Page 8 of Miss Fortune

“I understand.”

But my answer didn’t seem to reassure him. “I don’t want gossip in the office.”

“Rear-ending the boss on the way to an interview isn’t exactly the start I was hoping for. It wouldn’t be something I’d share with anyone here.”

He stared at me unnervingly before nodding. “I appreciate the discretion.”

“Of course. And it’s nice to meet you under better circumstances, Caleb.”

“I prefer you call me Mr. Morrison in front of other people or when answering the phone. Of course, you can call me by my first name when it’s just the two of us.”

You mean like now? I held the thought in my head.

“Doris will get you set up this morning and show you the ropes.” He was already standing up, and walking toward the exit.

“Okay, thanks.”

Doris anxiously waited for me outside the conference room. “So, what did you think?”

Interesting question. I would’ve expected, “How did it go?” But I went with it. “I thought Mr. Morrison was nice. He stated his routine is important, and he abhors being late, so I’ll do my best to ensure I remember both.”

She frowned. “He’s so formal with new people, but I promise, once you get to know him, he’s much warmer and personable. Caleb would be quite the catch for the type of woman who could be patient enough to discover it.”

Wait. She wasn’t trying to matchmake, was she? Surely not. He might be nice eye candy over the next few weeks while I was working in the office, but only a few minutes with the man proved how completely opposite we were. Before I could question her on it, she shifted gears.

“Let me show you around.”

Doris was meticulous with her notes, instructions, and organization. And given how Caleb—or should I call him Mr. Morrison mentally too?—felt about the matter, I could see why. Nevertheless, everything was fairly straightforward. Answer the phones, keep Caleb on time for meetings, compose documents, and send correspondence to potential new clients.

She toured me around the office space, which consisted of three floors. She also introduced me to the six associates who worked with my boss the most. Two gave me genuine smiles, but four were buried in their computers and barely glanced up. Did I mention how much I detested an office where people emphasized their job over anything else?

Of course, I was making a snap judgment. For all I knew, the people at the firm had healthy work-life balances. But Caleb’s timesheets, where he was putting in fourteen- to sixteen-hour days, didn’t exactly scream a personal life.

By five thirty p.m., I was beat and ready to head home. I’d forgotten how much the daily grind to include a lousy commute took out of me.

Thankfully, my drive home was less chaotic than the drive in, lacking both the rain and the fender bender. First thing tomorrow I’d call about getting poor Betsey, my yellow Prius, into the shop. I’d also need to find out from Mr. No Personality how much the damage to his vehicle would cost, so I could pay him out of pocket.

My friend Kelsey swung by my apartment an hour after I got home. I’d met her a few months ago, not under the best circumstances. She’d been at her lowest point, dealing with a horrible breakup and trying to rebuild her life here in LA. But we’d become fast friends, and I loved hanging out with her whenever I could.

She took a seat on my couch with a freshly poured glass of wine. Although my medical condition meant I needed to limit my alcohol consumption, I allowed myself an indulgence from time to time. The crisp white Sauvignon blanc hit my tongue, and I sighed with bliss. This was exactly what I needed after a long day. Friendship and wine.

“How was your first day at the temp job?” Kelsey blew her bangs out of her face. She’d recently gotten her long brown hair cut and highlighted, and it really flattered her beautiful face.

“First, I love your hair, looks great, and less exciting, my day was okay. But unfortunately, I didn’t give a very good first impression for my new boss.”

“How so?”

I recounted how I’d rear-ended his car on the 101 freeway and smiled when Kelsey barked out a laugh. It was so good to see her increasingly able to find humor.

“Talk about a small world,” she remarked.

“Too small. He was nice enough this morning after the accident, but in the office he was so uptight.”

“A lot of people are all business at work. Maybe he turns off his personality while there.” Kelsey would know given she’d moved from a corporate job in New York, and was well versed with the long hours and grueling climb to the top of the proverbial ladder.

“Perhaps.” Doris had indicated there was another side to Caleb.

“God, I’m so glad I don’t have to go into an office any longer.” Kelsey had taken some time to focus on herself over the last couple months. Recently, she’d started freelancing as a forensic accountant for some local companies. She loved the ability to work from home while using her expertise.