The billionaire's sweet editor
Chapter 20: Iris: First girlfriend

Chapter 20: Iris: First girlfriend

WHAT’S WITH everyone and walking in on Lucas and me being intimate or naked?

First, it was his dad, now it’s Keith, covering his eyes and bobbing up and down like he just saw gore images of a crime scene. God the embarrassment, I can’t even dare to look in his direction.

"I’ll be leaving now," I tell Lucas, wriggling away from his big hands and turning away to leave, but he grabs my hand instead, not at all on board with my escape.

"Stay a little longer, we have things to discuss. As for Keith...Keith!" The poor boy stops grimacing and turns to face us, wincing a little when his eyes make contact with us. "We stopped so you can come in now."

He slowly walks towards the door, knocking on it and entering after a nod from Lucas, accepting his offer to sit down, and shuffling in his seat all while avoiding eye contact with us.

"If I’m making you uncomfortable I can leave," I offer again, desperate to escape but Lucas stops me again, a firmer look on his face now. Maybe he wants us to share the embarrassment—the exact reason why I want to make a run for it—but I can’t because he won’t let me.

"You take a seat babe, everybody knows we’re dating. And you," he nods at Keith, not even bothering with looking apologetic when they make eye contact. "PDA is very normal and understandable between couples. You’ll know one day when you get a girlfriend."

Yeah, right as if that will validate us hugging and talking dirty in his office in broad daylight.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t think I’d see you guys in your office doing..." Keith trails off looking down and gnawing at his lower lip.

"He has a girlfriend," I back him up, trying to change the topic and ease the weird air building around us.

"You do?" Lucas asks, too shocked by the sudden news as though Keith having a girlfriend is the weirdest thing right now. But thanks to his curiosity the focus suddenly changes.

"Yeah."

"Wow, lucky you. Iris is my first girlfriend, so maybe that’s why I’m always touchy with her."

Lies or not, that’s still surprising. Both Keith and I turn our heads so fast a muscle is pulled in my neck, but I swallow the groan, focusing all my attention on the man before me. "What?"

Lucas nods profusely at me at the same moment Keith snaps his neck back at me. "Wait, you didn’t know?"

Tell me you’re fake dating your boss without telling me you’re fake dating your boss. My eyes grow wide as saucers and I rack my brain for any excuse that’ll suffice at the moment. "Umm, yeah. He never told me that. Why didn’t you tell me all this beforehand, Luke?"

"Because it’s embarrassing!" He shrieks, avoiding eye contact. I can’t tell if he’s embarrassed because he just told me the truth, or if his acting skills are back on because damn, if he’s acting, then I’m ditching his dad’s plans and seducing him to become an actor instead.

"Wow, suddenly I’m glad I ran into you guys kissing. It feels good witnessing you sharing a secret."

The way I blush at Keith’s nonchalant comment. It’s like he set off the blood bombs in my cheeks and now they’re burning on my skin, possibly making them flush a bright pink.

"Why did you ditch lunch and come here anyway?" Lucas asks him, blowing off the weird air with his business-mode intimidating aura just like that. I have to admit, business mode looks hot as fuck on him.

As if a light bulb just lit on top of his head, Keith’s face brightens up. "Oh, right, almost forgot. If you’re okay with it, I wanted to give you a report I made on why our magazine didn’t do better last month and why we dropped a number down the bestsellers list based on our editing skills...and a little off-department analysis."

Lucas’ face immediately mirrors Keith’s, a hopeful glint playing in his eyes as he leans in towards his desk. "You don’t say. I’ve been killing myself for the last two weeks doing the same research too. Hit me with your best shot."

Tugging out of Lucas’ grasp and walking around the office desk, I sit next to Keith as he takes out his iPad and a booklet. "For starters, the magazine has errors every five or so pages, like a word spelled wrong or bad grammar, or a punctuation error."

"Mmhm, I noticed that too," Lucas mumbles, nodding at Keith as he checks his booklet.

"And I think our article needs a bit of change. Our target audience is now mixed, but the majority of it is Gen Z’s and millennials," Keith adds, producing a chart from his tablet and showing it to Lucas. "I think we need to create our content with these two audiences in mind so that we can cater to their tastes more."

"That’s quite an analysis you have there, send it to me so I can add it to my other points for presentation later."

"Noted," Keith replies already completing the task.

"Oh and Keith."

"Yes?"

"Since you have decided to help and you’ve proved you’re good at this, would you be interested in doing a more thorough research with me and Iris? I think it’ll be beneficial to you and your resume."

There’s a momentary silence that feels stretched by the fact that Keith is staring at Lucas, obviously trying to gauge if what he just heard is correct. I smile at his dumbfounded face, snapping my fingers in front of his face.

"Keith? Lucas is talking to you."

"Oh, yes! I would love to, sir. Thank you for the opportunity," Keith snaps back to reality, smiling so brightly that the sun is nothing against him. I even fake a wince.

"Good. I’ll keep you updated on my progress. As for when we’ll meet, I’ll come and pick you up once in a while. We’re doing this at my place so..."

"Yes!" Keith cuts him, stopping midway when he realizes what he just did. " I mean, that’s okay sir. I’ll be waiting for your call."

A small laugh escapes from Lucas. "That’s the spirit. I’ll keep you posted." And just like that, we’re back to the awkwardness we were in a few minutes ago. Everyone is silent and Keith is just sitting there, fidgeting with his iPad whilst still avoiding eye contact.

"If you have nothing else you want to say, you can go back to enjoy your lunch," Lucas finally dismisses him.

"Have a great day sir," he mumbles, standing up to leave after waving me goodbye. His excitement reminds me of when Liam (who I realized was Lucas’ mom after getting a job here) used to teach me the basics an editor is supposed to grasp. I already knew I wanted to be an editor before making it to high school, which probably helped me a lot.

As an editor who made two bestsellers in her prime years, I can tell Keith has potential. His analysis wasn’t very detailed, but it included the very basics of all the conditions necessary to make a bestseller.

As for Lucas, I know he’s a professional. The magazine records from five years ago up to now prove just how competent he is at this editing shit. Adders magazine wasn’t even in the top ten before he stepped up, but just like a magician, he said abracadabra, and the magazine skyrocketed to fame.

As to why it can’t make it to number one, that is a mystery that needs some deeper uncovering from an entire team of people, not one person—or three, but the entire company as a whole. Maybe the overwhelming pressure of everything weighing on him right now is what’s clouding Lucas’ vision.

I mean, there’s his dad giving him a deadline to meet his goal with our secret as his checkmate, there’s the magazine issue that needs to be reviewed and edited before he checks it out, there’s the event, and then there’s him avoiding sleep so he can read two-year-old magazines to check on past errors like that’s going to solve his problems.

His dad might have quasi-threatened me last night, but maybe he was right; I am the only one who can save Lucas from this mess. Not to brag or anything, but he needs someone closer than his friends; someone who understands just how much making it to the bestseller’s chat means to a writer and editor—and that someone is me.

By this point, we’re more than acquaintances, and he saw me naked so...guess that makes us what? Friends with benefits? Or is this the contract pact trope I always read in novels? Whatever it is, we’re definitely closer than ever before.

Rubbing his forehead, Lucas scribbles something into the magazine he’s reading, wiping his eyes and blinking too much for someone who doesn’t wear glasses. I pout at him, my heart cracking from seeing him suffer over nothing like this. Old magazines don’t have the answers he’s looking for.

"Now I know why your dad told me to help you," I blurt out before I can stop myself.

He turns to face me, eyes blinking so slowly he could qualify as a sloth. "Why?"

"Because you need the help of a bestseller-making editor to make it to the top of the chart soon," I answer, walking back to him and patting his cheeks, more to wake him up than feel him.

"Yeah, I do," Lucas confesses, voice hoarse and drowsy from sleep. It would be sexy if he had just woken up and didn’t have those black circles under his eye bags. Still cute though.

"Good choice admitting that. As a reward, I’ll pull an all-nighter at your place if you promise you’ll keep your hands to yourself and let me focus on work."

A small smile appears on his lips as he tips his head to the side, eyes opening now that I talked about sleeping over. He’s such a simple guy to please.

"I promise I won’t touch you and we’ll focus on work all night."

"Deal, you’ll just have to drive me home so I can pick one or two things, okay?" I reply, walking away and pausing when I reach his door, turning back whilst smirking at him.

"What?" He grumbles, smirking back at me.

"Am I really your first girlfriend, Luke?"

★★★★★