Stranded for Christmas with my Boss (Forbidden Billionaire Boss Daddies)

15. Alyssa

Chapter fifteen

Alyssa

T he sound of my phone ringing makes me pause outside of Jensen’s office. I sneak a glance at my screen, assuming it’s a scam caller like usual.

Mom is calling.

Anxiousness seizes my heart in a crushing grip, my mind immediately taking me back to a few days ago when she last called me at work. Now, I’m going to keep assuming the worst when my parents call, but that’s my own anxiety that I need to tackle.

No more breaking down at work. No more crying into my boss’ chest.

Though, Jensen has been pretty nice over the past few days.

I step away from Jensen’s office and wander a few steps farther down the hallway, my heart pounding in my chest. Please be good news. I don’t think I can handle any more bad news.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

“Why do you sound so worried, honey?” My mom’s laughter fills my phone speaker.

“The last time you called me, you were in a car accident,” I remind her as a relieved sigh drifts from me. She would’ve already dropped the bad news on me if she had any to deliver. “Have you heard anything about the car? Can they do a payment plan like we talked about?”

“That’s exactly what I’m calling you about. Your dad went to the shop this morning to talk to them, and they were already working on the car. The repair costs had already been covered.”

My eyes grow into wide circles. “Wait, what? How is that possible?”

“I have no idea. Maybe it was the driver of the other car or one of our insurance companies,” my mom replies, sounding more lighthearted than I’ve heard her sound in a while. “I’m just so relieved we don’t have to worry about it. So, please don’t stress yourself out anymore, okay?”

I’ve been doing my best to remain cool and calm while talking to my parents about the whole car predicament, but they’re still my parents. They know me well and can see through any wall that I put up.

The only person who is starting to get as good as them at seeing through me is Jensen, but that’s just because he makes me weak.

Weak in my resolve. Weak in the knees.

“Okay, okay. I’ll relax,” I promise her, finally allowing some of the weight on my shoulders to fall away. “I just can’t believe this. We really don’t have to pay anything?”

“Not a cent! That’s what the shop owner told us.”

That’s…amazing. I blink in shock as I still wrap my mind around the good news. No, great news.

“That’s awesome, Mom. I’m about to step into a meeting, but I’ll call you after work, okay?” I say as I check the time at the top of my screen.

“Oh, yeah! Of course, of course. Love you!”

“Love you,” I tell her before hanging up and releasing a slow exhale.

I’m over the moon about this because we’ll be able to save so much money, and they’ll be able to get their car back soon. But this almost feels too good to be true.

I head into Jensen’s office to find him on his computer. “Sorry, my mom called.”

Jensen’s eyes snap away from his computer screen. “Oh, yeah? Everything okay?”

I nod as I walk up to his desk, still reeling from it. “Yeah. Actually, things are really good. My parents’ car is being repaired at no cost to them.”

Jensen raises his eyebrows. “Insurance?”

“Maybe,” I reply as a smile brightens my face. “I’m just glad we don’t have to worry about it.”

“I need you to worry about something else for me.”

Oh, boy. “The influencer we’re meeting with in ten minutes?”

Jensen chuckles a little and nods. “Big fish. She doesn’t do many promos or brand deals, though. She’s very selective.”

“Her audience trusts her. She actually has to believe in whatever she’s promoting,” I say before crossing my arms over my chest. “You know, you don’t have to deal with these meetings if you don’t want to.”

Jensen waves his hand dismissively as he gets up from his desk and adjusts his tie. “I want to get to know the people who might be promoting my company. I’m not going to settle for just anyone.”

“Picky?” My lips curl up a little.

Jensen stops next to me, warmth radiating off his larger body. And he smells so good. “I’m particular about what I like, but you know that.”

When he steps away from me, a fluttering sensation fills my chest. We’re toeing a very thin line, but it’s ridiculously exhilarating.

We head to the conference room together and take a seat at one end with me seated to his left. I adjust the long sleeves of my dark blue flare dress, preparing myself for the meeting. This is one of the influencers who is at the top of our list of favorites.

Large following. Strong influence. Radiant personality.

We need her.

Jensen and I both stand from our seats when Victoria Hunt, or tori_xoxo, strides into the room. Jensen holds his hand out to her as she pulls off her white winter gloves that match her white coat and sheath dress. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Hunt. Thank you for coming.”

Victoria’s red hair flows down her back in long, straight strands, complimenting her clean, modern look. Her face has the sharp edges and piercing eyes of a model, but when she smiles, she appears softer and warmer. “Thank you for having me. And you are?”

“Alyssa, his assistant,” I introduce myself when she turns to me. “Would you like anything? Tea? Coffee?”

Victoria shakes her head and sits down, her back remaining straight. “I’m fine. I’d like to get right down to business if that’s all right.”

“Yes, let’s not waste any time,” Jensen agrees as he joins his hands together on the table. “We’ve sent you our proposal. What do you think?”

“You’ve asked for four posts about your app in a limited window of time,” Victoria replies in a calm, collected voice. “That’s more than what I typically offer for any one brand. I don’t want to come off as unauthentic to my audience.”

“That’s understandable. They don’t have to be very complicated or blatant promos. You can do skits or something like that,” Jensen suggests. “Whatever format fits with your profile.”

Victoria lifts her eyebrow at him. “I don’t typically do skits or acting. Like I said, I strive to be authentic.”

Jensen shifts a little in his seat as he tries to think about what to say. I know that he has looked over her profile, but I doubt he combed through her videos as thoroughly as I did last night before bed.

“You do story times and mini vlogs,” I speak up, drawing their eyes to me. “Using Soul Flames is an experience, whether you’re single or dating. From your profile, it looks like you’re in a new relationship.”

Victoria’s expression relaxes as she folds her hands in her lap. “Yes, it’s new. He’s certainly not camera shy, though.”

I smile a little as my mind races, bringing forward every detail that I retained from browsing through her social media last night. “We have plenty of interactive quizzes and activities for couples on Soul Flames. Couples use them all the time to think of date ideas, talk through deep topics, and get to know each other better.”

Victoria hums in thought. “Oh, I guess I thought it was more of a hook-up app.”

“We’ve been working on distancing ourselves from that label,” Jensen says. “We’re mainly focusing on long-term relationship matches and strengthening existing relationships. You and your new guy could shoot a few videos interacting with the app.”

“Try the date generator,” I suggest. “It’ll suggest a restaurant or an activity in your area for you guys to try.”

Victoria smiles and nods. “Okay, I can see myself making a video like that.”

Riding high on genuine interest and excitement, I pitch a few other ideas to her, while Jensen gives her the rundown of the terms of our agreement. It takes a little back and forth and some compromises, but she’s worth the time and effort because of her reach and follower loyalty.

“I think we have a deal,” Victoria says as I write down a note to keep track of our changes. She rises to her feet and sweeps her hair behind her left shoulder before holding her hand out. “I have an appointment to get to, but this was nice. Send the revised contract to me through email, and I’ll get started.”

Jensen shakes her hand. “It was a pleasure.”

I shake her hand as well, sharing a polite smile with her before she strides out of the room. As soon as the door swings shut, I turn to Jensen with a bright smile on my face. “We did amazing! We got her!”

Jensen chuckles and nods, looking quite satisfied with our work as well. “No, you were great. You made a big save happen there.”

I shrug as I feel warmth brush my cheeks. “I just watched some of her videos last night.”

Jensen gives me a pointed look. “You studied her social media profile, didn’t you?”

“Maybe a little bit before I went to bed.”

Jensen reaches out and nudges my arm. “You fit in well here.”

As someone who is desperately relying on this job, that’s really nice to hear from him. It’s not just about money to me, even if that’s a major factor for me. I went to college for business, hoping to one day climb the ranks and do something important with my passion and knowledge. Moments like these show me that I’m heading in the right direction.

I find myself leaning toward him more, also entranced by his natural charm and devotion to his work. He embodies so many traits that I admire. Not just in a boss, but also in a man.

“By your side?”

Jensen’s eyes roam over my figure for a moment. “Right where I like you.”

Such a tease. Just like me.

I share a coy smile with him before standing from the table. “We’ve got a lot of work to do today. Try to catch up.”

I catch his smirk right before I turn around and head out of the conference room, my good mood soaring even higher. He has a tendency of doing that to me as well.

But as we leave, something in his expression shifts—like he’s trying to say something more, but the words are caught in his throat.

“You were amazing in there, Alyssa," he finally says, his tone warm but laced with something else. "I wish I could say the same for the choices I’m making outside the office."

His words hang in the air, confusing me. But before I can ask him what he means, he quickly changes the subject, leaving me wondering what’s really going on in his head.