Page 31 of Dream Chaser

August

Angry metallic gray clouds hovered over the city, and gusts of wind blew, slowing my steps as I rushed to the office.

September was around the corner, and cooler weather would be close behind. Assuming I still had a job then, I’d need to worry about warmer clothes and a place to stay.

Living out of my car in the mall parking lot wasn’t a long-term solution. I’d been falling asleep with fear gripping my chest and waking up with aches in my neck and back. Every time I heard footsteps, I jolted awake, and that happened several times a night.

A clap of thunder echoed, and I sprinted inside the high-rise just before rain began to pour down outside.

A short elevator ride later, I exited on my floor. For once, I wasn’t the first to arrive—Eleanor was at her desk, brown eyes behind red-framed glasses scanning her computer screen.

I dropped my bag on my chair. “Good morning.”

“Good, but not for everyone,” Eleanor muttered.

“Why? Are you okay?”

Sighing, she took off her glasses. “Oh yeah. But the boss”—she lowered her voice—“is mad.”

Alejandro’s desk was empty. Eleanor waved toward the meeting room. “He’s been stewing in there since he arrived.”

“Oh.”

I had no clue why he could be angry, but Eleanor was watching me as if I knew. Had I done something?

“Was everything okay in Barcelona?” she asked.

Rain lashed the windows. The sky darkened, shifting from gray to charcoal like some kind of omen.

I sat and powered on my laptop. “Ignis Gear’s event went well. The race too. Asher came in second.”

Eleanor rubbed her chin. “Hmm.”

The meeting room door opened, and Alejandro appeared. He looked like a storm cloud, his stubble longer than usual and his eyes darker than I’d ever seen.

“Nova. Ven a mi despacho.” He shook his head as if realizing he’d used Spanish with me. “Come to my office.”

Well, shit. I rose, my knees wobbling. Whatever I had or hadn’t done in Barcelona was about to end my short-lived career.

Alejandro held the door open for me. As soon as I crossed the threshold, he closed it and pointed at the papers spread over the glass table. “Please review everything. If you have questions, I’m here.”

I clasped my sweaty hands together in front of me. “Am I fired?”

His expression softened. “Not fired. Hired. Permanently.”

My heart swelled so much I feared it’d burst. Now I could make plans and pay for things. I could finally get divorced and start my life from scratch.

I was free.

“Thank you,” I said, even though those two words were woefully insufficient. Alejandro had no idea how much his decision to hire me meant for my future.

He nodded, returning to his laptop as if what he’d done wasn’t life-changing.

Five minutes later, I signed the form, still struggling to believe it.

“Welcome to Guerrero Sports Agency.” Alejandro extended his hand. I curled my fingers around his, and tingles danced along my nerve endings.

It happened every time my skin brushed his, and every time, heat swallowed my face. I shouldn’t react to his touch this way. He was my boss, and my list of problems was long enough without this unwanted attraction.