8. Maddy
8
MADDY
N oah led me around the office.
Pro: I was incredibly excited for my first official day a Parker Sports Management headquarters.
Con: My knees were shaking with nerves.
Even though I thought I was prepared for what I was about to experience, I had no idea what I was walking into. Everything about it was sleek, from the building to the people inside it. I was thankful Noah had gifted me with more than one outfit before our trip to North Dakota because it wasn’t like I owned anything remotely appropriate for the place. I already had plans for a shopping trip after my first paycheck.
There was a vibe around the building that felt electric. So different from the newspaper, where apathy and disillusionment oozed from every employee.
I’d expected that Noah would deliver me to a colleague for my official tour, but he led me around himself, showing me the ins and outs of the place while giving me insights into everyone’s roles. The curious looks from his employees were interesting but they were quickly masked leaving me to wonder what was going on. But throughout the tour, he engaged with everyone he introduced me to, and it was clear that Noah Parker knew his business inside and out. It seemed as though everyone liked him—or at least was putting on a very convincing show.
“One last stop,” he said as he directed me toward an office at the end of the tour. “Long overdue, considering how this working relationship started.” He gestured toward a harried looking woman with glasses perched on the end of her nose. “Jennifer Wilcox, please meet our newest employee, Maddy Malone. We did things backward, as you know, so I’m hoping that you can make it right.”
Yeah, it had been beyond backward for us to spend the past twenty-four hours together without an employment contract in place, but I wasn’t the type to nitpick about something like that.
I saw Jennifer frown for a second then adjust her expression. “Right down to giving her a tour, which you didn’t have to do, Noah, but thanks. So, how about we fix all this now? Maddy, please have a seat so I can walk you through this paperwork.” She placed a thick folder on the desk in front of her.
Noah smiled at me, and I felt a little tingle remembering the way he’d held my hand on the plane. We’d shared a moment of connection that was probably explicitly outlined and forbidden somewhere in the forms awaiting my signature. I guessed that sort of fraternization was against the rules, but then again, he’d made the rules so maybe he could look the other way?
“I’ll leave you both to it. Thanks, Jennifer.”
Noah gave us a nod before heading out.
“I’m going to give you a few minutes to read over everything, then we can discuss any questions that you might have,” Jennifer said as she gestured to the stack.
Thirty minutes later, I’d signed a few dozen pages and was heading back to my desk outside Noah’s office.
“Hey Maddy.”
I glanced around and saw two of the other assistants Noah had introduced me to earlier peeking out of the kitchen.
“Hi,” I waved.
“C’mere,” the shorter, red-haired woman named Allison stage whispered. “We want to talk to you.”
I walked in and both Allison and Gigi—a tall blonde—practically pounced on me by the coffee machine.
“Tell us everything,” Gigi said in an excited voice. “We heard Zoe got canned but we don’t know the details.”
Clearly office gossip was expected, but I wasn’t sure how open to be with them. We’d just met, and even though I wanted to make friends, some part of me also felt loyal to Noah.
“Um, it seems like there was an issue with the flight she arranged for Noah, so he fired her.”
Allison flipped her hand at me. “What was the issue?”
I sketched out the big picture details, just the facts, since I didn’t know what the office culture was like. When they learned I’d gone along on the scouting trip, they got the story of Zoe canceling the meeting out of me, too.
Gigi blew out a breath. “Wow, she went out with a bang. No wonder though, after what she put Noah through.”
“Yeah, I heard she wasn’t a dependable assistant,” I said.
Both women burst out laughing.
“You obviously don’t know the whole story,” Allison said.
Worry kicked up inside of me. “There’s more?”
“ So much more.” Gigi ran to the door, peered around then hurried back. “Brace yourself.”
“Zoe came on as a temp after Noah’s long-time assistant, Jackie, retired,” Allison began. “Jackie had been with him since he founded the company, so he wanted to take his time finding the right match for the position. Plus, I know you’re new, but you must have picked up on how exacting Noah can be?” Allison waved her hand when I opened my mouth to ask a question. “It’s generally not a bad thing, unless you’re on the receiving end of him being annoyed with you.”
“Zoe was fine at first. She seemed to be decent at her job,” Gigi said. “And it’s not the easiest position to fill, you know? Demanding hours, lots of travel—it’s not for everyone, but Zoe seemed all for it, so Noah hired her full-time.”
“And she seemed competent, despite the fact she was always on her phone,” Allison added.
“Yeah.” Gigi snorted. “It didn’t take long for us to figure out what why she really wanted to work here. She thought the access to pro athletes would give her great social media content. When Noah made it clear that was a violation of our clients’ privacy, she started acting out. Some people can’t handle being told No by their boss.”
I frowned and wondered if anything I’d done could be misconstrued as acting out. Sure, I’d stuck up for myself, but had any of it crossed a line into unprofessional behavior? “How did Noah react?”
“When she started making mistakes here at work, I think she was doing it on purpose, trying to get more of his attention—get him to realize how much she contributed to the office, you know? Maybe get him to reconsider. But then when it didn’t work, she started just phoning it in, doing the bare minimum while focusing most of her time on her own stuff. Screwing up the reservation? Stuff like that was happening all the time . She’d get caught up in something online and forget about the work she was actually getting paid to do. Dumb move, since she must have known it would get her fired in the end. Noah has no patience for people who don’t know how to keep a line between their personal and professional life.”
“Too bad not everyone takes the high road like that.”
“Right? And when other people get too ‘personal’ at work, it’s not about social media, if you know what I mean,” Gigi said.
I blinked. “Sorry? I don’t follow.”
Allison made a face. “We know for a fact that a bunch of agents have messed around with their assistants. There’s no written fraternization policy so there are a bunch of bed hoppers around here.”
“Did someone say bed hopper?”
My heart nearly stopped at the sound of the voice. Deep, smooth, familiar . It couldn’t be, yet there he was, rounding the corner into the kitchen with that smile he’d always thought was so irresistible.
Beckett Tate.
It didn’t matter how things had ended between us, seeing him still made me feel a little unbalanced. The only difference was, I used to like the feeling.
I didn’t anymore.
Not after the way we left it. I’d changed since then—but he clearly hadn’t. He still moved through the world like he knew people were watching him, and to be fair, they usually were. He definitely wasn’t on my list of favorite people anymore, but even I had to admit the guy was drop-dead gorgeous. Sandy hair that always looked a little bedhead, a smile that was downright magnetic, and a lean body honed in the gym that looked good in and out of clothes.
What a shame the personality inside didn’t match the pretty exterior.
“Maddy Malone, what the hell are you doing here?” He was smiling as he said it, but it didn’t feel like a friendly greeting and it certainly didn’t reach his eyes.
Allison and Gigi glanced between us.
“You two know each other?” Gigi asked.
I wanted to beat Beckett to the punch and give a backstory that worked for me, but he started talking before I could.
“Yeah, we do,” he said, his smile shifting into a knowing smirk. “Lots of history with this one.”
“Sounds like this is a story for the next office happy hour,” Allison said. “I need to run but I’m getting the details over beers, got it?”
“Same,” Gigi added. “Gossip is my middle name and I’m here for this. Maddy, welcome, and don’t hesitate to tell us if this guy gets to be too much.”
They left us alone in the kitchen, and I struggled to find something to say to Beckett. Seeing him triggered an avalanche of memories, the good ones overshadowed by the bad. I’d been the one to end things with him, but the truth was he’d pushed me to it. After a tumultuous relationship in college, I’d been poised to leave for DC and that internship at CNN, thinking that we were going to give long distance a try. But Beckett had always been possessive of me, and the idea that I was going to be on my own in a new city kicked his jealousy into overdrive. He’d tried to convince me not to go, then went as far as to try to forbid it, which pushed me over the edge. I’d ended our relationship, and he disappeared, leaving me to look for flaws and cracks in every man I’d dated since him. It was almost like I couldn’t trust myself when it came to relationships.
Beckett and I hadn’t talked in ages, yet here he was, looking at me with the same appreciative stare that used to turn my knees to jelly. I was happy to realize he no longer had the same effect on me.
“Hi Maddy.”
“Hi.” I backed away from him until I bumped into the counter behind me. I wasn’t sure how I was going to navigate this new development, but I knew I wasn’t about to let Beckett Tate into my life again, even as a friend. The way he’d dropped out of my life completely had shown that he didn’t actually care about me—he only cared about being able to control me. Once I stopped dancing to his tune, he had no further use for me. “How’ve you been?”
“Amazing, as usual,” he said in a light tone that I knew was only half joking. Beckett was always his own biggest fan. “You’re looking phenomenal. I like your hair, it’s different. Shows off your cheekbones.”
He’d always had plenty to say about my appearance, both good and bad. It had gotten to the point where I craved validation from him, and I felt a reflexive flutter at the compliment. “Thanks.”
He crossed his arms and studied me, dragging his eyes down my body. “We should grab coffee and catch up. Laugh about old times. Plus, I could clue you in on the way things work around here. There are definitely some people to watch out for, if you know what I mean.”
As if. I wondered if he realized he was talking about himself?
There was absolutely no way I was going to let Beckett get into my head again. I was a different person now, and I wasn’t about to stand for the controlling crap he used to pull on me. Demanding to check my phone, texting to find out where I was, making me ask permission if I wanted to hang out with my friends. I hadn’t even realized how bad it was until I’d gotten free of him. But now that I had time and perspective, I could finally understand how messed up it had been—and how little interest I had in going back to that on any level.
“You know what? This is my first official day and I need to focus on the job,” I replied. “But thanks anyway. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
I started for the door, but Beckett sidestepped in front of me. “Seriously? It’s just coffee, Maddy,” he said, still smiling but looking at me with hard eyes. “You afraid you won’t be able to resist me?”
I tried not to laugh in his face. Sure, I couldn’t deny that he still looked incredible, but he did nothing for me now. It was like I could see past his pretty face to who he really was; a controlling jerk who knew nothing about truly making a woman feel loved and appreciated.
“You go right ahead and think that, Beckett,” I said as I slipped past him. “Have a great day.”
I nearly collided with Noah, and I glanced back toward the kitchen to try to gauge if he’d heard anything.
“Maddy, I was looking for you. I’ve got some scheduling conflicts coming up I’ll need you to adjust. Are you ready to start work?”
Noah nodded at Beckett as he walked by us. Beckett gave him a halfhearted salute and held my eyes for a second too long. I felt my face go hot.
“Yes, I finished all the HR paperwork and was just grabbing a bottle of water. I’m ready.” I glanced down at my phone and started navigating to our shared calendar.
Noah glanced at me. “Looks like you forgot something.” He walked into the kitchen then came out holding a bottle of water toward me. “Hydration’s your friend.”
I laughed. The man was on top of everything. “Thanks. There’s so much going on and I’m trying to keep up.”
We started down the hall toward Noah’s office. He glanced down at me. “Yeah, about that… are you okay? You look a little pale.”
I could tell he was referring to Beckett. Normally, I’d never talk about an ex at work. But I had the strangest urge to tell Noah the whole story. I opened my mouth, then remembered anyone could overhear us as we strode through the office. I didn’t want to make waves on my first day with personal drama. And I wasn’t about to let Beckett throw me off my game. “Yup, I’m great! Everyone seems super nice.”
He scanned my face then finally nodded. “Okay, good to hear.” We’d arrived at his office, and he stepped aside to let me walk in ahead of him. “Let’s get to work.”
Which was exactly what I wanted to do.