Fated Read Online Free Page A

some things for me."
    I
quickly wrote down the things he rattled off, although I had to ask him for
clarification a few times since they were all photography supplies and I had no
idea what some of them were. I could see the impatience in his eyes when he had
to explain something to me, and I had to resist the urge to throw back a smart
remark. He knew I had no experience in this but had agreed for me to fill in
for Macie anyway, and he now had the gall to be annoyed because I didn't know
what a macro bracket or a lens plate was. People often mistakenly thought that
just because I was reserved, I was also a doormat. They soon realized that just
because I was quiet didn't mean I wasn't ready to put someone in their place.
But this was neither the time nor the place to start getting defensive.
    "Anything
else?" I asked once I had all the items down.
    "Did
you confirm my dinner reservation for tonight?"
    I
nodded. "Two for seven p.m. at Le Bernardin."
    "Pick
up a bouquet of flowers."
    I
bit back a smile. Apparently Caden had a date tonight, and for some reason I found
it funny that I was the one prepping him for it. Did flowers count when there
was no effort behind it except a simple utterance to an underling?
    "Any
specific type of flowers?"
    Caden
frowned. "It doesn't matter. It's up to you. Whatever you'd think a woman
would like."
    I
found his response even funnier, and I had to bite my lip to suppress a laugh.
It was such a stereotypical response, and it amused me that Caden, for all his
bluster, was a typical man. Caden raised an eyebrow, obviously noticing my repressed
mirth. My humor vanished when I saw the derisive tilt to his mouth.
    "Is
something amusing you?"
    "No,"
I answered quickly.
    "I
disagree. I think you're finding something highly amusing."
    "I
just..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say. "I just thought it
was funny that you didn't know what type of flowers your date wanted."
    I
felt a nervous flutter in my stomach when Caden just stared at me. I obviously
had not started on the right foot with my boss.
    "On
your presumption that it's for my date, I never said I didn't know what type of
flowers she wanted. It comes down to not caring."
    His
answer was so cold that I couldn't suppress my honest response. "What's
the point of even getting her flowers then? If you don't care, don't pretend
like you do."
    As
soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to kick myself. This conversation was
veering into highly unprofessional territory.
    His
voice was deceptively soft when he answered, belying the steel underneath it.
"Isn't it just part of the games we all play? We go through the motions to
get to the end goal. That doesn't mean we actually care."
    I
wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that statement, and I sure as hell didn't
know how to respond. I needed to wade out of these dangerous waters quickly.
    "I
guess we each have our own philosophy when it comes to dating." I looked
down at my notebook, studying my notes as if they were fascinating.
"Anything else you need me to do?"
    Caden
didn't respond right away, so I forced myself to look up. I was instantly
mesmerized by his index finger slowly stroking his bottom lip methodically as
he studied me. His lips stretched into a grim smile.
    "That's
all...for now."
    I
quickly went back to my desk and started ordering Caden's supplies online.
Fortunately, I was able to look up past purchase orders that helped immensely
with the items I was unfamiliar with. I was relieved when Caden disappeared
into his studio. The office felt much bigger without his presence.
    After
ordering his supplies, I spent most of the morning responding to his
correspondence, setting aside the ones that Caden needed to attend to himself.
I was surprised by the lack of phone calls, but it was one less thing I had to
worry about.
    Before
I knew it, it was lunch time and I was only through a quarter of his letters
and emails. I figured it was a good enough time as any to grab something to
eat, as