Episode 1: The Carter Conundrum

Kathryn Shaufkins took a deep breath as the elevator doors slid open, stepping into the sleek, modern lobby of Cosche & Co. Her heels clicked confidently against the polished floor as she made her way to her office. It was Monday, and she was ready to tackle another week of work with the same precision and efficiency that had gotten her this far.

But as soon as she saw Him, lounging at the entrance of her office with that self-satisfied smirk, Kathryn felt a familiar tightness in her jaw.

Carter Kelnn.

The self-proclaimed golden boy of Cosche. Handsome, yes. But insufferable. He oozed confidence like it was his second skin, and the worst part? He thought everyone should feel lucky just to be in his presence.

“Good morning, Ms. Shaufkins,” Carter said, in his usual, slow drawl. “Early start, huh? Trying to catch up on all that work I outshined you on last week?”

Kathryn didn’t break her stride as she marched toward her desk, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. She placed her bag down and calmly turned on her computer before acknowledging him. 

“Good morning, Mr. Kelnn. Outshined me, did you?” Her tone was crisp, professional, but with just the tiniest edge. “I wasn’t aware that creating a thirty-slide PowerPoint filled with charts no one asked for counted as ‘outshining.’”

Carter’s smirk deepened. “Ah, but you see, it’s about the 'effort', Ms. Shaufkins. I don’t expect everyone to understand the importance of going above and beyond.”

She finally glanced up from her computer, pinning him with a look that would have made lesser men squirm. But Carter? He thrived on it.

“And I’m sure your clients truly appreciate the extra four hours they’ll need to spend sifting through that 'effort',” she said dryly. “As I recall, the brief specifically asked for ‘concise and to the point.’ But of course, you’ve never been one for… brevity.”

Carter shrugged, completely unfazed. “That’s why I’m the visionary around here, and you’re the one dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.”

Kathryn’s fingers hovered over her keyboard, her expression cool. “I suppose someone has to clean up the messes you leave behind.”

His smile widened, like this was all just a fun game to him — which, Kathryn was sure, it was. “You’re welcome to try, Ms. Shaufkins. But it’s not easy keeping up with brilliance.”

She shot him a look. “If by brilliance, you mean bloated presentations, constant last-minute revisions, and a never-ending stream of emails that don’t seem to adhere to any reasonable hours… then yes, I’m positively dazzled.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Good,” Carter said, leaning casually against her desk. “I wouldn’t want you to get too comfortable.”

Kathryn’s eyes narrowed, though her composure remained intact. She’d dealt with difficult people before, but Carter? He was a whole new breed. He was the kind of man who acted like life was his personal stage, and everyone else was just lucky enough to play supporting roles. 

“Well, Mr. Kelnn,” she said, her tone so smooth it could cut glass, “if you think I’m getting comfortable, then you’re not paying attention. My work speaks for itself, and I don’t need to create busywork to get noticed.”

“Ouch,” Carter said, clutching his chest dramatically. “You wound me, Mrs. Shaufkins. I thought we were in this together.”

Kathryn let out a short, humorless laugh. “I didn’t realize your version of ‘together’ was constantly trying to sabotage my workday.”

He leaned in just slightly, his tone dropping to something more conspiratorial. “Sabotage? Come now, Kathryn—"

“*Ms.* Shaufkins,” she corrected sharply.

“Right. *Ms. Shaufkins*,” Carter continued, undeterred. “I’m simply encouraging you to push beyond your limits. You’re brilliant, yes, but you could be so much more.”

She stared at him, incredulous. “And by ‘more,’ I assume you mean adopting your chaotic, overly complicated work ethic?”

“I prefer to think of it as passionate,” he said smoothly.

Kathryn clicked her tongue, her gaze never wavering. “Passion, Mr. Kelnn, should be reserved for things that matter. This isn’t passion. This is… an unnecessary exercise in ego.”

“Ego?” Carter’s brows lifted in mock surprise. “I thought you were the one who never got rattled. Funny how I always seem to get under your skin.”

“You don’t get under my skin,” Kathryn replied, voice even. “You just waste my time.”

Carter chuckled, and for a brief moment, Kathryn could see something genuine behind his cocky demeanor. He seemed to enjoy this sparring — as if it was the only time he got to be himself, stripped of all the bravado and expectations.

“Well,” he said, straightening up and finally stepping back from her desk, “as fun as this has been, I’ll let you get back to your... concise work. Just don’t forget the Henderson report is due by Friday. I’d hate to see you fall behind.”

“Mr. Kelnn,” Kathryn said, finally allowing a hint of a smile to tug at her lips. “I never fall behind. I leave that to the people who spend more time talking than working.”

Carter’s grin faltered for a split second before he recovered, nodding at her appreciatively. “Touché, Ms. Shaufkins. I’ll see you at the meeting later.”

As he sauntered off, Kathryn exhaled slowly, letting the tension in her shoulders ease. She hated how Carter had this infuriating way of getting under her skin, and yet... there was something strangely invigorating about it. She wasn’t rattled, but 'engaged', in a way she hadn’t been with anyone in a long time.

But no, this was work. She was professional. And she was not about to let someone like Carter Kelnn disrupt the very careful balance she had in her life.

She pulled up the Henderson file, smiling to herself. She’d finish the report by Thursday — just to spite him. 

---

Later that afternoon, Kathryn found herself in the conference room for the weekly team meeting. As usual, Carter strolled in a few minutes late, and as usual, he made a show of apologizing as though his tardiness was charming instead of, well, rude.

“Apologies,” he said with a roguish grin. “I was just finishing up some 'very important' work.”

Kathryn rolled her eyes subtly but didn’t bother to respond.

The meeting droned on, with updates from various departments. Carter, sitting across from her, kept throwing glances her way, as if waiting for her to crack. But she didn’t. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

Finally, as the meeting drew to a close, their manager, Mr. Anders, addressed the team. “Before we wrap up, I’d like to remind everyone that the Henderson presentation is Friday. Ms. Shaufkins, I trust you’ll have everything ready?”

Kathryn nodded confidently. “It’s already in progress. It’ll be done by Thursday.”

Carter raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Impressive. You’re not worried about losing a little 'sleep' over it?”

“Not at all,” she said, meeting his gaze head-on. “I sleep just fine, Mr. Kelnn.”

The room went silent for a beat, and then, to her surprise, Carter actually laughed. A genuine, full laugh that caught her off guard.

“Well played, Ms. Shaufkins,” he said, standing to leave. “Well played.”

As the team dispersed, Kathryn couldn’t help but feel a small sense of victory. She’d held her ground, and Carter — for once — seemed to acknowledge it.

But as he walked past her, he leaned in close enough for only her to hear. 

“Thursday, huh? Guess I’ll have to check in on Wednesday, then.”

Kathryn clenched her jaw but kept her expression neutral. “Do that,” she said sweetly. “I’ll be sure to leave your desk a copy. In extra-large font, just how you like it.”

He chuckled again, leaving her with a wink. 

Kathryn sighed, already mentally preparing for round two. 

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     End of Episode 1