3. Paige
PAIGE
I should have known better than to open up to Garrett on a Monday.
Not because I wanted to keep things from him, but because it meant I had to go through the entire week without knowing what his plans were. I’ve been stuck with that same feeling you get from someone saying “we need to talk”, but then they don’t have time right away. So you’re left to stew on the endless possibilities for what they could say.
It’s a good thing that the team can basically run without me, since I could barely keep my head on straight.
Now it’s Friday and I feel like I’m about to burst at the seams while I basically just watch the numbers on the clock tick painfully away. They practically taunt me, each tick sounding like a reminder that I should have—and could have—left hours earlier.
Garrett has been in and out of calls all day, only taking a break long enough to pop out to grab himself lunch and bring me back my favorite panini around two before going back to his office.
It took a while to get used to him bringing me food, to shake the feeling that I was somehow burdening him or that I owed him something in return. However, the longer I worked with him, the more evident it became that, to him, bringing coffee or food wasn’t even a second thought. Hell, apparently, the man has a stash of my favorite candy and thinks it’s no big deal. I couldn’t even tell you when I began to accept his food offerings without thinking twice about it. It just happened.
I hit refresh on my inbox for the hundredth time, pleading for any email to drop in and provide me with some sort of distraction. If only I were that lucky.
Maybe he’s waiting for me to come check in with him?
I glance at my open doorway, wishing my office were closer to his rather than down the hall, and contemplate if I should be the one to initiate this conversation. Or maybe he doesn’t have anything and I should just leave him alone. I did kind of spring all of this on him and finding a solution in five days isn’t an easy task.
But leaving now means I’d be obsessing over all the possibilities for the entire weekend.
Before I can stew any longer, my computer dings with a notification from our company’s office chat. I scramble to click it open, my heart thumping heavily against my rib cage as I see Garrett’s name with the new message icon.
Garrett Walker: If you haven’t left yet, can you come see me? If you have left, enjoy your weekend and we’ll talk first thing Monday.
Paige Adams: I’m still here, give me a minute and I’ll head your way.
Sucking in a deep, calming breath, I try to pull myself together before pushing from my chair. Every cell in my body is humming with the need to sprint down the hallway and demand answers.
I run my hands down my black pencil skirt, tugging it straight, and make sure my white silk blouse is tucked in. Grabbing my compact mirror from the drop drawer of my desk, I take a second to smooth any flyaway hairs that manage to escape my high ponytail. Feeling more in control of myself, I round my desk and start toward Garrett’s office.
The distance between our offices has never been something I’ve noticed before today. I’ve always loved how close I am to the team, being the only office that everyone has to pass after getting off the elevators on their way to the open space that is filled with cubicles for the team. The conference room is across the hall from me, meaning everything I do daily is on one side of the floor. Even when Garrett and I have our Monday one-on-ones, we usually pop into my office right after the meeting with the team.
I used to come to his side of the office a lot during my first year with the company, back when everything was all done on this one floor. However, as SweetHeart Publishing grew, editors were tripping over the design and marketing teams and we were running out of space. Until last year when Garrett purchased the floor below ours. He had the space remodeled to fit the creative team’s needs and hired a marketing manager to oversee their day-to-day needs. Which is why we don’t require everyone who works for the company to come to the Monday check-ins and rely on the department leads to share any needed information.
Garrett’s office is on the far side of the floor. To get to his, you pass everyone and everything. The lunch room, the HR offices, some storage rooms, another conference room that is mainly used for corporate meetings, and an unused office beside his. He once mentioned it was intended for a business partner, but he hasn’t gotten around to finding anyone worth partnering with.
As I round the corner and head down the hallway toward Garrett’s office, I’m momentarily distracted from my nerves. Instead, a sense of awe sweeps over as I look through his open door and take in the view of darkening skies and city lights while moving on autopilot into his office.
Garrett’s office is big, but not in the ‘over-the-top’ kind of way. His large, antique desk is across the room, right in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The view from here has always been my favorite. It overlooks the channel and part of the Tampa skyline. When the sun is setting and the city is draped in the purples and oranges of the night, it’s a gentle reminder of why I love being here.
Not that I watch the sunset from my boss’s office often. It just happens every now and then when we’re in a time crunch.
Garrett glances up from where he sits behind his desk, a crooked grin stretching across his face when he sees me in the doorway.
“Hey,” he says, standing up and in front of his desk. “I’m glad I caught you before you left. Why don’t we sit?”
He motions toward the matching couch and comfy chairs before twisting to grab some folders from his desk.
“Yeah, I was just tying up some random odds and ends,” I fib with a forced laugh as I move to sit on the brown leather chair. Whenever we do have meetings here, we both naturally gravitate to the couch, which usually results in his closeness distracting me. Something tells me I’ll need to pay full attention right now.
He turns to join me, his brows scrunching together briefly when he sees me in the chair, but his expression smooths just as quickly.
“Sorry it took me so long. I wanted to make sure I had everything in order and as much information as possible for you,” he says, picking the side of the couch that’s closest to me. Garrett sets the folders on the wooden coffee table and faces me fully. The seriousness in his expression has my breath freezing in my lungs.
“I’m just going to dive in and ask you flat out, being completely honest right now, what do you want, Paige?”
My heart skips before taking off like a horse at the races.
“Wh-what?” I stutter, trying to figure out how he expects me to answer. Without meaning to, my eyes drift to his full lips. Images of what it would be like to kiss him dance through my mind, but I clear my throat, shaking them away just as quickly.
“On Monday, you told me you want more. In what ways? Do you want a bigger team? A promotion? A new job altogether?”
He offers different options as if it would be easy to pick one.
“Like I told you, I don’t exactly know what I want. Lately, it just feels like…” I shake my head. “Something’s missing.”
Garrett watches me intently and I squirm under his assessing gaze. Needing to fill the silence, I continue, hoping I’m not shooting myself in the foot or setting myself up to get fired by being honest with him.
“I love this company and publishing. I love helping authors and working with the team, and this job has taught me so much. But this role has shown me that I can do so much more than crunch deadlines and micromanage a team.” I pause, dropping my eyes to stare at my hands in my lap. “I just don’t know what that looks like. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything to you when I don’t even fully understand what I’m feeling.”
Garrett’s hands are on top of mine before I’ve even finished speaking. The warmth of his palm over my hand has my body reacting. My cheeks burn as I glance up and find him shaking his head.
“No, I’m glad you told me. I can’t help if you don’t trust me with these things.”
We sit in silence for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest, and all I can do is nod and whisper, “Okay.”
He smiles softly, squeezing my hand gently before finally releasing me.
“I have an idea,” he starts, reaching for one of the files he brought with him and offering it to me. “Before you answer, I want you to hear me out.”
“I think I can do that,” I say, opening the folder. My eyes snag on the words in bold at the top of the page. I gasp and shove to my feet. “Tell me I’m reading that wrong.”
I demand, scanning over the words again and again, but they don’t change.
Garrett sits patiently in his seat, watching me gape over the job offer in my hands. Finally looking up from the page, I ignore the twinkle of amusement that shines in his hazel eyes and point to the page.
“You want me to be the COO of SweetHeart Publishing?” I ask dumbfoundedly, convinced either he’s lost his mind or that I’m dreaming.
But he simply nods, pushing to his feet and picking up the other file as he stands in front of me.
“I want you to be the COO of SweetHeart Assistance ,” he says matter-of-factly.
My jaw drops open and all I can do is blink once. Then again.
“This is a joke, right?” I stammer, looking back down at the open folder in my hands, and shake my head.
“No, it’s not,” he says, his tone calm and even. My gaze snaps back up to him and I finally manage to slam my mouth shut so I can suck in a deep breath. Garrett waves a hand, motioning to the chair behind me. Almost numbly, I lower myself back into the seat. He sinks to sit on the edge of the couch cushion, not once looking away from me.
“Garrett,” I whisper his name, unable to say anything else, but he takes it for the cue that it is.
“I want to expand the company and I want you to help me do it.”
Silence hangs between us as I try to process what he’s saying. After a long moment, I shake off the shock, tucking it away to deal with later, and straighten in my seat. There will be time to sort through the onslaught of emotions at home, after I have all the information.
“What do you mean by wanting to expand the company?” I question, glancing up from the paperwork. Garrett finally sits back, his eyes solely on me as he responds.
“There’s an Assistant company for sale. Based on research, the foundation is there for what I envision. It’s simply lacking funds due to poor management and an owner who no longer wishes to be in charge. But the basics are all there, aside from a couple aspects I’d like to add on for services.” He pauses, watching me expectantly, like he knew I’d already have a follow-up question.
I can’t even be annoyed that he’s right. Instead, I raise a single brow. “Given that this is currently a publishing house, what kind of services are you envisioning?”
“As it is right now, the company for sale is set up to be the people you call when you need help with all sorts of tasks. From organizing files or someone to take notes during meetings. It’s basically a privately run temp agency,” he explains and holds up the folder in his hands. “The file you have contains the current services they provide, while this one contains some ideas to add on.”
“And what are some of the services you want to add?” I ask, intrigued by the proposition and endless ideas that could come from this expansion.
“There are a couple different suggestions. The major ones being social media and PR management, which would be easy for SweetHeart Publishing to assist with since we already have that department. There’s also outlines for temporary personal assistants, errand employees, party planners, and dates.”
“Dates?” I repeat almost immediately. My attention finally leaves him to look over the papers in my hands as if it will explain everything before he can. “You want to offer escort services?”
It’s not that I’m against the idea. It’s a very intriguing one. However, the idea of hiring someone for a date is such a different kind of service from note taking and file organizing.
“Kind of. While I don’t want that to be the key focus, the option for someone to stand by a client’s side for a night, to help take the spotlight off them while maintaining a clean and professional image, while also networking, is one that is commonly sought after in some circles,” he explains smoothly as if he’s gone over that pitch multiple times to perfect it. I nod slowly, my cheeks staining as I figure out how to word my next question.
“And have you thought about other…expectations that could arise from those situations?”
He nods seriously, leaning forward to hand me the other folder. I take it gently, close the one in my lap, and flip through this one.
“We would have contracts drawn up, protecting both parties should any personal relations develop. Anyone hired for this would be thoroughly trained in all aspects and would sign off that, should anything happen naturally, it is to be on their own time and not while being paid by the client.”
I take a moment to read through some of the pages before closing that one and tucking it beneath the first one.
The one that spells out the job offer.
My head is a jumble of thoughts. Just as quickly as one forms another ten pop up.
“What are you thinking?”
My gaze snaps to him as I try to sort through everything I’m feeling.
“This is a huge idea,” I say carefully. “If anyone could successfully merge this idea with this company, it’s you.”
“But…” he offers and a humorous sigh leaves my lips.
“I have no clue what it takes to run a company at that level.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Neither did I.”
“Garrett,” I whisper, my own self-doubt creeping to the forefront of my mind. “The only experience as a manager that I have is from this job.”
“Which is one of the reasons you’re most qualified for this,” he retorts.
“How? You should be looking at someone who has experience doing a job at that level,” I state with another shake of my head.
Sitting forward, he braces his elbows on his knees and clasps his hands together, staring at the floor while he answers.
“When I started this company, it was with one goal in mind—help authors publish their books. They do all the hard work. They pour their hearts and souls into their stories, spend countless hours and resources to create these beautiful worlds. There are already so many hurdles they have to overcome on their own and they do it all with smiles on their faces. Yes, so many can do it on their own, and they do it with such grace. But I always thought if I could help even a fraction of them, if I could provide resources and support systems to help them make their dreams come to life, then I’d do what I can.”
I watch him closely, my brows tugging together, but when I open my mouth, he continues talking.
“You stepped into your role so eloquently. You took my goal to help others and did so much more than I ever hoped. Not just with the authors but with our team. With everyone you meet. Your ability to lead this team is enough to show me you’re right for this. I need someone who can keep calm and make business decisions while also keeping what’s best for everyone at the forefront of it all.” He pauses, meeting my gaze and letting me see the truth in his words written across his face. “I need someone I trust by my side and I know deep down that person is you.”
My cheeks flush and I have to drop his stare at the intensity shining in his eyes. Despite the seriousness of it all, a small smile fights at my lips at the idea of all this.
“If your goal is to help authors, why add on the additional services right away? Why not see how this expansion goes first, then look at adding the rest down the line?” I ask.
I glance up at his momentary silence and find his attention turned toward the windows.
“I see a way to help more people. By buying this company, I would be able to provide services to more than just those in the publishing industry. But it won’t all roll out at once. We focus on what we know—authors. Then we roll out in stages, making sure the company doesn’t take a bigger bite than we can chew.”
I nod, taking in everything he’s told me, and stare down at the folders once more.
“This seems like…” I sigh and reach up to play with the ends of my ponytail and avoid looking at Garrett. “Too much. Like I don’t deserve this job.”
His hand is back on top of mine, only this time he twists mine to clasp it and squeezes gently.
“I have watched you pour your heart and soul into this company—my company. If there is anyone in the building that deserves this, I promise that it’s you.”
My breath catches, looking down at our joined hands as I bite my bottom lip between my teeth. With another gentle squeeze of my hand, he talks again.
“What are your concerns?”
“It feels like this is being handed to me. Like some people might think it’s some sort of special treatment because we work so closely together,” I say softly, letting him in on one of the doubts that’s circling my mind. With one final squeeze of my hand, he releases it and sits back.
“With every business decision I make, I consult with my team of lawyers. On top of that, I work very closely with a partner based in New York. His family gave me my first official job, and now we have multiple investments together. He has looked over my proposal for the expansion, as well as yours and two others’ résumés.”
My eyes widen and Garrett nods with a small, reassuring smile.
“Leo has agreed to meet you before anything is made permanent, but based on the résumé alone, even he agreed that you are the best fit.”
My mouth opens and closes, and when I’m unable to find the words, I slap it closed and simply stare at him.
“Yes, you’re getting this opportunity because I know you.” He shrugs. “And while I might be biased, that doesn’t lessen the fact that you would be perfect for this.”
My heart pounds at his reassurances.
“Do you need an answer right now or can I take these home to read through?” I ask, holding up the folders.
“Please, take your time and read them through. If you need to meet again when you’re finished and go over anything, just send me a message and I will clear time for you.”
I open my mouth to say something, but the phone ringing on his desk interrupts me. Having forgotten everything outside of the office, it startles a gasp from my lips and I spring to my feet.
“It’s fine. Gwen will answer it and take a message.” He chuckles, reminding me of his assistant and everyone else beyond these walls. Garrett stands, placing himself in front of me, and all I can do is stand still and tilt my head back to hold his gaze.
“I’m serious,” he whispers vehemently. “You’re the perfect fit.”
His eyes bore into mine as if wishing they could pierce the words directly into my soul. My heart thumps heavily at the intensity of the moment as a traitorous thought crosses my mind.
For you?
The words bounce in my head and I force myself to step back, shaking away the intrusive thought about my boss. There’s enough to think about right now. I don’t need to add inappropriate ones about him to that list.
“Thank you,” I mumble, clutching the folders tightly to my chest and moving toward the door.
“I’ll see you Monday?” Garrett calls out and I pause in the doorway to glance over my shoulder.
“Of course.”
Garrett nods and clears his throat. “Let me know when you made it home safely.”
“I always do,” I say with a smile, dropping my hand and finally leaving to gather my things to go home.
The first time he asked that of me, we had stayed way past normal working time and I assumed it was something he said out of reflex since it was so late. So not wanting to bother my boss so close to midnight, I shrugged it off. Only, by the time I was home, changed, curled up into bed and about to fall asleep, Garrett had texted me half a dozen times and called me twice. He had thought the worst and was two seconds away from pulling my address from my personnel file when I texted him back.
So now, whether it’s done out of habit so he doesn’t worry or because of how close we’ve gotten over the last few years, whenever I work late, I always make sure he knows when I’ve made it home.
I leave in a daze, my mind racing with thoughts about the offer and the folders practically weighing down my bag with their presence. If there’s one thing I can say for certain, it’s that sleep will not be easy to come by tonight. I’ll be too busy reading and rereading every single word to try to figure out what I’m going to do.