“I’m just tired. It was a long drive.” We set the last couple of bags in the trunk. “Want to veg out and watch a movie tonight before we go to bed? I don’t think I can muster the energy to unpack anything else.”
“Sure.” Reed studies me as I shut the trunk and move toward the driver’s side door. “But I get to pick this time. No chick flicks tonight, or I’ll puke all over the carpet.”
That makes me chuckle. I love torturing my little brother with cheesy rom-coms. He’s so easy to annoy. I heave out a deep sigh and shake my head. “Fine. But only because I love you.”
“Whatever. It has nothing to do with love. It’s my turn and you know it.”
We end up watching one of theFast and the Furiousmovies. Number twenty or something. I don’t pay much attention. They’re all the same to me. It’s only when I’m woken by Reedgently shaking my shoulders that I realize I fell asleep on the couch.
If we didn’t need to be up early to get ready for my new job and Reed’s first day at his new school, I probably would have stayed there. But being grumpy because I slept funny isn’t the kind of first impression I want to make. Because I need to kill it at this new job. I need my first day to go smoothly.
Everything depends on it.
six
BLAIR
By some miracle,no tears were shed as I hustled Reed out the door and to the bus stop this morning. I annoyed the hell out of him by asking him no less than fifteen times if he was sure he could find his way to our apartment and get inside without any issues after school, but there were no tears. Just a twisty tummy and a lot of nerves on my part.
Nerves that only get worse as I stand in front of my new place of employment and stare at the impressive facade. The building looks so much bigger in person than it did online. Imposing. No matter how many times I rub my palms up and down my pencil-skirt-clad thighs, they still feel clammy.
This is a different world than the nonprofit I spent so long at. The pressure is higher, the events larger, and the donors more high-profile. Not to mention that the nonprofit was tiny compared to this organization.
“You can do this,” I whisper to myself. “You’re going to kick ass as a Social Impact & Development Coordinator. Hell, you’re overqualified. You could run this shit.”
Oh, god. I think I might be sick.
“Blair?” A smooth voice pulls me out of my panic spiral, and for a moment, my brain expects to see Logan when I turn around. Which is utterly ridiculous. I’m in Minnesota. Logan is in California.
A handsome, smiling man about my height with chestnut hair and kind brown eyes meets my gaze. Not Logan. Obviously. His straight white teeth flash as his smile grows. He’s got thin lips but a wide-set mouth, a straight nose, and a short beard that hides what looks like a square jaw. “Blair, right? I’m Bryson James, I’ll be your coworker.”
My brain goes back online, and I return his smile, extending my hand. “Bryson, hi. How did you know who I was?”
He chuckles, his gaze doing a quick sweep of my face as he shakes my hand. “Tess described you in case you arrived before her.” He pauses as we end the handshake. “Plus, you look like a deer in headlights. It was an educated guess.”
Bryson’s easygoing manner and genuine smile calm my nerves a bit. I let out a puff of air and hold tight to the strap of my purse. “Do I really look that nervous?”
“A little. But don’t worry, that’s normal. This place can be overwhelming at first.” He gestures for me to follow him to the side entrance, where there’s a badge scanner. He waves a key fob in front of it, and the door unlocks. “Come on, I’ll show you to your office. Your badge and fob should be on your desk. The key fob will unlock the doors between seven a.m. and eleven p.m. If you need to get in outside of those times, you’ll have to call security to disarm the alarms and let you in.” He waves at a few people as he strides down a large hallway.
I have to hurry to keep pace with Bryson. Not the easiest thing to do, since I’m wearing heels and the floor is polished tile. The last thing I need is to slip and face-plant on my first day. God, that would be mortifying.
With that horrifying mental image, I carefully navigate a long set of stairs that leads up to a second floor. Bryson points out a break room, employee kitchen, executive suites, and other random offices. He tells me the names of each office’s occupants, but I won’t remember. Not as frazzled as I am. Finally, Bryson leads me into an airy space with a big wall of windows comprised of half a dozen small offices. He gestures to his and Tess’s before leading me into mine.
It’s nothing spectacular. The desk is moderately sized, the chair looks like it’ll make my ass hurt by the end of the day, and the cabinets are all basic birch numbers you could buy from any hardware store in the country. But it’s mine. And it symbolizes a fresh start.
It’s perfect.
“IT will be up this morning to get you all set up with your computer and logins, and Tess should be in soon.” Bryson leans against my desk casually, one leg crossed over the other. He looks around the office like he’s making sure no one will hear whatever he’s about to say. I find myself leaning forward as he inclines his head toward mine. “Tess is brilliant, but she has a pretty severe case of time-blindness. It’s a running joke that we consider her early if she’s less than half an hour late to work.”
“I heard that,” a disembodied voice says in a sing-song tone as a blur of black hair and black clothes streaks past my office.
“Oh, shit.” Bryson chuckles, but he’s clearly not worried about getting in trouble, which gives me hope that everyone here will be easygoing and cool. “She’s early.”
“It’s Blair’s first day. Of course, I’m early.” The blur of black is actually a stunning, petite woman with an edgy shoulder-length bob and blunt bangs. Her blue-black hair frames a heart-shaped face, dark brown irises that are such a rich umber they almost appear black, sharply angled hooded eyes, and perfectly shaped eyebrows. She’s elegant and cool, and I immediately like her.Especially when her full lips twist into a radiant smile. “Blair, it is so nice to finally meet you in person.”
I expect Tess to shake my hand, but I’m momentarily stunned when she closes the space between us and wraps her arms around me in a hug. Since I’m a bit taller than average and Tess is a bit shorter than average, I’m sure we make a hilarious picture. But after a moment, I return the gesture.
Tess beams at me as she steps back. “We are so excited to have you on our team. I just know you’re going to bring a fresh set of eyes to our initiatives.” She claps her hands and looks between Bryson and me. “Did Bryse show you where our fancy coffee maker is? I don’t know about you, but I need a healthy dose of caffeine this early in the morning.”
