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“Both, please.”
“Got it.” She makes a note, then stands. “That’s all I’ve got for now. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay.” I nod, turning to my computer. “Have a good night.”
Jeannie turns before she reaches the doorway. “Oh, and thank you for approving the extra week of vacation for me. The kids are excited to go to Disney World.”
“No problem. One of the easiest decisions I’ve made.”
She smiles. “I appreciate that you value family time even when it’s not a priority for you personally.”
Before I can respond, Jeannie’s eyes widen.
“I didn’t mean for that to sound like it’s a bad thing. Everyone has different priorities, but I’m grateful that as a boss you realize that and are accommodating to those who have a life outside of work.” Her palm finds the side of her head. “I didn’t mean you don’t have a life. Sorry, it’s been a long day and I think I’m making this worse. I just wanted to say thank you.”
I give her a small smile and a nod. “I understand and you’re welcome.”
She reaches for my office door. “Open or closed?”
Other than the cleaning staff, there’s no one here but me.
“Open is fine.”
A few minutes later, Jeannie’s lamp clicks off and I hear her leave. The office is now quiet except for the clicking of my keyboard. I pause for a moment, leaning back in my chair to think about how I want to finalize the email I’m composing.
The time alone in my office working late usually gives me comfort.
My mind starts to wander again. I tamp down the urge to think more about Sophie, so this time, my conversation with Hannah from this afternoon in the car emerges. The comments she made about our parents having each other in the early years when our dad was establishing Premier.
My dad having a partner through it all.
That while his career took up a large part of his life, he also had my mom, and us.
Like my dad before me, I’ve made my career my focus. It’s what I’ve wanted since I can remember coming to the office with him, seeing how important his job was.
I recall playing in this very office while he worked. Most of the décor and furniture have been updated, but I kept the old leather chair he had from those early days. The one I’d driven my Hot Wheels over countless times and curled up in to read Spiderman comic books.
This company was always meant to be a family business. My dad had wanted to leave a legacy for his children.
And the generations to come.
The thought has my eyes shifting to that old leather chair in the corner.
Suddenly, the silence of my office feels overwhelming. The emptiness devastating.
But I ignore the unwanted feelings and finish my email, then move to the next.
CHAPTER4
Sophie
I close the door behind me and lean against it. The apartment is quiet. Exactly how I left it eight hours ago, before I made a fool of myself at lunch with a potential client. Scratch that, an official client. That must be the silver lining in all of this. Even after I accused her fiancé of cheating on her, and told her about the money for sex situation, Hannah, and her actual fiancé, James, did end up signing the contract with Johnathan for their wedding. I’m pretty sure that was the only reason I did not get fired today.
Johnathan was cool about the whole thing. He even gave me a ‘it happens to the best of us’ pep talk on our ride back to the office. It was nice of him to try to make me feel better about the situation, but the reality is, I messed up. I wanted to do the right thing and I jumped in feet first, not even bothering to collect all the facts. If I would have simply waited for Hunter to introduce himself as Hannah’s brother, the whole situation could have been avoided.
It wouldn’t have changed the fact that I had to sit next to him at lunch, avoiding eye contact and trying to ignore the way his mere presence had my body thrumming and my panties dampening.
I hang my bag on the hook by the door and slip off my flats. My feet are swollen and tired. I can only imagine if I would have tried to wear the heels I’d packed. If it wasn’t clear before, after one workday in this city, I realize Carrie Bradshaw was one bad ass bitch walking the New York City streets in heels.
