Page 20 of Sexting His Assistant

“My third.”

“You look tired.”

I give him a flat look. “Your concern is touching.”

“It isn’t concern.”

“Of course not.”

He says nothing. I hate that too.

Then his phone lights in his hand. He glances at it, types one short reply, and slips it away.

“Ten minutes,” he says again.

I lift my coffee in a mock toast. “Thrilling.”

He walks away. And I watch him go for one stupid second too long.

Then I drag my eyes back to my screen and decide I need a distraction before the day kills me.

Daniil, conveniently, has already texted.

Daniil: Good morning to my favorite bully.

I type back, You need higher standards.

He replies, I’m open to suggestions.

I smile despite myself and tuck the phone beside the folder as I head for the boardroom.

The meeting’s already half full when I walk in. Senior staff, two board members, one consultant with the personality of stale bread. I set Luka’s folder at his place, distribute the briefing copies, and take my usual seat against the side wall.

Luka enters last. And every conversation in the room cuts off.

He nods once to the table, takes his seat at the head, and opens the folder.

“Let’s begin,” he says.

For the first twenty minutes, I’m exactly what I always am in meetings: invisible and indispensable.

I log changes, note follow-ups, flag two inconsistencies in a projections deck, and quietly slide a corrected page to Luka before one of the board members can embarrass himself by quoting the wrong figure aloud. Luka takes it without looking at me.

Which means he noticed.

Which means I hate the little satisfaction that gives me.

My phone vibrates once beside my notebook. I ignore it.

Then again. Then a third time.

I make the mistake of glancing down.

Daniil: Are you alive today or still tragically employed?

I bite back a smile.

At the head of the table, Luka’s speaking about exposure, timing, and leverage in that cool even voice of his that makes men pay attention even when they don’t understand half the words. He turns a page, looks down the table, then briefly toward me.