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“After you,” he said in a calm deep voice and Belle felt her cheeks flush. He was an incredibly attractive man, and she didn’t want to stare. So, she quickly stepped into the elevator and pressed her back to the cold metal wall. The man stepped in after her, and stood to the side.
He seemed older, at least in his early forties and had dark short hair with some smattering of white near the temples. He was much taller than her, and was dressed in a sharp black suit, with a white shirt and a rich red tie. His eyes were a clear sparkling blue, which he turned to her, and a soft smile grazed his lips.
“Which floor?” he asked, and Belle realized that she had indeed been staring at him.
“Thirty-five,” she replied nervously and she noticed that the man arched an eyebrow. He pressed the button, and didn’t press another one. She gulped. So, he worked at her new office! And she had just been staring at him like an ogling teenager.
Belle looked away, hanging her head towards the floor, but she could sense that he was looking at her.
“First day?” he asked, as the elevator started up. She jerked her head to look up at him, fully aware that her cheeks were burning up by now.
He had a hand thrust into the pocket of his pants, and the other one clutched a brown leather briefcase.
“Yes,” Belle replied meekly and the man only smiled.
“Nervous?” he asked, after a few seconds of silence and she shifted on her feet.
“Little bit. It’s my first job too,” she said and took in a deep breath.
He nodded his head and then looked past her towards the changing lights on the elevator.
“I’m sure you’re good at what you do if you’ve been hired at Rymer & Mills,” he added and Belle breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t looked at it that way before. She had got the job. Even if it was an internship. She had been handpicked out of hundreds of applicants and she knew she was ambitious and confident enough to survive the six months of internship. So, technically, he was right…she had nothing to really worry about.
Belle let out a small laugh and their eyes met. His blue eyes were kind and sharp at the same time, and she wondered what position he held at the agency. If he worked there at all.
“What do you do?” she asked him, when he hadn’t said anything for some time.
“Ah, nothing at the moment. I’m hoping I’ll find something to do today,” he said and Belle’s mouth opened slightly. She couldn’t believe that he had been so polite and encouraging towards her, when he was just on his way to a job interview.
“Oh, best of luck with that,” she said and the man smiled and nodded.
“Thank you,” he said politely, just at the doors pinged open again. He gestured to her again to lead the way, and Belle stepped out, smiling as she passed him. She felt their clothes graze gently and there were instant goosebumps on her skin. There was something magnetic about this polite stranger, and she whipped around just as he was stepping out of the elevator himself.
“I’m Belle Freedman, I hope you get the job,” she said and stuck out her hand to him. The man looked quizzically at her hand for a few moments, before lifting his head to look at her again.
“I’m Devon Rymer. Welcome to my agency,” he said and took her hand in his and gave it a strong shake. Belle’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. She knew she had never felt more embarrassed before.
Devon
Devon was smiling as he shook Belle’s hand. He knew he had an iron grip and an intimidatingly strong handshake, but this girl didn’t seem to be affected by it. She only looked surprised, because she hadn’t known who he was.
She was the one to draw her hand away, and Devon took note of her huge brown eyes, the way her neat braid lay delicately over her shoulder. She was sharply dressed, especially for her age. He assumed that she was in her early twenties, and he tried to remind himself not to stare.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I had no idea,” she said, taking a few steps away from him. Devon smiled and shook his head.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I know I’m a private person, there’s no way you could have known what the partners of the agency look like,” he replied, pushing his hand into his pocket again. He
was expecting the girl to blush, or turn her eyes away from embarrassment, but she stared back at him with an unwavering gaze.
“Well, thank you for your kind words earlier,” she said, and Devon realized that she was thinking of taking her leave now. For some reason, he wanted to keep talking to her, but he couldn’t think of anything to say to her to make her stay.
“Have a nice day, Ms Freedman,” he said instead and she smiled widely. He noticed how bright her eyes were when she smiled and how her lips lifted up on the sides as she did it. He couldn’t bring himself to look away.
She nodded to that and then walked away, towards the reception area. Devon stood in front of the elevator doors for a few more seconds, watching her walking away, before he breathed out a deep sigh and started making his way towards his own office.
His secretary Lily found him soon enough, and intercepted him in the corridors.
“Mr Rymer, we have two meetings set up for you before lunch. You are supposed to meet with Pat Lynch & Sons first thing,” Lily was walking with him, keeping pace. She also had his double shot Americano in her hand, which she eventually handed to him.
