Chapter 6
Itruly couldn’t believe what—or rather who—I was seeing. After what had happened last night and my encounter with him, it was impossible not to recognize him or the woman he had been with. My first alarm came after I headed into the firm and was shown to her office. She’d instantly reminded me of where we had met and had been all smiles, and it was then my suspicion had started to rise.
I had been so out of it I hadn’t even taken note of the name of the firm written on the card he had offered to me, but their faces were unforgettable, especially his. And now I was here looking rather stupid. It probably appeared as though I looked rather stupid or especially cunning as these were lawyers, and there was no way they believed in coincidence.
Maybe they thought for one reason or the other I had purposely searched for them and applied to work here. I mean it wouldn’t be much of a problem even if this was the case, but starting on a very clean slate was always the preferred option.
Still, and since all of this was too late to reverse, I walked in as confidently and subtly as I could and stood before him. When she told me I would be working with one of the two named partners, I was truly expecting an elderly man and didn’t know how to process it. So far, and based on my experience, it was clear to me that age didn’t matter, and as long as they wanted to be assholes and harass me, then this was what they were going to do. However, his name was everywhere and on everything in the firm. It was also on the door to his office, and so there was no doubt in my mind that I was standing before Guy Templeton.
He was so much younger than I could have ever imagined and even more handsome than I remember from last night.
I was usually prepared before my interviews, but I couldn’t have expected to be called in so quickly for one. After all, I had only agreed to take the job because of the dare from the girls last night. Who could have known what fate had in store, still, it was all so coincidental that it literally sent chills down my body.
Sighing internally, I held my hands in front of me and wore the most innocent smile I could muster.
“Good morning, sir. I was sent over here by Gloria. My name is Hannah Walker.”
He stared at me, and I wondered what he was thinking. No doubt it was what I had been thinking as well about how too freaking coincidental this all seemed. I wondered then if I should explain, however, before I could even say a word, he seemed to completely lose interest in my existence.
I was startled as without even acknowledging my greeting and self-introduction, he returned his attention to his computer, and it was only then I realized that he wasn’t just the kind stranger offering to help that I had met in the restaurant last night. Rather, he was also the freaking nightmare of a boss that I had been dared to survive.
I understood now that the girls hadn’t been exaggerating whatsoever, but given my first impression of him, this was now quite a difficult reality to reconcile.
“Do you uh... have any urgent issues for me to attend to? I have just clocked in, my apologies for being late by the way. I only received the call this morning. I have just clocked in, so I’ll get to work immediately in sorting out all the information I need to know, and in a few hours, I’ll be completely ready. But if you need anything urgent, even for Gloria, I will be?—”
“You”re bothering me,” he suddenly said, and my mouth snapped shut.
He looked up at me, his shoulders slightly slumping as though he was seriously fed up with even my own comprehension.
I couldn’t understand why this was the case at all.
“First thing you need to know is that I don”t like chatter of any sort. Give information as needed and as concisely as possible in everything and every way you relate to me, from conversations, phone calls, and even drafted documents. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I did, however, I had never been so reluctant in my entire life to nod my head.
“Yes, sir, I do,” I replied. “Anything else?”
“Coffee refill,” he said and looked at the cup by his side. I headed over then to pick it up. I was wearing very reasonable four-inch heels, but I couldn’t help but feel my knees wobble on them as I went closer to him. He was as young as could be, and yet I didn’t think any of my other bosses had ever intimidated me this way and with just a few looks, a few sentences, and within five minutes of meeting them.
Fuck, I swore in my head because I was almost completely certain now that I was most definitely going to lose this bet.