Jack rapped his knuckles on the top of my cubicle wall. “I have to run to a meeting. But we’ll be there from six to eleven. Maybe come for one drink?”
“I’ll try.”
He disappeared, and I sat at my desk, struggling with my conflicting feelings. I hadn’t seen Jagger since our lunch date—or lunchmeeting, I suppose. After our bizarre five minutes of free questioning, we’d returned to discussing business. Twenty minutes later, he’d gotten a call that some big deal he was about to close was threatening to fall through, and he’d had to get on a flight to London to try to save it. He dropped me at the entrance to the Apex building, and that was the last I’d seen of him.
I’d told myself it was just as well. No good could come from me continuing to drool over a man like Jagger Langston. But it didn’t seem to stop me from getting excited every time the elevator door opened, or I went to a management meeting that included the group “All Executives” in Outlook.
My desk phone rang while I was still lost in thought.
“Sutton Holland,” I answered.
“Hi, Sutton. It’s Edmund.”
I hadn’t seen or heard from my stepfather since starting at Apex. He’d been off on my first day, the Monday after the wedding, which now seemed like a lifetime ago, and then he’d been on a business trip the rest of the week.
“Hey, Edmund. How are you?”
“I’m well. I was meaning to get down to see you today, but I got bombarded the minute I walked in the building this morning.”
“I didn’t realize you were back from your trip.”
“We hit a stalemate with the deal I was working on, so I caught a ride home on the company jet late last night with the boss.”
I perked up.Jagger’s back. “Oh. That’s good. I’m sure Mom was glad.”
His voice softened. “Yes, her day is always brighter when her coffee is hand delivered to her in bed before the sleep mask comes off her eyes.”
I chuckled. That was my mom. I’d learned the trick to her morning happiness in grade school—bring her hot coffee in her favorite Tiffany’s mug first thing in the morning, and I could ask anything and get a yes. “And that, in turn, makes everyone else’s day brighter.”
“It certainly does.” I heard the smile in his voice. Edmund adored my mother. And I’d never seen herhappier than with him. What’s the old saying?Fourthtime’s a charm? “Anyway, would you have some time to stop up here so we can talk for a few minutes?”
Uh-oh.My stomach dropped. He’d taken the plane home with the boss, and now I was being summoned to his office. This didn’t sound good. “Umm… Yeah, sure.”
“Great. Pop in on your way out. It won’t take long.”
Forty-five minutes later, I rode the elevator up to the executive floor and swiped my card to enter the glass doors. My stomach was a knot of nerves as I walked into the empty reception area. I’d learned the layout of the top floor on my first day. It was a circle that could be entered from the right or the left. The most direct path to Edmund’s office was to my right, but his office came before Jagger’s, so if I went that way, I wouldn’t pass the boss. I nibbled on my lip for a few seconds before settling on going left.
Halfway to Jagger’s office, my steps faltered when I heard men’s voices. Two suits I vaguely recognized from the corporate website walked into the hall, and I breathed a sigh of relief that neither was Jagger or Edmund. Though my breaths again staggered to a halt as I approached the big corner office located at the turn. Trying not to make it obvious I was looking, my eyes darted to the side. Disappointment hit as I found the office empty, but my legs kept going without breaking stride.
When I arrived at Edmund’s office, his door was open. He sat behind his desk, talking loudly on speakerphone. When he saw me, he smiled and stood, waving me in while continuing his conversation. It wasn’t until a few seconds later that I realized he wasn’t actually on the phone. He was talking to someone sitting on the couch, which was now behind me. I turned, and that person was none other than Jagger.
I wobbled on my heels at the sight of him.
He stood, and I could’ve sworn there was a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. “Good to see you again, Sutton.”
“I…I didn’t realize anyone was in the office but Edmund.”
Jagger’s shirtsleeves were rolled up, showcasing his muscular forearms covered in tattoos. His hair, which was normally slicked back and neat, was more disheveled than usual. It looked like he’d spent a decent amount of time raking a hand through it. I could’ve ogled the man for hours, but I didn’t want to embarrass my stepfather, so I turned my attention back to him and thumbed to the door. “Should I come back?”
Jagger answered. “That’s not necessary. We were just finishing up.” He picked up his suit jacket from the couch and nodded to Edmund. “Thanks again for trying to put out the dumpster fire. I was initially disappointed, but the way their management team has acted in the last twenty-four hours, maybe things worked out for the best.”
Edmund nodded. “Sometimes things go wrong so that better things can come along and make things right again.”
Jagger’s gaze shifted to me, and this time the amusement in his eyes was undeniable. “I agree.”
He left with only a nod, and I made the mistake of watching him through the glass wall until he was out of sight—a mistake because Edmund had been watching me.
“Have you two gotten to spend any time together yet?” he asked. “Since he’s your mentor?”
