Filed to story: Watch Me Win Alpha (Olivia & Ethan)
I smiled at her. “Fine, fine. I get it.”
Rose grinned, clearly satisfied. “Good,” she said. “Lucky for you, I brought an extra set of clothes. We’re about the same size. You’re going to wear it.”
Before I could argue, she grabbed my arm and tugged me toward the locker room.
I followed her without fuss. After all, I was relying on Rose to introduce me to Alexander. I couldn’t start off by ig- noring her advice.
I changed into the clothes Rose gave me. The white sleeveless top hugged my chest, showing off more than I’d usual- ly want. The short black pleated skirt was snug on my hips, leaving my legs almost completely bare. I looked in the mirror and hardly recognized myself.
Rose let out a low whistle. “Liv,” she said, “I didn’t know you had such a curvy body. It’s a crime you keep it hidden under those office clothes. It’s Ethan’s loss, you know. I can’t believe he’s wasting his time on Chole.”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to talk about Ethan or Chole right now.
Instead, I focused on something else that was bothering me. I was afraid Alexander would think I was trying to hit on him.
Before I wanted to ask, she just raised a finger to her lips and gave me a look. “Shh,” she whispered. Her phone rang. at that moment and she quickly answered it. “Mr. Thomas,” she said, her voice bright. “Have you and Mr. Green ar- rived already? Okay, we’ll be there soon.”
She hung up and turned to me with a big smile. “Let’s go,” she said, looping her arm through mine.
As we walked toward the golf carts, I hesitated again. “Rose… have you actually met Alexander before?” I asked her.
Rose thought for a moment. “Only once,” she said. “When I was six, my parents and I went to the Green family’s Christmas party. Alexander was there, but he was just a kid. Then he left the country when he was ten. I never saw him again.”
I nodded slowly.
The golf cart turned a corner and a wide green lawn came into view. Two men in tracksuits were talking near the edge of the course.
My eyes immediately went to them. One of them was Paul. He was wearing a dark blue top and light brown pants. Next to him stood a taller man, dressed in all white. His build was athletic, broad shoulders filling out the simple. shirt. When he turned slightly, the sun hit his face, catching the sharp edge of his chin.
I felt my breath catch in my throat. It was him. Alexander. The one who gave me his suit, the one who embarrassed me in the elevator.
Rose followed my gaze and let out a sigh. “Wow,” she said. “Alexander’s completely different now. Tall, handsome… he’s basically perfect.”
I forced a small smile. My heart was beating a little too fast.
Rose nudged me in the side. “You’re staring,” she teased. “Did you fall in love with him at first sight?”
I looked away quickly. I didn’t know what to reply. But it was definitely not what Rose was thinking.
The golf cart slowed to a stop and I felt my stomach twist. Paul smiled and waved at us. Alexander looked at me with a flicker of surprise, but his face quickly went back to neutral.
Rose didn’t waste a second. She looped her arm around mine and led me straight over. “Paul!” she called out, beam- ing. “And Alexander, good to see you both.”
Paul grinned. “Rose, you’re as radiant as ever,” he said, then looked at me curiously.
Rose nudged me forward. “This is my good friend, Olivia Whitmore,” she said brightly. “She came here to watch you play, Alexander.”
I swallowed hard and forced a polite smile. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Green,” I said, my voice steady even though my hands were a little sweaty.
Alexander’s expression didn’t change much. But he looked at me with a strange glint in his eyes and repeated, almost in a question, “Pleased to meet me?”
I tried to play it off, my smile stretching wider. “Yes, I’m really glad to see you,” I said quickly, hoping he wouldn’t say anything to embarrass me.
His lips twitched slightly like he was about to laugh. “You do look happy,” he said, his tone even.
Rose shot me a quick glance and her eyes sparkled with amusement. She was clearly proud of dressing me up in that tight little outfit. I wanted to elbow her, but I kept my face calm.
Alexander and Paul started the game. Alexander was good. He moved with such easy precision, every swing clean and strong. Paul wasn’t bad either, but it was obvious Alexander had more skill.
Rose and I played too, but mostly we just watched. I clapped when Alexander hit a perfect shot and he turned his head slightly, though he didn’t smile.
After the round, we moved to a shady area with benches and cool drinks. Rose pestered Paul to go with her to the store to look at new golf clubs. Paul gave in with a laugh, so it was just Alexander and me.
I sat down and opened a bottle of water, offering it to him. “Here, Mr. Green,” I said.
Alexander took the bottle but didn’t drink it. He set it on the table beside him and pulled out a wet wipe, slowly wip- ing the sweat off his forehead. “Did you go through all this trouble to see me just for my size?” he asked, his tone qui- et but the sarcasm sharp.
I flinched, taken aback. “No-no, it wasn’t like that,” I said quickly. “I didn’t mean it that way. I asked Paul for your size because I accidentally ruined your suit jacket. I wanted to get you a new one… and because I heard you were hir- ing a secretary, I thought…”
Alexander dropped the wipe in the bin and looked at me steadily. “You’re not suitable,” he said flatly, then turned and started walking away, heading toward the trees lining the course.
I stared at his back, stunned by how blunt he was. My heart thumped in my chest. No, I couldn’t let it end like that. I jumped to my feet and hurried after him.
Olivia’s POV
Alexander was standing under the shade of a big tree, talking on the phone. His face was calm, but his eyes flickered when he noticed me standing a few feet away.
I pressed my fingers to my forehead, feeling like a complete fool. What was I even doing here?
When he ended the call, I forced a smile and took a slow step forward. “Mr. Green,” I said, my voice small, “you’re right. I underperformed in some situations, and I probably wasn’t ready for this. I apologize for bothering you.”
Alexander raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. “Are you following me just to prove you don’t fit in?” he asked, his tone calm but his words cutting.
His words got me. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My face felt hot. I ended up giving him a weak, awk- ward smile and dropped the act. “Honestly? I did come over to try and convince you,” I said. “But I know I’ve made a bad impression. Today was… not my best. Since you’ve already decided not to hire me, I’ll leave early so I don’t em- barrass myself again.”
Alexander studied me for a long moment, his eyes cool. “Do you really think I rejected you just because of what hap- pened today?” he asked.
I blinked. “What else could it be?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and said, “Look at what you’re wearing, Olivia. If I agreed to hire you now, everyone would think I’m shallow.”
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a low, almost amused tone. “And even if I am shallow,” he murmured, “I don’t want the whole world to know it.”
I felt my face go red. My ears were burning. I didn’t even bother defending myself. “Thank you for telling me,” I said quickly. “I’ll leave now. Goodbye.”
Before he could say another word, I turned on my heel and all but ran out of those trees.
When I got home, I stripped off the golf outfit and tossed it into the laundry basket. My reflection in the mirror looked tired and hollow. Am I really nothing without the Hawthrone Group? Without Ethan? The question sat heavy in my chest.
I let out a shaky breath, then sat down at my dresser. For a minute, I just sat there, staring at my reflection, then I picked up my phone, ready to text Rose an apology.
That’s when I saw the missed calls. A bunch from Ethan. A few from Rose. I ignored Ethan’s calls and tapped on Rose’s number instead,
When she picked up, I said softly, “I’m sorry, Rose. I wasn’t feeling well. My blood sugar crashed or something, and I had to leave without saying goodbye.”
There was a pause on her end. “Liv, I’m the one who should be sorry. I dragged you into that. You didn’t have to go through all this for me.”
I shook my head even though she couldn’t see me. “It’s okay, Rose. You’ve done so much for me.”
Rose let out a soft sigh. “I explained everything to Alexander,” she said. “About the outfit, the job. But he didn’t say anything in response.”
She continued after a small pause, “I asked Paul for Alexander’s phone number. If you want to try again, I…”
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