious was playing a cruel joke on her.

He was always the same.

Tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair that never seemed to stay perfectly in place. His eyes were a striking shade of brown, warm enough to make her forget what she was saying whenever he looked at her.

He had a deep voice that made her stomach flutter, a smile that could ruin her concentration, and an infuriating habit of standing close enough to make her heart race.

Sometimes, they walked together beneath a sky filled with stars.

Sometimes, they sat across from each other in a quiet restaurant, laughing as if they had known each other for years.

And sometimes, he simply held her hand and looked at her as though she were the only woman he had ever wanted.

Those were her favorite dreams.

Not because of the romance.

Well, not entirely because of the romance.

It was the feeling that stayed with her after she woke up.

The warmth.

The comfort.

The strange sense of being loved by someone she had never met.

Every morning, she remembered his face.

Every night, she went to bed wondering whether he would visit her dreams again.

And every afternoon, she reminded herself that she was a perfectly sensible twenty-four-year-old woman who needed to stop falling in love with a figment of her imagination.

Unfortunately, her imagination was exceptionally attractive.

Her alarm rang at six thirty on Monday morning.

Thalia groaned and pulled her pillow over her head.

“No.”

The alarm continued ringing.

“I said no.”

It rang again.

With a defeated sigh, she reached for her phone and silenced it.

Then she stared at the ceiling.

The dream was still fresh in her mind.

She could almost hear his voice.

You’ll see me again.

Thalia sat up so quickly that her blanket fell to her waist.

“Oh, absolutely not.”

She pointed accusingly at the empty room.

“Listen, whoever you are, you need to find another hobby. I have a job interview to survive today, and I cannot afford to spend my morning thinking about a man who doesn’t even have a name.”

Silence answered her.

Thalia nodded.

“Good. We understand each other.”

Her phone buzzed.

A message from her best friend, Camille.

Camille: GOOD MORNING, FUTURE CEO!

Thalia smiled despite herself.

Thalia: Please lower your voice. Some of us are suffering.

Camille: Suffering from what?

Thalia: A recurring dream.

Camille: Is it the handsome stranger again?

Thalia stared at the screen.

Thalia: I hate that you know me.

Camille: You told me about him three months ago. Since then, you’ve described his eyes approximately forty-seven times.

Thalia: They are memorable eyes.

Camille: Girl, you need a boyfriend.

Thalia: I need a job.

Camille: You can have both.

Thalia: One crisis at a time, please.

Camille responded with a string of laughing emojis.

Thalia tossed her phone onto the bed and climbed to her feet.

Today was important.

After weeks of applications, interviews, and unanswered emails, she had finally been offered an interview at Kingsley Global, one of the most successful business firms in the city.

The position was for an executive assistant.

The salary was excellent, the benefits were even better, and the experience could change her career.

She had spent the previous evening preparing answers to every possible interview question.

She had ironed her cream blouse, selected a fitted black skirt, and polished the heels she intended to wear.

Nothing was going to ruin this day.

Not her nerves.

Not her overactive imagination.

And certainly not a handsome stranger who existed only in her dreams.

By seven thirty, Thalia was dressed and ready.

She stood before her bedroom mirror, smoothing the front of her blouse.

Her dark curls fell neatly around her shoulders, and a little mascara brought attention to her brown eyes.

She tilted her head.

“Professional. Intelligent. Capable.”

She paused.

“Beautiful, obviously.”

A satisfied smile appeared on her face.

“Now we’re ready.”

By eight forty-five, Thalia was standing outside the impressive glass building that housed Kingsley Global.

The structure rose above the surrounding offices, its reflective windows catching the morning sunlight. Employees moved through the entrance with the confidence of people who knew exactly where they were going.

Thalia, meanwhile, was trying not to trip over her own feet.

She looked up at the company name displayed above the entrance.

KINGSLEY GLOBAL.

“Okay,” she whispered. “You’ve got this.”

She straightened her shoulders and walked inside.

The lobby was breathtaking.

Polished marble covered the floor, elegant lighting hung from the ceiling, and a large arrangement of white flowers sat near the reception desk.

Everything looked expensive.

Even the silence.

Thalia approached the receptionist.

“Good morning. My name is Thalia Beaumont. I have an interview scheduled for nine o’clock.”

The receptionist checked her computer.

“Good morning, Miss Beaumont. Yes, we have you listed. Please take the elevator to the twenty-fourth floor. Someone from Human Resources will meet you there.”

“Thank you.”

Thalia headed toward the elevators.

As the doors closed, she exhaled slowly.

She could do this.

She had graduated with good grades, completed two internships, and spent the past year gaining administrative experience.

She was qualified.

She was prepared.

She was—

Her phone buzzed.

Another message from Camille.

Camille: Remember to smile. But not too much. You don’t want them thinking you’re planning something.

Thalia laughed quietly.

Thalia: I’m blocking you.

Camille: Love you too!

The elevator doors opened.

Thalia stepped out.

A woman in a navy-blue suit approached her with a tablet in hand.

“Miss Beaumont?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Olivia Grant from Human Resources. Thank you for coming. We were impressed by your application.”

Thalia smiled. “Thank you for considering me.”

Olivia led her down a hallway toward a conference room.

“We’ll begin with a brief interview, then you’ll meet the executive you’ll potentially be working with.”

Thalia nodded.

“Of course.”

“The position requires excellent organization, discretion, flexibility, and the ability to work under pressure.”

“I understand.”

Olivia glanced at her.

“And I should mention that Mr. Kingsley has a very demanding schedule.”

Thalia smiled politely.

“I work well under pressure.”

“Good. You’ll need to.”

Something in Olivia’s tone made Thalia wonder whether she should be worried.

Still, she followed her into the conference room.

The interview lasted thirty minutes.

Thalia answered questions about her experience, explained how she handled competing priorities, and described a situation in which she had resolved a scheduling conflict during her previous internship.

She was nervous at first, but gradually settled into the conversation.

By the time Olivia thanked her, Thalia felt confident.

“You’re welcome,” she replied.

Olivia collected her tablet.

“Mr. Kingsley would like to meet you personally.”

Thalia’s stomach tightened.

Already?

“Certainly.”

She followed Olivia through another hallway and stopped outside a set of dark wooden doors.

Olivia knocked twice.

“Come in,” a deep male voice answered.

Thalia stopped breathing.

It was ridiculous.

Completely ridiculous.

A deep voice was not unusual. Half the men in the world probably had deep voices.

There was absolutely no reason for her heart to start racing.

Olivia opened the door.

“Mr. Kingsley, Miss Beaumont is here.”

“Thank you, Olivia. Send her in.”

Thalia stepped forward.

The office was spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. A large desk stood near the windows, and shelves lined one wall.

A man sat behind the desk, reading a document.

He wore a dark suit with a white shirt, the top button undone. His black hair was neatly styled, though a few strands had fallen over his forehead.

He turned a page.

Then he lifted his head.

And Thalia’s entire world stopped.

No.

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her handbag.

No, no, no.

It couldn’t be.

The man’s eyes met hers.

Warm brown.

His jaw was sharply defined, his expression composed, and his lips—

Oh, those lips.

She knew those lips.

She knew the slight curve that appeared when he smiled.

She knew the way his eyes softened when he looked at her.

She knew him.

Not from a photograph.

Not from a movie.

Not from anywhere in her waking life.

She knew him from her dreams.

The stranger who had visited her for three months was sitting behind a desk, wearing an expensive suit and looking at her with calm curiosity.

Thalia forgot how to speak.

The man placed his document on the desk.

“Miss Beaumont?”

His voice.

The same deep, smooth voice that had whispered her name in dreams she had never wanted to end.

Thalia swallowed.

“Yes.”

He studied her for a moment.

Then he smiled.

Not a large smile.

Just a small, polite curve of his lips.

It was enough to make her knees feel suspiciously unreliable.

“I’m Xavier Kingsley.”

Thalia’s handbag nearly slipped from her fingers.

Xavier.

His name was Xavier.

For three months, she had dreamed about a man whose name she didn’t know.

Now she knew it.

And somehow, that made everything worse.

Because this was not a dream.

This was real life.

And Xavier Kingsley was looking directly at her.

“Please,” he said, gesturing toward the chair opposite his desk. “Have a seat.”

Thalia sat.

Or attempted to.

She misjudged the chair slightly and landed on it with an awkward little movement that she hoped he hadn’t noticed.

He noticed.

Of course he noticed.

One corner of his mouth lifted.

“Are you all right, Miss Beaumont?”

“Perfectly.”

“Good.”

He folded his hands on the desk.

“Your application was impressive. Your references were excellent, and Olivia tells me you handled the interview very well.”

“Thank you.”

“I’d like to ask you a few questions myself.”

“Of course.”

Xavier glanced at her résumé.

“Why do you want to work here?”

Because apparently the universe had decided to put the man from her dreams in charge of her professional future.

Because she had bills to pay.

Because she was determined to build a career.

Thalia chose the sensible answer.

“Kingsley Global offers the kind of professional environment where I believe I can grow. I’m organized, adaptable, and willing to learn. I also take my responsibilities seriously.”

“Good answer.”

His eyes returned to hers.

“Are you always this nervous during interviews?”

Thalia blinked.

“I’m not nervous.”

His eyebrows rose.

“You’re holding your handbag as if someone might try to steal it.”

She looked down.

She was gripping the strap so tightly that her knuckles had turned pale.

She immediately loosened her fingers.

“I prefer to be prepared.”

“For a handbag theft?”

Her mouth fell open.

Then she realized he was teasing her.

The man from her dreams was teasing her.

Thalia stared at him.

A quiet laugh escaped his lips.

And there it was.

That laugh.

She had heard it beneath a sky full of stars. She had heard it in a dream where they danced in a room filled with golden lights. She had heard it while he held her hand and told her that being with her was the easiest thing in the world.

Her heart gave an almost painful thump.

Xavier’s smile faded slightly.

“Miss Beaumont?”

She blinked.

“Sorry.”

“You seem distracted.”

“I’m having a very unusual morning.”

“Would you care to elaborate?”

Absolutely not.

“Not particularly.”

For a moment, they simply looked at each other.

Then Xavier leaned back in his chair.

“Well, Miss Beaumont, I appreciate honesty. Even when it’s mysterious.”

Thalia nearly choked.

Mysterious?

No.

There would be no mystery.

She was not going to explain her dreams to a man who might become her boss.

She was a professional woman.

A capable woman.

A woman who had not spent the previous three months falling in love with an imaginary stranger.

She lifted her chin.

“I’m focused on the position, Mr. Kingsley.”

“Excellent.”

He glanced at her résumé again.

“I’d like to offer you the job.”

Thalia froze.

“I’m sorry?”

“The position. I’d like you to join my executive team.”

Her lips parted.

“You’re offering me the job?”

“Unless you have another interview scheduled for this morning.”

“No.”

“Then I believe we’re in agreement.”

A smile slowly spread across her face.

“Oh, thank you. I won’t disappoint you.”

Something softened in Xavier’s expression.

“I hope not, Miss Beaumont. I have a feeling you’re going to make things interesting around here.”

Thalia laughed nervously.

If only he knew.

They discussed the salary, working hours, and start date. She would begin the following Monday, and Human Resources would send her the necessary paperwork.

When the meeting ended, Thalia rose from her chair.

“Thank you again, Mr. Kingsley.”

“You’re welcome.”

She turned toward the door.

“Miss Beaumont?”

She looked back.

“Yes?”

Xavier regarded her for a moment, his expression thoughtful.

“Have we met before?”

Thalia’s heart stopped.

For one terrifying second, she wondered whether he could somehow read her mind.

Then she remembered where she was.

In his office.

During a job interview.

With the man she had been dreaming about for three months.

She forced a small laugh.

“I don’t believe so.”

“Hmm.”

He tilted his head.

“You looked at me as though you recognized me when you walked in.”

Thalia’s cheeks warmed.

“Perhaps you have one of those faces.”

“One of those faces?”

“A familiar face.”

He considered that.

“Is that a compliment?”

“It’s an observation.”

“Of course.”

His smile returned.

“Well, Miss Beaumont, I look forward to working with you.”

She nodded.

“I look forward to working with you too.”

Then she escaped.

She made it all the way to the elevator before allowing herself to breathe normally.

The moment the doors closed, she leaned against the wall.

“Oh, my God.”

She pressed both hands to her cheeks.

“Oh, my actual God.”

Her phone was in her hand before she could think better of it.

Thalia: CAMILLE.

Her best friend replied almost immediately.

Camille: WHAT HAPPENED?

Thalia: I GOT THE JOB.

Camille: I KNEW IT! YOU’RE AMAZING!

Thalia: THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM.

Camille: WHAT PROBLEM?

Thalia stared at the elevator doors.

Then she typed the words that made her entire morning feel unreal.

Thalia: THE MAN FROM MY DREAMS IS MY NEW BOSS.

Three dots appeared.

Disappeared.

Appeared again.

Camille: I’M SORRY, WHAT?

Thalia closed her eyes.

Thalia: Xavier Kingsley. That’s his name. He’s real. He exists. He has an office. He has a job. He has a face that should honestly be illegal.

Camille: THALIA BEAUMONT.

Thalia: I KNOW.

Camille: YOU HAVE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT THIS MAN FOR THREE MONTHS AND NOW HE’S YOUR BOSS?

Thalia: YES.

Camille: DOES HE HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?

Thalia stared at the message.

Somehow, that was the question she hadn’t allowed herself to ask.

She knew nothing about Xavier Kingsley’s personal life.

He could be single.

He could be dating someone.

He could be engaged.

He could be married.

Her stomach twisted at that last thought.

She shook her head.

“No.”

She was not doing this.

She was not going to start imagining a future with a man she had met less than an hour ago.

She had a job to do.

A career to build.

And a very serious need to stop dreaming about Xavier Kingsley.

Thalia: I don’t know if he’s single.

Camille: FIND OUT.

Thalia: I AM NOT INVESTIGATING MY BOSS’S LOVE LIFE.

Camille: I DIDN’T SAY INVESTIGATE. I SAID FIND OUT.

Thalia laughed despite herself.

The elevator reached the lobby.

She stepped out and headed toward the entrance, her thoughts spinning.

The morning sun warmed her face as she emerged onto the pavement.

For the first time in months, she felt genuinely awake.

The man from her dreams was real.

His name was Xavier Kingsley.

He was her new boss.

And on Monday morning, she would have to sit in his office and pretend she had never imagined kissing him beneath a thousand stars.

Thalia stopped walking.

A slow, helpless smile appeared on her face.

“Well,” she whispered, “this is going to be a disaster.”

But deep down, beneath the embarrassment and disbelief, something else stirred.

Excitement.

Because for the first time in three months, the man in her dreams had a real name.

And she had a real chance of getting to know him.

On the twenty-fourth floor, Xavier Kingsley stood beside his office window, watching the city move beneath him.

He should have returned to work.

He had meetings to attend, contracts to review, and an entire week of responsibilities waiting for him.

Instead, he found himself thinking about the woman who had just left his office.

Thalia Beaumont.

There was something unusual about her.

She was intelligent, certainly. Her résumé had made that clear.

She was also charming, quick-witted, and surprisingly expressive. Her face had betrayed nearly every emotion she tried to conceal.

He had found it amusing.

And, unexpectedly, refreshing.

Most people who entered his office were determined to impress him. They spoke carefully, smiled too often, and agreed with everything he said.

Thalia had looked at him as though she had forgotten how to breathe.

Then she had recovered enough to challenge his teasing.

He smiled to himself.

Interesting.

His phone rang.

He answered without looking at the screen.

“Yes?”

“How did the interview go?” his sister, Victoria, asked.

“She got the job.”

“That quickly?”

“She was qualified.”

“And beautiful, I assume, judging by the way you sound.”

Xavier frowned.

“How do I sound?”

“Like a man who has just discovered something entertaining.”

“You’re imagining things.”

“Am I?”

“Yes.”

Victoria laughed.

“Fine. I’ll stop asking questions.”

“That would be a first.”

“Love you too, Xavier.”

She hung up before he could respond.

He shook his head, set his phone down, and returned to his desk.

His gaze landed on Thalia’s résumé.

For a moment, he considered calling Human Resources to request additional information about her.

Then he dismissed the thought.

There was no reason to do that.

She was his new executive assistant. That was all.

He had no intention of complicating a professional relationship.

Besides, he barely knew her.

He didn’t even know whether she was single.

Xavier paused.

Why was he thinking about that?

He picked up his pen.

“Get back to work, Kingsley.”

But even as he returned to the document before him, a small smile lingered on his face.

For some reason, he was already looking forward to Monday.

And he had a feeling that the coming weeks would be far more interesting than he had anticipated.

End of Chapter 1