She frowned. God help me if she broke into tears again. But instead, she raised her chin and leveled me with a cool, “You can’t do it withoutme.”
Justin rubbed his hands together, excitement radiating off him. “Well, this is a very interesting turn of eventsindeed.”
3
Georgina
Ihated being caughtoff guard in professional situations. Work was the one area I had it together thanks to a take-no-shit boss who’d gotten where she was by shattering glass ceilings for fun. But she was also a nurturing and supportive mentor to those she considered worth her time. She’d taught me how to girl-boss. How to take care of myself. And that I should never feel guilty about wanting more out of my career. She was why I could become someone else, someone like her, in order to walk into a crisis with my head onstraight.
And she was why I stood here now, in front of my new co-manager. My new,disarmingly handsomeco-manager—and the glue that held together the team I was about to join. A commanding, charming man who’d needed to believe I was also a man just to accept theideaof me. And a man who’d seen mecry.
SebastianQuinn.
I hoped he didn’t notice the slight tremble of my hands. He’d already witnessed perhaps the one thing a businesswoman couldn’t come back from—showing emotion. How the hell did I expect him to take me seriously if he thought I might burst into tears at anymoment?
From my hurried research onModern Man, I’d red-flagged the magazine’s creative director as one of the staff’s biggest liabilities. I hadn’t realized that man was Sebastian. And now it occurred to me why he’d looked so familiar at the café—I’d seen his image on theModern Manwebsite, had glanced over it in the exposé while in deep research mode, and had spotted him in social sections of magazines that’d coveredModern Man’s events but had assumed he was an editorialmodel.
I quickly filtered through what I’d learned in the short amount of time I’d had to look into him: owner of a high-end Fifth Avenue apartment, involved in an accident that ended with a totaled foreign sports car, considered a “bad boy” of publishing for the unapologetically masculine magazine he’d built, and a notorious playboy who couldn’t be tied down and had left heartbroken actresses, socialites, and models in hiswake.
Unfortunately, as I’d already proven, I belonged to the part of the female population that went wobbly-legged and tongue-tied around men like him. George didn’t, though. As long as I could stay in character and see Sebastian for what he was—a colleague—I could do this. I had to, because I was a professional, and work camefirst.
“Let’s introduce you to the rest of the staff,” Vance said, interrupting the uncomfortable silence that had permeated Sebastian’s corner office. “Come with me, MissKeller.”
Vance led us down a long hallway, past some conference rooms. From behind, Sebastian lowered his voice and said, “Is that atanktop?”
“At least it’s dry.” I tugged up the neckline. At a souvenir shop between the café and office, I’d swapped my crisp button-down for a ribbed Yankees jersey that’d only been available in extra-small.
“I’m not saying I don’t like it,” he continued. “But it’s a good thing you weren’t wearing it when I met you. I might’ve forgotten all about my morningmeeting.”
The back of my neck warmed. If there’d been any question that he’d been flirting earlier, here was my proof. He walked close behind me to keep our conversation private, and it reminded me of how he’d kneeled at my feet before we’d ever even made eye contact. Neal would’ve said my tank was too revealing for the office. Toward the end of our relationship, only an arched eyebrow over his coffee mug would’ve been enough to send me back into our bedroom tochange.
My ex was the last person I needed to be thinking about in that moment, yet less than an hour in Sebastian’s presence and I was second-guessing my outfit. And myself. I had to be careful. Dionne had sent me here for a reason.Modern Manneeded a female touch. My past assignments had mainly consisted of publications for women by women, and Sebastian’s staff had gone unchecked toolong.
I had to play the game their way. If I came off as too assertive, I’d become the enemy and find myself ostracized from the group. In order for this to work, I had to truly beinthe circle of trust, not at the fringes, and definitely not outside ofit.
I couldn’t let Sebastian undermine me. I dug into my purse, unzipped a side pouch, and pulled out an emergency mini bottle of Aleve. Turning my head over my shoulder, I tossed it back, and Sebastian caught it with a look of surprise. “For the PMS,” I said with a wink to make absolute sure he knew I’d heard their earlierconversation.
I took the next moment for myself, though I could’ve used a wholeweekendwith Halo Top andThe New Yorkerto agonize over my morning—oh, who was I kidding? I wallowed by eating Häagen Dazs Mocha Chocolate Cookie straight from the carton while binge-watching every available episode of HGTV set in Dublin or any movie featuring SaoirseRonan.
Vance had promised me full rein overModern Man, but I could see now that there’d be no such opportunity while Sebastian was there. Even if the way we’d met couldn’t have gone worse, I had to get it together. I hadn’t come this far in my career by backing down whenintimidated.
I double-checked that my blazer was buttoned, fixed my neckline again, and entered the conference room. Barely legible chicken scratch covered the whiteboard at the head of the room. Miniature football goal posts sat at opposite ends of the conference table, and in the middle, a battalion of G.I. Joe action figures held up a Dunkin’ Donuts box. I followed a trail of rainbow sprinkles leading to the other man I’d seen but hadn’t met in Sebastian’s office. With unruly blond hair that perfectly offset his blue eyes, he smiled a mouthful of donut. Ah, the class clown. And a potentialinif I played my cardsright.
I set up my laptop at the head of the table and fiddled with theprojector.
“Derek from IT should be here any minute,” Vance said as more people filedin.
“I’ve got it.” Imagine that—I’d done this probably thirty times before, and all without the help of aboy.
As I stood and surveyed the room, Sebastian entered, the last to arrive, as if he’d been loitering outside. A young man gave up his seat to Sebastian, joining a group gathered at the back. Sebastian was important around here, but was he more than a boss to theseguys?
“Morning, everyone,” Vance said, and the room quieted. “Please give a warm welcome to George Keller, who’ll be joining our team as a publishing consultant and PR specialist for the next eightweeks.”
I laced my fingers in front of myself and smiled, ignoring the rumble of whispers through thecrowd.
“George comes to us with many successful years in media consulting and PR crises,” Vance continued. “Remember how the features editor ofMoms and Babesspent a month in rehab foropioids?”
The men mumbled. “I never heard that,” onesaid.
