“Don’t I know it!” she shouted. “You used to cry harder when I sang them to you!”
I laughed at the same old joke I’d heard thousands of times. I told my mom I loved her and that I’d think about the weekend work trip and keep her updated.
By the time I plopped down at my desk at work, with no sign of Grant, I was right on time and eager to finish gathering everything I needed for the meeting. Unfortunately, as I waited for it all to come out of the printer, I was bombarded by people who wanted to discuss Maggie’s disappearance.
“Have you heard anything yet, Kate?” Jessica asked. Monica popped her head up from her cubicle and asked the same thing.
“Nothing,” I answered.
“Such a mystery,” Jessica said, twirling her hair in thought. She leaned against the cubicle wall and continued, “I wonder what’s happened to her. This is like job abandonment, right?”
“I guess,” I said carefully. “Unless something happened to her.”
Her eyes widened. “I didn’t want to suggest it, but it could be something like that. It happens more than you think. Kidnappings.”
I nodded to be polite. “Sure. I just think we can’t jump to conclusions. Hopefully, she’ll reach out soon.”
“Yeah, let me know if you find out anything,” she said, and Monica chimed in with, “Me too.”
“Of course,” I said, gathering my papers that had finally printed. Jessica flitted over to Monica’s desk, and I heard Maggie’s name in whispers.
The office gossip wasn’t helping me prepare for my presentation at the meeting, which was to start in the next fifteen minutes. I gathered my printed reports and headed upstairs, where the executive offices were located.
I’d been to that floor before, but never without Maggie. Being the only one representing the department was foreign to me, and my confidence wavered. Until I saw Kaitlin at the door greeting people.
I plastered a fake smile on my face. I’d give the presentation of my life just to shove it in her face. Her hand waving me in served as a civil enough greeting.
It’s hard to remember why every encounter between Kaitlin and me was marked by forced politeness and cynicism. It’s possible it began with Grant’s attention—which she clearly desired—toward me. Couple this with how often people asked to clarify which Katelynn/Kaitlin/Caitlin they were talking about. But if she was constantly correcting people on the name confusion and telling them that my name’s spelling was anabomination, I was obviously going to have feelings on the matter. Not to mention her palpable disdain for me in public.
I pushed Kaitlin from my mind, greeting everyone as they trickled into the room. Colin had not arrived yet.
The chatter dwindled a minute later. I looked to the door as others were doing, and inheglided—swift, yet totally controlled, cool, and confident. All the C-letter words that I generally was not.
All eyes followed him to the head of the table, where he stood for a moment and called Kaitlin inside to start the meeting.
“You’re drooling,” Kaitlin whispered as she bent down to my ear level and then walked on to take her seat beside Colin with a pleased smile. She must have thought her little comment had some sort of effect on me.
Well, it didn’t.
Everyone in that room was staring at him with quiet interest because he was the new boss. I was doing no differently. The fact that he was an attractive man whose presence commanded attention didnotfactor into the situation at all. This was a place ofbusiness, with high-levelprofessionalemployees.
Still standing, Colin put his hands together in front of him, smiled, and said, “Good morning.”
He paused, letting us breathe in the air that held the rich, low tone of his voice. The words seemed to float around us. Or at least around me. I looked around to see if anyone else was starting to get as hot as I was, but nobody moved a muscle. I, however, rearranged my seating position forward so that my shirt wouldn’t stick to my back.
Colin introduced himself, spoke of his past work experience, his vision for our department and the company, and how each of us fit into that vision. When it was my turn, I could swear the side of his mouth turned upward as he said my name.
My pulse was racing by then, the heat now uncomfortably enveloping me, and I shifted in my seat again. I made the mistake of looking at Kaitlin. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in my direction. I didn’t need that kind of energy right before my presentation.
“Katelynn Donovan,” he said, his tone lowering slightly. “Assistant Director, stepping in for Ms. Flame.” He sat in his chair at the head of the table.
I spoke somewhat shakily at first, introducing myself again. The data, the projections, the upcoming accounts—they all came out clean. I even managed to sound confident.
It went really well, I told myself as I sat back down and waited for discussion or Colin’s reaction.
“Thank you, Katelynn. Lots of good information there, and I’d like us to focus on a couple of clients, but first I’d like to point out to everyone how impressed I am by how you’ve stepped up in our hour of need. Of course, our work today isn’t finished. Since Ms. Flame is unavailable, I’d like Katelynn to travel to Chicago this weekend to meet the Sheldon & Bing Group.”
He was staring at me. As were all eyes in that room. The expectation of a yes was bouncing off the walls. I resented it. Gorgeous as he was, I now resented his good looks too.
