CHAPTER 5: First Impressions Never Matter

2024/Amelia's POV

Taking a deep breath, I walked past the revolving doors of Kane Corp with a silent prayer. The last thing I needed was a repeat performance of what had happened in the lobby yesterday. After I'd walked away from Adrian, I'd met up with the head of the department I was working in. Mark and I had spoken already over the phone prior to my appointment so it wasn't awkward thankfully and he was very nice, leading me to HR to do all the necessary documentation so I'd officially resume today.

A wave of self-consciousness washed over me as I looked around. Were people staring? Whispering about me tripping yesterday? I kept my head high and tried to project an air of normalcy, but beneath the calm exterior, I felt like disappearing into the ground.

Reaching the elevator bay, I punched the button for my department floor. The doors slid open, revealing a familiar face that I'd had to speak to yesterday at HR, David. He held the door open with a glint in his eyes.

"Welcome back, Amelia. Having a great second day?" he boomed, his voice echoing in the confined space.

"Why?" I blurted out, "Did anyone say anything about yesterday?"

"Yesterday?" He asked, his brows raised in a way that made me realize he had no clue what I was waffling about.

My cheeks flushed a furious red. "Never mind," I whispered, releasing a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "As for how my second day is going, I can't wait for lunchtime."

He chuckled, giving me a thumbs up. "Me too."

The elevator doors opened onto my department floor and my heart hammered against my ribs as I scanned the room. I hadn't met any of them yesterday, Mark was pushing the official introduction to today and I was nervous. Quickly, I reminded myself that if David hadn't heard anything about my tripping incident yesterday, there was no way the others here would have heard and frankly it wasn't a big deal.

A voice broke through my chaotic thoughts. "Amelia! Thank goodness!"

Mark emerged from his office, a wide grin plastered across his face. "It's a pleasure by to finally welcome you to the department."

"Thank you, Mark," I replied with a smile.

Mark clapped me on the shoulder, steering me towards a group of colleagues gathered around a conference table. "Everyone," he announced, "allow me to introduce you to your new boss, besides me anyways! Amelia Bennett, meet the team – Jessica, our marketing whiz, Daniel, the resident tech guru, and Sarah, our analyst extraordinaire."

Introductions were exchanged, smiles and handshakes all around. The pressure started to build again. "Alright, team," Mark continued, his voice turning serious. "We have a big meeting with the boss in ten. We need to finalize the pitch for the Thompson Green Initiative."

My chest caved in. A meeting with Adrian. This wasn't exactly the relaxed re-entry into the office life I had envisioned.

Following Mark out of the office ten minutes later, as we headed to the conference room for the meeting, Sarah leaned closer to me, her voice barely a whisper. "I heard you met the CEO yesterday. Isn't he dreamy?"

My head snapped around, eyes wide because I was definitely not expecting that. "What? No, I…"

Sarah's smile widened. "Oh, don't look so nervous. Whenever he's in the office, it feels like we're seeing a unicorn. So everyone is buzzing about it. Tell me, did you guys speak? What does he seem like?"

I fought the urge to roll my eyes, hoping my smile didn't look as stuffy as I get by the question. What was Adrian like? Ha! "Well, I don't know" I replied, trying to sound calm. "But I'll guess we will find out."

Before I could ask her for more details, we reached the conference room.

Sarah took a seat closest to the door, while Mark positioned himself near the head of the table. I hovered near the back, feeling strangely out of place.

A tense silence hung in the air, broken only by the soft hum of the air conditioning and just as my anxiety started to peak, the door to the conference room swung open.

Adrian Kane entered and the air crackled with a strange energy. He looked different from yesterday– the dark blue suit replaced by a sharp, charcoal-gray one that accentuated his broad shoulders. It was his hair. It was no longer gelled to appear straight, his curls giving his serious persona a more approachable look. I'd run my hands through those curls once, I thought and bit the inside of my cheek, hating how the memory assaulted me. His signature steely hazel eyes scanned the room, and for a fleeting moment, they locked onto mine.

A jolt of electricity shot through me. His gaze lingered for a beat longer than necessary. Then, a small, almost imperceptible nod followed in Mark's direction.

He walked towards the head of the table, a tall, elegant woman by his side. Adrian introduced her as Ms. Evans, his executive assistant.

Ms. Evans took a seat next to Adrian, her gaze cool and professional. A pang of…jealousy? No, that couldn't be right. I barely knew the woman. Yet, the sight of her next to Adrian, the picture of efficiency and grace, brought a strange knot of tension to my stomach. It couldn't be jealousy. I disliked Adrian, so it was probably just my nerves.

As everyone settled in, Adrian addressed the room, his voice smooth and authoritative. "Thank you all for coming today. Let's get down to business"

As Mark officially introduced me, a strange hush fell over the room. All eyes seemed to be on me, waiting for Mr. Kane's reaction.

"Amelia," Adrian said, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down my spine. "We've met." A flicker of something crossed his features before settling into a neutral mask.

Leveling him with my most nonchalant stare, I smiled politely, "Yes we have, yesterday in the lobby, Mr. Kane. Can't say it was very pleasant, though."

The room went eerily quiet. Mark looked alarmed, and even the composed Ms. Evans seemed momentarily flustered. Sarah looked like I'd just shot the president.

To my surprise, a hint of a smile played on Adrian's lips. It was a fleeting thing, a ghost of amusement quickly replaced by his usual cool expression. It irritated me. "That's a shame," he drawled, and as if I hadn't just been rude to him, turned back to Mark. "Now, shall we get on with the pitch?"

Cheeks flaming with annoyance, I shrunk back in my chair. Thankfully, Mark seemed to salvage the situation. He cleared his throat and launched into a concise summary of the Thompson Green Initiative, his voice steady and professional.

Throughout the presentation, I couldn't shake the feeling of Adrian's gaze on me. It wasn't a direct stare, but a subtle glance in my direction every now and then, sending a jolt of nervous energy through me. Was I imagining it? I didn't try to look in his direction to confirm.

Finally, Mark reached the end of his pitch "So, that's the gist of it," he declared, beaming at us. "Any questions?"

Adrian steepled his fingers, his eyes scanning the room. "One. Who's taking point on this case?"

Mark straightened his tie. "Amelia will be heading this project." He looked at me with a reassuring smile. "You got this, kiddo."

My stomach clenched. Leading a case immediately I got here? "Are you sure, Mark?" I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Positive," he boomed, oblivious to my apprehension. "You've got the skills, and well…" he trailed off, glancing at Adrian. "You've got some spine…."

Adrian's lips twitched ever so slightly, a barely-there smile that sent a familiar shiver down my spine. Mark, thankfully, seemed to miss it. "Very well, Mark. I trust you and your team to deliver."

With that, he rose and strode purposefully towards the door, his secretary behind him. As he reached the threshold, he turned back, his gaze resting on me for a moment too long. "Miss Bennett," he said, "I trust you'll do a good job."

And before I could respond, he added, "I don't think first impressions matter anyways."

There was no smile on his face as he spoke, but the twinkle in his eyes betrayed him. My cheeks burned. He'd just basically said he didn't give a shit if I called him unpleasant, winning the silent battle I'd started since he walked into the room. My first impression of him ten years ago had also been unpleasant and yet, somehow I'd fallen for him. So why would he care now what I had to say?

The room stayed quiet long after Adrian walked out, his words still hanging in the air until Mark clapped his hands together. "Alright, team, let's get to work!"

But I wasn't paying attention. My thoughts were spinning, replaying Adrian's last comment. My hands turned into fists, my cheeks hot with rage. The nerve of him!

"Amelia, are you alright?" Sarah's voice dragged me back to the present.

I forced a tight smile. "I'm fine. Just processing the sudden responsibility, I guess."

Sarah nodded sympathetically. "You'll be great. Don't let Mr. Kane scare you. He's intimidating, but he's not that bad once you get used to him."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I already knew how intimidating he could be. Or how bad he could get after he let you get used to him.

"Thanks," I managed, before turning back to my laptop. But no matter how hard I tried to focus on the project ahead, my thoughts kept circling back to Adrian's parting words.

Was he teasing me? Mocking me? I'd bet some good money it was the latter.

One thing was certain: Adrian Kane wasn't going to make being here easy for me.

I guess some things never changed then.