Carter satbehind the massive desk in his office, gesturing for me to take a seat across from him.“Let's get started.I have a lot to cover and very little patience for hand-holding.”
And we were off to the races.For the next two hours, he rapid-fired information at me—everything from his exacting filing system to his preferred coffee order—black, in a ceramic mug, never paper—.My head spun as I scribbled furiously in my notebook, determined not to miss a single detail.
“Any questions?”
About a million.But I didn't want to seem incompetent on my first day.“No, I think I've got it.”
His lips twitched, like he was fighting a smirk.“We'll see.”
Arrogant prick.
As I settled in at my new desk outside Carter's office, I felt a glimmer of pride.I'd survived the initial onslaught.Now I just had to prove I could hack it in his cutthroat world.
I unpacked the few personal items I'd brought—a small potted succulent, a framed photo of Pete, and my favorite pen.As I arranged them on my desk, Carter emerged from his office.
His gaze landed on the photo, his brow furrowing.“What's that?”
“Oh, that's my dog, Pete.”I smiled fondly at the image of my furry best friend.“He's a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.”
Carter's frown deepened.“I see.”
He gave a curt nod and swept past me towards the kitchen.As soon as he was out of sight, I slumped in my chair.
Crap.What have I gotten myself into?
The rest of the day passed in a blur of phone calls, emails, and frantic Googling as I tried to keep up with Carter's demanding pace.By the time five o’clock rolled around, I felt like I'd been put through a meat grinder.
I trudged to my car, every muscle aching.As I navigated the evening traffic, doubt gnawed at me.Maybe I wasn't cut out for this.I should quit now before I make an even bigger fool of myself.
But the thought of admitting defeat made my chest tighten with panic.No.I refused to give up that easily.I'd faced worse challenges than a grumpy boss.I can do this.
I pulled into my driveway, managing a tired smile as I spotted Amelia pruning her rose bushes—again.She waved cheerfully, setting down her shears.
“Well, look who it is!How was the first day, kiddo?”
I hesitated, not wanting to burden her with my problems.But Amelia's kind eyes and genuine interest broke through my defenses.
“It was...intense,” I admitted, crossing over to lean against her white picket fence.“My new boss is brilliant, but he's also...”
“A royal pain in the ass?”
A surprised laugh burst out of me.“You could say that.”
“Honey, I've dealt with more than my fair share of difficult men in my day.Want to come over for a glass of wine and some sage advice from your wise old neighbor?”
The offer was tempting, but exhaustion pulled at my limbs.“Rain check?I'm beat.But I'd love to take you up on that soon.”
“You got it, sweetheart.Don't let the bastard grind you down, you hear me?”
I nodded, feeling a surge of affection for this feisty woman who'd become such a steadying presence in my life.Before Ethan left, we’d barely exchanged a handful of words over the course of years.Now, a day didn’t go by when we didn’t at least offer each other a wave.“Thanks, Amelia.I'll do my best.”
Inside, I was greeted by Pete's exuberant wiggling.I scooped him up, burying my face in his fur.“Hey buddy.At least someone's always happy to see me.”
After a quick walk and dinner for both of us, I collapsed on the couch and Pete curled up beside me.I pulled out my phone and dialed a familiar number.
“Hey.”Wick's deep voice rumbled through the speaker.“How'd it go today?”
I sighed, absently stroking Pete's ears.“It was...a lot.Carter's not exactly the warm and fuzzy type.”
