AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Holding up the G-string bottoms I handed her, she winked. “Maybe, but I’ll look sexy as hell.”
My mind mentally painted the picture in front of me as I stared out the window to the mountains I could see from my cubicle. I should have been working, but instead, I was trying to imagine what shade of white I’d use for the snow that sat atop the vista in front of me. I blamed Lily for all of this. After she mentioned going hiking with them so I could sketch, I had done exactly that—packed a small backpack, headed to the ranch, and hiked up one of my favorite trails. I settled on a rock that overlooked the pastures dotted with cattle and horses. I sat up there for hours and sketched before I finally made my way back down. I had to admit, it had felt so good to get lost in the art of drawing. I smiled as I closed my eyes and saw the painting take shape in my mind.
“Rose, Mr. Stiner would like to see you in his office,” Melissa, Mr. Stiner’s assistant, said as I jumped in my seat, nearly falling out.
“Jesus, Melissa. You scared me.”
She flashed me a fake smile. “I said your name. But clearly you were daydreaming instead of working.”
I stood, smoothed down my skirt, and shot her a smile just as fake. “At least some of us have an imagination.”
Glaring at me, she said, “As I said, Mr. Stiner would like to see you in his office, that is, if you’re finished imagining things.”
Winking at her, I replied, “Totally finished. I’ll be right there.”
Without another word, she turned and walked away. After grabbing my reMarkable notebook, I stood and followed in the direction she walked.
Mr. Stiner’s office was on the fifth floor, which was the very top floor of the building, so I wasn’t sure why she had come all the way to the third floor when she could have just called me. When she walked by and glanced into the office of Duke Walters, an architect, I had my answer. Duke looked like it took everything he had not to jump up and follow her. So the rumors around the office were true. By the way they were eye fucking one another, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were both out to lunch at the same time today. Not that I cared. Melissa could screw whomever she wanted.
Once we got to the elevator, Melissa stabbed the up button and ignored me. The doors opened, and we both walked in.
“How have you been?” I asked.
She smiled but stared ahead. I wasn’t sure if she was going to answer me or not. Things between us had never been cozy. We had gone to high school together but never really hung out. When I left for college, she had gone straight into working for the firm. She started in the mailroom of Stiner Architectural Firm and made her way up to administrative assistant to the owner. I had always admired how she had moved up in the company, but once I started a few months ago full time, her attitude toward me grew colder, and I wasn’t sure why.
Her reply finally came, and it felt cold.
“Fine. You?”
“Never been better. Say, are you still dating Nolan Smith?”
Her head snapped to look at me or, rather, glare at me. “No.”
With a nod, I said, “I never did like him.”
She sighed heavily, and I bet she regretted her decision to come to the third floor.
When the doors opened, she stepped out, and I followed. I stopped in front of Mr. Stiner’s door and waited for Melissa to announce I was there.
“Go on in,” she said as she narrowed her eyes at me.
“Always good chatting with you, Melissa.”
She huffed, and I swore I heard her mumble something about a little rich girl. I glanced back at her, but she had already turned her back to me.
Mr. Stiner looked up and smiled at me as he motioned for me to sit down. “Rose, thank you so much for coming on up.”
I slid into the chair and smiled as I opened my electronic notebook. “Of course, Mr. Stiner.”
I’d been working for Stiner Architectural full time since I graduated from college in early May. Two months of feeling like I was in hell. I wasn’t surprised when Mr. Stiner brought me on full time. I had worked for him a few summers in a row doing administrative things, mostly for Duke and another architect. Anytime I worked with Duke, Melissa would boss me around and tell me to do things, which drove me crazy. She had clearly forgotten at times I was no longer an intern but an actual employee now. I was positive she either got off on it or was attempting to impress the guy she was most likely sleeping with.
