Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Mia
After my first impression with my scent-matches gave them the wrong idea about my wardrobe, showing off in my tallest heels and tightest sweater dress is a must. If I’m going to take them to tour my office, I want to look like the bad bitch I normally am.
Complete with a mauve lipstick and the silky blowout hairstyle I’ve perfected over the years.
I’m feeling pretty smug about my transformation as I scan my badge to grant us elevator access to Nest & Knot’s home base on the eleventh floor.
The moment the elevator door closes behind us, I set a warning look in Freddie's direction.
"What?" he asks, wide-eyed as if he can't possibly imagine why I'm looking at him right now.
I wag my finger teasingly at him. "Don't forget that this is a sacred place of business that I'm showing you. Please behave accordingly. I expect you to be at your most professional."
"But I don't have Simon with me!" he yelps.
I slap my hand over my face and giggle. "I expect you to be at Zak's version of most professional."
Freddie wrinkles his nose, and I peek up just in time to see Zak elbow him with an eye-roll. "Just try not to embarrass Mia too much while we're here," he warns the beta.
"Duly noted." His eyes lock on the elevator buttons, and he raises his arms and wiggles his fingers, but manages to resist the urge to immediately cause chaos by pushing every button. I know that's exactly what he's thinking because in the next moment he asks, "So what's on all these other floors?"
"Other businesses that we're not allowed to go to," Spencer answers quickly before I get the chance. He gives Freddie a warning look of his own, but it's good-natured. A moment later, he wraps an arm around the beta's shoulder and draws him close.
Equal parts affection and babysitting.
Kind of hot. It’s like a cuddle sandwich, and I really want to be in the middle.
Luckily, no one is likely to be at the office on a Sunday since everyone is off on weekends. I'm an exception since social media never really sleeps, but I monitor the social media accounts from home when we're not in regular business hours.
The elevator stops on the eleventh floor, and the doors open to welcome us into a chic lobby area. As expected, there's no one working the front desk as we walk into the quiet space.
Everything smells faintly of citrus cleaner, printer toner, and sex.
Not literal sex, but the essence of it. Like confidence and intimacy. There's just a vibe to the office that transcends the physical act of sex. The aura of sex lives here.
Freddie walks to the center of the lobby and turns a slow circle. "Hmm. I expected more nudity."
I wince. "Please don't repeat that if we happen to run into anyone."
"You made this sound like a temple of pleasure."
"This is my workplace."
"Why can't it be both?" He exaggerates a pout.
"Honestly, I like to think it is both," a familiar voice says.
I jump as Quinn strolls into the reception area with a tablet in one hand and a giant iced coffee in the other.
Her strawberry blonde hair is pulled back in a glossy updo, and her face is completely bare of makeup.
She usually shares my affinity for heels, but today she's in sneakers that make it easier for her to move.
That's a telltale sign that she's had a spark of inspiration and is in the throes of designing a new toy.
She stops dead when she takes in the sight of the four of us.
"Mia," she draws my name out into a bunch of extra imaginary syllables. "Why are there three tall men accompanying you to the office on a Sunday?"
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.
Her lips twitch, fighting a smile. There's a knowingness to the way she looks at me, and I'm sure she's already clocked the fact that these guys are my mates.
A humiliating warmth spreads across my cheeks. You'd think after everything that happened in the past two days, I'd be immune to embarrassment by now. Instead, I feel like I've been caught with my hand in a cookie jar.
After a moment, I greet her brightly. "Quinn. Wow. Fancy seeing you here."
She raises an eyebrow, amused. "In the office of the company I own?"
"Good point. Seeing you here is normal, not fancy in any way." That somehow doesn't sound any better, and I think Freddie's ridiculousness might be rubbing off on me. Which is hilarious because I already come with my own brand of chaos, I don't need to adopt too much of his.
Quinn's gaze flicks back to the guys, and I'm surprised to see the recognition there.
I wouldn't have expected my boss to know anything about sports, even the local teams. Part of the reason she loves me so much is that I keep her from having to be in the know about basically anything pop culture adjacent.
She probably has no idea about the viral video of me chasing Simon the Sloth down the sidelines at Friday night's game. That makes one person in my life.
Even my freaking parents texted me about the video. All four of them.
"Anyway..." Quinn moves toward us with an assessing gaze. "I'm just here to grab this." She waves her tablet. "I've been working all morning from my home office on a new idea, and I'm ready to put together some sketches."
The guys step out of her way, crowding closer to me, as she passes us to go to the elevator. She pushes the call button and then turns to wiggle her eyebrows suggestively.
"I imagine Mia is planning to show you around the office. Enjoy your tour, but try not to enjoy the office too much." Her suggestion is clear.
I close my eyes and groan lightly. "Quinn."
"There is a testing room that was sanitized this morning if you need it, though," she adds with the breezy professionalism that she usually reserves for discussing which conference room is available for a meeting.
I can practically feel the weight of Freddie staring at me hopefully. Spencer and Zak don't seem immune, either.
The elevator door opens, and Quinn steps on. "See you tomorrow, Mia!"
I sheepishly finger-wave to bid her goodbye.
She's going to have so many questions tomorrow.
Quinn hasn't found her own mates yet, and she loves living vicariously through everyone else.
The head of Human Resources, whom she hired two years ago, hasn't had any luck convincing her to tone down the conversations about personal lives at work.
Hopefully, HR will never win the battle. I love that no matter how big Nest & Knot grows, my coworkers and I still feel like one big family.
Once the elevator doors close, and we're alone again, I face the guys. "So... That was my boss." I shake my head with a laugh. "She's going to pump me for all of the details tomorrow and be sorely disappointed that I don’t have anything spicier to share."
"Is that a challenge?" Spencer asks, a lazy smile spreading over his face.
I shrug one shoulder with a coy smile of my own. While I'm not sure we're ready to head straight for any of the testing rooms, I wouldn't mind if things heated up a little. Or a lot. All three of them have been the perfect gentlemen despite staying TWO nights at my house.
What are they waiting for? A flashing neon light to point to my vagina?
That can be arranged, if necessary.
I fan myself with my hand to try to cool off a little. I'm trying my best not to be impatient, which Milo has occasionally told me is one of my worst characteristics. Waiting a little longer for one of my mates to be the first to make a move won't kill me...
But it might lead to me using a testing room all by myself if they don't hurry.
"Are you all ready to see my office?" I ask, desperate to change the subject and already in motion. I guide them down the hall from the reception area, toward the open office space in the center, which houses a dozen cubicles.
I point out the desks and explain, "This is where the helpdesk people work.
They're the only ones here who don't have private offices because a lot of times the calls have to be passed around to get questions answered or complaints lodged.
" I smile smugly and make sure to add, "We get thirty percent fewer complaints than all of our competitors. "
The guys make appropriately impressed sounds in between taking turns asking endless questions about the specifics of my job.
Zak, in particular, seems keen to understand my typical working schedule.
I point out the offices of my coworkers until we arrive at the office closest to Quinn's executive office suite.
"And this one is mine," I tell them proudly, stepping inside and flicking the lights on so that they can appreciate my workspace in all its glory.
I might be biased, but I happen to think I have the best office on the floor.
The big window overlooks the city and the nearby mountains in the distance.
Spencer and Zak walk politely around the edge of the room, taking in every detail of my space.
Freddie is far less chill and touches everything in sight.
I'm learning he's very into textiles. Our trip to the grocery store was interesting because he really seems incapable of keeping his hands to himself.
I try to look at my office through their eyes. Lavender accent chair, dark purple bookshelves, and a glass desk that houses my extra-large computer monitor. On the wall across from my desk is the only art in the office, and Freddie is the first to notice the images inside the elegant gold frames.
He gasps. "Are those–"
"Yes," I answer quickly, already bracing myself.
Zak's eyebrows lift as he turns to see what has Freddie's attention. He walks over for a better look, followed by Spencer. The three of them press close together, leaning in as if that's necessary to analyze the very straightforward artwork.
"Are these from the actual product line?" Spencer asks, his voice impressed.