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Chapter 14
Ava
After listening to Nate blow hot air my direction, I went back to my desk in a huff. I told myself that he was the boss. If he wanted me to finish a project before I left for the night, that was his prerogative. I couldn’t shake the notion that he was just making up work for me to do. I felt like I stepped into the office at the wrong time and he was lashing out at me for something someone else had said.
I shook my head to clear it. I was a professional. If he was being a dick, that was his problem. I would put in another hour to finish what he wanted done and then just leave. I didn’t have to worry about missing dinner at the shelter or catching the bus or even walking down the street in the dark.
I splurged for a parking spot with part of my first paycheck, so I was covered as far as transportation was concerned. Nate asked me to clear his calendar for the rest of the night. I didn’t know what he was talking about since it was the end of the day. But I didn’t want to argue. He seemed like he would bite my head off, so I just got out of there as quickly as possible.
Checking his calendar, I saw there were still two more meetings. It was my own bias that caused me to think the workday was over. Of course, he didn’t clock out at five. He wasn’t an hourly employee but the CEO of the entire company. He met with people on their schedules, which sometimes meant video calls as late as eight or nine in the evening.
It was too close to the appointed hour to send emails or simply cancel the meeting over web-based software. I put in a call to the secretaries of the two people he was supposed to meet with. Apologizing for unforeseen problems, I managed to reschedule both for later in the week.
That done, I wasn’t sure what else to do. I tinkered with the expense reports, making sure that all the columns added up. I highlighted a few areas and added some extra text explaining some expenditures. It would be easier for the finance team to categorize things that way. Other than that, I didn’t really have a lot of work to do.
I did some online snooping that I supposed technically could count as work. I looked Brockman Clothing up on social media to see what kinds of things they were posting. It was all pretty bland. They announced the sales that were happening and there were a few congratulatory posts about people moving up in the company. There didn’t appear to be any personality to the brand, just pictures of products and smiling, happy workers.
I played an online word game, flexing my mental muscles until the clock struck six. I looked at Nate’s door, wondering what I should do. If I just left, would he be upset? If I went in to ask him for permission, would he deny me again? I decided to err on the side of caution and opened the door once more.
Inside, Nate had turned the light on. He was staring at his computer as if the meaning of life was written across the screen. I figured it was probably stock reports that had him so engaged. Either that, or he was watching porn. I couldn’t see because the display was facing away from me.
“I cleared your schedule,” I said.
“Thank you,” he replied.
“I’m going home now,” I added.
“Okay.”
I let myself out, feeling relieved. I managed to tiptoe past the sleeping ogre without consequence. I could leave the building without angering my boss and one extra hour in the office didn’t present that much of a hardship.
I wondered what had gotten under Nate’s skin. Maybe it was his father. I had never seen him act so surly, but I had never met his father either. I couldn’t imagine anyone not being head over heels in love with Mariah. She was a breath of fresh air, so beautiful and energetic. Whoever Lex Brockman was, he had the audacity to throw away the woman who had saved my life. On the basis of that alone, I realized I might hate him.
Maybe Nate felt the same way. Maybe he was pissed that his father disrespected his mom. Maybe that’s why he was in such a foul mood. I was sure that if I found myself between two warring loved ones, I might feel similarly unhappy.
Still, he didn’t have to take it out on me. I didn’t like the way he looked at me when I went in to ask him if I could leave. It was a hungry look, one that told me he considered deepening our relationship. Men didn’t look at employees that way. That look was reserved for wives or mistresses, girlfriends, prostitutes or pin ups. I had seen that look before, though not in Nate’s eyes. I knew it meant trouble.
I drove home and parked on the street, walking up the stairs to my new home. Once inside, I kicked off my heels, slipped out of my blouse and undid my fly. Releasing myself entirely from the shackles of the day, I debated whether to take a shower or not. I just wanted to feel free. I wanted to leave the confusion and frustration behind and hide under the covers until daybreak.
Climbing into bed, I closed my eyes. The first thing that came to me was Nate’s face. He sat behind his desk like some sort of evil genius. His suit was impeccable, his tie perfectly arranged, the entire ensemble tailor made. He clasped his hands in front of his chest the way he had done before I left.
My pulse quickened, and I realized with horror that I was actually turned on by his boorish attention. He opened the door to something illicit, something I never should have seen. He might be saying all the right things and playing the part of a respectful boss, but he had shown me his hand. Right in the center, where the king should be, was a joker. It was only a matter of time before he played it.
I felt my heart beat in my throat, envisioning that day. Would I have the courage to turn him away? Or would I fall into his bed as easily as I walked into his office? I would have to be careful. There were laws governing relationships in the workplace. I couldn’t afford to fall in love with my boss, and he couldn’t afford to fall in love with me. That was, of course, if love was even on the table.
Chapter 15
Nate
I went home that night and had a little too much to drink. It was horrible dealing with my father. He was such a bull, rampaging through everyone else’s lives with no consideration. I liked to think of myself as a capable and even-tempered person, but Lex pushed my buttons like no one else could.
When Ava came into my office later to let me know she was leaving, I didn’t think anything of it. It wasn’t until the next morning that I realized I had kept her past five. She had rescheduled the late-night meetings like I asked her to, but she didn’t need to stay past her shift to do that. I had been so focused on my own drama that I forgot to think about others.
There was a bigger problem and that was I had allowed myself to consider Ava as more than just a secretary. Her presence in my life grew larger by the day. One moment I was sharing breakfast with her and the next my parents were hinting that we should get together. I wasn’t used to one woman monopolizing so much space in my mind and it made me uneasy.
Staring at her in my office, I allowed myself to think about what it might be like to kiss her. I imagined taking her by the arm and pulling her in tight. I would grasp the back of her skull and feast on her lips, leaving no room for argument. She might be surprised, but when she understood what was happening, she would open herself up to it.
That was as far as I got before my rational brain cut me off. I texted Cecilia, a friend of a friend who had indicated some interest. We arranged to meet for drinks. Unfortunately, I got too much of a head start on my own and I had to cancel. I swore that I would make it up to her, but she seemed upset.
