6. Paige
PAIGE
“ S orry, I’m gonna need you to say that one more time. Because there’s no way I heard you correctly,” Eva chokes out, her eyes comically wide with shock. “You’re joking, right?”
“Pretty sure I said something very similar to Garrett.” I laugh but shake my head. “Much like him, I’m not joking. Although I get it, I do. It does kinda feel like I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
It’s almost like I’ve been expecting someone to pop out and shout “gotcha!” every day since I accepted the promotion last week. I texted Garrett the morning after we went to dinner, asking him to pinch me so I knew this was real. Instead of answering, he waited until he was strolling into my office, handing me a cup of my favorite coffee with a confident and breathtaking grin, to remind me it is.
He then also informed me that with the promotion, I get the big, vacant office beside his. Even now, I have to swallow thickly to fight off the tightness in my throat at the idea of being even closer to Garrett.
Shaking my thoughts from him, I focus on Eva.
“You have basically been doing my job already. Hell, most days I was wondering why I’m even still here when you handle everything so efficiently. You’re the perfect person to not just fill my shoes, but to wear them better than I did.”
Eva just stares at me, and for the briefest moment, I wonder if I was wrong about her wanting to do more than what she was. Not wanting to make her feel forced into a decision right now, I push on.
“We posted an opening this morning. The job description is broad enough that it could be for either mine or your position, so which position we interview for has yet to be determined. If you say no, then we’ll look at replacing me. If you say yes, then whoever we bring on will backfill you. We’d spend the next three weeks making sure you’re trained in everything you’ll need. I’ll still be here, though, so it’s not like you’d be thrown out of the nest and expected to fly on your own right away.”
That seems to snap her out of it. Sitting on the edge of her seat, she eagerly nods.
“Yes. My answer is yes, like without hesitation. Sorry, I was just surprised.” Her eyes line with tears as she glances down at the paperwork in her hand. It outlines the basics of the promotion, most of which she already knows, and a breakdown of her potential pay raise.
“I could stop working at the bar,” she whispers and her glassy brown eyes finally shine with excitement.
“Dammit, I didn’t think this through. You make the best Moscow mule,” I tease. I knew things have been tight for her ever since her mom passed away a few months ago. While I can understand the pain she’s been going through with that all too well, Evalyn had to do it all while also getting custody of her four-year-old sister. Which is why she opted to take over her mom’s lease for her townhouse and forced her to get a part-time job at the bar.
While SweetHeart Publishing pays its employees well, Eva hasn’t been able to catch a break. Paying for a funeral isn’t cheap, add in taking over a townhouse in the city, a toddler, and everything they need, as well as normal bills from just living?
Eva works her ass off to keep things above water, and given all that she has on her plate, you would never be able to tell how much she carries if you were to look at her work. She hasn’t missed a beat. She deserves this.
“Girl, I’ll make you as many mules as you want on girls’ night to make up for my not being behind the bar anymore.”
“Deal.” I smirk. “So, just to double-check, is that a yes?”
She nods enthusiastically, a wide smile stretching across her face. “Paige, it’s a hell yes.”
With that, she all but launches herself across my desk and awkwardly hugs me. I grimace but bite back the urge to push her away and awkwardly pat her back.
One would think that since my best friend is a hugger, I’d be used to people showing their affection like this. However, outside of Lilly, I have never been able to understand the need for hugs.
Except when Garrett hugged me in his office last week.
I shudder, politely detangling myself from Eva and trying not to think about what it felt like to be held in my boss’s arms.
Eva drops back into her seat, wiping the happy tears from her eyes with a huff.
“Goddammit. I’m not normally like this, you know that. I blame it on sleep deprivation thanks to having a four-year-old going through some seriously rough sleep regression.”
I wave a hand in dismissal but shift in my seat. Even if they’re happy tears, I’ll never know the correct way to respond to anyone crying. Silently, I push a box of tissues across the desk for her.
She laughs, snatching a tissue to dab under her eye.
“Thanks for not throwing this box at me.”
“It was one time!” I defend.
Eva playfully glares at me. “Yeah, the one other time I cried in front of you and you reacted by throwing a box of tissues at my face !”
“In my defense, I was aiming for your lap.” I grimace, thinking about the time she came to ask me for some time off because her mom had just died. But the moment the words were out of her mouth, the tears started, and I just…reacted. It was the one emotional situation that I should have been able to relate to, and instead, I panicked.
Thankfully, Eva didn’t get mad at me that day. She had every right to, and I was half ready to march down to HR and tell on myself. But then she laughed. She waved off my apology, taking me up on my offer to come help with her sister with a bottle of wine in place of an “I’m sorry.”
She drops her head back and laughs. “Well, you have shitty aim.”
“We both know I normally don’t,” I retort, sticking my tongue out at her.
“Right, only when there’s crying involved.”
When our laughter slowly fades, Eva raises a brow at me.
“So what job were you offered so that I could take yours?”
I bite my bottom lip between my teeth. This was a question I had expected, had even gone over with Garrett on what I could and could not say. However, now that it was actually said out loud, it feels as if all my doubts come rushing back. Those voices from when I accepted my job at SweetHeart taunt me, telling me I’m not good enough.
“Nothing is being announced until after the Halloween party, so anything I tell you is strictly confidential for the next three weeks. If asked by the team or anyone else, we are simply saying that we are looking at a restructuring that will benefit the company and everyone employed here.”
“Well, that sounds both ominous and exciting.”
“That means it’s the perfect answer. Keep them hooked and wanting more.” I laugh. “Besides, since you’re accepting the job, you get to be in the loop of very few people who know what’s going on, so it makes it even more exciting, right?”
“I do?” She sits up, her whole body practically lighting up with anticipation.
“Yup,” I say, putting extra emphasis on the P. While I’ve already talked this through with Garrett and Lilly, being about to talk about this with Eva feels like a whole different weight is being lifted from my shoulders. Now that official steps are being made so I can start my new role with the company, it makes everything seem more real.
Smiling, Eva and I spend the next hour diving into everything she gets to know.
“Won’t it be so much nicer next month when you can just say my name to get my attention instead of having to call me on the phone from the other side of the office?” Garrett’s smooth voice teases on the other end of the line. I huff a laugh, shaking off that same feeling from earlier when it comes to thinking about how close in proximity we’re going to be.
“That makes it sound like you’re at my every beck and call.”
“Just call me butterfingers because when it comes to you, I’ll drop everything.”
A laugh breaks free, catching me by surprise. “That’s…wow, you really know how to smooth talk the ladies.”
At the sound of his laughter in my ear, I shift in my seat and try to ignore the flutter it causes in my stomach.
Clearing my throat, I look out my open office door and am reminded of why I called him in the first place.
“Brandon just walked in,” I state, watching said employee closely.
“I’m on my way,” Garrett says without missing a beat and hangs up the phone. Pushing from my seat, I smooth out my black dress pants and shirt before rounding the desk to head to the door.
After speaking with HR, it was determined that the only way to proceed with Brandon after all the chances he’s been given was to fire him. Which he made impossible all last week. It’s like he knew when we would be in meetings, popping into the office when everyone that could have a conversation with him was occupied. If it weren’t for the fact that he talked to some of his coworkers, I would have actually assumed he was a no-call, no-show every day.
I don’t even know why he bothered coming in. It’s not like he did any actual work. Eva speculated earlier that she doesn’t even think he’s noticed that his last manuscript has been given to someone else. He clearly doesn’t care about this job, so why bother coming at all? After a certain point of not showing up at all, we could terminate him for job abandonment.
Not that any of this will matter in five minutes.
Garrett rounds the corner from his office across the space and immediately looks directly at me. My heart stutters at the smile that tugs at his lips. He greets everyone he passes, managing to politely acknowledge them while not once stopping in his mission to get to me.
Needing to break the building tension, I focus back on Brandon, only to find him watching Garrett warily. His clear apprehension makes me pause, wondering what possible reason he could have for not liking our boss.
Garrett is the kind of guy that if someone says they don’t like him, I would consider them the red flag.
Well, at least we’ll be helping Brandon in a way. No one should have to work for someone they don’t like. Even if they have no reason for their distaste.
Shaking it off, I wait until Garrett is almost to my office to cross the couple desks in the shared cubicle space.
“Hey, Brandon,” I say with a polite smile. Slowly, he tears his disapproving gaze from Garrett to look at me.
“Hey, Paige-y! Lookin’ extra radiant today. Did you lose weight?” He slowly drags his gaze down my frame and I have to bite back the retorts that fly through my head.
All of them would likely land me with HR instead of him.
I’m definitely not given enough credit for not being petty or sassy when I want to be. Especially when there’s such a fine line between being called professional and being called a bitch just because someone doesn’t get their way.
“Mind if we have a word and catch up?” I say with a now forced smile that’s probably more like a grimace and wave a hand toward my office.
It’s best to ignore his comments. It’s easy enough to tell myself that, to hear the logical reminder. However, it doesn’t stop the old itch from creeping in to fluff out my shirt and make sure that my stomach is covered.
“Ooo, some one-on-one time with the boss lady.” He winks before standing, giving me what I’m pretty sure is meant to be a smolder but instead looks like he’s holding in a fart. I shudder, making sure to give him space and letting him lead the way.
“It’s a shame I don’t see you around the office more. Seeing you in those teasing skirts is always the highlight—” His gross attempt at flattery cuts off when he steps through my office door.
Brandon’s shoulders straighten as he blocks my door and he barely spares me a glance as he speaks over his shoulder. “Why is he here?”
Gone is Brandon’s flirtatious tone. In its place is one that does nothing to hide his distaste.
I clear my throat, not wanting to step any closer to Brandon than I already am.
“If you’ll go in and have a seat, we can get to that.”
Brandon finally moves, stiffly walking to one of the chairs in front of my desk but doesn’t sit. I peek at Garrett, who is leaning against the small, round table in my office while turning to shut my office door and almost hit myself in the process when I see him.
He’s visibly seething. Something I didn’t even know Garrett was capable of.
He glares at Brandon, who still hasn’t sat, while his fists clench at his sides. I briefly wonder if maybe I should have had Andrea sit in with me instead today, but it’s too late now. Garrett had insisted on being the one to do this with me, so I make a mental note to ask later what happened to make these two not get along and get this show on the road.
Clearing my throat, I cross my small office and attempt to ignore the building tension in the room.
“Why don’t we all have a seat?” I say, grabbing the back of a free chair and drag it to my side of the desk. “Garrett?”
His eyes snap to me, shoulders relaxing slightly, and silently waits for me to continue.
I motion to the chair. It’s not quite on my side, but it at least keeps a barrier between the two of them. He nods but doesn’t say a word as he sits.
Brandon finally lowers himself to the edge of his seat. “What’s up?”
Pulling out the file with the termination notice, I suck in a calming breath and push it across the desk toward him. After a long, awkward moment, he stops shooting daggers at the man beside me to look at the paper. His brows scrunch together in confusion.
Not that he should be at all confused as to why he’s being fired.
“During our last conversation, I told you that if your attendance and performance did not improve, it would lead to termination. I also offered you resources and asked how I could help, both of which you claimed you didn’t need.”
“This is bullshit. I’ve been working,” he stutters, that pissed off expression now directed at me.
“In the past month, you have clocked in for a total of just shy of twenty hours. Your last projects were all reassigned two weeks ago and you have had nothing on your docket since then.”
He scoffs. “I told you that my mom?—”
“Tread very carefully when playing the sick or dying mom card with me,” I warn, unable to keep the bite from my words. Brandon straightens his shoulders and clenches his teeth but doesn’t say anything further. After reminding myself to breathe, I continue in a calmer tone. “If that were the case, I also tried to give you resources to help with taking a personal leave, but you chose to decline that as well. Your lack of attendance and poor performance are not meeting the requirements. But while we’re on the topic, for your own future reference, may I also point out that your social media posts are all very public.”
I raise a brow in challenge, letting the silent implication that we all know how he is spending his time hang between us. Brandon’s nostrils flare, but still, he remains silent.
“You have been given multiple chances over the past few months, none of which you took. Given the multiple warning conversations, this should not be a surprise,” Garrett finally says, his voice much calmer than I had expected. “As of this moment, you are no longer a SweetHeart Publishing employee.”
“That’s all real rich coming from you of all people.” Brandon seethes, but his attention stays on me. “This is bullshit. I need this job.”
“If that were true, you would have actually shown up and done what you’re being paid to do,” Garrett states smoothly and as much as I want to laugh, I smother the urge and shoot him a warning glare. Before I can speak, Brandon shoves out of his seat, panting angrily as he jabs his pointer toward Garrett.
“What do you know? You’re just another rich man at the top, casting his judgment and deciding someone isn’t worth his time and kicking them to the curb.”
My brows pull together, confused by the picture he’s painting of Garrett. Yeah, he’s the owner of a very successful company, and it’s no secret he has investments in other businesses as well, but he’s also the most down-to-earth man I’ve ever known.
Brandon steps forward, bumping into the desk and making me grateful I put some separation between them. I jump up, step to the side, and place myself in front of Garrett so that Brandon is forced to look at me instead.
“Okay, let’s all take a deep breath. Nothing is going to change the fact that this job is not the right fit for you.”
“Fuck this,” he says but doesn’t move from his spot.
Warmth at my back tells me that Garrett now stands behind me, but I refuse to look away from Brandon’s menacing stare.
“Security will meet you at the elevator to collect your badge and see you out,” Garrett says, finally stepping around the desk and toward the door. Brandon doesn’t move. He simply glares down at me for longer than I expected before turning on his heel and mumbling under his breath.
As he passes Garrett, I hold my breath, waiting to see if this is going to escalate even further before he storms out. Brandon’s curses trail behind him as he leaves, drawing the attention of everyone in the office as he storms out.
I figured he would be upset, but not once did it cross my mind that he would be angry, let alone hostile.
“Well, that escalated quickly,” I whisper.
Slowly, Garrett closes my office door again before turning to me. I’m momentarily stunned at just how uneasy he looks. His chest rises and falls heavily, while his wide, panicked eyes bounce between mine.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he pleads.
“Do what? Fire someone?” I laugh awkwardly and tug at the edge of my ponytail. “Pretty sure that won’t be the last time I have to do that.”
Garrett shakes his head and closes the distance between us, stopping only when there’s a foot of space separating us.
“Don’t ever place yourself between me and danger. Promise me.”
I blink up at him in surprise.
“I didn’t…Brandon wasn’t dangerous. He was just?—”
“Angry. He was a firework waiting to be lit.” He reaches up, gently pulling my hair from my fingers and tucking it over my shoulder. I hold my breath as he then runs the back of his knuckles softly over my cheek. “I can handle the burn. What I could never bear is if you had been hurt.”
Swallowing around the lump that has formed in my throat, I resist the desire to lean into him. “He wasn’t going to hurt me. Or you.”
“He could have.”
“But he didn’t.” I don’t know who I’m trying to reassure. Me or him. The vulnerability that lingers in his eyes makes me want to wrap him in my arms and tell him everything is okay.
Instead, I step back, creating space between us and instantly missing his closeness.
“He’s gone now. One less problem to worry about as we focus on moving forward.” I attempt to lighten the mood, but Garrett only nods, worry still etched into his features as he watches me. It sets my nerves on edge to see his handsome face twisted like this.
“You didn’t promise.”
I playfully scoff. “I can’t promise anything. I tend to get defensive over people I care about.”
“Paige.” He pleads my name, and it takes everything in me not to cave.
“I won’t promise anything.” I hold up a finger when he opens his mouth to protest. “But if we ever find ourselves in actual danger, I’ll give you a five-second head start to step forward first.”
He runs a hand over his face and lets out a heavy breath.
“I get the feeling you’re going to give me a run for my money.”
Something in my chest eases when a smile finally spreads across his face as he removes his hand.
I grin back at him and wink. “You’re the one choosing to be involved with me.”
My cheeks heat at the double meaning in my words, but before I can stammer my way through correcting myself, Garrett’s grin widens and my heart damn near skips a beat at his simple words.
“Worth it.”