AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re open today and Thursday for lunch, and don’t have anything on the books tomorrow after six.”
Goddammit. He and Utah could have left early tomorrow, not now.
That’s why they pay me the big bucks.
“Will you schedule lunches today and Thursday with anyone who’s started here in the last week? And dinner tomorrow with anyone on second shift. It looks like my newest morale-building strategy, at least until the rumors die down, is going to be taking new personnel to lunch or dinner.”
Kathy’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “What if they work third shift?”
“I guess I could make a couple of breakfasts, but I doubt it’d be well received since people probably want to eat before I would get in.”
“Good point. But lunches and dinners are a good idea. People here love you because you’re approachable and take the time to get to know them. This could be another way to do that.”
“Yeah, you’re right, but I think it could quickly become too time consuming. This week, I’ll meet with individuals, but starting next week, let’s try to schedule a small group lunch and a dinner once a week.”
Kathy wrote as he talked, then punctuated her writing with a poke to the center of her pad when she was done. “Got it.”
“Oh, and can you schedule me lunch off-site at least once next week? It’s a priority.”
Kathy scribbled a few notes.
“I will take care of it. Do you want me to make lunch reservations or is that something you’d rather do yourself?”
“I’ll take care of it, thanks.”
He was going home to fuck Utah; he wouldn’t need reservations.
He glanced down to type in his password, then looked back up at her. “Oh, one more thing. Parker’s awards ceremony is Friday, so I may need you to book a salon appointment that day for the works. Hair, nails, makeup.”
The corner of his assistant’s mouth tugged up. “I’m going to assume you’re not going in to get your nails and makeup done.”
“No,” he teased. “You wouldn’t go with me, so I had to find someone else.”
“You don’t pay me enough to go to those things,” she grumbled in return as she stood. “Can I assume I know whose name to use when booking it? Other than yours to pay for it, of course.”
“Since you’re not interested in plausible deniability, yes. You know her name.”
She reached the door, then turned to look back at him. “By the way, I think it’s great. You need someone special in your life.” Not waiting for him to reply, she shut the door.
He leaned back in his chair and mulled over his assistant’s words.
Utah was special to him. Until December thirtieth, anyway.
Maybe longer if she’d let him.
****
Utah
The nice thing about starting a new job was time flew by. She didn’t even realize it was lunchtime until her stomach rumbled.
She stood and stretched her back as she contemplated what to do about lunch. Normally, she brought her own—the places she’d worked before didn’t have a cafeteria in-house. But now that she had the cafeteria option, she didn’t have any money, and she’d forgotten to pack her lunch.
Looks like I’ll be making a stop to the sixth floor.
It was hard not to feel annoyed. Not having her own money was turning out to be the hardest part of this whole situation.
The smell of food wafted into her office, making her even more hungry. She was just about to reach into her desk drawer for her purse when Leo, one of the guys in the office, appeared in her doorway holding a brown bag.
