Cael shuffled the papers on his desk, frowning at the computer as he adjusted the slideshow one of his underlings had sent him.
So many mistakes! The CEO shouldn’t have to be the one proofreading the presentation. Mistakes should be caught in production, not when sent up for a final look-over.
“Gods.” The fey CEO shifted, adjusting his wings, then reaching back and smoothing down a few of his feathers.
Wings were great for flying, but he rarely got to anymore, thanks to his ample work duties. And they made most chairs difficult to sit in.
The door opened suddenly. Cael frowned, annoyed at the intrusion as he continued to correct the powerpoint. “Carthis, didn’t I tell you to-”
A dismayed squeak of “O-oh!” made him look up in surprise.
The intruder was not Carthis, loyal assistant and bodyguard. Somehow, a short, pudgy young human woman had managed to wander into his office.
Her clothing was perhaps a tad frumpy, but she’d clearly tried to look professional. Curly, deep brown hair escaped the confines of her bun and bounced wildly around her round face. The white button-up shirt she wore had come partially untucked from the plain black pencil skirt, and she teetered slightly in heels that were maybe two inches tall. Clearly she was unused to such shoes.
The young woman’s dark brown eyes were wide in surprise, drinking the room with a chagrined expression as she seemed to stare...behind him?
No...not quite behind him...then at his wings? No, surely not! That wasn’t possible. She couldn’t see his wings. The glamour on the building hid them, and she was clearly human. Not elvish. Not fey. Not any magical being. Humans couldn’t see through such spells, and he was certain the glamour hadn’t worn off the whole place already.
And yet...he saw the young woman’s gaze flicker from wherever she’d been looking, to his face as he stood quickly in surprise, and then finally to the name and title on his desk.
The flush fled from her face as she paled a deathly white. “Oh my gosh! I-I’m so sorry! Please don’t fire me! I-I’m going!” her voice squeaked in terror. The woman stumbled from the room, practically turning her ankle in her haste.
The stumble sent a coffee cup flying from her hand and onto the floor, spilling its contents on the ground.
The young woman squeaked in annoyance and fear. “I-I’m so sorry sir!” she stammered. “I-I’ll clean it up! J-just give me a m-moment!” then she all but ran from the room, teetering precariously once more in the heels.
Cael almost told her not to bother, that the janitors could do it, but her terror kind of amused him. And he still wondered, almost absentmindedly, if she had seen his wings.
The young woman returned, paper towels clutched in her small hands, seeming slightly more put-together. “I am so sorry, sir. Please forgive my intrusion. I-I took the elevator to the wrong floor.” her voice was subdued, and shook slightly.
As she spoke, the AC clicked on, sending an incredible scent wafting over his face.
What was this?! Was this her smell?! Humans never smelled like...like that. Her scent was...cats? And...baking bread...and...starlight? Yes. If starlight had a smell, it would be that precisely.
Synopsis: When Cael, the fey CEO of an enormous corporation, meets Iris, an anxious, quiet human recently employed at his company, he finds her a mildly amusing distraction. But when they're thrown together repeatedly, Cael begins to realize there's far more to Iris than first seemed. Why does she, a poor, young office worker, shy from the now-piqued attention of a devilishly attractive fey CEO? What is she hiding?
Biography: Sarah U. (irene_addler) is a twenty-something living in Kentucky. You can usually find her either at her day job in higher education, or swearing at her computer for being slow as she tries to work on her webcomic (Mercy:Freedom on Tapas/Mercy on Webtoon!). She enjoys embroidery, cooking, writing, and going at her parents' house to see her family and cats. Sarah is a published poet, and has a degree in Jewelry Design and Metalsmithing, which she's terribly proud of.
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