Page 19 of Saved By the CEO

His eyes widen briefly.

“Not like that,” I say, panicked. “Just regular ol’ under the weather. Probably allergies. You know, pollen.”

In October.

The doors open, and we step out. “I promise it’s not the other thing. This is just a runny nose. I don’t feel feverish at all.”Why am I still talking?

He nods. I shut up.

We arrive at the conference room and take our seats at the table. I sit next to Mr. Bennett, where I know he prefers me to be. The IT guys start trickling in, and I spot Josh among them.

“Well, well. Carly. Fancy seeing you down here with us mortals.”

I smile at him. “I show my face in the cafeteria every now and then.”

“Doesn’t count. The cafeteria is neutral territory.”

“Enough chatter,” Mr. Bennett says from beside me. “This is a meeting, not a social call.”

Josh raises his eyebrows and looks at me.

I press my lips together and nod.

Yup. This is what he’s like all the time.

The meeting begins, and it’s dreadfully boring. I keep an eye on the clock on the wall to make sure time is actually moving, because it doesn’t feel like it at all. The IT guys are demonstrating new software they want the company to invest in. Mr. Bennett thinks it’s a shit idea and shoots down everything they say. You can see them deflate as the meeting progresses.

I don’t fully understand why he’s so against it, though. It does seem like something he’d be interested in. It offers stronger security and is slightly cheaper without affecting quality.

Maybe he just really, really hates learning new systems.

An hour later, the meeting ends. We stand to leave, and as I pass Josh, he reaches out and touches my arm. “Does seven work for you?”

I blink at him a few times, trying to figure out what he means.

“I’m cooking for you, remember?”

I put my hand to my forehead. “Right, sorry. I didn’t forget. I’m just?—”

“A little under the weather,” Mr. Bennett fills in. He puts a hand on my back and nudges me forward. “We have to go back to our floor now.”

All right, damn.

“Seven’s great,” I shout over my shoulder as I’m forced out of the room.

I’m aboutto head home for the day when Mr. Bennett calls me into his office. I’m surprised, since he hasn’t wanted to speak to me face-to-face since the hospital.

I smooth my skirt and step inside.

He’s behind his desk, typing on his computer. The late-afternoon sun spills through the windows behind him, casting long shadows across the room.

He doesn’t look up.

“Sit down.”

Well, that’s ominous.

I lower myself into one of the chairs across from his desk, bracing for whatever fresh hell awaits me. He stops typing and turns his attention to me.