5. Bad Coincidence
1440 Words
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"You?" The two of them exclaimed in unison.
"Why am I not surprised that you both know each other?"
Alan and Daphne turned to Niall who, true to his word, did not seem the least fazed by how the two of them reacted to seeing each other at work.
"Trouble attracts trouble." He mumbled and then raised a brow at Daphne. "You went and did the very thing I told you not to, didn't you?"
"Shut up." Daphne glared at him and then suddenly paused, realizing what he meant.
She turned back to face Alan and then back to Niall for confirmation.
"You are Alan Conall?" She asked, pointing a finger at him.
Alan assessed the accusing digit on him and then used his hands to push it away. "Am I not allowed to be?"
"I don't need caffeine, I need vodka." Daphne threw her hands up in the air and walked away, not sparing them another glance.
"What just happened?" Alan pointed towards her retreating back, looking over at Niall quizzically.
"She's weird and scary but she does her job well." Niall shrugged and then he added. "And you slept with her."
Alan took a deep breath and cleared his throat, turning to Niall. "And how do you know that?"
"Goth queen does not give that kind of reaction to just about anyone."
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'I am writing this letter to inform you of my intention to resign from my post-'
Delete.
'I am afraid I will not be able to continue in my position at Conall Enterprises because-'
Delete.
'I DON'T WANT TO WORK HERE ANYMORE BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN THE NEW BOSS' f*****g d**k!!!!!!-'
"Ooh send that, real classy!" Daphne immediately closed her phone and placed it on the table, giving her best friend's husband a death glare.
"This is not funny."
"It is funny if it is something that gets the goth queen riled up." He shrugged, taking a donut from one of the boxes lying around.
"Stop overusing the term meant to be only among the trio." Daphne rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her machine coffee. She knew Sarah must be waiting for hers but she would have to wait if she was not willing to get one herself because there was no way Daphne was going back in there anytime soon... or probably ever if it was in her hands.
"Fine." He sat down in front of her. "So you slept with him, big deal. It happens. You didn't even know he was your boss when you did. And technically, he was not your boss when you did. So everything is in the clear."
Daphne stared at the man sitting in front of her. He was her friend, the love of her best friend's life, and her godson's father. There was no way she could punch him right then.
"Are you plotting to mutilate me in your head or something?" Niall held his hands up in surrender. "Because your facial expression right now is anything but nice."
Daphne rolled her eyes and clutched her hair.
"This complicates things." She hummed. "Like... really really complicates things."
"I seriously don't see how." Niall shrugged. "As far as I know Alan, he does not care about things as this. He will probably sleep with most of the female employees in this office by the end of the month so he will not have a special place in his heart for you that he will complicate things for you. And as far as it concerns you, well, the Daphne I know does not care for any of this either. No need to overthink this."
No need to overthink this. Yeah sure, it was easy to say that when you were not the one having wet dreams about your boss. But she could not say that out loud either, now could she? She would be six feet under before she ever confessed it out loud.
Hence, Daphne went for simpler terms. "You are right, why the hell am I getting so riled up for?" For obvious reasons.
"Exactly." Niall was so happy with himself for apparently having talked his wife's scary friend through a tough situation and he hoped he had scored some brownie points. Little did he know about the tornado brewing inside Daphne's mind. "Now come say hi!"
Niall got up from the chair and walked back to the office while Daphne simply sat there.
"It's fine. It's just the d**k you fell in love with. Nothing else. It's totally fine."
Daphne gave herself another mental speech before making her way back to the office, where a crowd of people surrounded who she knew would be Alan Conall.
"What took you so long?" Simon asked as soon as she reached them.
"The coffee machine stopped working." The lie rolled out smoothly from her lips.
"And this, my friend, is Daphne Prescott."
Daphne looked quizically at Niall. Why was he being so friendly with this dude? He did not like the dude, the last time I checked.
"Daphne Prescott, Niall says great things about you," Alan said as he held a hand forward. Daphne's eyes panned from his outstretched hand to his face and she felt like she was seeing him for the first time. Bronze skin, chiseled jawline, high cheekbones, his slight stubble adding rugged masculinity to his features, and his dirty blond hair, just perfect as they tumbled onto his forehead. But what stood out last Friday and what stood out today was the same - his piercing blue eyes. As beautiful as the sky, as deep as the ocean.
Daphne mustered a smile as she took his hand, enjoying the firmness in his grip. "Only heard great things about you, Sir."
"Alan." He flashed her a grin. "I hope everyone here can see me as a friend."
Niall snorted and all the attention turned to him.
"Something funny, Tucker?" Alan turned to Niall, who simply shrugged and then looked over at Daphne, giving her a knowing wink.
Mr. Tucker had Daphne confused. Why was he acting so happy and giddy now when he was going crazy the last few days about the take over? He had repeatedly told Daphne what sort of a monster (maybe not to that extreme) Alan Conall and everyone in the Conall family were but now he was acting like he had met his old friend.
What exactly was wrong with him?
"I will show you to your room and then I will be on my way." Niall said and Daphne did not miss the way Niall patted Alan's shoulder as they walked away.
She was missing something, but what?
"Why are you looking at them like that?" Simon asked, coming to stand next to her as the others diffused.
Daphne stared thoughtfully at the retreating men. "You think Niall could be cheating on Chloe with Mr. Conall?"
Simon looked at her and rolled his eyes, walking away as he said, "You are impossible, Prescott."
"Whatever you say, Simolean boy."
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"I will miss you." Daphne dabbed fake tears off her face as she walked Niall out, Alan and his new secretary Matthew by their side.
"You are doing terrible, Daph. Your happiness is evident on your face." Niall laughed as he gave her a side hug.
"Be nice to my people, dude." Niall turned to Alan who simply shrugged.
"I will do what's necessary." He said.
Niall nodded.
"Please don't tell Chloe about the new developments." Daphne quickly mumbled just as Niall was about to get in his car.
He gave her a flat look. "You say this but you will be one running to your best friends and letting them in on all the details."
Daphne pouted miserably. It was true. She could not keep secrets from them. Her longest kept secret from them was about the wet dreams she had been having of the man who was standing right next to her. This was not going well.
She waved Niall off and then turned around to go back in but was stopped by Alan's hand on her wrist.
"Matt, go get me a coffee." He turned to the secretary who looked quizically at his hold on her wrist. "And take it to the office. I will be there soon."
"Okay, Sir." He mumbled and walked away, leaving the two of them in the basement.
Alan's intense eyes find Daphne's. "So we meet again."
"So it seems." Daphne did not know why they were stating the obvious.
"Is it a coincidence? Or was this pre-planned?"
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- Writer
