“Lincoln Sutherland. But you can call me Linc. Nadia told me you arrived, and I promised to give you the more exciting tour rather than the official one.”
“Oh, I’d love that.”
He smiles, and I ignore how he looks me up and down.
I may have given him the once-over too, just a little more discreetly than he did.
I’ve made it two whole weeks, and so far, everything is running smoothly.
The only thing that’s shocked the heck out of me is that my fun-loving, sarcastic Leo is a hard-ass to work for.
He doesn’t deal with anyone’s bullshit, constantly putting down the gauntlet. I’ve even been scared of him in meetings several times over the past couple of weeks.
Leo: Hey, can you bring me the blueprints for the Pink Tiger project before the meeting starts? I want to look over something.
Speak of the devil.
Sure, be there in ten.
Today’s a big deal, and my nerves are on fire.
When Leo asked me to join him and two others on the Pink Tiger project, named after the client’s daughter’s favorite color and animal, I was honored and equally terrified.
My first project at M-Squared, alongside Leo, will allow me to show not only him but also the rest of the team why I’m qualified to be here.
No pressure at all.
Not only am I the newbie, but I was handpicked over Linc, and the whispers say he’s less than thrilled.
Still, I know I’ve earned this.
I won’t let anyone question Leo’s decision, least of all myself.
I smooth out my skirt, tug a brush through my ponytail, and grab my lip balm before gathering the blueprints and documents for the meeting that are stacked neatly on my desk.
I’m in a black calf-length leather skirt that hugs my curves, respectably, of course, paired with a black turtleneck.
I’m taller than usual, which gives me some confidence in my new black patent Saint Laurent stilettos that Mase surprised me with.
My long hair is up in a sleek ponytail, curled at the ends, and my fringed bangs are just brushing my brows.
Today I chose my black-rimmed glasses over contacts.
I feel powerful, I remind myself. I’m ready for this.
“Come in,” Leo says as I approach.
He’s pacing, hands trembling as he takes the prints from me.
Good, at least he’s nervous too.
We move to the drafting table in the corner. He lays everything out and studies it like he’s seeing it for the first time.
“To confirm. Functionality and flow look okay on the top two floors?”
“Yes.” I point to the part we fixed on Tuesday, then open AutoCAD on my tablet to show him more. “By moving the bathrooms, we have a better flow in the kitchen and collaborative areas, making the layout more efficient for the intended use.”
He nods. “And we considered natural light and all the environmental factors the best we could. We’re not missing anything.”
