The next few days in Paris passed in a blur of meetings, presentations, and the constant ticking of the office clock. Kasie threw herself into her work, determined not to let Jake's presence get to her. She had a job to do, and Paris was a temporary distraction—nothing more.
Jake, on the other hand, seemed to thrive in the chaotic rhythm of it all. He moved effortlessly between serious discussions and casual banter, always with that infuriatingly calm demeanor. He didn't seem to understand the concept of stress. Everything, in his eyes, was just another opportunity to take things in stride.
At lunch one day, as they sat at a quiet café near their hotel, Kasie could barely focus on her sandwich with Jake sitting across from her, tapping away at his phone. She'd managed to avoid him for most of the week, sticking to her own corner of the conference room and avoiding unnecessary conversation.
But today was different. Today, she was stuck with him. Again.
"Any thoughts on the client feedback?" she asked, trying to break the silence between them. She wasn't sure why she even cared what his thoughts were, but she wasn't about to let the silence drag on for too long.
Jake looked up from his phone, glancing at her with that same casual air that had been irritating her for days. "Yeah, I think they're looking for something more... dynamic. Something that really pops, you know?"
Kasie resisted the urge to sigh. "I know. I've been thinking about that. But we need a more concrete approach before we present our ideas again."
"Concrete, right," Jake said, with a slight smirk. "The boring stuff. You're such a stickler for details, Kasie."
"I'm a professional," she corrected him sharply, not in the mood for his sarcasm.
"Yeah, yeah," he said with a wave of his hand. "You'll figure it out. You always do."
Kasie frowned but said nothing. She wasn't sure whether he was genuinely complimenting her or just being annoyingly dismissive. Either way, it didn't matter. She had enough to focus on without worrying about him.
The rest of the lunch was spent in relative silence, aside from the occasional comment about their progress on the project. Kasie could tell Jake was still more interested in his phone than in any serious conversation. He was already planning his next move, mentally, before their current task was even done.
She almost envied him. In a way, his relaxed attitude was a reminder of everything she wasn't. He was careless, carefree, and somehow it worked for him. Meanwhile, she was constantly running through her to-do list, making sure every detail was perfect.
But she wasn't about to change who she was to fit his carefree mold. If anything, his attitude only made her more determined to prove herself.
The next day, as they sat in a long strategy session with the rest of the team, Kasie found herself feeling more and more resentful of Jake's presence. He wasn't contributing anything substantial to the conversation, and yet everyone seemed to hang on his every word. It was frustrating.
After another pointless comment from him about how the "creative direction" of the proposal should be "more fun," Kasie had had enough.
"We're not here to play, Jake," she snapped, her voice sharp. "This is a business meeting. Maybe you should treat it like one."
Jake didn't even flinch. He just leaned back in his chair, looking entirely too comfortable. "I am treating it like one," he said, completely unruffled. "I just think we could use a little more—what's the word?—creativity."
"Creativity?" Kasie repeated, incredulity in her voice. "Jake, we're not designing an art project. This has real stakes."
"Right," he said, almost lazily. "But a little fun never hurt anyone. Besides, I think our clients will appreciate something a little less... stiff."
Kasie opened her mouth to argue, but stopped herself. It wasn't worth it. He wouldn't understand. He couldn't.
She knew what needed to be done. She just had to get through this meeting without letting him get under her skin again. But it wasn't easy. The more time they spent together, the more she found herself frustrated by how little he seemed to care about the project's outcome.
After the meeting, Kasie retreated to her hotel room, her mind racing with everything that still needed to be done. She'd barely taken a breath when her phone buzzed. It was a message from Jake.
"Dinner tonight? Team's getting together at a local bistro. Don't be a workaholic and skip out. I'll save you a seat. - J"
Kasie stared at the screen for a moment before throwing her phone down onto the bed. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time with him outside of work. But it was a team dinner. And it wasn't like she could avoid it without looking like a total buzzkill.
She took a deep breath and sighed. It was fine. She could handle one more evening of Jake's over-the-top, relaxed attitude. She would keep her distance. She wasn't going to let him mess with her focus.
The night came, and Kasie found herself sitting across from Jake at a cozy little table, trying her best to avoid his gaze. The dinner was casual, the conversation mostly revolving around the project, but Jake's offhand comments were still driving her crazy.
He'd somehow made it his mission to get under her skin, cracking jokes about her "seriousness" and giving everyone around the table a play-by-play of their elevator ordeal.
She couldn't help it. The more he tried to make light of things, the more irritated she became. But she bit her tongue, forcing herself to smile at his antics, pretending they didn't bother her.