Theo and I have fallen into a comfortable routine. He buries himself in work, and I try my best to support him where I can.
Nexus Realty Group, over the last few years, has really boomed into the corporate and commercial realty scene. Mr.Peterson seemed to do a good job of setting up Theo for success without even realizing it. From last year’s financial reports, which I’ve stolen a glimpse of while handing them over, Nexus is doing well financially—really well.
A sense of pride overtakes me when I realize that Theo really hit the jackpot with our business. As we get to know each other and spend more hours working together, I grow more and more impressed with the way he plans to improve Nexus. I sincerely hope that he can win over the Board of Directors and show them that they absolutely made the right choice by taking a chance on him.
“Whitney?” Theo’s deep voice bellows from inside his office on a Thursday morning, about two weeks after the board meeting debacle.
“Yes?” I call back to him as I highlight another sentence in the contract I’m reading over on the computer. I just have to finish proofreading it for consistency before I send it over for him to sign.
“What is this on my schedule today?”
I peek up from my computer and in the direction of Theo’s office. Pushing my chair back, I step away from my desk and slide into his doorway. I have to stifle a laugh at what I find, though it simultaneously sets my nerves on edge. His desk is a mess, with pens and sticky notes strewn everywhere. There’s a stack of files off to one side, which I know he’s supposed to be working through.I can’t imagine having my workspace look like that.
Theo’s deadline is still looming over both of us. We’ve both been working furiously, but he doesn’t need to say it out loud for me to know that we’re barely scratching the surface of what needs to be done.
Theo’s sitting with his elbows on the desk and his head in his hands. His fingers are threaded through his dark, curlyhair as though he wants to rip it out. When he finally registers my presence, he looks up at me, the epitome of overwhelmed.
“What is my appointment at one today?”
I cross my arms over my blue blouse and look at him, pretending to be stern. “That’s your appointment with Chris Johnson, head of marketing. Remember, you specifically asked me to put that on the schedule today? Because we had a ‘light’ day?”
With a heavy sigh, Theo nods and then looks back down at the stack of papers in front of him. He scribbles something on a sticky note, slaps it on the top page, and then flips to the next.
I watch him with rapt curiosity. Being so used to how Mr. Peterson functioned, seeing someone else in the thick of it is fascinating. Mr. Peterson worked with gentle focus, making sure to give each task the appropriate time required before moving on to the next.
Theo seems to be a tornado in action. He’s got a million things going on at once that all hold a small piece of his attention. Though he’s only been here for a few weeks, he’s gotten twice the amount of work done that Mr. Peterson could have finished in a month.
I suppose there is a method to his madness—quite literally.I’ll never understand it, but if it works for him, so be it. It’s not my place to force him to be more organized, even though the fact that he’s not frustrates me to no end.
In the few weeks that Theo has been here, I’ve slowly started to learn his habits. He likes utter silence most of the time; any little noise or distraction seems to throw him off his game, and it takes him much longer to pick up back where he was. I’ve had to make some serious compromises—usually, I like to have some light piano music playing while I work, and a certain ringer set on my desktop phone.
I swear, the first time that thing rang, Theo had a full-blownmeltdown. I answered it by the second ring, but not even a moment later, he was stomping out of his office and glowering at me from the doorway. After I had finished my call, he nipped this issue right in the bud. I was no longer allowed to have my ringer on my desk phone unless I was away from my desk or wearing a headset.
It was an adjustment for sure, and I had found myself getting annoyed with his strict expectations more often than not. But now, a few weeks in, I am starting to find the groove of working for him.
He is efficient, I’ll give him that. I felt like a lot of the time, I had to keep Mr. Peterson on time with deadlines. His determination to give each task the proper attention tended to run us late. Not with Theo, though. Usually, if I handed him an invoice or something that needed a read-through and a signature, he’d have it back on my desk within the hour.
We are racing against a clock, which is where I think most of Theo’s aggravation is coming from now. He has been reading through contracts, financial reports, budget analyses, and fiscal calendars—all the non-fun, housekeeping things that are involved when taking over a business.
And Nexus has been around a long time, which means there’s only that much more to get through.
I can tell, though, Theo is committed. He wants to do well here and make a difference in this company’s future, even with the Board of Directors breathing down his neck. It is an attractive quality—as if Theo needs any help in that department.
Number 4: Has the Ambition to Succeed
“I might need to reschedule,” Theo mutters. “I feel like I’m still balls deep in these reports, with no end in sight. And thelast thing I need is to push the deadline. I’m sure the Board of Directors would justlovethat.”
I step further into his office. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
He looks at me wryly. “Yes, cancel that meeting. And maybe have lunch with me?”
My cheeks heat, despite myself. He’s still been on this lunch thing, attempting to snag me for a lunch date ever since he first arrived. I’ve somehow managed to avoid it, though I know at some point, I’ll have to cave and take him up on his offer. I’m secretly worried about how it will go. There is an undeniable attraction—at least on my part—and the last thing I need is to go to lunch with him and make a fool of myself.
“I’m sorry,” I start, and Theo gives me an exasperated look. “I have a meeting I have to be at. Maybe another time?”
His lips pull into a sideways smirk. “You keep evading me, Whitney. One of these days, I’m going to catch you.” My thighs clench at the sultry tone in his voice. Surely, I must be imagining the way his eyes heat as he stares at me from across the room.
He watches me as though he wants to havemefor lunch, and it makes my body come alive with a mix of anticipation and dire need.
