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She sits across from me. “Thanks.”
I blow on my coffee before taking a sip. “Is the bistro always this packed?”
She smiles, her teeth white. “Yeah, I work across the street at Risqué, so most of their employers come here.” She sips her bottle of water. “Is this your first day?”
Nodding, I bite into my croissant. The butter melts into my tongue, and it’s so delicious. I haven’t had a croissant that tastes this good. She lounges back in her chair, her brown eyes beaming at the people strolling on the sidewalk.
“Oh, awesome. Which department do you work in?”
“I’m the executive assistant for Atlas.”
“I’m Jasper’s personal assistant, Ember. Nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
She places her elbow on the table. “So… how is it working for Atlas?”
I raise my eyebrows. “Do you want the honest truth?”
She nods, her chocolate eyes widening. “Yes.”
“I spent the last five hours with him, and I’m already ready to quit.”
“That bad, huh?”
I nod.
“Jasper and Trent are assholes, too. I don’t know why they act like the world is coming to an end if something goes a little different or wrong. I’m surprised they haven’t had a heart attack yet.”
“How do you handle Jasper?”
She sips her water and bites into her muffin before answering. “Honestly, I usually tune him out and develop a thick skin. I’ve been working for him for three years, and he is not as bad as Atlas, but I stand up to him when I feel he’s in the wrong. Don’t take Atlas’s shit.”
“This is the best advice someone ever gave me, thanks.”
“No problem.”
“Are you new to New York City?”
I nod. “Yes and no. I’m new to living here, but I came here a few times for vacation.”
“Why did you move up here?”
“Career opportunity.”
Partially true. I want to start fresh from the life I left back in the Hamptons. The broken girl who got her heart broken by her fiancé, making her feel like she wasn’t pretty enough to love.
“Everyone moves here because of their careers. I did the same thing, too. If you want to know any great food joints, I’m your girl. My father owns a few restaurants here. Soul food. Seafood. BBQ. We’re from the south. I know different places.”
We exchange numbers.
“Will do.” I glance at the time on my phone. Shit, my lunch break is almost over. “I got to go. He’s going to kill me if I’m late.”
After work, I meet Poppy at an upscale steakhouse for dinner. After the day I’ve had working with Atlas, I can use a drink or five. He’s arrogant, obnoxious, and a bully. I understand he’s the owner, and he’s under a lot of stress, but it doesn’t mean he has every right to treat me like shit. He gave me so much stuff to do after work, so I won’t be able to sleep tonight. Fuck. Me.
Poppy cuts into her steak, pops a piece in her mouth, chews, then swallows. Bags hang under her eyes, and her shoulders sag. “I found messages of Link talking to another woman.”
I’ve never been cheated on, so I don’t understand her pain. I stroke her back.
