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He shook his head, pushing away the thoughts of a fifteen-year-old boy not ready to face the world on his own. All these years later, he struggled to reflect on that part of his past. When he remembered, he got angry. But beneath that, he really felt guilty.
So he just chose not to think about it. And now, he liked to believe it had been working for years.
He avoided going into town except to go to his office. Between being pestered by women who considered him to be the most eligible bachelor and the unpleasant memories, it was better that way.
Today, he had no choice. It had all started earlier that morning when his phone rang.
“Bechtel,” he had answered curtly.
“Sir. I have confirmation that the shipping containers have arrived on schedule and with no damage.”
“Excellent.” He tried not to sound annoyed at being notified over something so small.
“There was a disruption with the manufacturing line …” A deep growl started to boom through his chest. “But the technicians had it fixed within twenty minutes.”
“Good,” Cyrus grunted. “Keep that profit up.”
He suffered through a few more updates before ending the call, relieved to hear that production was still running as smoothly as it always did. The billion-dollar tech company could essentially run itself at this point.
But sometimes, he ran into problems he could never have anticipated. Like what happened with Miles ….
His former assistant, Miles, had quit a few months prior. He had been quiet and withdrawn before admitting that he had to step back to manage some family issues. Cyrus had hoped it might only be a temporary break, but Miles had been clear that he would not be returning.
Much to Cyrus’s dismay, the day Miles quit was the last time he spoke to his friend. Miles had disappeared from Cyrus’s life despite attempts to contact him later. That had stung more than he wanted to acknowledge.
Still circling his house to release anxious energy, he finally shifted near the side door and swiped the clothes he had left there. “Gerri Wilder is coming,” he muttered under his breath as he raised his eyebrows. He never knew what to make of her.
But she had found someone who could fill Miles’s shoes, and Cyrus was desperate. Desperate enough to let them come to his home office for an interview within twenty-four hours of Gerri contacting him.
He slipped inside, heading toward the stairs that led up to his office. “Welcome home, sir.” Luca offered a bow and a smile as he walked past. Cyrus nodded at him.
“Luca,” he answered.
Luca was another example of why Cyrus was becoming a bit more frantic about finding a personal assistant. No one he hired was good enough.
Luca was not great with the software Cyrus used, an obvious downfall for a tech company. Plus, he was terrified of flying, an obvious downside to the assistant position. Some terrible family trauma, Luca explained vaguely. Cyrus didn’t push.
However, Cyrus needed someone in the interim to help him keep up with the paperwork and scheduling that Miles used to handle. Luca mostly handled physical paperwork and phone calls as he struggled to work on the computer Cyrus had provided. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than nothing.
However, Cyrus enjoyed Luca’s company as he had little else. Luca was his only true friend these days, and Cyrus was paying him.How pathetic am I? I have to pay my only friend …
“Sir,” Luca called after him as he reached the top of the stairs. “Ms. Wilder is waiting for you in your office.”
“Thank you, Luca.”
Gerri was early, which was less than ideal for Cyrus, but he could make the best of it. He showered and changed quickly, and as he made his way down the hall, he hoped that this meeting would pan out better than his others had.
Cyrus stepped into his spacious office to see the petite and sassy Gerri Wilder leaning against his desk. Her arms were folded, and she lifted an eyebrow at him as he entered. Cyrus scanned the room but found no one else.
“Wilder. So where is this perfect candidate you brought me?” Cyrus crossed his arms.
Gerri could not have looked more at ease. She casually dropped her arms and stared at Cyrus with a quizzical look on her face. Finally, she let out a low chuckle.
“Always so serious, Bechtel. The girl is outside,” Gerri said with a flick of her hand. He assumed she meant the adjoining sitting room since he didn’t see her on his way in. “But I need to have a word with you first.”
Cyrus let out a sigh and walked around to sit behind his desk. He gestured to Gerri to have a seat across from him, and she lowered herself gracefully into a comfortable armchair. Gerri wore a sly smile on her face like she had a secret.
She was very snake-like in her movements, deliberate and fluid. Thankfully, she was not the kind to beat around the bush. She was always open and frank, almost to the point of rudeness, and yet it was never delivered in an offensive way.
