5. Meredith
Chapter Five
MEREDITH
I’m hoping that after he gets settled, Logan will be a hands-off owner. After all, the first two weeks he was barely here. But now that construction is underway, I’m at the office alone with him.
“Quick question, Mr. Matthews.”
Logan looks at me curiously. “What’s that, Miss Whitlock?”
He’s been nothing but polite since that first day, but it still makes my nerves raw to just be around him.
“Why am I here? I can’t exactly manage an office with no other employees while construction is going on.”
“Do you need some time off?”
I huff out a breath. “No, but…”
“I need someone to help out with paperwork. I also invited Dina to come in today, she should be here in a few minutes.”
“Paperwork?”
“Inputting all the new pay rates into the system. That’s what an office manager does, right?”
“I mean, I guess that’s part of it?—”
“You’ll be handling payroll from now on.”
“Dean always liked to do it himself.”
“I’m not Dean.” His voice is low, and I hate how it affects my body.
His hair has gotten so long he pulls it back into a low ponytail, and it only accents his handsome face.
“So, you’re giving me more responsibility?”
“Is that a problem? You’re making five times your past pay rate. Do you need an increase?”
“That’s not…” I take a deep breath.
This is my workplace, and I have to be professional. I am a grown woman. I can do this. I can act detached and aloof and still be the most competent employee he has.
But most of all, I can’t let it show that I hate him.
Or hate that I don’t hate him.
“Then you’ll help?” He smiles, standing up as Dina comes into the office.
“Sorry I’m late.” She looks panicked. “My son?—”
Logan holds up a hand. “You don’t have to explain yourself, Dina. You’re only a couple of minutes late, anyway.”
Dina gives him a smile, glancing over at me. “Oh, hi, Meredith. Are we working together today?”
“In the back office.” I take her elbow and rush her back there after I gather up the box of data he wants inputted.
Dina frowns. “What is going on with you two? I feel like there’s a sordid past here.”
“You have no idea.”
Dina stares at me, and I don’t speak. She raises her hands and drops them. “You’re not going to spill?”
I sigh. “We used to be a thing. Years ago, when we were kids.”
“I knew it.”
I bark out a laugh. “I guess we aren’t very subtle.”
“You’re definitely not. You could cut the tension with a knife every time you guys are in a room together. What happened?”
I shrug. “It didn’t work out, and we haven’t seen each other in years.”
She pouts. “That sounds boring. I wanted some drama.”
I chuckle. “Don’t you have your own drama, now that you’re dating Nate?”
“I told you, we’re not serious yet.” She flushes.
“You want to be serious.” I bump her thigh with my own as we take the paperwork out of the box to get started.
There’s only one computer in the back office but luckily, I’ve brought my laptop, and Dina and I chat idly as we work.
A couple of hours later, it’s nearly our lunch break, and my fingers are cramping from data entry.
“Let’s go out to lunch. My treat.”
Dina beams at me. “Absolutely. Should we go somewhere fancy?”
I shake my head. “Absolutely not. A burger and fries are calling my name.”
She giggles. “I love you; you know that?”
I smile. “Love you too, Dina.”
I’m grateful to have a friend at work, especially given how tense things are between me and Logan. I have been missing Javier, who’s been at home on paid time off along with the other mechanics since they can’t work during the construction.
Dina and I go to a nearby burger place, just walking instead of taking a car.
I munch on a few fries. “Today, I’m finally going to get you to spill about Nate.”
“There’s really not that much to spill.”
I snort. “Lies. I know you, Dina, and you’ve been coming in late every other morning. I know it’s because you’re getting some.”
She gasps. “Meredith!”
I laugh out loud. “We’re grown women, you know? We can talk about sex.”
She flushes but smiles. “I guess we can, can’t we?”
“Did you grow up in one of those families where sex was taboo?”
“Oh, yeah. My mother is second generation Puerto Rican Catholic. Catholics don’t really talk about sex.”
“Well, you’re not a kid anymore. You can tell me.”
I’m honestly hoping to live vicariously through Dina. I haven’t had a real boyfriend since... well, since Logan. Yes, I did go on a date with the captain of the lacrosse team–one date. And I cried about Logan the entire time.
He was really nice about it, but it’s an embarrassing memory for me.
“He’s so good , Meredith. Like, every time.”
“Multiple?” I raise an eyebrow, and she gasps again but nods quickly. I can’t help but laugh. “He’s a real keeper, then. I’ve only had one guy do that for me.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Was it Logan?”
“I plead the fifth,” I say flatly, and she bursts out laughing.
“I think it's you who needs to spill.”
I shake my head. “I don’t like to talk about it. It’s not a happy ending, or even a good story.”
She looks at me for a moment longer but doesn’t push. “All right, fair enough.”
“Tell me more about Nate.”
“He’s so sweet. This morning, he left a rose on my pillow because he had to leave for work early. He didn’t wake me, which is why I was a little late.”
“That’s so romantic.” My voice almost sounds like a whine. I’m terribly jealous, even though I’m happy for her. Dina deserves a good guy. “Is he good with Ethan?”
Ethan is her five-year-old son.
“I don’t know.” She looks down at her burger and picks at her fries. “I haven’t let them meet yet.”
“Haven’t you been dating a couple of months?”
“Yeah, but what if it doesn’t work out? I don’t want Ethan to get attached to someone who’s not going to be in our lives long term.”
“That’s really responsible. I understand why you’d want it to be serious before you allow them to meet.”
She smiles. “I try to be a good mom.”
As she keeps talking about Ethan, telling me about how he’s doing in pre-school, an ache grows in my heart.
I’ve always wanted kids, at least two. But the older I get, the less I think I’ll actually end up having a family.
The only person I’ve ever considered a family with is Logan, and see how that worked out.
Dina and I finish up lunch and as we’re walking back to our office building, a car pulls up outside.
It looks awfully familiar, but of course, a lot of people drive sports cars...
Then my brother gets out, heading into the office.
I grab Dina and yank her into the alley.
She squeals. “What the hell?”
“My brother is here,” I whisper, and she blinks.
“So?”
I let out a breath. “You don’t understand. This job is... it’s a new start for me. My parents are really controlling, and Grayson doesn’t know that I have this job.”
“Will he rat you out?”
I groan. “I’m not sure. I should have known this would happen. He and Logan were best friends when we were kids.”
Her eyes widen. “And he was okay with you dating his best friend?”
I worry my bottom lip between my teeth. “He never knew.”
Dina chuckles. “The plot thickens.”
I clutch at her sleeve. “You can’t say anything. Please, you don’t understand how much this job is a new start for me. If he finds out Logan and I used to?—”
Dina looks offended. “I’m not going to say a word. What kind of friend do you think I am?”
I let out a breath of relief. “So, should I just hide out here?”
She takes my hand. “I think he’s going to find out about the job either way. So, why don’t we just go inside, and you can explain?”
I nod, even though panic is rising in my throat.
Grayson and I have always been close, but he’s also been a pain in my butt. It’s possible he’ll out me to my dad, but maybe I can convince him not to.
When I walk inside, Grayson turns, his eyes wide.
“Meredith? What are you doing here?”
I open my mouth to speak, but Logan beats me to the punch. “She’s my office manager.”
“You got a job?” Grayson sounds as if I’ve just told him I have a venomous snake as a pet.
My shoulders stiffen. “Yeah, is that a problem?”
“No, but if you wanted a job, you know you could have come to me.”
“I didn’t want to. And I don’t want to work for Dad, either.” I pause, taking a deep breath. “I want to do this on my own, Grayson.”
He looks at me for a moment longer, but then smiles. “Well, okay, then. I suppose having your old friend as a boss isn’t a hardship.”
I grit my teeth but nod, and Logan looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind.
But Grayson doesn’t know my history with Logan, and I want to keep it that way.
I’m worried that Logan will say something, but he remains silent, taking Grayson on a tour of the place as I follow behind.
Finally, Logan heads outside to talk to the contractors, and I have a moment alone with my brother.
I take his arm.
He turns to look at me, smiling. “So, you haven’t told Mother , huh?”
“No, nor Dad. And I’m not going to. Please tell me you won’t, either.”
He shrugs. “It’s none of my business.”
I let out a relieved sigh. “Thank God. I want to be moved out before Mother know what’s happening.”
Grayson frowns. “Are things bad at home? You know you can tell me?—”
I shake my head quickly. “Nothing like that. I love Mother, but... well, you know how she can be.”
His eyes narrow. “Damn right, I do. So, I won’t say word one about your little job, Mere. Not even to Dad, even though none of us talk to her. Don’t worry.”
I smile, thankful that my brother has my back on this.
Everything is going to be okay. I just have to get through the next few months with Logan.
I can do that.
Right?