Page 12 of Lying Lainey

When I looked around, I didn’t see anyone other than the people who already worked for me. Just as I was about to ask Sarah, the most ethereal beauty stepped out of the small office next to mine. Her hair gleamed in the office lighting that did no one any favors, and her skin had a healthy glow complimented by the olive green skirt suit she wore.

Normally, I wasn’t one to notice fashion, but as a man who loved vintage, this was a surprising sight. It was a high-waisted skirt that fit snugly against her curves, coming to midcalf. There was a simple black shirt under the cropped long-sleeved jacket that was equally conservative yet revealed the fact she had curves in all the right places. Finally returning my gaze to her face, I met her intelligent hazel eyes studying me almost as closely as I was her.

“I’m sorry, they said it was going to be a moment, so I thought I’d look at the space I’d be using,” she apologized as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

Goddamn, this woman is going to be trouble. I can feel it. The question is will it be the good kind of trouble or the bad? Only one way to find out.

I walked up to her and held out my hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Halstead Norlund, the man you’ll be assisting.”

six

Lainey

I was so fucked.

There standing before me was Halstead Norlund, the fucking Alpha I’d bumped into at the gala. Like an idiot, I stood there staring at him as his scent wafted around me like a hug. I didn’t know if you could get drunk off the smell of whiskey, but I sure as shit felt like it. His smoky cigar and musky bergamot only added to his confident, commanding presence.

Shaking myself out of the scent-induced stupor, I took his hand, giving it a solid grip as we shook hands. “It’s lovely to meet you, sir. I’m Elaine Collins, and I hope we can work well together.”

When I awoke to an unfamiliar ringtone this morning, I answered it without thinking, still mostly asleep. A creepy electronically-altered voice informed me there was a packet at the door for me that I’d need for orientation. When I retrieved the manila packet from the doormat, I dumped it out on the kitchen counter. This was the moment I learned my fake identity and was provided all the legal documentation I’d need for the onboarding process.

Picking up the driver’s license, I cursed as I saw the first name was Elaine. Since my mother never named me, someone else in the system did and landed on Elaine. I’d never been a fan of it, so I always went by Lainey. The fuckers made me use my original name before Trent officially changed it to Lainey when he adopted me. Thankfully, Elaine was connected to nothing other than an orphan girl who was handed to the state and then adopted at age ten. Still, I knew this syndicate was flaunting the fact they knew every detail about me. Now here I was, blackmailed into this job, shaking the hand of an Alpha I was scent matched to. This was just perfect.

“Allow me to also introduce you to one of my business partners, Quintin Price, our CFO,” Halstead said, drawing me forward toward the man.

I’d seen his picture in the collection of important people, but I hadn’t paid much attention to details since I assumed my job had to do with Halstead. I extended my hand to the handsome man who could be on the cover of Alphas Quarterly fashion magazine. His style was impeccable with classic designers that would never go out of fashion. As he grasped my hand, I closed my eyes as the most soothing aroma of earthy matcha, the spice of ginger, and the brightness of lemon blended to make the perfect mixture of scents.

Fuck me sideways. How can he be another scent match?

Realizing I still had my eyes closed, I looked at the man from under my lashes demurely with a soft smile. “I hear I have you to thank for this chance to work here. My thanks for taking a risk on me.” Letting go of his hand, I allowed my fingers brush along his in an almost caress, hoping to draw his attention away from my odd reaction.

“Yes, well…” Quintin muttered, seeming flustered as he tugged at his cuffs before meeting my gaze again. “Let’s hope you’ll be able to do the job, and that will be thanks enough. Halstead isn’t going to be an easy sell, but you have two weeks to make it work.”

His tone was crisp, and his words were direct and to the point. I didn’t see any animosity in his body language for me to assume what he said was meant to be rude. It was as if he was so tense and rigid that it came out in his words as well. I wonder how many people working here think he’s a prick?

“Thanks for the warning. I’ll keep it in mind,” I assured him. “Who better to take advice from than the man who used to be in my position?”

The fact I knew that seemed to surprise him. “You certainly did your homework.”

My lips twitched, trying to hold back a grin. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do when you start a new job? It’s important to make sure your values align with the company, so what better way to do that than studying who you plan to apply for.”

“So tell me, what did you learn in your study of my company?” Halstead inquired as he took a seat on the couch, looking up at me expectantly.

Quick on my toes, I flashed him a smile as I clasped my hands behind my back and rocked on my feet. “Oh, am I being tested already?”

Quintin let out a sigh and took a seat in one of the armchairs. “So it begins.”

Halstead gave him a disapproving grunt before answering me, “If that’s what you want to consider it to be, sure. I, however, view it as market research. It’s important for me to know what perception the public has of my company. The power behind the people who choose to give their loyalty and hard-earned money to my business is a monster you must always watch.”

I cocked my head going over everything I read last night and also what I heard people saying the half hour I’d been here. “The biggest thing I noticed is that your company has been able to hold steady or grow over the years, even during economic trouble. To me, that says you have consistent results and offer a product people genuinely need, regardless of how much money they have to spend. Your ratings from employees who have left the job all say good things and rate you well in all categories offered. I’ve also seen a few news articles on the fact you don’t cave in to larger companies or government organizations if you don’t believe in something, you won’t do it. What I find even more interesting about that is how the public views those choices.”

Taking a moment to pause and read the two men before me, I needed to ensure I was giving them what they were looking for, but what I wasn’t expecting was the third person who walked up.

“And what are their views?” he asked, coming to stand behind the couch, arms crossed.

Tongue-tied for a moment, I took in the stunning man before me. Amber eyes watched me with an intelligence that set me on edge, almost as if he could see through my act. His skin was a rich umber, with flawless perfection that anyone would envy. A simple goatee graced his face, adding to his artistic flair. Neatly maintained dreadlocks that had a silvery-blue color weaving into them were an interesting contrast to the natural warmth of his overall appearance. Unlike the other two men who wore formal suits, this man chose a more business-casual approach. They were all designer articles that gave off a professional perception but slightly more approachable.

“Enigma gained more brand loyalty from them because they turned down the work, no matter how large the price tag would have been. Doing this caused a few companies to take another look at the idea or product and came to agree with your choice,” I answered, not dropping my gaze from this newcomer.