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My heart moves from a confident, steady tap to a nervous race. I smile harder to cover it. I don’t think anyone’s watching, but I can’t be sure. Beneath the goldHughes Industriesis a department list. Everything here is part of the Hughes’s massive family company.
This must be the official headquarters.
Did Will…ask for me?
Is this an apology? Is this governing? I didn’t think he was capable of that, and a job offer as a temp isn’t the best way to woo a woman, but…
Not now. Not on the first day at the job. I shake out my hair. It looked great in the reflection, and I’m sure it still does. The half-hope, half-dread wind tunnel in my chest is not going to throw me off. Hughes Industries is an enormous company. I can’t just jump to the conclusion that Will is here when he could be in any number of buildings across Manhattan.
One of the men behind the reception desk looks up at me as I approach. “I have you on my list, Ms. Anderson.” He hands over a hard pass that can clip to my pocket and sends me up to another floor. The elevator opens onto a spacious reception area with a round desk. Voices speaking in professional tones hum from the hallways. A phone rings. The woman behind the desk puts her own handset into the cradle and stands up.
“Ms. Anderson. Michael said you’d be on your way.” She comes around the desk and shakes my hand. “I’m Lauren.”
“Bristol. It’s really nice to meet you.”Also, how do you get your hair to lookthatflawless? Does everybody here look as perfect as you?“I’m reporting for a new position.” I give the name of the temp agency, and she nods along.
“Great. And you’ve got your badge, so you don’t need to stop at reception in the lobby every morning. Perfect. Do you need anything else before I take you down?”
A second to hyperventilate in the bathroom would be great. “Nope! I’m all set to go.”
“Right this way.”
She leads me down a hall behind her round desk. It’snicein here. The carpet is plush, and there’s no fake wood paneling to be seen. Even the lighting isn’t as fluorescent and abrasive as it is in most companies. We pass meeting rooms, a lounge, and lots of offices. There’s a big space with cubicles in one section.
Lauren doesn’t turn, or slow down.
I think she’s taking me to one of the corner offices. That’s where the important people work. I imagine the beach. Rolling waves. Blue skies. Working for a man with a corner office is always a bit of a risk, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.
Yes, it did technically end badly the last time, but I survived, didn’t I? I got right back on the company horse. At an even bigger and more prestigious company, too. Lots of people would call that a win.
Lauren reaches a door at the end of the hall and goes in.
It’s definitely a corner office.
Did they give Will a corner office? They gave him a superyacht, didn’t they? A corner office would be on that level.
Would I be on that level? A temp contract at Summit was one thing, but this…
Anticipation is a painful knot in my stomach. I might faint, which would make a great first impression at my brand-new job.
“Bristol just got in.” Lauren sounds like I just got back from an international trip. She’s gone through a small reception space with a desk along one side and is leaning into the main office. A glance over her shoulder, and she waves me in.
Smile. Smile. Smile.I step toward her, and the man making his way around the desk is—
“Greg?” Incredibly smooth and professional. “I mean, Mr. Winthrop. Hi.”
He laughs. “Bristol, welcome. We’re so glad to have you here. Thanks, Lauren.” She murmurs a goodbye. Greg extends his hand, and I shake it. “Given that we’ve shared a meal together, you can call me Greg in the office. Mr. Winthrop during meetings and when there are visitors.” It’s slightly flirty, but mostly just warm.
“Sounds great.” My voice catches a little. I’msorelieved that it’s Greg and not some asshole like Mr. Malcolm.
And I’msodisappointed that he’s not Will. It’s a heavy, ridiculous disappointment. Will being my new boss would make things complicated. I didn’t realize how much I was hoping to see him until he wasn’t here. Yes, it’d basically be hell, but we could’ve fought. We could havetalked.We could have looked at one another.
Greg’s face softens. “Everything okay?”
“Absolutely. Yes. I can’t wait to get started.” And the fact that this is Greg Winthrop raises some questions. “Did your secretary take a last-minute leave? The offer from my temp agency was quite the surprise.”
My new boss chuckles. “Looking you up was a bit of a project. I had to make some promises to a lady at your former agency to get her to tell me where you went. But you’d made quite an impression at dinner, so I thought you’d be great for the position.” He slips his hands into his pockets and shakes his head. “I couldn’t believe Will was willing to let you go, but his loss is my gain.”
His face freezes. Or maybe it’s my brain, skipping several seconds in a row while my heart sprints around and trips over my ribs. “Oh, I—” Does this sound casual? At all. “Does he work in the building?”
