Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
“New girl for Smith & Sullivan?” she asks, a kind smile on her lips.
“Oh, yes,” I stutter out, cursing myself for losing my cool confident facade immediately. “How did you know?”
She winks at me before ducking her head to open a drawer beneath her desk. “It’s my job to know everything that goes on here,” she answers as she holds out my new employee ID to me. “Just tap it on the keypad at that door and head on up to floor five.”
“Thank you.” I grin at her, the ID in my hand feeling like a trophy. This job is my gateway to the life I want, security, steady pay, making a life for myself, and it finally feels real.
“Have a good first day!” the woman calls after me as I follow her instructions, tapping the card against the electronic box to the right of the interior door. It beeps, the light turning green, and lets me through.
The elevator is empty when I jump in, pressing the button labeled Floor Five - Smith & Sullivan. I remind myself to breathe, to smile, to act like I’m not freaking the fuck out all day. I’m still not ready when the doors open, but I step out with false confidence, entering the lobby of a huge office.
There’s a mix of large offices and conference rooms as well as desks and a waiting area at the front. I can see movement in the glass offices, people pacing and talking as they start work. The sound of keyboards clicking and male voices murmuring on a phone call combined with the smell of coffee and pastries, making the space a little less intimidating. I hover, unsure of where to go or what to do. The interview was over the phone. I’ve never been in here before.
Just as my anxiety gets the better of me, a voice carries across the room. I jolt, sure I’m imagining things.
“...Well, tell Preston it has to wait until the tenth…no, it’s not up for debate…”
The door to one of the glass-walled offices is open. My eyes lock on it, my body driven to get closer to that voice. And then I see him.
He’s holding a phone to his ear, jaw clenched, leaning one hand on a huge desk in the center of the office. His suit is navy blue, his dark hair swept back in a short, neat style, and his eyes narrow on a large computer screen.
My breath hitches, and my hands begin to tremble. It can’t be…but it is.
Sean.
6
SEAN
“Well, tell Preston it has to wait until the tenth,” I snap down the phone, fingers digging into the dark wood of my desk.
This is not the call I need to be dealing with at nine in the morning. I glance at the time at the bottom of my computer screen. Christ, not even nine in the morning. There’s no amount of coffee in the world that can save me from a weekend of no sleep, a stress headache, and having to listen to the obnoxious demands of a man over the phone that absolutely could’ve been a fucking email.
“No, it’s not up for debate,” I argue with the man on the other side of the line. I have half a mind to hang up on him and deal with the consequences later. Instead, I muster up a modicum of professionalism and say, “Look, I have a nine a.m. appointment I can’t miss. Sort it out.”
I hang up, drop my phone back to my desk, and hang my head.
“Fuck,” I mutter to myself, gritting my teeth so hard my jaw aches.
The time at the bottom of my screen reads one minute past nine. I groan. The last thing I want to do now is act pleasant and welcoming to the new secretary I need to train. I’m in no mood to be patient enough to show her around and walk her through everything step-by-step, but there’s no choice.
God, I can’t wait for this day to be over. This whole week, really. At least on Friday night, I can drag myself down to the bar in the hope of seeing Savannah again. I refuse to even contemplate the idea of never seeing her again. I can feel it in my very bones—she’s meant to be mine.
I sigh, forcing myself to stand up straight and adjust my suit jacket and tie. I can at least try to make a good first impression. After all, we need this new hire to stay. I don’t have the time or energy to go through a hundred interviews again. I don’t even have time to stand here like an idiot debating the state of my life.
I scrub a hand across my jaw as I stride out of my office. The other employees offer me tight smiles and nods, clearly sensing my shit mood and giving me a wide berth. Any other day, I’d apologize for my attitude and try to put them at ease, but I don’t have it in me today. I’ll make it up to them with a catered lunch or something. It’s hard for people to be mad when they’re eating free donuts.