CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Nora
His own private parking spot undercover.
Of course.
The car lights flashed behind me as I hit the lock button and strode to the elevator. I filled my lungs with hope and determination while I waited. I would be the best damn financial manager this company had ever seen.
‘You’re here early.’ Paddy fell in line with me as I powered through the office.
I checked my watch. Early? It was nine-thirty.
‘I left a few notes on your desk, and your father wants that report by the end of the week. I’m not sure if you remember me mentioning it on Monday?’
I’d regurgitated half my stomach’s contents in the lobby bath-room then refilled it with painkillers, but my head pounded hard enough that I was sure the grim reaper must be ready and waiting for me to keel over so he could claim my soul. Paddy sniffed me.
‘Are you hungover?’
‘No. No, I’m not.’
Corey insisted I be nice to Paddy, but his superior nostrils were pissing me off.
Besides, the longer I spent with him, the more chance there was he’d realise something was wrong with ‘Corey’.
I glanced at his nose and bent my knees for a better look.
Perhaps his nostrils were extra large or something.
It would be fascinating, like the way some people could smell ants.
‘You’re definitely hung over,’ he said.
‘I am not!’
‘Yeah, you are. Your skin’s gone that weird pale colour. I’ll drop you some painkillers later.’ He stopped matching my pace at my doorway and turned the other way.
Hayley would never notice the colour of my skin.
Neither would my mother – and she birthed me.
My brothers, however, had a keen eye for detail.
What a strange skill they shared with Paddy.
I placed my briefcase on the desk and picked up a note waiting for me.
Well, waiting for Corey. The black letters scrawled across the crumpled page were loopy and artistic.
Paddy, you know you can come to me whenever you need.
Corey.
Strange. I turned it over and noticed short stumpy letters on the other side.
Thanks for the loan. I’ll pay back every cent.
I promise.
P
Wow. So Corey Flemmington’s heart wasn’t filled entirely with black tar after all.
I folded the note into my pocket to hand over tonight and turned on his laptop.
I didn’t have time to get caught up in his personal lending habits, despite the intriguing desire to find out why Paddy was so important to Corey.
I mean, sure, they’re best friends, but he’s borderline possessive of this guy.
Perhaps he makes a terrific cappuccino. Or maybe they enjoy the tension of their power imbalance.
A shudder of disgust rippled down my spine, so I busied my mind organising the papers on his desk into five stacks.
Using the tiny amount of information I had, I wrote myself a to-do list.
Finalise report
Meet colleagues properly
Respond to emails
Find out who meeting is with on Friday.
Shit.
Tomorrow was Friday. Who on earth booked his calendar for a meeting he had no information on? I scratched my red-marked palm.
‘Hey, Paddy,’ I yelled.
His eager face appeared a moment later. For a brief moment, I wondered if I should test the waters by calling him darling or baby. No, no. Irreparable damage like that could see Corey with a criminal record or sexual harassment listed against his name, and we had a truce now.
‘Do you have any info on the meeting in my calendar for tomorrow?’ I asked.
Paddy scrunched his nose and forehead in confusion. ‘I didn’t know you had a meeting booked in. I checked your calendar this morning when I came in.’
A test from the universe. How good are you, really, Nora Claremont?
Pretending to be the offspring of the boss is easy when there’s minimal chance you’ll be fired no matter how terrible you are, but proving oneself in front of another company requires knowledge.
Knowledge not in my possession about this company, nor the mystery one.
‘Must be new. Can you find out for me?’ I asked.
‘Sure. Want me to get you some lunch around midday? You should be done with that report by then.’
My heart pounded at the thrill of lunch being delivered to my desk. No pacing the street in search of something that wouldn’t risk food poisoning. I could send him to a respectable café for a freshly made meal. Perhaps I could get used to Paddy after all.
‘Can you get me some Mexican?’ I tried to contain the excitement, but the pitch of my voice verged on a whistle impersonation.
‘Since when do you like Mexican food?’
How interesting. Corey hated Mexican food.
‘Well, you know, they say your taste buds are always evolving. In fact, I read this fascinating book the other day about our evolving palates and how our taste receptors…’
Paddy stared as though I had my fingers shoved up my nose.
‘Is there something on my face?’ I rubbed my cheek.
‘What the hell are you talking about?’
‘What?’
‘Reading books about taste buds? Since when do you read books about taste buds? In fact, since when do you read… anything?’
I don’t know whether my heart stopped beating or thumped harder. I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than convincing Paddy nothing strange was going on.
‘You don’t know everything about me.’ I crossed my arms.
Corey’s poor brain was clearly deprived of proper mental stimulation. If I read enough while I’m in his body, perhaps he’d retain some interesting facts. I mentally selected the titles that would benefit him the most, consisting of Female Power and Mysterious or Arrogant.
Paddy mimicked my crossed arms and challenged me with a pointed stare.
‘All right then. What’s my favourite colour?’
‘Green. Although, you tell everyone it’s black because you want to come off as edgy and cool.’
My eyes rolled at the accuracy of that statement.
‘Do I have any fillings?’
‘One down the bottom.’
My tongue ran over the grooves and edges of my teeth which gave away nothing. I’d have to take his word on that considering I hadn’t peered too closely inside this mouth.
‘What do I do when I’m not at work?’
‘Watch TV at mine, and when no one is around to see, you sketch in your notebook.’
Again, I’d have to take him at his word, although now that he mentioned it, I recalled Corey almost always had the same notebook with him.
The sketches I’d found in his briefcase were good, and curiosity stung at me until I swelled with the urge to find that notebook at home to see if they were drawn by him.
‘Well. Add ‘tries new food’ to the list of things you know about me. And I’ll see you with my black bean burrito at one. Extra guac, please.’
Ending our conversation with a delightful nod and turning back to my laptop, Paddy walked out having transformed his eager face to confusion.
Corey’s organised desktop came in handy as I clicked open the files for his report due tomorrow.
I was confident I’d have it on his father’s desk before lunch today.
The challenge to broaden my abilities in this position was glitter on eyeshadow.
Both were fine, but it was that little extra something that made me sparkle.
With the opportunity to put some of my learned skills into practice I thrummed in anticipation with each beat of my heart.
The bad blood between Corey and his father would end with me once he noticed ‘Corey’s’ dedication and commitment to this role.
They both possessed too much pride to reconcile whatever caused so much hatred, but lucky for them, conflict resolutions were my specialty.
My father may have severed all connections with me, but Corey still had a chance to maintain a relationship with his. They only needed to communicate better.
Yes. That’s it.
Corey’s reputation would be restored and admired, starting with this report.
My brows scrunched as I ran the numbers again.
That’s twice now they weren’t adding properly, which meant it was unlikely I was wrong, and likely that accounts made a mistake.
I grinned as I slid my finger down the phone list until I reached accounts and dialled the #7 extension, eager to show my kindness through the problem.
‘This is Angie,’ chirped a happy voice.
‘Hey, Angie. It’s Corey. I went over the figures you sent me for the end of month report and they’re not quite adding up. Have you got a sec?’
The phone was so silent that I checked the small screen to make sure we hadn’t been disconnected.
‘Angie?’
‘Sorry. I’m here. I’m surprised, that’s all. You’ve never called me before.’
Bloody hell, Corey.
‘I’ll go over the figures again and get them to you as soon as possible,’ she assured me.
I hated that I was a man giving her instruction. It went against every instinct my mum had built through childhood, but this was a workplace and I needed to be professional.
‘Thanks, Angie. Don’t stress over it, but the sooner the better would be great so I can tick the report off.’
‘Okay?’ her voice made it sound like a question.
‘Bye, Angie,’ my happy voice rivalled her chirpy greeting by the end of our conversation.
That wasn’t so bad. It was all about preparing, checking, and delegating. Not to mention picking up the damn phone and communicating with colleagues.
While I waited for the account figures to come back, I studied the framed certificates on the wall opposite his desk.
Master of Business Information and Logistics Management
Invisible hands wrapped around my throat, and I closed my eyes wishing I could turn back time to the moment I had decided Corey wasn’t qualified for his position.
Not only decided, declared. I’d thrown careless words around without an ounce of support, going entirely off what I’d conjured in my mind.
My gaze shifted to the next black frame on the wall.
Bachelor of Economics
The hands around my throat tightened. My single Diploma of Financial Planning was entirely insignificant in comparison, and I’d been harping on about how equal we were.
I moved to the window to gaze at the glorious view his degrees awarded him with.
The water beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge glistened, and sunlight warmed my skin.
His reflection stared back at me, and I turned my head side to side, admiring his defined jaw and the thick lashes that framed his grey eyes.
Heat spread across my cheeks, and the beginnings of a smile tugged at my lips.
My hand rested against his cheekbones, and I tilted my head to appreciate his nose.
I’d been drowning in such hatred towards him; I’d failed to notice just how devastatingly attractive his features were to go with his Muay Thai muscles.
‘Are you checking yourself out?’ Paddy stopped in the doorway, baffled by my interest in my reflection.
The heat from my cheeks swept across my face until I was as red as the fresh cherries I couldn’t afford. My hand dropped from my cheek, and I turned back to my desk.
‘No. Don’t be ridiculous; I was enjoying the view.’ I busied myself with Corey’s emails.
‘What is it with you and that view? Is it the lure of freedom you’re captivated by?’
Freedom? What on earth was he talking about?
Corey had enough money to do anything. Not only was he filthy rich, but he was also – sadly – extremely qualified and absurdly attractive.
He ticked every box anyone could want in life!
Although, he had mentioned it hadn’t come easily for him, and I knew I’d have to push him for a better explanation because nothing was adding up.
Paddy frowned at my silence, so I crossed my arms over my chest and conjured one of Corey’s frustrated faces to pretend I didn’t have time to be his chummy best friend right now. The same look he’d used when I’d suggested spending an additional week learning tax offsets last month.
‘I’ve got a report due this afternoon, did you need to tell me something?’ I asked.
‘Oh, right.’ He tossed me a packet. ‘Here’s the painkillers, and I wanted to let you know that the meeting tomorrow is with a company called Dreyton Marketing.’
My lips tingled and my head dizzied. Blood drained from my face like a sand timer, leaving me pale and verging on death.
It made sense. Dreyton had grown drastically over the last few years making them due to upgrade their insurance policy.
This must be karma throwing me a bone, I was sure of it.
It would provide me with the opportunity to prove myself to Corey, and this meeting would be easy now that I knew everything possible about the client.
That is, assuming I could balance a fair deal considering I’d be gunning for both companies.
‘Thanks for that.’ My head bounced a nod of dismissal to Paddy.
He scrunched his eyebrows and took a few steps back. ‘Ah, no worries.’
His gaze lingered, confused and waiting… but for what? The truth? His head tilted like the tick of a clock, the angle sharpening more with each interaction.
Deciding he might need a friendlier dismissal; I held out my clenched fist. ‘Pound it.’ I smiled enthusiastically.
His eyebrows lowered even further in response. ‘Huh?’
Oh shit. That must be a thing guys only do in movies. I dropped my arm and laughed as though I’d made a joke, a little too loudly.
Paddy widened his eyes and took a few more steps towards the door. ‘I’ll, ah, leave you to it.’
If nothing else, I had the safety of an empty office again, which meant I could brush up on Zealy Insurance.
I tapped at the black keys and dragged the mouse over the packages they offered on the website, determined to prove I could do this without Corey’s help.
Corey’s dad would see him in a new, professional light.
You’re welcome, Corey.
Not only did we have a truce, but I would repair his father–son bond.