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Tobias waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it, sis,” he said before turning around and leaving me to familiarize myself with his mansion.
*
Two days later, I was already growing restless hanging around Tobias’ mansion.
“I thought you said you needed a week to adapt before starting work?” he asked me after I told him that I was ready to start training for my new job position.
“Yeah, well, there’s no need to prolong things,” I said. “The sooner I start working, the sooner I can be out of your hair.”
“Having you here is no problem, I keep telling you that.”
“Yeah, I know. But still, I’m ready.”
The next day, he began training me for the new job, and once we hit the one-week mark of my return to Chicago, I was ready to officially start working at his firm. Against my will, he had given me shopping money to renew my wardrobe, although I only accepted it after he promised to let me pay him back.
The morning of my first day, I woke early, showered, and carefully tied back my hair into a neat ponytail. I dressed in a new gray business suit I’d gotten, consisting of a simple white blouse, pencil skirt that hit me right at the knee, and a blazer. I then slid on a pair of modest heels and eyed my reflection in the mirror. An unusual feeling came over me, which I recognized to be a mixture of grief and excitement. Knowing that I was about to start a new job just made me miss the one I was leaving behind. With my abrupt departure from Miami, things clearly hadn’t ended on the best terms with that particular job. After my first day showing up to my brother’s, I’d had to painstakingly call my boss to explain why I had left so suddenly. To say it had been one of the most awkward conversations of my life was an understatement.
My stomach clenched in knots just thinking back on it.
I turned around when I heard a knock on the door of the guest bedroom I had claimed for myself. Tobias poked his head in. He wore a crisp suit and was carrying a briefcase. “Ready?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yep.”
“All right. Let’s go.”
When we arrived at the office, I was once again reminded of why I so thoroughly hated feeling like the new kid in town. It was just a solid reminder that I hadn’t entirely outgrown the self-consciousness I’d suffered in childhood; it was always there, ready to resurface. My self-consciousness was what had contributed to my need to be an over-achiever. Too often, it felt like the only way I could make myself feel worthy was by proving how adequately I could do my work.
“Are you all right?” Tobias asked, obviously noticing my distress.
“Yeah.”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing me. “How about taking a quick break? I know this all must feel overwhelming.”
I nodded gratefully. “Yeah. That would be nice.”
And with that, I headed to the break area, where I began making myself and Tobias fresh cups of coffee.
Finding peace in the room being empty, I took a long and deep breath.
“Come on, Joanna,” I said to myself. “You’re just working for your brother. How hard can it be?”
Filling two cups from a fresh pot, I reflected on the training I’d had thus far, as well as the people I’d met, trying to recall names and faces even though so many of them blurred together.
I sighed in frustration as I added sugar and cream to the coffee.
Holding a cup in each hand, I took another deep breath and got ready to return to the office to let him know that I was ready to resume. But just as I reached the door, a figure unexpectedly appeared before me.
I crashed right into him, sending the hot liquid splashing all over both of us.
I looked up, positively mortified.
A man stood before me with a disgruntled look on his face as he stared down in disbelief at his expensive suit that I had just ruined with coffee.
When our eyes locked, my heart almost stopped entirely.
It had been a long time, but I easily remembered his handsome face, short blond hair, and impressive physique.
Just like I recalled the sneer he currently wore, and the way it had always been reserved specifically for me…
