Chapter 7
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Heather
“Who’s got interviews for a kick-ass story? Who’s going to absolutely nail it? That’s right. I will.”
I couldn’t believe Ryker had moved so fast. We’d only spoken about the article on Monday, and three days later, I already had interviews scheduled.
I was dancing around in my bathroom while fixing my hair in a bun, admiring my classic suit in the mirror.
I usually wore jeans and sweaters when I was on field assignments, gathering stories, and pajamas when I was at home, editing articles.
I could write everywhere—on the subway, in cabs, in coffee shops, but I needed absolute silence for editing.
Writing was more like a stream of consciousness, whereas editing was where I shaped the content into a coherent article.
Truthfully, I tried to work from home as often as possible so I could spend time with Avery, who’d learned from an early age that when Momma had her headphones on, she needed quiet.
Typically, Avery would grab her coloring book and just sit next to me, drawing in silence.
Right now, Avery was at school though, so I’d pick her up after my appointment.
Pity, I’d wanted to snuggle her a little, share my happiness.
If this worked out, we wouldn’t have to move.
I’d spoken to my landlord this morning, letting him know there was a possibility for my bonus to be paid out early.
“Look, Heather, I’m willing to wait a few months for you to sort out the bonus situation and give me proof you can afford this if you can cover the rent in advance.”
I bit my lip. “I can do it for two months.”
I didn’t want to dip into our emergency fund too much.
“Okay. We’ll take it from there.” I felt better knowing I didn’t have to move us right away, but we weren’t out of hot water yet. Sorting out my bonus would take some time. Big corporations moved slowly, but I was happy that at least for now, we didn’t have to move.
I left the apartment with a huge grin on my face and was in an even more excellent mood when I reached the building that housed the Pearman Fund offices on floors twenty-seven, eight, and nine.
It was a staple in the New York landscape.
A behemoth of glass and steel, it towered even over the rest of the buildings surrounding it.
The energy on Wall Street was markedly different than the rest of Manhattan.
Suits walked everywhere, almost all with headphones on, engaged in continuous conversations.
When I walked through the double doors of the bank, I was so excited that I was practically bursting with energy. Not that my excitement was entirely due to the opportunity at hand… I also couldn’t wait to see a certain sexy guitarist in a suit.
I admired the enormous entrance and waiting area with wrought iron chandeliers and white leather couches.
The mix of traditional and modern was right on trend.
The half a dozen receptionists talked on their headphones while typing even faster than I did—not to brag, but I could type over a hundred words per minute.
Combined with the sound of heels clicking on the marble floors, the background noise was infernal.
To my astonishment, it wasn’t Ryker who picked me up from the reception, but Owen, the man I’d spoken with on the phone three times already.
“Thank you for coming here on such short notice, Ms. Prescott. We appreciate it. You said that you need at least four or five interviews to pull quotes from, is that correct?” Owen said as we entered one of the nine elevators. He pressed the button to the twenty-seventh floor.
“Yes. The more, the better. That way I can interweave multiple personal stories into the article. I’d say if we can get ten or fifteen, that would be just great. A mix of men and women is also important.”
His mouth quirked up. “Wouldn’t want all the feminists on our ass for only hiring men, right?”
I disliked Owen instantly based on that comment alone. It sent shivers down my spine. Odd how on the phone calls this tone was not evident. Disturbing as it was, I forced the corners of my mouth in a smile.
“This is Ryker’s floor,” Owen announced when the doors opened.
The tips of my fingers instantly tingled. It was as if my entire body was on alert just because Ryker was somewhere close. And when I heard the deep baritone of his voice, my breath caught.
Holy hell. If I reacted like this when he wasn’t even in my line of vision, how was I going to fare in his presence?
I didn’t have to wait too long to get my answer, because Ryker appeared at the end of the hallway the next second and walked right toward us.
Yum. Hot, hot damn. To be honest, until this very moment, I couldn’t imagine Ryker working as a venture capitalist. But that crisp white shirt and the modern cut of his navy suit fit him perfectly.
Everything from the way he walked to the way his colleagues greeted him spoke of self-confidence and power.
He stopped right in front of us.
“Heather, you made it. I’ve got a few colleagues who are more than happy to talk to you about their stories.”
Wait, what? I wasn’t going to interview him ? I hadn’t expected that.
“Perfect.”
“Do you want to begin right away?” he asked.
Something was awry. Ryker lacked his usual charm. He was so serious. He seemed like a different person at work.
“Sure. Let’s go,” I said. Owen returned to the elevator without so much as a goodbye, which was fine with me. I was here to do a job, get paid, and get out.
I’d expected a change in Ryker’s demeanor once Owen left, but he retained the serious manner. I didn’t expect him to do anything inappropriate, obviously, but I didn’t know what to make of this frostiness between us.
With a pang of disappointment, I wondered if finding out I was a single mom had put him off me romantically.
Maybe it had nothing to do with the stuffy office and he just didn’t want to get involved with someone with a child.
It’s better that way , I told myself. I didn’t have anything to offer him anyway.
I’d just gotten through a bad breakup that left me feeling empty and unsure if I wanted a relationship again.
I was sure a man like Ryker wasn’t interested in a ready-made family, so that was just fine.
Ryker led me through a labyrinth of corridors, and we stopped in a huge room with at least three dozen desks.
Wow. If I thought the waiting area was deafening, it was nothing compared to this.
Most were on the phone, and everyone was loud.
The floor-to-ceiling window captured my attention.
Up above the street, Manhattan looked different, like a snapshot of a science-fiction movie.
We stopped in front of the desk of a gorgeous brunette. Her curly hair was wild around her face, her dark eyes contoured with light blue eyeliner.
“Ruby, here is the reporter I told you about, Heather Prescott,” Ryker said.
“Fantastic. You’re just saving me from a boring lunch break, Heather.”
“Do you want to do the interview here?” I asked.
“No, no, no. We have meeting rooms. Those are more private. Not gonna spill my secrets in front of everyone. They’ll just have to wait and read about them along with the rest of the country.”
Ryker grinned. “We can always eavesdrop.”
Ruby narrowed her eyes. “You do that, Ryker, and I’ll drop salt in your cocktails at the next company party. Accidentally, of course.”
Judging by the friendly atmosphere, camaraderie wasn’t frowned upon. And yet, Ryker still remained serious with me when Ruby led us to the meeting room. I was so used to him either joking or flirting that it completely threw me off-balance.
As Ryker walked beside me, I realized I had to stop being so aware of him, but it was impossible.
The scent of his aftershave mixed with a cologne that smelled like cypress and leather.
The result was knee-weakening sex appeal.
How come I hadn’t noticed it before? Probably because I’d always met him in the evening until now, when the scent dissipated.
I rearranged the strap of my shoulder bag, mentally chastising myself for my wayward thoughts. I couldn’t react like this to a man I didn’t know, and I shouldn’t want to anyway.
When we stopped in the doorway of a small meeting room, Ryker set his hand at the small of my back.
I tried to ignore the jolt coursing through me and was ready to dismiss it as an involuntary touch, when he moved his fingers in small, deliberate circles.
They set my skin on fire even through the two layers of clothes.
I tilted my head in Ryker’s direction, cocking a brow. His mouth curled in a half smile. He dropped his gaze to my feet, and then raised it slowly. I felt as if he was undressing me and barely bit back the irrational impulse to check if I still had clothes on.
Sheesh, this man was a danger to my senses.
I couldn’t get a good read on all the mixed messages he was sending…
though my body didn’t find anything mixed about them, it was just on fire.
Added to the fact that I was still melting because he’d gotten me this opportunity in the first place, and he wasn’t a danger just to my senses. He was just a danger all around.
“Here is where I leave you,” he said. “If either of you needs anything, just let me know. Ruby, you know where my office is.”
Ryker had his own office? I’d assumed he was an analyst, housed in a cube setup like everyone else.
After he left, Ruby pointed at the ten chairs around the table. “Where do you want to sit?”
We ended up sitting opposite each other, my trusty recorder between us.
After writing about the business world for years, I knew the lingo and had even done my homework on this department’s activities before coming over, thinking that everyone would be more comfortable if I eased them in by first asking about the business before moving on to more personal questions.
But I needn’t have worried; all Ruby needed was just a little prompting, and then she couldn’t stop talking.
She told me everything. First about what had driven her to take this job in the first place, why Wall Street, why this specific branch, why she would do this even without the bonuses. What the atmosphere was usually like at the office, about their work ethic.
This was going to be epic. Since I was recording everything, I was already mentally editing the article.
“You know, with all the changes in this in industry, I don’t think anyone can do it if they don’t have a passion for it,” she said.
“I know what you mean,” I told her. “It’s the same in my business.”
I was lucky to still have a job, what with the ever-changing landscape in the print world.
I’d escaped all three layoff waves at the newspaper, and my boss had assured me more than once that I was a highly valued employee.
I wasn’t kidding myself, though. The way the news world evolved, I was certain that in a few years, I’d have to pivot and find another career.
By then, though, Avery would be older, and I’d have time to breathe and actually consider my options.
Maybe I could even venture into a similar industry, like publishing.
I’d always been a bookworm… eh, truth be told, I’d always wanted to write a book.
But that wasn’t for another few years. Until then, I just had to make sure I didn’t fall off the hamster wheel.
“Ruby, I think I’ve got a lot of intel from you.”
“Oh, no. You’re sure we can’t keep on going for another hour? I love my job. But a break now and then doesn’t hurt,” she said with a wink. I laughed, shaking my head.
“I still have to talk to four other colleagues of yours.” She’d given me a list. Ryker’s name wasn’t on it.
I’d decided not to dwell on that… or on Ryker in general.
By the third interview, I knew I had a winning article on my hands. Maybe it would even get me that entire bonus paid out earlier, but I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. I was happy enough if I got half the bonus. Then I wouldn’t have to leave my girl in someone else’s care three nights a week.
During every interview, I managed to forget about Ryker, but during every break… oh boy, oh boy. He was everywhere. At the coffee machine. At the water cooler. How did he know exactly when I had a break? I felt his gaze on me everywhere I went.
I was exhausted by the time the day was over but so happy that I could jump up and down with joy. My instinct had been right. I had a winning article on my hands. I’d have to come back at least once for more interviews, but my priority right now was editing the material I had.
Ryker was nowhere to be seen as I left his floor.
Had my instincts been right about him too?
I was just trying to convince myself it was for the best when I stepped out of the building and noticed a certain sexy venture capitalist who doubled as guitarist twice a week waiting for me with a smile the size of Texas.