Chapter 12: Office Buzz

Monday Morning

The air in Blackwood Signature Events had a charge to it.

Not tension exactly. Not drama either.

But something sharp. Electric.

Lexi felt it the second she stepped off the elevator.

The usual hum of keyboards and ringing phones filled the room—but conversations paused too quickly as she passed. Heads turned a beat too late. Camille offered a smirk that was just a little too smug.

Lexi blinked, pushing a loose strand behind her ear as she headed to her desk.

Maya was already waiting. Arms crossed. Eyes wide.

"Why do I feel like I walked into a soap opera?" Lexi muttered, setting her bag down.

Maya leaned in. "You didn't walk in—you star-dropped."

Lexi frowned. "Please don't say it's about me."

Maya gave a slow blink. "Oh, babe. It's all about you."

Lexi's stomach dipped. "What happened?"

"Scarlet Vale happened," Maya whispered dramatically. "She was here on Friday. Stormed out like she was about to set fire to the floor. Then you walked out ten minutes later looking like you just faced off with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Ice-Cold—alone."

Lexi's mouth went dry. "We were working."

"Uh-huh. And I'm dating Harry Styles."

Lexi rolled her eyes, but her cheeks warmed.

"I swear, Maya. Nothing happened."

"Well, something did, because Camille's been walking around like she's waiting for someone to ask her for the tea. And Ava?" Maya nodded subtly across the room. "She's been watching your desk like it owes her money."

Lexi glanced over.

Sure enough, Ava's eyes were locked on her. Cool. Evaluating. Her manicured fingers tapped slowly against her iPad, a quiet rhythm of judgment.

Lexi quickly looked away.

"She's been... prickly," Maya added. "Like, 'I-run-this-floor' prickly. And now? You're suddenly in closed-door meetings with the CEO? Leading the biggest event of the year? And Scarlet—Scarlet—is out?"

Lexi groaned. "I didn't even know she was in."

Maya raised a brow. "Well, you are now."

Before Lexi could respond, Ava stood and walked over—heels clicking like punctuation.

"Lexi," she greeted, voice smooth and unreadable.

Lexi straightened. "Morning."

"I've been meaning to ask. How was your late-night strategy session with Mr. Blackwood?"

Lexi kept her expression neutral. "Productive."

Ava tilted her head, just slightly. "Good. Just a word of advice—the closer you get to the top, the faster the pace. Hope you're ready for that."

Lexi met her gaze evenly. "I'm here to work."

Ava offered a small, precise smile. "Perfect. Around here, results speak louder than rumors."

With that, she turned and walked away—not unkind, but sharp-edged. Like someone assessing whether steel would hold under pressure.

Lexi exhaled.

Maya let out a low whistle. "Okay... that was weirdly respectful."

"I haven't done anything."

"That's the thing," Maya said. "In this office? Sometimes just existing near the CEO is enough to light the place up."

Lexi shook her head and sat down.

But her hands were trembling.

Mid-Morning

The emails didn't stop.

Vendors were multiplying like hydras. One tweak on the floral side caused chaos on the lighting end. The stylist wanted new palettes. The sound designer had questions. And the raw floor plan needed final confirmation.

Lexi worked through it all with surgical focus.

But the buzz didn't fade. It just got... quieter. Sharper.

When Camille passed by, she didn't even look directly at Lexi.

Just muttered, "Didn't know interns got invites to the executive floor. Must be a new policy."

Lexi didn't flinch. Didn't look up.

She just worked.

Still, the weight of it pressed down. The way voices dimmed behind glass. The way heads tilted just slightly as she walked by.

It wasn't confrontation. It was speculation. And it was exhausting.

Lexi left her desk under the pretense of needing coffee—really, she just needed to breathe.

As she waited by the machine, two voices whispered behind her:

"She has to have something on him."

"No one gets that kind of access overnight."

Her jaw tightened. The paper cup in her hand crinkled.

She returned to her desk in silence.

---

Lunchtime

Maya dragged her outside for air and gossip therapy. They found a spot on the terrace, plastic containers between them.

Maya peeled open her sandwich like it offended her. "Okay. Spill."

"There's nothing to spill."

"You worked late with Ethan Blackwood. The man who once corrected my calendar typo with a look. Alone. At night. In a glass office. And you're telling me it was just... spreadsheets?"

Lexi sipped her drink. "He's not as cold as people think."

Maya blinked. "Girl. He once walked past me and I had to check for frostbite."

Lexi smiled faintly. "He just chooses his words carefully."

"And what exactly did he choose to say to you, behind glass, under downlights, with Scarlet Vale exploding in the background?"

Lexi didn't answer.

But her thoughts drifted—

—to the moment his hand hovered near hers at the door,

—to the way he'd said Scarlet won't be an issue,

—to the silence that had stretched, weighty and full of things unsaid.

"He respects the work," she said finally.

Maya narrowed her eyes. "You're dodging like a pro."

"I'm surviving," Lexi corrected.

They ate in silence for a beat.

Then Maya slipped a folded paper across the table like it was contraband.

"What's this?"

"Camille's unofficial seating draft for the gala. I may or may not have peeked while it was printing."

Lexi unfolded it. Scanned. Her name was missing.

"You're leading the event," Maya said. "But apparently, you don't get a seat."

Lexi frowned. "Could be an oversight."

"Or a silent move. Camille plays office chess, not checkers."

Lexi folded the paper slowly and slid it into her bag. "Noted."

Late Afternoon

Numbers. Budgets. Blueprints.

The day blurred.

At one point, Lexi looked up and caught Ava watching again—but this time, her eyes weren't sharp. They were thoughtful.

Later, while Lexi filled her water bottle near the break room, Ava appeared beside her like a shadow.

"You handled Camille well today."

Lexi blinked. "Thanks."

"You didn't bite. Smart. That's how people last around here."

Lexi hesitated. "Is that what it's about? Lasting?"

Ava's lips twitched. "Sometimes. But mostly, it's about not blinking when the room tilts. Staying steady when things shift."

Lexi nodded slowly. "I'm learning."

Ava gave a single approving nod. "Keep going."

And then she left.

No warmth. But something like respect lingered in the air.

Lexi stared after her, the words settling heavier than expected.

Then her screen pinged.

 Meeting Confirmed: Blackwood Gala Progress Check

Attendees: Lexi Thompson, Ethan Blackwood

Location: Executive Floor – 5:15 p.m.

Her breath caught.

She clicked to confirm.

It wasn't a team meeting.

Just her.

And him.

Again.

The whispers in the office hadn't died. The stares still followed.

But Lexi tuned it all out.

She had a meeting.

She had work to show.

And whether they whispered or watched—

—she would not shrink.

Not now.

Not ever.