Chapter 6 #2
As soon as I step inside, I see Beck and Adrian, and another guy I haven’t met yet. This guy seems much less intimidating, though equally handsome. I take in his olive skin, black short wavy hair, and blue eyes that meet mine with softness.
Or maybe that’s sympathy?
“Caleb Lewis,” he says, offering his hand. “I’m the operations partner, and in charge of the day-to-day tasks.”
I nod and take his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Alright,” Adrian cuts in. “Now, take a seat so we can go through a few things.”
“Okay.” I pull out the chair across from the three of them, my heartbeat pounding in my temple like a bass drum in my ear. I take a seat, tugging my jacket around me.
“We have morning meetings at eight-thirty, every single day. You will be expected to be here. With our coffee orders. I suggest you get them on your way here.”
“That’s a little nitpicky,” Beck chimes, giving him a look. “Why can’t we just have them delivered?”
I swallow hard at the exchange of looks between Beck and Adrian.
“Anyway,” Adrian continues, turning back to me. “There’s a special software we use here at the company. Caleb will be the one who teaches you the basics.”
Caleb breaks into a grin. “It’s easy to navigate. I promise.”
I nod. “When will we cover this?”
“Tomorrow morning,” Adrian answers. “Right after the morning meeting.”
“Got it,” I say, my voice clipped. My eyes bounce from Caleb to Adrian to Beck—and I can’t help but stop there, staring at the man I haven’t been able to purge from my brain since that night.
He sits there, lounging in his chair, arms folded, not a care in the world.
When the meeting ends, I linger behind to gather the empty coffee cups, without Adrian having to even ask.
“I’m glad to have you here,” Caleb gives me a warm smile on his way out, while Adrian curtly nods at me.
Beck is the last to leave.
I try to pretend like he’s not there as I toss the cups into the bin in the corner of the room. That nearly becomes impossible as I catch a whiff of his cologne, followed by the feeling of his looming presence.
“You good?”
I pretend to be focused on the trash, staring down into it instead of looking at him. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He huffs a laugh, barely audible. “You’re terrible at lying, Maddy. But for the record, I think you’re doing great. The first day is always rough, no matter where you work.”
As I turn to look up at him, he walks out, not looking back at me.
Well, okay then.
I stand there for a moment, staring at my reflection in the glass wall.
The rest of the day is a blur of phones ringing, emails pinging, and me trying desperately not to let my mind wander back to the night with Beck.
But it’s like trying not to blink. Every time I see him—walking past my desk, talking to a client in the lobby, laughing too loud in the break room—I remember his hands all over my body, his voice in my ear.
And when the day finally ends, and Beck, Adrian, and Caleb leave, I power down my computer and jet out of there so fast I nearly trip on my way to the elevator.
On the elevator down, I pull out my phone, texting Riley back.
Me: Made it through day one and I’m ready for a drink.
She sends back a string of exclamation points and a GIF of a person high-fiving themselves in a mirror.
By the time I get to the bar, I have sweated through my blouse in three different places. The sun is just barely down, and there’s already a wall of sound inside our favorite happy-hour place with tons of people shouting at each other over cheap drinks and sports on TV.
A week ago, I’d just be happy to say that I’m employed again.
But I never saw this coming.
Riley is already there, sitting in a booth by the window and doing her best impression of someone not scrolling Instagram to avoid making eye contact with strangers. When she sees me, her face lights up.
“Tell me everything,” she says, even before I sit down. “You made it through the first day!”
I slide in across from her, drop my bag, and barely manage a smile. “You’re not going to believe this.”
She leans in, eyes hungry as she slides my drink across to me. “Give me all the details. Did you make any friends? Did you cry in the bathroom? Are there any cute coworkers to hook me up with?”
I put my hand up to make her stop. “Remember the guy I hooked up with after Elizabeth’s wedding?”
Her eyebrows jump. “Of course. What was his name again?”
“Beck.” I pause for effect. “He’s my boss. One of my three bosses.” I slap my hands flat on the table and widen my eyes. “Like, I will see him every damn day.”
She stares at me, a look of horror on her face. “Wait, wait, wait… back up. Okay. Recap. Beck, as in hotel room Beck? You had sex with him after Wes, and now you have to work for him?”
“Yes,” I hiss. “And he didn’t say a single word about it. Not a look, not a wink, nothing. He acted like I was a total stranger.”
Riley’s face cycles through multiple emotions in seconds. “Oh my god, this is the worst thing I’ve ever heard. Or the best? No, it’s definitely the worst. Is he going to fire you?”
I let out a heavy sigh. “Why would he fire me? He didn’t even acknowledge that it happened. Maybe he doesn’t even remember?”
“Maybe it’s a power thing,” Riley declares, then lowers her voice. “Like, maybe he gets off on pretending it never happened. Maybe that’s his kink.” She bites her lip and raises her brows.
“Do not,” I warn, “start psychoanalyzing my boss slash ex one-night stand. I can’t handle it right now.”
The waitress appears, grabbing Riley’s empty glass.
“You can just plan to keep them coming.” My best friend grins, giving me a look that normally would make me laugh, if this whole thing didn’t have me spiraling.
Riley then stares at me, deadly serious. “So, tell me more about the office. What’s it like? We can get to the boss thing once I’m thoroughly filled in.”
I nod, picking up my glass and taking a sip.
“Glass everything. Very minimalist. You can see everyone and everything at all times, which is just, like, perfect for my anxiety.” I drum my fingers.
“And Adrian—my main boss—is basically a dictator. He has no emotions. He gives you this look like he’s just expecting you to fail. ”
She makes a face. “Did you mess up anything today? Did he say anything?”
“No, but he’s watching and waiting.” I take another gulp of my gin and tonic. “But that’s not the real problem. I think I can deal with him. The real problem is that every time I see Beck, I feel like I’m about to pass out.”
Riley leans across the table. “How much did you actually even talk to him?”
I nod. “He introduced himself like we’d never met—I told you that. He shook my hand. He said, ‘Looking forward to working with you.’” I cringe at the words. “I left without saying goodbye or leaving my phone number that night. It’s possible that he thinks I’m a total bitch.”
Riley processes this as she sips her drink. “Okay, so worst case, he’s mortified and never brings it up. Best case, you get a bonus for keeping your mouth shut? I mean, again, if he’s the kind of guy who hooks up a lot...”
I blink. “It might not have meant anything to him, is what you’re getting at.”
She frowns. “Maybe…” Her voice trails off, and she reaches for my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Is that something you’re okay with? Actually,” she pauses, “Are you okay?”
The question lands like a rock in my gut, and the truth spills out. “No. I’m not okay. I need this job so bad, but every time I see him, I remember everything. The hotel, the way he looked at me, the fact that I was so desperate to not feel like shit that I just…” I trail off, unable to finish.
Riley is quiet for a second, then smiles at me. “It was one night. That’s what you have to tell yourself. So what? Men do this crap all the time and never feel guilty. You’re allowed to have needs.”
“My need right now is for money,” I say, poking the condensation on my glass. “But I can’t think straight when I’m around him.”
“Just fuck the other two.” She laughs, then tries to cover it. “Sorry, that wasn’t funny.”
I glare at her, but not really. “What do I do?”
She sits back, considering. “It sounds to me like you have two choices. One—quit now, find another job, never see Beck again. Or two—pretend it never happened and hope he does the same.”
I make a face. “There is no option three?”
She taps her chin. “Option three is blackmail, but you don’t have the spine for it.”
I manage a laugh. “He could ruin me, Riley. All it would take is one bad review, and I’d be back to eating Raman noodles forever.”
She points her glass at me. “Then you don’t give him the satisfaction. You go in there, you do your job, and if he tries to pull anything, you come straight to me.”
I roll my eyes. “So you can what? Murder him?”
She grins. “If I have to. But seriously, you need this job. You’re not the first person to hook up with their boss.”
The waitress drops off another round. I vow to drink this slower, the alcohol finally smoothing out the edges.
I sigh. “This could all just go so wrong.”
Riley squeezes my hand across the table again. “You’re going to be fine.”
“The prior assistant lasted three months. I just need to make it that long.”
She raises her glass. “To three months.”
I raise mine, faking confidence. “To three months.”