3. Sutton
Sutton
By the end of my third week with Quinn and the foundation, I felt like I was starting to wrap my head around my new job.
I could see why she had been drowning on her own.
She was so busy and received so many calls and emails in a day that I had to create my own screening system so only the important things actually got through to her while the rest I passed off onto other staff.
I now had a color system for managing her calendar, coordinating events, and figuring out who needed what from her when. Overall, it was challenging and I was loving every minute of it.
There had been a bit of an adjustment working days and not getting to see Sophie in between shifts, but we had both settled into it.
Getting to spend all night together, uninterrupted, and putting her to sleep each night was the best. I didn’t even mind when she woke me up in the middle of the night or didn’t fall asleep right away because I felt present.
This had been the right decision, plus it didn’t hurt that my bank account was already healthier than it had been since before I got pregnant.
I felt like I was able to take full breaths for the first time. I still felt like I was swimming upstream without a paddle, but at least the current had lightened up a little.
On top of all that, Quinn and I were getting along really well.
It felt more like helping a friend than a boss.
I was so nervous my first few days but her consistent smiles and chatty demeanor soon had me relaxing.
We ate lunch together when she was free, getting to know each other beyond work, and I felt very comfortable around her, which wasn’t something I was good at.
The foster system had taught me to be cautious.
“Okay, so I called the vendors on your list. I’ve narrowed it down to two. Since you want children attending this event, I actually think—”
My end-of-day update to Quinn was interrupted by someone yelling outside her office.
“Q!”
“Noah,” she hissed sharply with a glare over my shoulder. “I know your mother raised you better than that.”
“Yeah, Noah, this is a place of business,” a second accented male voice replied.
Quinn just shook her head while I turned to see our guests sauntering past my empty desk to join us in Quinn’s office.
I knew who they were from the second Quinn had spoken back to them.
During one of our lunches, she had told me all about Knight Enterprises and how she’d met her boyfriend, Theo Knight, and the friend group that came with him.
These guys were her family, and it was the first time they’d come to the office since I started.
She’d said it was unusual they weren’t around, but apparently they had been busy getting permits for something they were building.
“She’s the one who told us to come pick her up.
” I guessed that was Noah again. He had blond curly hair that was slightly unruly, and his suit was tailored perfectly to his muscular body.
He plopped himself down on the chair beside mine.
“Hey, gorgeous.” He winked. My cheeks flushed at the unexpected comment.
“Noah, can you not scare my assistant away, please.” Quinn glared at him as the other man took a step into the office. “This is Sutton,” she said with a wave, introducing me to the men. Although, from the stories I’d heard from Quinn, I was fairly confident they already knew my name.
“I’m Jaxson,” the other man said with an easygoing smile. He had dark hair that was a little longer, kind of flopping down on the sides, and was clean-shaven with broad shoulders.
“Nice to meet you both.” I smiled, trying not to let my discomfort at being the center of attention show.
Not just because they were ridiculously attractive, and their accents were doing nothing to detract from that. But also because they were Quinn’s family and I wanted them to like me. I was feeling the pressure to make a good first impression.
“But it’s nicer to meet me, right?” Noah captured my attention again with a smile.
I was about to answer when another man stepped into the doorway, pulling my attention and saving me from having to say something.
“Noah.” There was a deep rumble in his voice that made my stomach clench as it thundered through me.
It always had, anytime he asked for coffee or his bill.
He’d never said more than a few words but I would know his voice anywhere.
It wasn’t just the accent, it was the huskiness of it, almost like he didn’t talk a lot.
He crossed his arms over his thick, broad chest and leaned against the doorjamb, his bright amber eyes locked on me. His dark brown hair was shaved short against his head, and a well-groomed beard accentuated his chiseled jawline.
With his stance I couldn’t see the dark tattoos on his hands that connected to the ones on his arms and must have gone further still since I’d seen peeks of them at the top of his chest. I had tried to avoid staring at him for too long but I knew there were flowers, leaves, and other thick-lined black tattoos as well.
“This grump is Asher, by the way,” Noah supplied. I didn’t need to know his name since he’d muttered it to me at the diner the first night he came in, but since he didn’t point out that we’d already met, I didn’t either.
“I told you guys to pick me up at five. It’s still a quarter to.” Quinn sent each of them a look.
Jaxson shook his head. “You know Noah—a tad impatient.”
I bit my lip and finally looked away from Asher’s intense gaze.
“That was really the last thing on our list anyway.” I passed Quinn the paper with the vendors she could pick from. I had starred the one I thought would be the best fit with a few reasons on the side for her to review.
She smiled. “You’re a serious lifesaver, Sutton.
” I was pretty sure I was doing a good job.
And for the first time since I’d started working, I was able to take some pride in my job and didn’t go home smelling like old fryer grease and bitter coffee.
“Go with the vendor and location you’ve picked.
I trust your judgment.” I flushed at her compliment.
It might have been small, but it was big enough for me to start to feel more confident.
“Sutton, are you coming out with us?” Noah’s smile was incredibly charming.
I knew from conversations with Quinn that each Friday night they went out to Pulse, a club they had opened when they first came to Calgary.
I got the impression they always went together as a group and unless you were out on business, you didn’t miss it.
They all followed it up with a get-together on Saturday to watch sports, play games, and eat food.
From what I’d gathered, these people loved to spend time with each other.
Quinn had mentioned earlier today that Knight and Will, the company’s lawyer, had to head to London to close a deal which was why the other guys were here to get her.
Knight had dropped her off at work this morning so she didn’t have her car.
“Sorry, I can’t, but thank you for the offer.” Iris had been watching Sophie all day and even if she hadn’t, I was more than ready to get home.
“Alright, boys, let’s get out of here.” Quinn’s words got them moving. Noah clapped his hands and stood up as she looked back at me. “Sutton, head home. Don’t worry about those last few items—we can deal with them on Monday.”
I let them all walk out of the office first and then stood to follow but Asher turned in the doorway to block me from leaving.
His shoulders were wide, and at five-five, the man towered over me. This close, I had to tilt my chin up to look at him.
“Are you still working at that restaurant?”
That was the first full sentence he’d ever said to me. His British accent made his deep voice seem grumblier. I would have thought it would be annoying, but nope, I didn’t mind it at all.
“Uh…” I frowned, looking away from his intense eyes. “No, no, I only work here now.” I was looking at his shoulder rather than his face, but I saw him nod once.
“It was a real invitation.” His voice was low but calm. I could probably listen to this man talk all day, although from Quinn’s stories about him and my own few interactions, that would be the last thing he’d want to do.
“Thanks, but I can’t tonight.”
“Date?”
I snorted and let out a small laugh before shaking my head. “No, I just have to get home.” He tilted his head to the side slightly like he was trying to figure me out and I fidgeted under his intense gaze.
“Ash, you coming?” Quinn asked from behind him. I peeked over his thick frame to see her wearing a sly smile that I couldn’t quite figure out.
“I’ll walk you to your car.” He finally turned to let me pass. I didn’t realize he had been talking to me until he was standing at my desk, waiting.
“You don’t have to do that. My car is right out front.”
“Grab your shit, Sutton.” His tone was clipped. I was momentarily distracted by the way he said my name.
“He won’t let you out of here alone, Sutton. Just give in,” Quinn said as she, Noah, and Jaxson started toward the lobby.
Asher stood like a sentinel beside me while I shut down my computer and packed my bag, trying to move quickly. I went to sling the bag over my shoulder, but Asher grabbed it from me before I could.
“You don’t need to—” I stopped talking because he was shooting me an annoyed glare and I couldn’t tell if he was pissed at me for existing or because I was going to argue.
We walked in silence behind the others, their laughter filtering back to us. Asher walked close to me—not close enough to touch but close enough that I knew he was right behind me.
“Night, Sutton,” Liam called with a wave at me from his desk near the front of the office. “Don’t forget my offer!”
He was a nice enough guy who worked on one of the coordination teams that got families set up with therapists. He had been stopping by my desk for the past week, trying to talk to me. It kind of annoyed me—I was just here to work.
This afternoon, before I went into Quinn’s office, he had invited me out to a “casual” hangout on Saturday night with him and a few of his friends.
I had politely declined; I had no interest in going anywhere with someone I didn’t know.
Nor would I give up my newfound uninterrupted weekends with Sophie for a casual hang with some guy from work.
“Have a good weekend.” I waved back without addressing his offer. I felt Asher step closer and bend down so his face was near my cheek.
“Keep walking, Sutton,” he said, his voice low in my ear.
I looked up at him and was surprised to see he looked pissed off.
The frown wasn’t new, I’d seen it on him before, but the clenched jaw and narrowed eyes were.
I had no idea why but instead of asking him about it I just did as he said and kept walking.
Neither of us spoke as he followed me to my car.
I grabbed the keys from my bag and unlocked it, pulling the driver’s door open.
The thing was old, red with some rust along the wheel wells, and it made a weird noise.
But it ran and was safe enough for Sophie.
The backseat always looked strange without the car seat but I never left it in there since I needed Iris to have it in case of an emergency.
Asher’s big tattooed hand wrapped around the doorframe.
“Thanks for walking me out,” I managed. My voice sounded weird.
Too high? Too nasally?
I needed to relax.
The silence stretched on long enough for me to blurt something out in my discomfort.
“Is it just a coincidence that you were always coming to the diner and then Quinn came in and offered me a job?”
“Quinn needed an assistant,” he replied in a monotone voice without missing a beat. I tilted my head, trying to get a read on this guy, but I just couldn’t.
“Have you been back there since that night?” He just blinked at me for a few moments, clearly not interested in answering my question. “Well…” I looked at his hand still holding my doorframe. “I should get going.”
Iris was waiting at home and I think she had plans tonight to play bridge with her friends. She had a more exciting social life than I did. Which made me laugh when we talked about it but it only made Iris scold me.
“Enjoy your evening.” Asher pinned me with a look that seemed like an accusation.
“Do we have a problem here, Asher?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “You seem pissed at me, which is something I don’t usually experience from someone I don’t even know.
” His jaw tightened for a moment before he opened his mouth to respond, but we were interrupted by a honk of a car horn. I jumped at the sound.
“Ash! Are you coming?” Quinn called. I looked over to see her standing next to an SUV. Everyone else was already in the car.
I let out a sigh and decided to climb into my own car. There was no need to hang around while Asher stood there like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to grunt at me again or not.
“See you around, Sutton,” he said in a low voice.
Better than a grunt, I guess.
I ignored the fact that my name in his accent sent shivers down my spine. He shut my door and stepped back as I started it and put it into drive. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I glanced in my rearview mirror.
Asher was still standing where I’d left him, watching my car. I was a little relieved when I turned the corner and he disappeared from my sight.