"Do I Look Like Your Assistant?"
He’s older than her age, owns the building, and can silence a room with a look. She’s spoiled, late to every meeting, and just called him “hot but constipated.”Elias Blackwood wanted peace.Aria Bloom brought glitter, chaos, and a cat named Princess Pickles.Now they’re stuck together.One roof. Two enemies. A hundred reasons not to fall in love.But one heated stare might ruin them both.
Aria Bloom waltzed into the skyscraper lobby wearing heels she could barely walk in and sunglasses too big for her face. Her pink suitcase hit every surface possible as she rolled it behind her, unapologetically late and totally unaware.
The receptionist looked like she wanted to scream.
“Miss Bloom… you’re thirty minutes late.”
Aria blinked. “Oh, is that not fashionable now?”
Upstairs, in a glass-walled office that could intimidate a thunderstorm, Elias Blackwood checked his watch like it had personally betrayed him.
“She’s late,” he muttered.
“She’s also your new intern,” his assistant said, trying not to sound afraid.
Elias stood. “She’s a walking HR complaint waiting to happen.”
Then the elevator dinged.
He turned.
And there she was.
Bubblegum in her mouth. Sparkles on her nails. Hair in disarray.
Looking like trouble dressed in pastel.
She waved. “Hi! Are you the angry man I’m working for?”
His eye twitched. “Do I look like your assistant?”
She shrugged. “You look like you need one.”
Elias stared at her, barely containing the frustration that was bubbling beneath the surface. Aria Bloom had the type of face that could get away with murder, and yet here she was, acting like she’d just strolled out of a fashion magazine, oblivious to the chaos she was causing.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said dryly, his voice smooth but laced with irritation.
Aria only smiled wider, the bubblegum popping audibly. She glanced around the sleek office, unimpressed. “Wow, this place could really use some... personality.” She tossed her suitcase on the couch, like she had just walked into her own living room, and spun in a circle.
“I’m sure it’s all very impressive to someone who cares,” Elias said, leaning back against his desk with a sigh. “Do you know how to do anything other than be late and loud?”
“Hey, I can multitask,” she said, tapping her fingernails against the surface of his desk, clearly trying to distract him with their glittering shine. “I can annoy you and be fashionable at the same time.”
Elias ran a hand through his hair, his patience wearing thinner by the second. “Let’s get something straight. I don’t have time for games. You’re here to work, Bloom. Not to take selfies and talk back.”
Aria leaned forward, her face only a few inches away from his now. “Oh, I’m working alright. Working on making this place a little more fun. You look like you haven’t smiled in years. Maybe I can change that.” Her voice was teasing, but her eyes gleamed with something darker, like she was enjoying this far too much.
He crossed his arms, studying her for a long moment. “We’ll see. But you better get used to my way of doing things.” He motioned to the desk filled with papers and charts. “You’ll start with organizing these reports. I expect them on my desk by the end of the day.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Aria replied, saluting with a dramatic flourish. “Don’t worry, I’m a quick learner.” She grabbed a random stack of papers, flipping through them without a care. “But first, coffee. You look like you need one.”
Elias’s eyebrow shot up. “I don’t drink coffee.”
“Well, then I’ll get you something to drink that does require a little more personality,” she quipped, already heading toward the door. “I’m making it a goal to get you to smile before the end of the week. Challenge accepted.”
As the door clicked shut behind her, Elias took a deep breath, exhaling sharply as he stared at the mess she’d left behind. This was going to be interesting... whether he wanted it or not.
well make it a little slow make a chemistry bw them and them is rom com oppistes of each other
Aria Bloom had barely stepped out of the elevator when she felt the change in the air. Elias Blackwood’s office was a world apart—serious, polished, sleek. It was the kind of place where mistakes could cost you. And Aria? She was living proof that sometimes, the universe had a twisted sense of humor.
“Coffee?” she asked, poking her head back through the door after a few seconds.
Elias didn’t even look up from the stack of papers he was reading. “I don’t drink coffee.”
Aria leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms. “Right, I forgot. You’re the type who drinks herbal tea, aren’t you?”
The corner of Elias’s mouth twitched, though he kept his gaze on the papers in front of him. “I’m not sure how that’s any of your business.”
Aria didn’t respond immediately. She took in his sharp suit, his perfect posture, and the way his hands rested on the desk as if he’d never touched anything frivolous in his life. She should’ve been intimidated. She wasn’t.
“So, what do you drink, then?” she pressed, her voice not loud but persistent. “Let me guess... something ridiculously complicated that takes forever to prepare?”
Elias raised an eyebrow, finally looking at her. “You’re really trying to start a conversation about beverages?”
She shrugged, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “You seem like the kind of guy who’d have some weird drink philosophy. I’m curious.”
Elias sighed, clearly wondering how his life had come to this. “I drink water. Nothing else.”
“Water?” Aria repeated, feigning shock. “Are you trying to tell me that a guy like you doesn’t have a secret obsession with fancy smoothies or… I don’t know, those health shots that make you feel like you’re supposed to be some zen master?”
He gave her a look, as if debating whether or not to ignore her entirely. “I don’t see how this matters.”
Aria grinned, her eyes sparkling. “It doesn’t. But, you know, it might help if you tried something a little more... fun.”
He couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “You’re impossible.”
She leaned against the edge of his desk, getting dangerously close to the papers he was working on. “Yeah, I get that a lot,” she said, her voice light but with an edge that made him uneasy. “So, I’m the new intern, huh? I bet you have a whole list of ‘rules’ I have to follow, don’t you?”
Elias didn’t immediately answer. Instead, he pushed a few papers to the side and clasped his hands in front of him, leaning back in his chair. “I expect punctuality. Professionalism. And competence. Do you think you can manage that?”
Aria’s smile faltered for just a split second, but she recovered quickly. “Punctuality, professionalism... those sound like a lot of rules to follow.”
“I like rules,” he said, his voice cool and calm.
She tapped a finger against the desk thoughtfully, eyeing him with a hint of mischief. “You know, I think I could teach you how to have a little fun. Maybe you should start with... not glaring at me all the time.”
Elias leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t glare. I’m just... focused.”
“Focused, huh?” Aria mused. “Well, you can’t be focused all the time. You’ll burn out.”
There was a flicker of something in Elias’s eyes—a brief moment of consideration—but it quickly disappeared behind his usual stoic demeanor. “I doubt that’s a concern for me.”
Aria just smirked, already walking over to the window with her hands in her pockets, as if making herself at home in the very space she was meant to be ‘working’ in. “You know,” she said, her tone becoming softer as she stared out at the city below, “you don’t always have to take everything so seriously. Life’s too short.”
Elias watched her for a moment, something shifting in him. She was everything he wasn’t: carefree, unpredictable, and willing to push the boundaries in ways he didn’t understand. Yet, for some strange reason, he felt a strange pull to her presence.
She turned back to face him, catching his eyes. “Alright, Mr. Water and No Fun, what’s the first task?”
Elias opened his mouth to respond, but then paused. This wasn’t going to be easy. He could already tell.
“Organize these reports,” he said, sliding the pile of documents toward her. “You’re starting small.”
Aria picked up one of the papers and squinted at it, making a face. “Reports? Ugh. I was hoping for something with a little more excitement.”
Elias just stared at her, unamused. “You wanted fun? You’ll find it in the results.”
She clicked her tongue and set the paper back down. “Okay, fine. I’ll play along. But just so you know,” she added, her grin returning, “the fun’s coming. I can’t help it.”
Elias didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, watching her as she started sifting through the papers. Despite himself, he was curious to see just how this was going to go.The clock ticked quietly as Aria shifted through the reports, her colorful nails tapping a rhythm on the desk. Elias, ever the picture of composure, sat in silence, watching her—his gaze sharp but betraying a hint of curiosity. Despite her carefree attitude, there was something about the way she approached her work that intrigued him. She wasn’t exactly graceful with the paperwork, but there was a strange energy around her. A mix of chaos and brilliance.
Aria paused, holding up one of the reports and peering at it with exaggerated confusion. “Wait, what is this? A proposal for a new project or an attempt to summon a demon from the underworld?”
Elias raised an eyebrow, his lips barely twitching into the ghost of a smile. “It’s a proposal for a new project. I don’t believe we need to summon anything… yet.”
Aria grinned and tossed the paper onto the desk. “I think this could use a little magic, don’t you?”
She swiveled in the chair, crossing her legs in a way that was probably too casual for someone in a corporate setting, and leaned back. “You know, Elias, I have a theory. People like you—stiff, focused, and utterly unmoving—are only that way because you’ve convinced yourself you can’t afford to be anything else.”
He was about to respond, to shut her down as usual, but something in her voice stopped him. There was a certainty there, a depth behind the teasing words. She wasn’t just talking about him as an employee or boss. She was talking about him as a person.
“Maybe you’re right,” he said quietly, surprising himself. He didn’t expect to entertain such thoughts, but for some reason, her presence seemed to crack the walls he’d spent years building. “But being like this... it’s necessary.”
“Necessary?” Aria repeated, her voice dripping with amusement. “Is that what you tell yourself every morning to get out of bed? That your little world of rules and deadlines is all that matters?”
Elias stiffened, but before he could answer, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Elias said without looking away from Aria.
The door opened, revealing his assistant, a man named Thomas, who stepped inside, looking somewhat frazzled. “Sorry to interrupt, sir,” he began, but then his eyes fell on Aria, still lounging in her chair, a bubble of gum in her mouth.
“Oh, perfect timing,” Aria said with a grin. “Now we’ve got a third member for our little party. You have a drink, Thomas? I’m in the mood for something with more personality than this office.”
Thomas blinked, clearly unsure how to handle this situation. Elias, however, just sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk.
“Thomas,” Elias said, his voice lowering, “can you please remind Ms. Bloom that her first day involves actual work, not... whatever this is?”
Aria chuckled, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, boss. I’m getting to it. I’m just giving you a chance to relax. Maybe you need a break from all that... seriousness.”
Before Elias could respond, there was a sudden, unmistakable sound from across the room—the faintest creak of the windowsill shifting, the tiniest hint of glass breaking free.
Aria’s eyes widened. “Did you—?”
Thomas’s face went pale as he turned toward the window, his expression betraying alarm. Elias’s eyes darted to the same direction, and a split second later, he was on his feet, his earlier calmness replaced by a look of genuine concern. The sound had come from the far side of the room—the side of the building where the project files were stored. The windowsill was cracked. The air outside had suddenly shifted, cold and brittle.
“What the hell is going on?” Elias muttered, his voice more sharp than usual.
Aria stood abruptly, her eyes scanning the room, and despite the obvious tension, she seemed strangely at ease. “Well, I guess it’s not all just paperwork, huh?” she said with a wink.
“Get back,” Elias ordered, his voice laced with urgency.
But Aria wasn’t listening. Her instincts kicked in, and she was already moving toward the window, her hands reaching out, not to open it, but to press something against the cracked glass. For a moment, everything froze.
Then, with a soft click, the glass gave way entirely, revealing the faint outline of something—someone—lurking just outside, barely visible against the night’s sky.
“What the hell is that?” Thomas whispered, his voice trembling.
Elias couldn’t take his eyes off Aria. She wasn’t panicking. She wasn’t even scared. Instead, she was watching the shadow, her body perfectly still, as if she were waiting for something to happen.
Then she turned to him, a knowing look in her eyes.
“It looks like your fun has finally arrived, Mr. Blackwood,” she said softly, a smirk on her lips.
Elias’s jaw tightened, his mind racing. How did she know? And why the hell was she so calm?
As the shadow outside moved slightly, Aria’s voice broke through the tension. “Guess you’ll need someone who can handle a little chaos after all.”
