Chapter 9: I Could Never Be Friends With You!

*Claire’s POV*

I think I was still stuck in that alternate universe I mentioned earlier. It had to be the only explanation, except I’d gone completely, utterly insane. Because on what planet would I, Claire Madden, stumble into the arms of Aiden Katz. And on what planet would that make me feel so warm and fuzzy.

My heart raced as I found myself pressed against his chest, his strong arms holding me securely. My brain short-circuited and the only thing I could think of was him. His smell, the feel of his arms around me... nothing else seemed to matter, and the world around us disappeared. I looked up, my breath catching in my throat as our eyes met.

I knew that he was devilishly handsome, hell, the whole of America knew it, but I didn’t think I would have such a strong reaction to him. I thought that after all this time, years and years of loathing him, I was finally immune to his charms.

Whatever strange feelings I was having, I definitely didn’t like it. There were actual butterflies fluttering around in my stomach, singing Aiden’s praises, trying to convince me to relax and get lost in those beautiful eyes and strong, masculine arms.

Oh, no. No, no, no. This wasn't supposed to happen. I'd spent years convincing myself I wasn't attracted to him. I'd practically hypnotized myself, repeating mantras like “He's just your boss” and “His good looks mean nothing.”

But now, with his face mere inches from mine, all that careful conditioning crumbled away.

I guess I wasn’t immune to his charms after all.

Aiden was devastatingly handsome, but there was also something else about him. And his eyes... were they always this mesmerizing? I felt myself getting lost in their depths, memories of that night flooding my head, attacking at the same time. His hands on my body, his hot breath against my neck, his lips doing unmentionable things to me.

I blinked, trying to clear my head.

Finally, I shook my head, banishing the scandalous thoughts and shaking off whatever spell he had cast on me.

His brow furrowed slightly, and for a moment, I swore I saw a flash of longing in his eyes. “Are you alright?” Aiden asked, his voice low and gentle. There was genuine concern in his tone, which only deepened the feeling of guilt I already had.

“I... I... yes, I’m fine,” I managed to stammer, reluctantly pulling away from his warmth. As I steadied myself, the reality of the situation came crashing back.

I’d accused this man of sexual harassment, potentially ruined his reputation, his relationships... and here he was, still treating me with kindness. Guilt washed over me again, threatening to drown me. I had to say something to him.

My eyes darted around the restaurant, searching for Daisy, but she was blissfully unaware of what had just happened, happily chatting away with Blake, who was also oblivious.

Good, I didn’t need her here for this.

“Mr. Katz, I...” I began, my voice wavering. “I'm so sorry. For everything. The interview, the misunderstanding... I never meant to cause you so much trouble.”

They were just words, and could barely make up for the damage I’d done, but I hoped that at least it would mean something... anything to him.

To my surprise, Aiden’s expression softened. There was no accusation in his eyes, no anger. Just a gentle understanding that made my knees weak.

“Claire,” he said, his voice soothing, “it's okay. We've both made mistakes. Let's just... start over, shall we?”

I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. How could he be so forgiving? Was he actually ready to move on, or was he trying to make me feel worse? This new and improved Aiden that was approachable and... nice was foreign to me.

I felt tears prickling at the corners of my eyes, and I didn't try to hide them. For once, I let my guard down, allowing Aiden to see my vulnerability.

“Thank you,” I whispered, offering him a watery smile. “I'd like that.”

As we stood there, smiling at each other, something shifted between us. I didn’t know what it was, but it seemed like the invisible wall between us had been shattered by the overwhelming emotions radiating off me.

The tension that had been building for the past few days seemed to dissipate, replaced by something new... something exciting and a little bit scary.

I realized then that whatever I thought I knew about Aiden Katz, I was only scratching the surface. And despite everything that had happened, every nerve in my body telling me that it was a terrible idea, I found myself yearning to dig deeper, to uncover the mystery behind those captivating eyes.

His scent still lingered on me, clouding my senses. Focus, Claire!

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what I had to do next. “So,” I began, plastering on my brightest smile. “Now that we’ve cleared the air, I think we could work really well together going forward.” I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, suddenly feeling shy. “I promise to be your most reliable employee. No more misunderstandings or trouble, no more embarrassing interviews or misleading love letters. I promise!”

I held up my hand as if giving a solemn oath to lighten the mood. To my surprise and delight, the corners of Aiden's mouth twitched, almost forming a smile. Was that amusement in his eyes?

“I mean it,” I continued, encouraged by his reaction. “I'll be your right-hand woman. Need coffee? I'm on it. Important meeting? I'll have the files ready before you can say ‘quarterly report.’ Heck, I'll even learn to read your mind if that's what it takes!”

As I rambled on, I watched Aiden’s expression change. The amusement was completely gone and the coldness from before was back in his eyes, accompanied by something else... something complicated.

“So, what do you say?” I asked uncertainly, holding out my hand. “Friends and awesome coworkers?”

Aiden stared at my outstretched hand, then back at my face. The intensity of his gaze made me shiver. For a long moment, neither of us moved.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low and husky. “I can never be friends with you, Miss Madden.”

‘Miss Madden.’ It was my name, but somehow when he said it like that, it sounded like an insult.

My hand dropped to my side, along with my jaw. “What?” I managed to squeak out. But Aiden had already turned away, leaving me standing there, completely baffled.

...

I collapsed onto Daisy’s bed after a miserable day at work, feeling utterly defeated. “I’ve ruined everything,” I groaned, dramatically burying my head within her soft blankets.

Daisy, ever the picture of composure, simply raised an eyebrow. “With Mr. Katz?” she asked, though we both knew the answer.

I wouldn’t normally care about what Aiden thought, but after I heard what Blake had to say, and seeing that glimpse of what I liked to refer to as ‘Kind Aiden’, I desperately wanted to make things right.

I nodded miserably. “I tried to extend an olive branch, you know? Be friends, work well together. And he just... shut me down. Completely.”

“And?” Daisy prodded, leaning forward.

“And?” I echoed, lifting my head. “And I think I need to start looking for a new job. There's no way I can stay here now. He hates me, and I don’t even know why I care.”

Daisy's laugh caught me off guard. “Oh, honey,” she said, shaking her head. “You've got it all wrong.”

I blinked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Claire, sweetie, Aiden didn't shut you down because he hates you,” Daisy explained, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “He shut you down because he can't be 'just friends' with you.”

I stared at her, still confused. Daisy wasn’t making any sense. “What are you saying?”

“I'm saying,” she continued, leaning in conspiratorially, “that man is about as ‘just friends’ with you as I am with Henry Cavill.”

I felt my cheeks flush. That was impossible, there was no way Aiden was attracted... I couldn’t even finish the thought.

“But... but he's my boss!” I protested. “I don’t even think of him that way,” I lied, more to myself than to her. “And after everything that's happened...”

“All the more reason for the tension,” Daisy winked. “Trust me, I've seen the way he looks at you when you're not paying attention. That's not the look of a man who ‘hates you’.”

My mind was reeling. Yes, there was chemistry between us, that night was proof enough. But he still didn’t even know it was me, so there was no way Daisy’s theory was even remotely possible.

“So what do I do?” I asked, feeling suddenly breathless.

Daisy grinned, rushing up from the bed to retrieve my computer. “You take the initiative, of course! Don't let him push you away. Show him you’re not going anywhere. Trust me, no matter how long you've worked together, there will always be some kind of friendship. You just need to... fan the flames a little.”

“Fan the flames? Daisy, you’re terrible!” I couldn't help but laugh. “I just need to understand him, but I don’t know how since he wouldn’t let me in.”

“What better way than through his adoring fans?” Daisy shoved the device into my hands, winking at me.

I couldn’t resist, I wanted to know more about him. I opened the device, swiftly navigating my way through the internet. “I can't believe I'm doing this,” I muttered, staring at my computer screen.

“Trust me, this is genius.”

I rolled my eyes but clicked ‘Join Group’ on the “Katz Krew” fan page anyway. “You know, when I said I wanted to understand him better, this isn't quite what I had in mind.”

“Shh,” Daisy hushed me. “Now, tell me what you find out!”

Over the next few hours, I fell down a rabbit hole of Aiden trivia. Who knew he was such a complex guy? Certainly not me, despite knowing him for years.

“Okay, get this,” I said excitedly to Daisy. “His favorite sport is Falconry.”

“His what is what now?”

I laughed. “I know, right? Apparently, it’s a real thing. People take birds to remote locations and, well, train them to hunt. There are pictures of Aiden on top of a mountain with a Falcon!”

“Well, that explains his sharp senses,” Daisy mused.

“Oh, and listen to this,” I continued, scrolling through the forum. “He has a secret love for pineapple on pizza. Can you believe it?”

“Scandalous,” Daisy giggled.

“But here’s the kicker,” I said, lowering my voice dramatically. “The thing he hates most in the world? Karaoke. Apparently, he can’t sing to save his life.” Not like I’m surprised.

There was a pause. “Claire,” Daisy said slowly, “didn’t you organize a company karaoke night last month?”

The memory hit me like a ton of bricks. Aiden’s pained expression, the way he’d disappeared after one song... “Oh god,” I groaned. “No wonder he wants nothing to do with me.”

“Well, now you know, use this knowledge wisely, my precious fledgling.”

Just as I was about to reply, my phone buzzed. My heart skipped a beat as I picked up the device and saw the name on the screen.

I needed to say anything to Daisy, she could tell who it was from the look on my face. I took a deep breath and answered. “Hello?”

“Miss Madden,” Aiden’s deep voice responded from the other end of the line. “The woman from that night, we found her.”

My breath caught in my throat. That was impossible, I was the woman from that night. Did I have a twin sister somewhere that I didn’t know about? “I... what?” I stuttered, completely thrown off balance.

“Can you meet me in my office right away?”

My mind was spinning, and I could barely make out his words. This hole I was digging just kept getting deeper and deeper, and I wondered if I would ever be able to climb out of it.