Page 49 of Saved By the CEO

“Are you just coming in now?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I’m just surprised, that’s all. I’ve never seen you come in this late before.” He gives me a quick once-over. “Didn’t think Bennett allowed that.”

I scratch my arm. “Dentist appointment,” I lie.

He shrugs, and we lapse into the awkward silence I was promised.

When the elevator reaches the top floor, I step out and head for my desk. There’s a lot to do, since we’re leaving on a business trip in a few days, so I throw myself into work and try very hard not to think about anything that happened last night.

I’m in the middle of summarizing a report when the door to Andrew’s office opens.

“Miss Michaels,” he says.

“Mr. Bennett.”

He crosses his arms. “Mr. Stanton was here earlier. Looking for you, I believe.”

“That can’t have been pleasant,” I say, making a face.

Andrew fights a smile. He is losing. Badly. “He did not seem particularly happy to see me, no.”

I groan and put my head in my hands. This whole situation justsucks. I don’t know what to do with Josh. I like him, and I was looking forward to seeing where things might go, but then he started moving too fast. Add the virus and Andrew to the mix, and the whole thing just feels exhausting.

Andrew watches me for a moment. “This is going to be a distraction, isn’t it?”

I lift my head. “Sorry?”

“Stanton,” he says. “Deal with him.” He glances toward his desk. “After everything for my next meeting is ready.”

I blink at him. “You’re telling me to go talk to Josh?”

“I’m telling you to remove a distraction before it affects your work.” He pauses. “And to bring me something from the cafeteria on your way back.”

There he is.

I send him the documents he needs, then head down to the IT department.

Josh’s office is the size of a shoebox and filled to the brim with stuff. Cables, wires, various pieces of tech, and Star Wars memorabilia line the walls. Boxes filled with who-knows-what cover most of the floor. I knock twice on the door frame before squeezing inside.

“Hi,” I say, sitting down in the visitor’s chair, which is literally just a chair from the cafeteria.

“Hi.” He looks up from his screen. “I went looking for you earlier.”

“Yeah. Andrew told me.”

His expression changes. “Oh, it’s Andrew now?”

I give him a look. “Josh.”

“I’m sorry.” He sighs and rubs a hand over his face. “I know I’m not handling this well. It’s just a lot, okay? I can’t get the mental images out of my head, and it’s fucking bothering me.”

I stare at him.

“Josh,” I say carefully, “what exactly are you upset about?”

His brow furrows. “What do you mean?”