Chapter 1
There was no fresherhell than staring up at your sexy as sin boss with mascara and snot on your face! Oh wait, there was. You could also be holding a small, hard plastic vibrator pressed to your neck.
One that had neon green alien faces on it!
Just kill me now.
Not to mention that this was happening while I was hiding in said boss’s office, crying like a dolt. The buzzing next to my ears seemed to drown out all thought. Or sense, as I just stared up at him like a deer in the headlights.
I was an utter disaster with no signs of improving.
Why had I even bothered to get out of bed today? Why had I chosen this office to hide in? Why, I ask? Was this some kind of punishment? Had I been a bad person in my last life?
My boss, the sinfully sexy, hot-as-the-sun, Rudy Ferguson, was just staring at me, his head tilted to the side like a curious puppy. A very well-put-together puppy. I was about to be fired, and I’d only been in this atrocious building for less than fifteen minutes.
Why was I like this? Seriously. I should have just stayed home, in bed, alone. Then no one would be a witness to the mess that was me.
His gaze met mine. Not gonna lie, I was afraid to speak. What could I do? Good God. Someone just shoot me and put me out of my misery. Seriously, it would be the kindest thing to do at this point.
If I could only go back half an hour, I could re-do this disastrous day. It was all my mother’s fault. She’d jinxed me—or cursed me. With her, there was no telling.
Deep breaths, Ella. Deep breaths.
I let the morning replay in my mind, trying to see where it all went so backwards.
“It’s your first day! Are you excited?” my mom’s voice rang through my ears from the other room.
I was far from ready for this job; for being responsible. For adulting—all of it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an adult. I’ve adulted and had it kick me in the teeth. I’ve been around the proverbial block a few times. And no, not in that way.
I just mean, at the ripe old age of twenty-eight, I’d seen a lot. Done a lot. Been married, cheated on, belittled to the point of having no self-worth, beaten after a bad business venture left him broke. I’d also been arrested for clocking said cheating ex with a lamp a few dozen times, when he’d tried to strangle me, and then divorced.
Ya know, the whole ‘been there, done that’ shebang.
In his case that was literal, but whatever. I was over it. Most days.
“Ella? Are you in here, sweetie?”
“Sorry, Mom, just not spatially aware yet.”
“You’re worrying over nothing. You’ve got this.”
“Mom, I love and appreciate your faith in me.”
She chuckled, hugging me tight. It was the best feeling in the world. Mom-hugs could heal all wounds, as it were.
“You’d better get moving before you’re late. The bus will be at the stop outside in less than ten minutes. Don’t forget to transfer to bus 11 south at Market Street. If you get lost, call me, and I will come find you. Or find a cop. They are always patrolling the area. Unless it’s dark, then you find an open business and stay there until I get there.”
“Dang it. Now I have things to worry about.” I laughed softly and kissed her cheek. “I’m going now. Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too, baby girl. Have a good day!”
I hurried out the door and ran down the block to the bus stop. I had an hour and twenty minutes to get to work and be on time. I hoped to God I’d planned this out right. There was no cushion, no room for error.
Lord, Fates, Karma, whoever was up there listening, please be with me today. I needed today to go smoothly.
“Is there a reason yer on the floor in me office, lass?”
The man had a sensual, deep, rugged voice. Is that a thing? Anyway, God. My brain short-circuited with that accent! I knew from the initial interview that he was Scottish, but sweet heavens. That voice could make my senses go blank and my panties fall completely off.
Mayday.
Woman down.
Send help before he calls the cops. Or the psych ward!
“Um…” Oh yeah, Ella, sounding like a doofus, that makes it all the better.
You know, my inner voice was a big cantankerous turd.
I couldn’t say I was a fan of her right now.
“I’m sorry. I just…” That was the moment things went further south. The kindness I saw in his eyes as tears started rolling down my cheeks was too much.
“Here,” he said, squatting down before me. His handkerchief extended. I took the square of fabric and wiped at my face. It was a good thing I didn’t wear a full face of makeup because this thing would have been ruined. As it was, my tears and snot soaked it in no time. “Take a moment and tell me what happened to ya, lass.”
“Mr. Ferguson, your father—oh, dear, pardon me.”
“May, could you give us a few minutes, please?”
“Yes, of course.”
When she left out the door, he spoke again, his voice soft, kind. “Now, come on, tell me what happened.”
Why was he being nice? Was it a ruse? I’d heard that men like him—handsome, wealthy, and in charge of multi-million-dollar businesses—were jerks. Was he hiding that side of him or was I just overreacting?
Door number two was my safest bet.
Neurotic as I was, this was probably entertainment for someone like him.
With all of that in my head, I still opened the dam and let my words fall free. “I almost missed my bus transfer because the first bus was late. I was running and broke a heel. I was in such a rush to get inside and not be late that my jacket got caught in the elevator and ripped. I slipped on the wet floor and hurt my neck when I cartwheeled to stay upright.” I covered my face with my hands.
That dang vibrator was now buzzing against my cheek.
Kill me now.
I was going to strangle my mother. She thought it was a good idea to drop this ratchet thing in my bag. The note on the bag said, “Good luck today. Be the buzz of the office.”
I was, and the work day hadn’t even started yet.
Dead. I was so dead.
Guess I couldn’t blame her fully. I was the dope who had brought it out, but my neck was really hurting. It was all I had, and it just happened that it was helping. Now I was just more embarrassed than the law should allow.
I asked again, was it too late for someone to put me out of my misery?
“I’m a mess. I’m so sorry. I can just go.” I got up on my knees, ready to hop up and make a run for it, but his hand on my forearm drew my gaze to his.
“It’s just yer first day jitters, aye?”
He helped me up. His eyes took in all of me, which only added to my sudden mortification. I was standing in a multi-million-dollar building with a man dressed in a perfectly tailored, designer suit—and…I was in tatters.
Was this what Cinderella felt like when the crones tore her beautiful dress?
God help me.
“Come on, let’s get you refreshed.” He moved to the end of the desk and pressed a button on the phone.
“Yes, sir?”
“May, would ye please step into me office?”
“Yes, sir, of course.”
When the older woman came in, she greeted me with a bright smile. “May, this is…”
“Gisella Edwards, your new assistant,” she smiled, “I was waiting for her to check in before I took her around as your father asked me to.” Her kind eyes and easy demeanor helped my anxiety to level back down. “He wanted that done while you were upstairs. So go on now, you have a meeting you should be in already. I will take good care of her.” She looked at her watch then back to him.
“Aye, I couldn’t just leave her here upset, now could I?” There was no anger in his words, just true concern. Be still my thundering heart. Maybe all wasn’t lost to the dogs today.
“No, you wouldn’t do that. You’re a kind man. But go before your father has my head.”
He chuckled, leaned in to kiss her cheek, then turned to me. “I’ll see ye when I get back.”
I watched him walk out that door, and something in my gut clenched. Could this all be real? Was he real? I’d never had any luck with the men in my life treating me any other way but like a servant or the trash under their boots. My dad, my ex…I had a complex. I needed to push through the doubts and get my head on straight.
Lord, help me not screw this up any further. Please, with sugar and a cherry on top.
“Gisella—”
“Please, I’m sorry.” Breathe and speak like an adult. “Please, if it’s okay, can you call me Ella?”
“Absolutely, Ella, will you come with me? Let me show you around.”
“I’m a mess…” I looked down at my bare feet. I hurried to snatch up my oversized bag and pulled out the flats I kept in there.
They looked so cheap next to her kitten heels.
“I broke my heel. These are all I have. I need to—” I pulled my jacket off, praying my blouse was still damage-free. A tug and it was back in place. I shoved my jacket in my bag and sighed. “This is not how I planned for this day to start.” Stupid tears welled up in my eyes again.
“Hey, take it from me, we all have those days. If you’d like, you can keep a pair of heels in your car. That way you don’t have to race around in them. They’re hard on your feet.”
I smiled, saying, “I don’t have a car. I took the bus. That was how it got broken, running from one to another. I will get a new pair soon. Honest. And a new jacket. Is it okay to go without for now? This was the only one I had…”
“Ella, honey, take a deep breath. Today will be only a memory tomorrow. We will get you something. What size shoe do you wear?”
“An eight.”
“Very well, what about your jacket and slacks? Ten?”
Ten? Ha, I wished. “No, it’s fourteen.” My voice dropped to an almost whisper.
“Very well.” She motioned to my bag. “This can go in the desk just over here.” She opened another door and stepped inside. The small office had a glass wall that looked out into the larger office. The sun felt good coming in on me from the large windows looking out over the city.
“This is so nice.”
“Did you think we would put you in a broom closet?”
“Oh! No, of course not, but I didn’t dream of anything this spacious and open.”
“Fair enough. Now, put your bag under the desk, and we will go have a look around this place. There are a few people you need to meet.”
I did as instructed, tugging at my blouse again. She smiled as she took my arm in hers and headed out of the office.
“Lori, Tammy, Christine, this is Ella, Rudy’s new assistant. Ella, these ladies are our Ad and Social Media Marketing team. They work very hard to make what we do here shine.”
“Nice to meet you, Ella.”
“Girl, you will have your hands full with that man.”
“Old man Ferguson is the one she needs to worry about. He’s a grumpy bear most days.”
Oh, that didn’t sound promising.
“Now, girls, you stop that. If Ella has any issues with Cameron, she can tell me. I will handle him.”
One of the women, Tammy, I think, snorted.
“I think you are the only one in this building able to settle him down.”
“We have worked together for near on thirty years. I’ve learned a few things, you know.”
Laughter filled the cubicles around us. I guessed there was no one here who didn’t already know that.
“Welcome aboard, Ella, I’m Tristin. New account Acquisitions and Sales.”
“That’s a mouthful,” I said, smiling. Fully relaxed for the first time all morning.
“That it is. If you need any help, you just let me know.”
“Sure thing.”
“Ella, this is Greg Oderman. He’s our VP of Sales. Tristin’s boss.”
“Nice to meet you, young lady.”
“My pleasure,” I replied, shaking his hand.
“I will be in a little later to meet with you and Rudy. We can chat more then.”
“Yes, sir, of course.”
From there, we went around the different floors, meeting key employees—her words, not mine. Anyone she thought I might need to be in contact with for any reason, I met them. By the time I got back to my office, I was so overstimulated that my brain sort of went offline.
“Please tell me I won’t be tossed out on my backside if I don’t remember all of those names. This place is a lot bigger than I imagined.”
Her laughter had me smiling. “No, child. You can ask them as many times as you need. They’ll be coming to you as it is. Just remember, you’re no one’s doormat and that includes Rudy’s. If he oversteps, if his father oversteps, you let me know.”
“But…you might get in trouble.”
“Don’t you worry about me. I have my ways.”
“Don’t let her get over on ye, lass.”
My gaze went to the hulking figure in the doorway.
“She’s me Gran on me mum’s side. The only woman, other than me mum, that Da treads lightly around. Though that’s not a wide-known fact. Only the must-knows are in on that, so keep it close to your chest. Aye?”
“Oh,” my eyes widened, and I had to fight back nervous laughter, “Absolutely.” I looked between them and could see the resemblance. They had the same eyes.
Hot dang. This might all just work out for the best, after all.