Sheer panic slithers along my spine and coats the back of my neck with tiny droplets of sweat. This can’t be happening. There’s no way. Someone behind me starts a slow clap, and it picks up slightly until the whole room is half-heartedly clapping as Ashton walks in and stands in front of the table next to Skylar. He holds his arms out and embraces her, whispering something into her ear before he pulls back and places a quick kiss on her right cheek. Then he turns to the rest of the room and holds his hands up.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I haven’t done anything yet,” he says, flashing that cocky smile of his.
Apparently, he has a different definition of enthusiasm than whoever invented the English language. The awkward clapping slowly dies down, and Ashton scans the room, no doubt assessing his new subordinates. I slouch down in my chair and move behind the woman in front of me, who thankfully decided to go with space buns this morning. I’m pretty sure I’m hidden.
“Thank you, everyone. I’m not really a speech guy, but I’mgoing to give it my best shot.” He looks around the room again, just as Space Buns shifts in her seat. I follow her movements so I go unnoticed. “Look, I know I have big shoes to fill. Theo is irreplaceable. He built this paper from the ground up, and I have no intention of making any changes he wouldn’t make himself. I’ve known Theo Aldridge for a while, and I have the paper’s best interests at heart. This change is sudden, and no doubt unsettling, but our job doesn’t stop. Our readers are counting on us to deliver the quality news they have come to expect. We will continue to give it to them because that’s what Theo would want.”
The entire room erupts in actual enthusiastic applause, and I scoff. Not a speech guy, my ass. There’s nothing that could convince me that he didn’t practice that speech for hours in front of a floor-length mirror in his mansion before he came here today.
“That being said,” Ashton goes on as the applause starts to fade. “I am starting with one pretty big change, but it’s one I spoke with Theo about in person when I went to visit him last night, and he is fully on board with it.” He looks off to the side where Skylar is standing… looking horrified.
That’s not good.
“As you all know, Theo was very hands-on and never felt the need for a managing editor before, but since I’m new at this, I’m going to need all the help I can get. Theo and I both agreed on who the perfect person for the job is. Starting today, Skylar Galloway will be our new managing editor. Skylar has been working closely with Theo for the past couple of years, so if anyone knows the inner workings of his brain, it’s her.” He walks over to where she is nearly backing out of the door.
“She will handle the daily operations ofThe Lantern, including deadlines, content planning, and workflow. I’ll be playing to my corporate experience and handling bigger-picture items like marketing and collaborations. That being said, mydoor is always open, so feel free to come to me with any questions or concerns.”
“That means you won’t have an assistant,” a woman with short, dark brown hair at the front of the room calls out.
“I’ll make it work,” Ashton replies.
“We have a few interns from Blackwell College starting in the spring,” the blonde guy from earlier calls out over some growing whispers. “You can choose one to be your personal assistant. I’m Dan Parker, by the way. Senior editor. ”
“Nice to meet you, Dan.” Ashton flashes that cocky smile again—the one he perfected while receiving all the medals and awards he no doubt got for being rich and handsome and…stupidly perfect. As much as it makes my blood boil to see it, I can’t help but also notice the way the light catches just right, revealing the faint outline of freckles that run along the bridge of his nose and spill out onto his cheekbones.
Don’t you dare look at those freckles, Allie.
“Interns will be great. Any other questions?” He takes one last look around the room, and that’s when it happens. His eyes lock with mine. He’s. Staring. Straight. At. Me. I must have moved from my hiding spot behind Space Buns when Dan started talking.
Ashton’s gaze hardens, going from friendly to slightly murderous in a heartbeat, and something sharp flashes in his light brown eyes. His jaw tightens as his lips press into a thin line. It feels like all of the air has been sucked out of the room. Just as quickly, he schools his features and turns back to the group. I glance around the room and notice that everyone else is staring at me.
Shit.
“Well, if no one else has any questions…” He claps his hands and rubs them together. “Then let’s get to work.”
Everyone starts standing up and filing out of the room, whispering as they go.
“How am I supposed to concentrate with that god of a man sitting down the hall?” I overhear Space Buns say to a woman with a purple-streaked braid.
“Can you not think with your vagina for two seconds, Cara?”
“Sorry. She has a mind of her own. That man is fine.” She emphasizes the last word.
“I’m not disagreeing. Just keep it in your pants.”
“Did you see the way he was looking at the new girl? Wouldn’t want to be her.” Cara shudders.
“Or maybe you would, depending on the circumstances,” her friend says seductively.
“Oh…true.”
As their conversation fades into the background, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.
I need to get the fuck out of here right now.
I race through the now buzzing office and almost trip over who I assume is the IT guy fiddling with wires under someone’s desk. I should help pick up the cup of pencils that went crashing down to the floor, but there’s no time. I step around them and continue to the exit, but just as I’m about to push the door open, someone rushes up beside me.
Skylar.
