Chapter 2
two
Olivia
I knew Abbot didn’t like me the moment I was assigned to be her assistant. I have no clue why, but maybe she felt threatened by me for some reason. Perhaps because her uncle hired me without her input.
Now it doesn’t matter. With no warning other than her daily tirades about my work, she fired me. In front of a now ex-client.
And blamed me for losing him. I don’t understand. I can’t look at him so I stare out the window when I ask, “Mr. Winter? Why does she blame me?”
The silence lasts too long and dread fills me. What have I done that’s so bad he can’t even tell me? I turn my head to look at him. Elbows braced on his thighs, he’s leaning forward with his hands clasped between his knees, staring at the floor. I study the silver-shot, short cut of his dark brown hair. The information I gathered on him and the company for Abbot stated he’s in his mid-thirties so he’s going prematurely gray.
He must sense me looking at him because his head lifts slowly. With his lips flattened to a thin line, his expression is neutral. His back straightens and he spears his fingers through his hair, lifting the short strands. Even blurred by my tears, he’s stunning.
I already knew that from my research and the peeks I’d taken into the office while he talked to Abbot. Up close, he steals my breath.
I’m sitting here, crying like a… well, like someone who just got blindsided. Abbot undoubtedly did not sing my praises, so my tears probably won’t drive his opinion of me any lower.
I need to get out of here. Go home and suffer alone and in silence. I don’t have many personal things at work, I haven’t been there long enough. Nothing I don’t mind never seeing again. But I can’t afford to refuse the paycheck. I’m skating on thin financial ice the way it is and losing my job could easily prompt my bastard of a landlord to kick me out of my apartment for being unemployed.
A fresh round of tears threatens. Pressing my eyes with another of the napkins Mr. Winter stuffed into my hands, I tell myself tears never solve anything. I’ve been down before. More times than I care to think about. I’ll rise up again. To a better life.
“Olivia?” The baritone rumble of his voice ignites heat low in my body. Beyond losing my job, this man is dangerous to me. He draws a deep breath. “I’m so sorry.”
Putting on what I hope is a brave face, I shrug one shoulder. “She never liked me anyway. Probably just a matter of time before I got fired. I just don’t understand why she blames me. I had nothing to do with the contract. Makes no sense.”
“The blame is mine.”
“I don’t understand, Mr. Winter.”
“Gabe. Call me Gabe. Or Gabriel. I’m afraid it’s my fault you were fired.” He drags his hands through his hair again before rubbing one side of his short beard and resting his palms against his knees. “None of the models Ms. Abbot provided match my vision for the upcoming catalog shoot.”
“Why does that have anything to do with me? I just carry papers around to make her look important. Oh, and fetch coffee, of course.” Lame, but that’s pretty much what my job description is—was.
“You should be doing more. You should be modeling,” he states. The tone of his declaration dries any remaining tears.
“I gave up that dream a long time ago. I’m too short. And according to Abbot, too… round. That’s not anything to blame me for. I can’t help my genetics.”
“It’s because of me.” He waits until I meet his gaze. “I refused to use the models she suggested. I told her I wanted you. To model for the catalog. You… you’re a perfect match to my vision. As well as the customers I want to attract to Angel Night. I insisted and she brought up the terms of your employment contract. I pushed for a change. She pushed back. I broke the contract with her agency. In retaliation, she fired you. I’m sorry.”
“She didn’t need any provocation, your actions just gave her reasons. I…” The need to escape rises strong enough to bring me to my feet. I can’t be around anyone right now. I need to process. Plan. Make a list. Something. “I need to go.”
“Olivia? Wait.”
His soft command halts me at the door. No, it wasn’t a command, more like a plea. Orders I can ignore. The pain underlying his tone matches my own and I speak without facing him. “There’s things I need to do, Mr. Winter. Gabe.”
He follows me to the door and out into the empty office space. For what I’d researched as a profitable business, it’s odd to not have anyone at least at the reception desk. Glancing around I ask the question that’s been on my mind since we arrived. “Why isn’t there anyone working?”
When I reach the elevator, I turn to look at Gabe. I’ve surprised him with the question. He reaches around me to push the call button. “This is new office space. The staff is currently packing to move up here tomorrow. The area will be teeming with people then.”
“Oh, I see. I just thought it was strange.” The elevator door opens with a soft whoosh. “Good bye, Gabe. I hope to see you again sometime. Under better circumstances.” That’s putting it mildly. I’d like to see him again under any circumstances. Preferably some intimate rendezvous. Now I’m imagining impossible things and release a slow breath as I turn to face the front of the elevator.
There’s no way he’d be interested in me. Not that way.
Jerking one hand forward, he stops the closing elevator door then enters the confined space and pushes the button for the ground floor. “Olivia, I can’t apologize enough for what happened. I want to make it up to you.”
My wry chuckle fills the wood-paneled space. “There’s nothing for you to make up for. My time with Abbot was limited anyway. I was—” I spread my thumb and forefinger half an inch apart. “—this close to quitting. She’d worn me down and I didn’t like coming to work any longer. That’s no way to spend your life.”
“No, it isn’t. Do you have any ideas what’s next?”
We exit the elevator and cross the building’s small lobby. “I hadn’t gotten that far in my thinking. I guess this will just be the same as any other time I’ve started over.”
As often as I’ve have to do just that, I should create a laminated to-do check list. Hell, it’s only been a few months, maybe the last list is still floating around in some pile of papers.
“First thing will be getting through tomorrow. It would be a miracle if Abbot isn’t in the office at my assigned time, but I’m pretty sure that’s too much to ask for. She’ll want a final opportunity to point out how unacceptable I am even for the menial job she so graciously allowed me to attempt.” The snark in my tone makes me wince.
Gabe chuckles. “Sorry, but you paint a perfect picture of the bitch. I prefer not to work with someone who takes pleasure out of degrading another. It’s worth a broken contract.”
My expression must have changed because he stutters as he backtracks. “I mean, uh, not that breaking the contract was a good thing… I mean it was… uh… not because of you though…”
“Stop. It’s okay. She surprised me and the sudden change in my employment status is what brought on the tears. Those are over and I’m fine. Good to go. Don’t worry about me.”
“I do, though. Worry about you. It’s my fault?—”
Holding up one hand I attempt a fierce expression. Other than the fact I’m lying and my eyes sting with a fresh round of impending tears, I think I succeed. “Stop apologizing. What’s done is done. No, this isn’t the best day of my life. Not the worst either. Thank you for caring, though. It was nice to meet you.”
I shove through the glass door and after a moment to get my bearings, stride quickly down the sidewalk. I don’t have money to waste on a ride-share or even the bus, so I’ve got a couple miles to walk to get to my apartment. Damn Abbot for insisting I wear stylish heels at work. My walking shoes are stuffed into the bottom drawer of my desk.
I’ll survive. Once I’m out of sight, I’ll slow down and try not to jam my toes in the pointy shoes. The reward of a foot soak with a fizzy bath bomb will keep me going.
“Olivia,” he calls.
What now? My shoulders droop slightly as I turn. Sunlight glints off the silver in his hair and beard making him look like an ancient god. After clearing the awe from my throat, I ask, “What, Gabe?”
“Olivia, I want to offer you a job.”