Lina wasn't the type to spend a man's money carelessly, especially not Carter's. She had a crush on him, for fuck's sake. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was just like every other woman, out for his wallet. So, when they stepped into the store, she lingered by the entrance, debating what to buy. It was stupid to overthink a simple decision, but she didn't want to pick something that made her seem greedy.
Then she spotted it—a bar of chocolate. Simple, cheap, and something she actually wanted. Decision made, she walked over, grabbed it, and turned back, expecting to see Carter somewhere nearby. But he was gone.
Lina's eyes scanned the aisles, but he was nowhere in sight. Shrugging, she figured he must've gone off to grab his own stuff and made her way to the cashier. The teenage girl behind the register had been wearing a headset when Lina first came in to buy pads earlier, but now she was staring at her like she had three heads.
Lina ignored it at first, standing there with just the chocolate bar in her hand. But the way the girl kept side-eyeing her was starting to piss her off.
The girl finally smirked. "So, what's next? A single banana? A single egg?"
Lina narrowed her eyes. "The fuck is your problem?"
The girl popped her gum. "Nothing. Just… interesting shopping choices."
Lina scoffed. "Right, because I need to buy an entire goddamn cart of groceries just to be taken seriously."
The girl raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you came in earlier for one thing, and now you're back again for just chocolate? You sure you don't want to add a can of soda? Maybe a lone slice of bread?"
Lina clenched her jaw. She was about to cuss the girl out when Carter appeared beside her, dropping two large packs of chocolate onto the counter. She blinked at them. What the hell? Was he buying those for himself? Or…
Her stomach twisted. Maybe he had a girlfriend. A secret one that no one knew about. The thought made something bitter settle in her chest, but she quickly pushed it down. It wasn't her business.
Carter, oblivious to her inner turmoil, paid for both their things. She didn't protest. What was the point? They walked out together, and Lina kept sneaking glances at the chocolate packs as he loaded her bags into the trunk. When he carefully placed the chocolates on the backseat instead of tossing them in with the rest, she clenched her fists. He really was treating them like they were special. Whoever he was giving them to must mean a lot to him.
The drive was quiet, neither of them speaking much. Carter didn't seem like the type to force conversation, and Lina wasn't exactly in the mood to talk. She gave him directions, and before she knew it, they were pulling up to her apartment building—a three-story structure with beige walls, the kind of place that housed middle-class workers just trying to get by.
Carter got out without a word and went straight to the trunk. Lina reached for some of her bags, her hands already full before she even took half of them. She wasn't about to ask for help, and she definitely wasn't about to let Carter carry her shit upstairs. He was her boss, not some guy she could just casually flirt with.
She turned and headed toward her door, balancing the bags as best as she could. Apartment 6B. Her arms ached by the time she reached it. She fumbled with her keys, managing to push the door open, and immediately set the bags down inside. She was about to go back for the rest when she turned and nearly jumped out of her skin.
Carter was standing there. At her fucking door. Holding the remaining bags.
Lina blinked. "You—"
"Figured you'd struggle with the rest," he said, stepping forward and handing them to her. His gaze flickered past her, into her tiny apartment, but he didn't comment on it.
Lina swallowed, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She quickly grabbed the bags from him, her fingers brushing against his for half a second before she pulled back. "Thanks," she mumbled.
She was about to shut the door—because there was no fucking way she was letting him in—when she noticed something in his other hand.
The chocolate packs.
Her breath hitched. "Uh… you forgot those in the car."
Carter just looked at her, then held them out. "They're yours."
Lina blinked. "Wait, what?"
He shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal. "I saw you pick one up earlier, but you only took the smallest one. Figured you didn't want to spend too much."
Her face heated. "I… I just didn't want to waste money on junk food."
"Right." He smirked, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Well, now you don't have to."
Lina stared at the chocolates in his hands. Fuck. She'd spent the whole time being jealous, thinking he had some secret girlfriend, and all along, he'd bought them for her. She felt like an idiot.
Still, she wasn't about to admit that. Instead, she took them, muttering a quiet, "Thanks."
Carter nodded. "Get some sleep. You have work tomorrow."
She hesitated. "I can walk you down—"
"Lina." He gave her a look. "Sleep."
Her lips pressed together, but she didn't argue. "Fine."
As he turned to leave, he paused, glancing at her with something unreadable in his expression. "About the contract follow-ups… don't worry about them. I'll handle it personally."
Lina frowned. "Are you sure? I can—"
"I'm sure," he interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind. "I can't afford to mess this up, not with Daniel involved. It needs to be handled carefully."
Lina's stomach tightened at the mention of Daniel. Everyone in their industry knew he wasn't someone you wanted to piss off. "You think it'll be a problem?"
Carter exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Not if I do it right. Just leave it to me. I'll make sure everything stays on track."
Something about the way he said it made her uneasy, but she nodded anyway. "Okay. If you need help, just… let me know."
His lips twitched, almost like he wanted to smile but didn't. "Noted. Now, get some sleep."
He left before she could argue, disappearing down the stairs. Lina lingered in the doorway, watching him go, her heart doing a stupid little flutter.
Maybe—just maybe—she had a chance.