His dark eyes flick up from the screen, studying my face. “Today is payday. It should’ve already hit your account. Please check, so we can work out any issues.”
“I’ll check as soon as I get back to my desk,” I assure him, a burst of relief hitting my chest. It’s not a full week’s worth of pay, but it’ssomething.
And this evening, Riley and I have an apartment to look at.
“Also, I sent you a file on Slack. Please organize, clean up the layout, and have it ready for the morning meeting. We’re moving it to nine, and there will be clients present. I have a memo with instructions. You will not be attending.”
“Okay,” I say, my thighs clenching as his eyes drop to the dip in my white V-neck blouse. Ihatethe way my heart skips a beat every time he flirts with the line of what may or may not be appropriate.
Adrian promptly drops his gaze right back to his computer, and I shake off the uneasy feeling and make my way back to my desk, sitting down and opening up the message from him.
I open the file. It’s a clusterfuck of slides that I’m somehow supposed to know the order of, apparently. I click through them, and then open the memo, which is nothing but cryptic information with vocabulary I’m going to have to Google.
Great.
But by some miracle—and the motivation for a new apartment—I focus and redo the layout and order, making sense of it. I cross-check it twice.
And then I re-read Adrian’s memo and see that I’m also supposed to attach a second file, some revised expense reconciliation.
Always read the fine print.I purse my lips, attaching the correct version. I send both, with a brief message.
Please see the attached.
Three seconds later, Adrian replies. “I prefer the information in two separate emails. Please resend.”
I stare at the words. I could scream at the pettiness, or I could smash my head into the monitor, but instead, I just chew on the inside of my mouth until the frustration recedes.
I will not let a nitpicky (albeit incredibly hot) asshole ruin my day. Nor drive me out of this job that I need so badly.
I pull out my phone and open the bank app.
“Madison?” Adrian’s deep voice causes me to nearly fall out of my chair. I whip my head upward and catch my breath at the towering figure. “I need you to send me those two files separately, not be on your phone.”
I grit my teeth. “I was checking my bank app.”
“Or texting your boyfriend.”
I raise my brows, tempted to cite something about that being about as appropriate as him eyeing my cleavage, but I swallow it. “Banking app.” I spin the screen around to face him. “See?”
“Glad the deposit went through.” His voice takes on a tone that I can’t read but leaves my face feeling hot.
He doesn’t miss a beat. “Send the files. ASAP.”
“Will do.” I swallow hard, then immediately turn back to the screen and quickly send the files in separate messages to all three men, with no explanation.
Caleb sends me a private message back.
Caleb:He’s being a dick. He’ll get over it. Don’t let it get to you.
It makes me feel slightly better, but I’m still nervous. All eyes are on me, and I don’t exactly love the way that feels. In fact, it’s a huge relief when all three of the men make their way to the first morning meeting Idon’thave to attend.
I spend the next hour able to breathe, but the moment the conference room door swings open,there’sAdrian. And before I can look away, his lips part.
“My office, Madison.Now.”
Fuck. What did I do?
I rise from my chair as if everything is totally fine, and then head toward Adrian’s office, not missing the look that Caleb and Beck exchange before they head to their own offices.
