Just The Right Black

Chapter 18

Ariana was thankful that Jace didn't bring up the 'family' conversation again. After he'd opened the conversation, she'd almost panicked but had kept her cool and hoped he'd drop it. She knew he asked not with the intention of levelling the field because she knew more about him than he knew about her but because he genuinely wanted to know and that scared her even more. Getting captured and tortured for intel was less scary than Jace simply wanting to know more about her even if he wasn't going to use it against her.

Ariana sighed and let her mind wander a little bit as the elevator opened up to the fortieth floor.

"...should be here soon. Why don't you have a seat?" Bridget said as Ariana and Jace made their way towards his office.

Jace clenched his jaw as soon as he saw Mark at Bridget's desk. He'd hoped Mark would forget about coffee with Ariana or better yet get into an accident.

"Mark?" Jace stopped at Bridget's desk.

"Oh hey, Jace." Mark turned to him smiling, "Ariana."

Ariana smiled and gave him a brief nod.

"Are you ready for our coffee date?" Mark asked,

"Not a date." Ariana and Jace said then glanced at each other.

"Whatever you say." He was unbothered, "Ready?"

"Yea," Ariana was forced out with a smile.

"Good." Mark has a smile plastered on his face, "We'll see you later, brother."

Jace couldn't take any more of it, so he ignored them as they walked back towards the elevator and headed into his office and slammed the door unintentionally behind him. Bridget winced but couldn't help but smile to see her boss in something other than professional.

Ariana ignored Jace's foul mood and the slamming door. It's his problem if he has a problem with what she had to do. Ariana glanced at Mark who stood next to her in the elevator. He gave her that charming smile she'd seen on every picture on the internet with a woman.

As they stepped out of the elevator, Mark took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. Ariana's first instinct was to grab his wrist and twist it as she pulled it up to his back but she took a deep inaudible breath and thought about that for a second before giving him her best smile.

They went to the café across the company building because Ariana had insisted and they sat across from each other with a cup of coffee a croissant.

"So, you work for my brother?"

Technically, she worked for the 'security' company his brother hired. But she didn't care to elaborate the fake truth for him.
"Yea. Same with you, right?"

Mark nodded, the smile still stuck on his face she was starting to wonder if she needed to help wipe it off.
"For now,"

Ariana gave him a fake smile and looked into her cup like she was searching for something. She wondered if Jace was right about him. He maybe had something to do with the incidents Jace had been telling her about or maybe he just had another reason for saying what he just said.

Ariana took a sip from her cup.

"So?"

"So," She placed her cup on the saucer, "What is it exactly you do for the company?"

"I run and manage one of the branches dad left me. The one that helps rebuild failing businesses."

"Oh, nice," Ariana said, "Ja-Mr. Black has so many businesses; I can't remember what most of them do exactly."