Her Alpha CEO

“Les, remind me to slip a bonus into your check at the end of this month!” Brian clapped him on the shoulder, and Les grinned.

“You betcha, boss!”

Brian smiled as he made his way back to his office. While he ate, he typed an email to the accounts department, authorizing Les’ bonus for month end. The man had earned it with his quick thinking.

*****

Nina was thoroughly engrossed in her book when a voice interrupted her.

“Nina! Nina Jacobs! I’ll be damned.” She looked up to see the smiling face of Michael Jones grinning at her from the table next to her.

“Michael, hi! Oh my gosh, it’s been… well, ages! How are you?” Nina felt that momentary discomfort of a stranger bumping into someone they used to be quite close to but had long since lost contact with.

Michael rose from his table, picking up his beer and walking to the seat next to her.

“Mind if I join you?” he sat before Nina could do more than shake her head in response, leaning towards her eagerly.

“Fancy bumping into you here, Nina. And I was thinking about you just the other day.”

“Oh?” Nina eyed his broad shoulders, and the slightly contrived way he batted his deep brown eyes at her. “What were you thinking about, exactly?”

“Now, Nina. I know we didn’t part on the best of terms the last time we saw each other, but you have to admit, we had some good times together, didn’t we?”

Nina sighed, remembering how long it had taken her to get over the man now sitting casually next to her. They’d more or less grown up together, though their families had moved around a lot and both Nina and her sister had been home-schooled. Michael Jones was a familiar face in a constantly changing world, and the last time they’d bumped into each other, Michael had confessed his love for Nina.

At least, that was until she’d found him in bed with her sister two months before they’d been about to get married. That was four years before, and she hadn’t spoken to Sabrina since then. Or to Michael, for that matter. The last thing she remembered saying to him was that if he came near her again, she’d castrate him.

“So, are you waiting for someone?” Michael looked around as though expecting to see someone walking towards them and Nina fought the urge to roll her eyes.

“Actually, no. I’m waiting for my movie to start.” She looked at her watch. “Which is about to happen in about ten minutes actually.” She lifted her hand, signaling for the waiter to bring her the check. “Well, it’s been good to see you Michael, but I have to go now.”

“Nina, wait.” Michael grabbed her hand, letting go when she stared pointedly at it. “Sorry, look. Why don’t you let me buy you dinner? For old time’s sake? Please?”

Nina bit her lip, wondering what it was about this man that made it so difficult to say no.

“Okay, sure. I guess you owe me one. What’s your number?”

She returned his eager smile, saving his number to her phone, and giving him a missed call before heading off for her movie. Brian’s face flashed accusingly in front of her, but she blinked it away.

“Don’t look at me like that. We’re not exclusive yet, and anyway, Michael’s just an old friend.”

“Excuse me?” The usher frowned at her as she took Nina’s ticket, and Nina flushed.

“Just talking to myself. Sorry.”

She ignored the little voice inside her that whispered that getting involved with Michael again was a very bad idea.