I groan.
“Maybellynn’s face turned beet red. She turned on her heel, bolted to her desk, grabbed her handbag, and flew out of here like a bat out of hell.” Cressida’s dark blue eyes hold mine. “Let’s say she doesn’t only envy you for ending up with the office…” She arches both eyebrows. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”
Great, just great.
After Cressida leaves my office, I put away my laptop in the safe, grab my handbag, and blow a kiss to my orchid.
I’m done.
My first day at my new job was a mixture of petty office drama, hope, and disappointment. Every time Maybellynn strode by my office with arrogant indifference just to turn around and glower at me through the glass wall, she was steadfast in her determination to give me the evil eye. But that wasn’t enough to damper my resolve to prove myself as worthy of Kaz’s trust and this incredible office. I kept my head down and focused on coming up with a killer social media plan, elated by the chance of reinventing myself and getting a much-needed injection of money in my bank account.
It sucks that the situation at Grazie Mille kept Kaz away from the office, but the idea of spending the entire evening withhim gives me wings. I might be his fake girlfriend, but unlike Maybellynn, I’m the lucky one who gets up close and personal with the boss.
Fingers crossed we can finish what we started yesterday.
My gaze sweeps around the office that’s become a contentious issue between me and a coworker who hates me, before heading to the elevator. As I cross the office, I wave goodbye to the few coworkers still sitting in the admin pool.
The second I step outside the building, my phone chimes with a text.
Kazimir
How was your first day?
Excitement bubbles to the surface.
“Get out of the way,” a woman says. “If you’re gonna text, don’t block the fucking sidewalk.”
“Sorry,” I say to her retreating back.
I step to the side.
My fingers fly on the screen as I type my response.
Harley
Good. Productive. And you?
Kazimir
Between Grazie Mille’s owner who’s in panic mode, texting all the restaurant’s employees to let them know the restaurant will be closed, getting the interim manager to circle back with all the reservations to let them know the news, lining up a plumber to come down and yank the toilet out so the police and the FBI can poke around, this day is kicking my ass.
Harley
But it’s over soon, right?
Kazimir
I wish.
Harley
Oh, no. Are you still stuck there for a while?
Kazimir
Probably another couple of hours. Then, I’m heading to Number 22, and after that to the office to get some work done.
Harley
