so you wanna play with magic

so you wanna play with magic by ssaarah

 

"You told Ben I kissed you?" I glared at Tristan from the doorway. "Holy shi.t this is a big office."

"Hello." He looked up from his desk and gave me a look that was somewhere between tired and frustrated. I walked in and shut the door behind me.

"Congrats on the promotion, but seriously you couldn't have kept your mouth shut about an innocent little kiss?" Tristan leaned back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair.

"I felt like he should know." I shot him a glare.

"About the worst kiss in history? Or were we just swapping embarassing Chloe stories?" He blinked.

"It wasn't that bad."

"For you! You got to get kissed by a hot girl!" I glared at him. "Now I'm in trouble with my brother who despite all my work to better myself? Still thinks I'm kind of a hot mess." Tristan shot a look at me that told me that he too pretty much thought the same thing.

"And that's my fault?" he asked, his brows shooting up.

"Uh, yes!" I exclaimed and crossed my arms. . "You weren't supposed to tell him about a kiss that lasted just a few seconds.. it didn't even count!" Tristan just laughed.

"What is this? High school all over again?"

"Why did you tell him?"

"Because he's my friend and had the right to know that you threw yourself at me," how he was just trying to annoy me.

"I didn't throw myself at you," I retorted quickly.

"No?" he asked, looking amused. "Did you not kiss me? Did I imagine that?"

"It was a friend kiss." I rolled my eyes and Tristan laughed.

"We're not friends Chloe." he pointed out. I sighed. I thought I'd have gotten thicker skin around him, but shi.t like that still hurt my feelings.

"Yeah, whose fault is that?" I asked seriously.

"Mine. We work together." He replied as if it was as simple as that.

"Yeah just as much as you work with Ben and you two are joined at the hip!"

"That's different." I seriously didn't understand this man.

"Okay, so you don't want to be friends, but you do want to gossip about me kissing you, and you have no problem picturing me naked." Tristan's eyes finally shot to mine.

"What?" I gave him a knowing look. "Look, Ben is weird about you coming on to me, I'm his friend, I thought he should know."

"Did you tell him every time I came on to you? Because compared to some of them that kiss was tame.....or did you tell him because you started to kiss me back and you felt guilty about it?"

"Is everything a joke to you?" I felt like we were officially on a loop with each other. It was so damn frustrating. "Look, I told Ben because it was the right thing to do. I told him that it was nothing but a little kiss and that it didn't mean anything, so if you're worried about him thinking you're a "hot mess?" You're fine. He doesn't care." I ran my tongue across my lip and sighed as I tried to think of what to say.

"Why are you such an asshole?" Came out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"Excuse me?"

"Why are you such an asshole??" I repeated more sternly, determined at this point to just say my thoughts.

"Me?" he shook his head, "What did I say that constitutes as being rude?"

"Um, everything that comes out of your mouth!!" Okay that was an overstatment. I should have just said everything that comes out of his mouth when I was around.

"Aren't you the one that just said it was the worst kiss in history?" He asked in a monotone, sounding bored. Maybe i should just leave.

"Because you just stood there Tristan, it was mortifying!" I admitted, running my hand through my hair.

"Says the girl who literally ran away from me afterwords." I swallowed. He had a point. I stepped closer and sat down on the chair reserved for clients on the other side of his desk.

"I'm sorry I did that." I admitteed.

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. Or was rude." he responded softly. I sighed and pulled my hair to one side before looking back at him.

"Am I totally wrong aboug this?" I asked finally after a few moments of silence.

"About what?" I leaned in, looking him right in the eye and trying not to notice how incredible he smelled.

"Is there really nothing here? Do you not feel it?" I pointed between us. Tristan opened his mouth but I kept going before he could say anything. "Not that I think we should be anything, or could be anything.....but do you honestly feel nothing? Did you hate kissing me? Do you like me at all?"

"Chloe, you have men all over the world who would bow at your feet and you're wasting your time begging one to like you?" he asked, staring back at me with those eyes that were so deeply sexy I wondered how any woman looked away.

"You're deflecting Tristan." I replied, softer than usual, knowing I was being kind of pathetic, but not caring. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair looking a little defeated.

"Look at you Chloe. You know you're attractive," he replied. I tried not to smile but it was kind of hard. That was ice. Kind of.

"Still not the answer I was looking for, but thank you," I bit down on my lip and he softened visibly.

"Do you take back what you said about it being the worst kiss in history?"

"I think we could do better," I teased, giving him a slow smile that never worked on him, but I used anyways because I was so used to it.

"Chloe," he replied instead, shaking his head.

"What?"

"This whole sexy thing you do?" he shook his head again, "It's not necessary. I know you're sexy, you know you're sexy, everyone who has ever seen you knows it. Just be yourself."

"I'm sorry. You bring out the bad girl in me." I replied as I felt myself blush, which was ridiculous because I hardly ever blushed.

"Oh really? A kiss is you being bad?" I laughed, not the sexy come on laugh that made men all around me swoon, but my real laugh.

"Not that way." I grinned and then sighed. "I mean I could probably stand to be less of a bit.ch to you." I admitted. He rose a brow.

"I'm not against the idea." I smirked and pulled my hair up out of my face into a no-nonsense pony.

"I can get a little bit.hy when I'm insecure. I blame it on my mother." This made Tristan lean back in his chair and look at me more closely.

"It's refreshing to know that Ava Lindsell and her daughter actually get insecure." He replied, a soft grin lighting his handsome face, a few days stubble over his chin that gave him a little more of an edge, even with the expensive suit he had on.

"Ahh that's the Alere in us. If you've noticed, Dad and Ben are always overly self confident." I teased my family and Tristan laughed.

"Nah, your brother is as modest as they come." His laugh was even sexier than his smile. Damn it. I thought I was over my crush on him.

"Yeah sure." I bit down on my lower lip and looked around.

"This is a hell of an office you know. Even Ames's is smaller." Tristan grinned.

"Maybe, but I'm sure they pay him more." He joked.

"Says the man wearing a new Brioni suit." He rose a brow at me and then leaned into desk, closer to me.

"Shouldn't you be in New York for fashion week?" I shook my head.

"I'm taking the season off to take some classes, try to get my degree in business. I won't be this sexy forever." I winked at Tristan, even though he was the first person I'd admitted this too and it was stepping way out of my comfort zone. He widened his eyes and leaned back.

"Really? Wow."

"You don't have to look so surprised," I muttered but didn't elaborate.

"Why business?"

"Why not? Worked for my parents." Tristan nodded.

"So you want to run the company?" I shrugged.

"Well I don't expect Ben to do it." I teased. "But I don't know, maybe. Maybe I'll do something else. Maybe I'll be hot forever and never need it...but it's good to have options." He nodded.

"I agree." I wanted to point out that this was one of the longest conversations we'd had that wasn't bickering, or just me hitting on him, but I didn't want to jinx it.

"Hows the new job?" I asked instead, knowing that if my mother promoted someone it was because they were better than good, and probably married to the job.

"Busy." He admitted. I winced.

"So you probably don't have time for girls barging into your office, yelling at you for not kissing them." I joked, giving him a guilty smile.

"It happens a lot actually." Tristan said it with a straight face before breaking into a grin.

"Was that a joke?" I tried not to laugh as I shook my head. "Silly."

"Surprised that 'm not always so serious?"

"Actually I am a little. It's refreshing though. If you were this nice from the start? We'd probably get along better... Maybe even be friends. I hate to push my luck though."

"You know that I don't really hate you, right?" he asked and I felt my eyes widen at the admission.

"Hate? That's a strong word," I shook my head and leaned back in the seat to uncross and then recross my legs to regain the conciousness of my left foot. "I know that you don't hate me Tristan. But am I your favorite person? Definitely not. I probably wouldn't even make the short list," I winked, trying to be less awful.

"What are you doing this weekend?" I sighed and shrugged.

"Sitting at home and catching up on Game of Thrones. I know, my life isn't as exciting as everyone assumes."

"Are you free for dinner on Saturday?" I blinked.

"Why do you have a job to talk about?" Tristan gave me a more than amused look as I wondered if I'd missed something.

"No, I mean we could have dinner. I could prove I don't hate you a little more." I felt my eyes widen as I struggled not to actually drop my jaw.

"Um. Sure." I nodded slowly. He smirked and then gave me a mock hurt look.

"That wasn't exactly the enthusiastic." He commened, leaning in, the cute easy going expression something I'd never seen on him before, and it really worked.

"I'm trying not to faint of shock instead." I teased, biting my lip to keep from laughing. Tristan shook his head.

"I told you I'm a busy man Chloe I don't have time for any more girls fainting in my office." I did laugh this time, feeling my face heat up for some reason.

"I'm free on Saturday." I responded finally, straightening out my skirt. "But no kissing. We're no good at it." I grinned and he leaned back in his chair, taking a moment to look at me with an interesting expression on his handsome face.

"Haven't you noticed that you're usually the one trying to kiss me?" he asked finally, that damn cocky grin making his face even sexier.

"Once!! That was a one time thing and it's not going to happen again!!" Tristan laughed and then shrugged with that grin still locked in place.

"I've heard that I'm not such a bad kisser... One might even say I'm good at it." Okay now he was just teasing me.

"Are you hurt because I don't want to kiss you anymore?" I faked a pout, leaning against his desk and trying not to be obvious about the fact that I was curious as to how he could really kiss. "You are one confusing man. No wonder I'm doomed to be single forever. Men suck."

"I can guarantee that won't be the case."

"Oh no, trust me, men suck," I grinned back at him.

"No," he shook his head. "I meant the doomed to be single forever part. Look at you. Any man would be insane not to want you."

"It almost sounds like you're flirting with me, Mr. Not Interested In Kissing Chloe. Ever."

"I never said that I was sane," He winked. That felt like flirting too. How had this come around from us fighting? This was a weird day. "So Saturday?"

"Okay." I bit down on my lip, trying not to stare at his mouth. It was hard. It was as perfect as the rest of him was. "It's a date. I'll tell Ben so you don't have too." I wiggled my brows at him and he laughed.

"Deal." We sat there in silence for a few seconds, it wasn't awkward....which it should have been. It was more like...tension filled.

"So you know Ames is dating Cami's sister now?" I asked, changing the subject away from us.

"Really?" he smirked. "Do all your friends fall for your relatives?" I laughed and shrugged.

"Right? I can't even live vicariously through them because I just don't want to know." I made a face and he laughed.

"You're cute when you make that face."

"Am I not always cute?" I asked, tilting my head to the side and batting my lashes innocently.

"Not always...." he said slowly. I winced, remembering that I was usually pi.ssy with him.

"Around you I'm probaby more bitch face." I admitted. "Oops."

"The bitch face is kind of cute too actually." He laughed.

"Cute isn't the look I'm going for when I'm yelling at you." I sat back in my chair, amazed that we had gone this long without getting upset with each other.

"Oh sorry. You're very scary instead." he tried not to laugh and I grabbed a crumpled up paper from his desk and chucked it at him. He grabbed it and rose a brow at me. "How old are you again?"

"Old enough to know better and not care." I winked. "I should let you get back to whatever it is you do when youre not casting me." I grabbed my bag.