Page 4 of The Secret Mate Society

He waved off my excuses."No need to explain.It’s just a couple minutes.Let's get started, shall we?"

I nodded, grateful for his understanding, and took a seat at the conference table.As I settled in, I couldn't help but notice the other two people in the room.To my left was a woman with fiery red hair and sharp green eyes that seemed to pierce right through me.She introduced herself as Lydia Chen, the senior reporter.Across from me sat a man with broad shoulders and a rugged jawline that made my heart skip a beat.He smiled warmly, revealing perfect white teeth.

"Jake Harrison," he said, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine."I'll be your partner on the crime beat."

I tried not to stare as I shook his hand, feeling the warmth of his skin against mine.Focus, Ethan, I chided myself.You're here to work, not ogle your coworkers.Besides, he was easily ten years older than me.I doubted he wanted anything to do with a washed up nobody like me.Although I did notice there wasn’t a ring on his finger.

Charles cleared his throat, drawing my attention back to him."Now, Mr.Murphy, I understand you have experience in investigative journalism.We're hoping you'll bring some fresh perspective to our team."

I nodded, eager to prove myself."Yes, sir.I've worked on several high-profile cases in the past."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them.I didn't want to bring up my past, especially not the case that had led to my breakdown.Fortunately, Charles didn't press for details.

"Excellent," he said, nodding approvingly."We've got a few ongoing investigations that could use your expertise.Jake here will fill you in on the details."

Jake caught my eye and winked, causing my cheeks to flush.I quickly looked away, focusing on Charles as he continued outlining my role at the paper.

The orientation flew by in a blur of introductions, paperwork, and policy reviews.Before I knew it, Charles was wrapping things up.

"Any questions?"he asked, looking around the table.

I shook my head, still feeling overwhelmed but excited to start.

"Alright then," Charles said, standing up."Jake, why don't you show Ethan to his desk and get him some material to take home so he can get a sense of our reporting style."

Jake nodded, rising from his chair."Sure thing, boss."

Charles looked back up at me.“We’ll see you on Monday, Ethan.”He gave me a small grin.“And try to be on time, alright?”

“Yes, sir,” I nodded in return, standing up and shaking his hand once more.“Thank you.”

As we left the conference room, I could feel Lydia's eyes on me.When I glanced back, she was watching me with an unreadable expression.I had a feeling she didn’t like me, although I wasn’t sure why.

I followed Jake down the hallway, trying to keep my eyes from wandering to his very perky ass as he walked ahead of me.The office was mostly empty, with just a few people hunched over their desks, typing furiously.

"So, Ethan," Jake said, turning to face me as we reached an empty desk."This'll be your spot.Not much, but it's got a decent view of the street."

I glanced out the window, seeing the busy sidewalk below."It's perfect," I said, meaning it.After months of uncertainty, having a desk to call my own felt like a luxury.

Jake leaned against the desk, his brown eyes studying me intently."You said you worked on some high-profile cases before.Anything I might have heard of?"

I tensed, my hand instinctively going to the scar on my neck - a reminder of that night in the woods."Nothing too exciting," I lied, forcing a smile."Just your typical small-town scandals, break-ins, the occasional murder here and there."

Jake nodded, but I could see the curiosity in his eyes."Well, you're in for a treat here in Portland.It’s a much bigger city, so we have a lot more to cover.”He grinned, giving me a playful nudge.“Don’t let that worry you though.It’s got one of the lower crime rates on the east coast, so we’ll probably have some down time here and there.”

I chuckled nervously, trying to ignore the warmth that spread through me at his touch."That's good to know.I could use some downtime to get settled in."

Jake's grin widened."Speaking of which, do you need any help unpacking?I know how overwhelming moving to a new city can be."

My heart skipped a beat at his offer.Was he just being friendly, or was there something more behind that intense gaze of his?I hesitated, torn between my teenager-like urges and my need to maintain professional boundaries.

"That's really kind of you," I said finally."But I think I've got it under control.Maybe once I'm settled, we could grab a drink?You know, so you can fill me in on all the local hotspots.I wanna know what I just signed up for."

Jake's smile softened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.But it was gone so quickly, I wondered if I'd imagined it."Sounds like a plan," he said, pushing off the desk."Now, let me grab you some back issues to take home.Charles is very particular about keeping everything cohesive around here and that includes our reporting style.”He paused, holding a hand up to the side of his mouth.“He’s kind anal about… well,everything.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.It seemed like I was going to fit right in at this new paper.I allowed myself to hope, thinking that maybe I’d finally found the place where I belonged.

With a stack of newspapers in hand and a wave goodbye to Jake, I headed back to my car.Somehow I managed to find a spot on the passenger seat stacked precariously atop a pile of boxes.I thought they would be fine considering the car was packed tighter than a tin of sardines.However, the moment I took my first sharp turn heading toward my new apartment, they all went toppling to the floor.Blowing out a long sigh, I just left them where they were.Everything had to be unpacked anyway, so they’d get cleaned up eventually.