The Proposal

Chapter 1

When Jaskier overslept for work that fateful morning, he thought that incurring the wrath of his uptight boss would be the worst thing that would happen to him that day.

Unaware of just how truly awful his day was about to get, Jaskier set about his usual routine, albeit haphazardly and with greater speed. After dragging himself out of his cosy bed, he attempted to pull a clean shirt over his head while simultaneously brushing his teeth with little success. He managed to slip on his black leather brogues before realising he hadn't yet put on his trousers and had to start all over again. As Jaskier roughly pulled on his suit jacket, he glanced at his wristwatch and grimaced: city traffic at this time of the morning was going to be hellish. He'd be quicker just running to the office.

Before he could head into the office, however, he needed to make his daily stop at the Radiant Rooster Coffee Shop for his morning libations. He had to suppress a groan as he pushed open the glass door to find the shop already crowded with customers; by the time he picked up his and Geralt's coffee, he was going to miss his first meeting of the day.

"Jaskier!"

Just as Jaskier was about to give up and leave, he paused and craned his neck over the heaving crowd of sleep-deprived office workers and saw the dark-haired man at the counter summoning him. Jaskier smiled and waved to the barista, Mislav, and pushed his way to the front of the queue with muttered apologies. Mislav greeted Jaskier and handed him over two paper cups. "I was beginning to worry that you weren't going to show up today."

"Mislav, you are a lifesaver. I could kiss you!" Jaskier preened, blowing the barista a kiss and a licentious wink.

Mislav smiled sheepishly and waved Jaskier off as he hurried back out of the shop and towards the skyscraper where Dark Horse Publishers was located. As he hurried up the steep steps towards the main entrance, he tripped up over his own feet and instinctively threw out his right hand to break his fall, losing one of the cups in the process.

"Shit!"

Jaskier could only watch as the paper cup exploded against the stone step upon impact, sending scalding hot coffee in all directions. Jaskier clenched his teeth in pain as he wiped the coffee that had splashed across his arm onto his trouser leg, but he had no time to mourn the loss of the drink. Scrambling back to his feet, he hurried into the building, his remaining beverage still in hand. Time always seemed to slow when one was in a hurry, and Jaskier tapped his foot impatiently as the lift ascended at what felt like a glacial pace. Finally, on the 80th floor, the lift doors pinged open onto the floor of the publishing house that had been his place of work for the last three years. Jaskier stepped out and was relieved to find the mood in the busy office was jovial and relaxed.

"I take that he hasn't arrived yet," said Jaskier, marching towards his desk situated next to his friend, Olgierd. Olgierd took a generous bite out of a glazed doughnut and shook his head.

"He's not usually this late," he mumbled with his mouth full. "Maybe he's sick."

"Like we're that lucky," Jaskier scoffed, tucking the leather folder with his work schedule under his arm. Just then, his phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his trouser pocket to check his message. He had a new text from his other workmate, Shani, on their work's group chat. Clicking on the message, Jaskier sighed. "The Butcher has entered the building."

"Ah, bollocks."

Olgierd responded by looking around desperately for his paper basket to dispose of the remainder of his doughnut. When he couldn't find one, he panicked and tossed the half-eaten pastry into the top drawer of his desk and turned back to his computer screen, his cheeks still bulging with food. Evidently, the rest of the office had also received word that the boss had arrived as everyone scurried back to their desks and tried to look as though they were busy. A moment later, Geralt Haute-Bellegarde, editor-in-chief and the bane of Jaskier's existence, stepped into the bustling office.