Chapter 2

I blinked at him. If Ryan had words floating over his head, it would've been one giant question mark. After half a beat, he dropped the last of the fish food into the tank and said, "You can go now." I'm terrible at reading the room. If people want me gone, they have to say it.

People sometimes wonder how someone like me got hired here in the first place. Simple: I bring good fortune. A fortune-teller said The Boss and I were especially compatible, and as long as I stayed at the company, it'd make a killing year after year.

Bosses are all a little superstitious. Ryan Noble didn't believe every word of it, but he didn't dare brush it off either.

My 32-inch suitcase held two changes of clothes. Everything else was, well... never mind. Hehe. I didn't even pack toiletries. The Boss would obviously be staying in a hotel, and hotels had all that stuff. The car came to pick us up downstairs.

I rolled my suitcase along while The Boss walked ahead. Assistant Lee followed him everywhere. Ryan had a suitcase too, but his was tiny, only 20 inches. Next to mine, his looked like a baby.

I knew exactly how much stuff I'd packed, and I could lift it myself. Assistant Lee was probably just trying to be nice. He loaded the boss's suitcase into the trunk, then held out a hand for mine. Guys are stronger than me anyway, I figured, so I pushed it over without a shred of guilt.

He shoved the handle down and grabbed the side. I swear his eyes widened for a second. He lifted the boss's suitcase like it weighed nothing, but mine took both hands, and even then he looked like he was struggling. Still, he got it into the trunk.

When we got in the car, Assistant Lee finally asked, "Did you pack bricks in that thing?"

I blanked for a second, then answered honestly, "No. Just five cases of milk. We're going for half a month, aren't we?" I really love human drinks. Sweet, creamy, delicious.

Assistant Lee's eye twitched, and he didn't say another word. The boss glanced at me too, but I didn't think much of it.

I don't plan much in life, but I do plan for my milk. One case lasts three days, four bottles a day. Fifteen days makes exactly five cases.

The driver drove, Assistant Lee took the front passenger seat, and that meant I had to sit in back with the boss. Ryan owned a lot of cars, and a lot of them had single rear seats. Today, he just happened to use one with a regular bench.

At an intersection, the car suddenly swerved hard. The boss had his seat belt on. I didn't. The turn was so sharp I flew straight into his arms. Instinctively, I glanced at the rearview mirror and met Assistant Lee's icy stare.

Did he think I was some employee throwing herself at the boss? Heh. Smart guy. I did do it on purpose. I could've stayed balanced just fine. No sense wasting all that delicious energy.

I took the chance to gulp down a huge mouthful of it.

Then I straightened up and moved away from him. I'm an honest person, so even my apology was honest. "Sorry, Boss."

The driver apologized too. "Sorry, Mr. Noble. An e-bike came at us the wrong way just now."

Ryan gave a quiet "mm," and I had no idea whether that was meant for me or the driver. Either way, we made it to the airport without any more drama. This was my first business trip with The Boss, and also my first time on a plane. Everything felt new and exciting.

Sophie had booked the tickets. The Boss sat in that crazy expensive first class, Assistant Lee was in business, and since the budget was limited, I got stuck in economy with an aisle seat. My suitcase was too heavy to carry on, so Assistant Lee helped me check it. Luckily, with the boss's first-class booking, the free baggage allowance was just enough for my suitcase. Not a pound went to waste. There were also two empty seats next to me.