Page 30 of Grumpy Orc CEO

Can I really stay professional when every fiber of my being is drawn to him? Can I really keep resisting him when everything inside me screams otherwise?

CHAPTER 17

Jarvin

After another busy morning at work, lunchtime rolls around, and I need a break from the constant buzz of the office. I head to a local restaurant, craving a moment of peace. As I walk in, my eyes immediately land on Lucy, seated by the window. She’s engrossed in her menu, her dark hair cascading over her shoulder. My chest tightens with surprise.

Seizing the opportunity, I walk over casually. "Mind if I join you?"

She looks up, surprised. Her green eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I see the same guarded expression she wears at work. She hesitates before nodding. "Sure."

I sit down, and we exchange small talk while perusing the menu. The tension between us is palpable.

"So, uh… come here often?" I ask, breaking the silence.

“Not this again,” she whispers. She laughs shyly and I take that as a good sign.

“What’s good here?” I ask more seriously.

She glances at me and then back at her menu. "The salads are good," she says, her voice soft and guarded.

I lean back in my chair, trying to ease the tension. "Salads? Come on, we can do better than that." I give her a playful smirk.

She looks up, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Alright then, Mr. Thraknar. What do you suggest?"

I chuckle. "How about we try their signature burger? I've heard it's pretty amazing."

Lucy raises an eyebrow but nods in agreement. We place our orders, and as we wait for our meals, the conversation gradually starts to flow more naturally.

"So," I say, leaning forward slightly. "How are you finding your job?"

She takes a sip of water before answering. "It's challenging but rewarding." Her tone is still professional but less rigid than before.

"Good to hear," I reply. "You’ve been doing great work, being my secretary and holding together the chaos…even if you do cause some of it… You know, with the whole printer thing,” I joke remembering the way the paper comically shot across the room bathing the floor in white copies.

Her cheeks turn pink as she covers her face and laughs. “Oh I was so embarrassed! But thank you.” She looks up and smiles faintly at the compliment, and I sense a bit of the initial reluctance fading away.

Our meals arrive, and we dig in. The food is excellent, but my attention keeps drifting back to Lucy. Every time she laughs or smiles, it feels like a small victory.

I watch Lucy's face as she takes a bite of her burger, her eyes momentarily closing in appreciation. It’s a simple, genuine reaction, and it makes me smile. The tension between us is still there, but it’s starting to loosen its grip.

"You know," I begin, leaning forward with a conspiratorial grin, "I once tried to cook a burger myself. Let’s just say the smoke alarm had other ideas."

She looks up, a glint of curiosity in her eyes. "Really? You don't strike me as the type to struggle in the kitchen especially since it's your secret hobby."

I smile at the way she remembers something I shared with her before. "Well, I can handle a boardroom just fine," I admit, "but the kitchen used to be enemy territory. My first attempt at making dinner ended with my apartment filled with smoke and me ordering takeout."

Lucy laughs, a genuine sound that fills the space between us. It's the kind of laugh that reaches her eyes and makes them sparkle. "I can picture it now—Mr. CEO battling it out with a skillet."

I chuckle along with her, feeling the tension dissolve further. "Yeah, not one of my finer moments. But hey, I’ve learned to stick to what I'm good at: delegating tasks and not setting off fire alarms."

She shakes her head, still smiling. "Maybe you just needed better instructions."

"Or a personal chef," I counter with a smirk.

"Or that," she agrees, laughter still in her voice.

For the first time since our encounter at the airport, I feel like we’re breaking through the walls she’s built around herself. It’s refreshing to see her let her guard down. For a moment, I catch a glimpse of the woman I met that day, and I smile to myself knowing that she’s still in there.