Chapter 37
Reset button
Harley
Iget out of the taxi, balancing the cardboard box I’m holding and practically prance as I waltz up the street. I stop and my eyes lift to the top floor with the huge black paned windows.
This is the reset button I needed.
I continue trailing the length of the building until I reach the staff’s entrance to the Lindstrom Corp’s office.
The huge smile stretching my lips falls.
With my hands occupied, how the hell am I going to open the door?
As I peer inside, the door opens.
I step back.
A broad-shouldered man wearing a navy-blue security guard uniform stares down at me. “Can I help you?”
“Good morning.” I dial up the wattage to my smile. “My name is Harley Lancaster and I’m here to meet with Cressida Paddleford.”
“Ah.” He nods. “You’re the new hire.”
“Yes, I am.” If I wasn’t carrying this box, I’d be bouncing on the balls of my feet.
“Let me help you with that.” He reaches for the box.
“Thank you so much.”
“Come on in,” he says.
I step inside the building.
No run of the mill fluorescent ceiling light fixtures here. Instead, a retro standout light fixture made with brass plumbing pipes hangs above my head. The star features are the lightbulbs with spiral filaments.
Edison would’ve been proud.
“The elevators are right behind me,” the security guard says. “You’re on the third floor.”
“Thank you.”
He uses his elbow to press the elevator button.
The door opens.
I step inside, and he hands me the box.
“Have a good day,” he says.
“I will. Hope you have a good one.”
He responds with a chin nod.
It’s a short elevator ride to the third floor.
When the doors open, a tall brunette with blonde-streaked hair that hits her at the waist, wearing a classic sleeveless A line navy-blue dress, greets me.
She smiles. “You must be Harley. Gerardo texted to let me know you were on your way.”
“And you must be Cressida.”
“I am.” Her dark blue eyes lower for a beat before locking onto mine. “Look at you. You already bought a flower for your office.”
Did she say office?
“It’s a gift to celebrate my first day on the job.” It takes everything in me not to grin ear to ear.
“I love orchids. I’ve never seen one like that before.”
“I love them as well. They’re such a classic flower. And this one is a rare species.”
“What a combination of colors.”
I nod. “The splash-petals are yellow, magenta, and light lavender, and the tri-color blooms are a feast for the eyes.”
She leans in. “As a former florist, do you have a favorite flower?”
“It all depends on the season and the mood.”
“That makes sense,” she says. “I like that this is your second career.”
It’s my third, but we don’t talk about the second career. That was a debacle.
“This is my second career as well,” Cressida says.
“Oh. What was your first?”
“I was a stage actress with one notable play under her belt. Showbusiness is cut-throat business, and even more so when you’re so much taller than most leading men.”
I pull my lips down in a frown.
“Women your height have it made.” She motions a finger up and down my body.
No point in telling her my fear of rejection prevented me from pursuing an acting career. “You could’ve been a model,” I say. “You still can.”
She crosses her eyes and pantomimes gagging. “No way. That industry is even more messed up than acting.”
“I hear you.”
She gives off a boss lady vibe, but she’s approachable.
Fingers crossed everybody in the office is as personable.
“Not that it matters, it brings me peace of mind to have a regular paycheck. It’s less pressure on my husband,” she says. “And I love being able to feed my kids.”
I laugh.
Kaz’s office manager has a great sense of humor.
“Let me take you to your office so you can drop the box, and then you’ll meet the team.”
She said office again.
“If you’ll follow me.”
“I’m right behind you.”
She turns around and points in front of her. “This desk is empty, because our receptionist-slash-office admin is running late. Her three-year-old had an existential crisis this morning.”
“Oh, poor thing.”
“No worries. Mommy was crafty in averting a full-blown freakout tantrum.” She laughs.
I do the same.
I trail behind Cressida, my eyes trained on her four-inch nude heels with the red soles.
I too am wearing four-inch shoes with red soles, courtesy of my roommate-slash-new-boss-slash-fake-boyfriend-slash-pussy-devourer-extraordinaire, but my strappy nude heels do nothing to give me a little height next to this Amazonian.
The perils of being short.
“That’s the boss’s office.” Cressida points to her left.
I stretch my neck to catch a glimpse as we pass by.
There isn’t a Post-it note out of place, just like his massive walk-in closet filled with high-end clothes, shoes, and accessories.
Kaz is a neat freak at the office as much as he is at home.
“This is your office,” she says, pointing to an office that’s at an angle from Kaz’s.
I poke my head inside.
Whoa.
I stare up at Cressida. “There must be a mistake. I’m a newbie. Shouldn’t I be sitting in the open space area?”
“This office belonged to the CEO who was overseeing Kaz’s companies while he was winning Stanley Cups. It’s been vacant since she got married and moved Down Under. When the boss announced he had hired a new social media manager slash public relations liaison, he decreed this office was yours.”
Blink.
“I had one of the admins order you a new laptop and a new company phone. I can show you to the supply room, where you can grab any office supplies you need. If there’s anything missing, let me know.”
Blink.
“Just like the boss’s office, you have a floor-to-ceiling window that doesn’t offer much of a view, but you get a lot of sunlight pouring in.”
Cressida is still selling me on the office that used to belong to the former CEO. The freaking CEO. A woman who must have a wall filled with degrees, while I have a high school education.
I’m stunned.
Cressida tilts her head to the side. “Do you need a cup of coffee to get your engine going? The coffee maker here rivals the best coffee shops in the city. You can take a coffee break, and then we’ll do the rounds.”
I snap out of it. “No. I can have a coffee after I meet the team. It’s just…” I shake my head. “It’s a lot more than I expected.”
She glances over my head before leaning into me.
“I should remove the app from my phone, but I’m addicted to that website.
Yesterday afternoon, my jaw came unhinged when my eyes landed on the photo on the front page of the website.
That Hollywood kiss…” She pats her heart.
“Granted, the boss had assigned the office to you before that epic kiss, but given the way he feels about you, it’s no wonder you’re getting the second best office in the building. ”
I blush. “It’ll be strictly professional at the office.” What we share is make-believe.
“Kaz already promised as much.” She winks.
My blush deepens.
“On a more serious note, in your new role, you’re going to deal with sensitive information about the charity that shouldn’t land on unsuspecting ears,” she says. “Hence, the office with a door.”
I nod.
Her phone rings. She checks it and meets my gaze. “I need to get this, but I won’t be long.”
“No problem.”
I enter my new office, drop the box on my desk, pull out the magnificent orchid and place it in a spot where I can look at it all day long. I grab the paper bag containing my banana and walnut muffin and place it on the cabinet behind the desk.
Cressida is still on her call, pacing up and down the hallway.
I pull the strap of my handbag over my shoulder and wait.
I bite against the inside of my lower lip to suppress a smile as I flashback to waking up this morning, expecting to see Kaz sleeping in the armchair. Instead, I found a majestic flower, a paper bag containing a box stuffed with six yummy muffins, and a note scrolled in a messy print.
Hey Goldilocks,
I sent you a few texts. I don’t have the best penmanship, so it might be hard to read a long note.
Kaz
Unable to resist, I fish inside my handbag for my phone and reread his texts for the fifth time since I woke up.
Kazimir
The shit show at the restaurant was a fucking nightmare. The place was crawling with cops and FBI guys. Anyway, I got home late and I didn’t want to disrupt you, so I resumed my post on the armchair. No nightmares last night. I’m glad.
Kazimir
Noticed you put the gift cards I gave you to good use. I tripped over shopping bags from that book shop where I bought you a few books last week.
Kazimir
I can’t believe you finished the four books I bought you. At this rate, you’ll need a bookshelf to store your growing collection.
Kazimir
Had to get out early to head to Grazie Mille. The owner is freaking out. I don’t blame him.
Kazimir
I got you a few things. By eight o’clock, it was clear I was going to be stuck at the restaurant for a while. I took a break from the CSI:NY episode I found myself trapped in, ran to a florist, and got you something for your desk. The vibrant colors remind me of your personality.
Kazimir
This morning, I went for a run—I needed to be outside. On the way back, I bought muffins. Since I didn’t know your favorite flavor, I got you the bestsellers.
Kazimir
Cressida Paddleford is the office manager. Except for my executive assistant—and now you—she’s the buffer between me and the rest of the staff. She’ll show you around.
Kazimir
Have a great first day at work. I have no doubt you’ll dazzle everyone at the office. Catch you later.
‘The vibrant colors remind me of your personality.’
I’m grinning like a fool.
You can buy orchids at any bodega in New York. If your heart is set on the pricey Dick Smith ‘Paradise’ orchid, you’ll have to go to a florist that sells this rare gem.
“Ready?”
My eyes bounce up to meet Cressida’s. “Ready.”