Page 37 of No Mane, No Gain
They settled into a cozy corner of the lab, two steaming cups of coffee between them. As they sipped, their conversation drifted to more personal topics.
“So, tell me,” Chaos began, his tone curious, “what inspired you to start your vlog?”
Olive’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s a story. It actually started as a coping mechanism after my parents’ divorce. I buried myself in romance novels, living vicariously through fictional happily-ever-afters.”
She paused, taking a sip of her coffee. “Then one day, I realized I had all these thoughts and feelings about the books I was reading, but no one to share them with. So, I decided to start sharing them with the internet. It just... took off from there.”
Chaos nodded, his expression thoughtful. “That’s quite impressive, building something so successful from such a personal place.”
Olive shrugged, a hint of pride in her smile. “Thanks. It hasn’t always been easy, but I love what I do. What about you? How did you end up as the tech world’s golden boy?”
Chaos chuckled at her choice of words. “Golden boy? I’m not sure about that. But I’ve always been fascinated by technology, even as a kid. I was the stereotypical nerd, always tinkering with computers and dreaming up inventions.”
His expression softened, a faraway look in his eyes. “My father... he recognized that passion early on. He nurtured it, challenged me to think bigger. When I took over the company, I wanted to use our resources to make a real difference in the world.”
Olive found herself leaning in, captivated by this glimpse into Chaos’s past. Her eyes traced the strong line of his jaw, remembering how it felt under her fingertips just nights ago. “That’s amazing. It must be a lot of pressure, though. Running a company this size, being responsible for so many people... notto mention all those gadgets. Do you have a secret lair too, Mr. Bond?”
Chaos chuckled. “If I did, I’d have to maul you after showing you.” He winked, then his brow furrowed slightly. “But you’re right, it can be overwhelming at times. There’s always another deadline, another problem to solve. And then there’s the expectations of being a pride leader on top of that...”
He trailed off, seeming to realize he might have said too much. But Olive simply reached out, placing her hand over his. The warmth of his skin brought back memories of their passionate night together. “Hey, it’s okay. I get it. Different scale, but I feel that pressure too sometimes. The constant need to produce content, to keep my followers engaged... it’s like being a lion tamer, except the lions are behind keyboards and have very strong opinions about fictional characters’ love lives.”
Chaos turned his hand, intertwining their fingers. The gesture sent a jolt of electricity through Olive, reminding her of how those fingers had explored her body. “How do you handle it?” he asked softly, his thumb tracing circles on her palm.
Olive considered for a moment, fighting to keep her thoughts coherent as Chaos’s touch sent her mind wandering to less professional territories. “I try to remember why I started in the first place. The joy of sharing stories, of connecting with people. When it gets to be too much, I take a step back, reconnect with that passion. Sometimes literally - there may or may not be a secret stash of romance novels in my office for emergencies.”
A smile spread across Chaos’s face, warm and genuine. “That’s good advice. I should probably do that more often myself. Although I’m not sure how my board would react if I started reading romance novels during meetings.”
Olive laughed, the sound light and musical. “Oh, I don’t know. It might spice things up a bit. ‘And now, for our quarterly report... Chapter One: The Billionaire’s Secret Baby.’”
Chaos’s eyes crinkled with mirth. “I’m more of a ‘Sheikh’s Forbidden Love’ kind of guy, myself.”
As they sat there, hands linked and faces close, Olive felt a sense of connection she hadn’t experienced in a long time. It wasn’t just attraction – though there was plenty of that simmering just beneath the surface. It was understanding, a shared experience of the pressures that came with success, and the joy of finding someone who could make you laugh through it all.
Chaos leaned in, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “You know, I’ve been thinking nonstop about our night together. The way you felt in my arms, the sounds you made...”
Olive’s breath hitched, heat flooding her cheeks. “Chaos,” she murmured, her free hand coming up to rest on his chest. She could feel his heart racing beneath her palm. “We’re in your office. With very transparent walls, I might add.”
He grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I do own the company. I could always order everyone to take an early lunch break.”
Olive laughed, pushing him back playfully. “Down, boy. Save that CEO power for your board meetings.”
The moment was broken by a discreet cough. They looked up to see one of Chaos’s assistants hovering nearby, her expression a mixture of amusement and apology. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Amato, but your three o’clock meeting is about to start. And may I remind you, sir, that the walls are indeed very transparent.”
Chaos sighed, reluctantly releasing Olive’s hand. “Thank you, Sarah. I’ll be right there.” He turned back to Olive, apology written across his features. “I’m sorry, I lost track of time. I hate to cut this short...”
Olive waved off his concerns, rising to her feet. “Don’t worry about it. Duty calls, right? Besides, this has been... incredible.Thank you for sharing all this with me. And for not actually ordering everyone to take a lunch break.”
As they walked toward the elevator, Chaos suddenly turned to her. “Listen, I know this is short notice, but... would you like to get away this weekend? Just the two of us. I know this beautiful spot upstate, very private. We could... continue our discussion without worrying about transparent walls.”
Olive’s heart leaped, a thrill of excitement running through her. “I’d love to,” she replied, unable to keep the smile from her face. “Although I hope there’s more than just ‘discussion’ on the agenda.”
Chaos’s eyes darkened with desire. “Oh, I can guarantee that.”
“Are you busy tonight?”
The instant flare in his eyes made her breath catch. “I’m always available for you.”
“I was thinking we could get takeout and just watch a movie.”