Page 40 of Flirting with 40

“He’ll be here shortly.”

“Oh goody.” She claps around her clipboard as her smile stretches impossibly wider. “First things first. Here is your agenda for your stay.” She hands over a manila envelope with nametags paper clipped to the front for Slade and me and then starts walking, expecting me to follow. “I’ll have you put your belongings over here in our bunkhouse area,” she says, leading me to a huge opening on the right where bags are lying next to assigned numbers. She has me set mine down next to the number eight on the floor.

I glance into the huge room and notice numbers on all the bunks that coincide with the numbers on the floor where the luggage sits. Great. Can’t wait for bunk beds and communal sleeping, said no person ever.

“This way please.” She starts walking toward the voices at the far end of the complex. “We’ll have all meals in the main room.” She points to a dining room that is a far cry from summer camp with its large chandeliers, bar set up on the far end, and bottles of alcohol displayed in an industrial farmhouse-type cabinet. “Activities are planned every day, per your agenda. Since you’re the last guest to arrive, we’ll let you relax with everyone for a few minutes before we introduce our staff to your group. After we get the meet-and-greet over with, we’ll give everyone some time to get settled, and then we’ll meet back for a barbecue and bonfire. We like to keep the first night a little light, but we’ll be up bright and early tomorrow, so be ready for some exciting activities.” We turn a corner, and she gestures for me to enter.

Inside, I find a wall of windows on one side, a table with beer, wine, and cupcakes on the other, and my coworkers milling about in the center. There are a handful of people I don’t recognize, so I assume they are significant others.

“You made it,” Heather says as she spots me before I can get a drink to help me deal with her.

“Yes, I just got here. This place is gorgeous.”

“We’ve been waiting for you so we could start. It isn’t like you to be late, but sometimes we’re forced to make exceptions, aren’t we?”

“Oh, damn. My watch must be slow.” I glance at it. “Nope. It’s right on time. See? It says 2:55 just like the clock on the wall behind you.” I point to said clock, shake my head while she looks at it, and force the smarmy smirk off my lips before she turns back to face me.

She has an audience this time. I’m curious how she’ll play this.

“Well. What do you know? My watch must be fast.” Her smile may reflect amusement, but her eyes tell me she’s pissed I just showed her up in front of the rest of the team.

Oh. Well.

That time I did it on purpose.

“It happens.” I shrug as if it’s no big deal.

“Did I misunderstand?” she asks, looking over my shoulder. “Weren’t you bringing your boyfriend with you?”

“He’s on his way. He was called into work to consult on an emergency, so we drove separately.”

“And what exactly does he do for a living?” Her eyes flick over to someone behind me, no doubt one of her minions who secretly hates her but who follows along to save themselves from her wrath.

“He’s a cardiac surgeon.” My smile is close-lipped and quick. “Saving lives is what he does.”

“Oh.” Her head startles in surprise. “That’s . . . that’s great.”

“Are you ready to start,” Sue asks from the doorway, oblivious to the tension brewing in the room.

“Yes, of course,” Heather says as she steps away, and I take the chance to flee.

My colleagues smile at me in greeting as I make my way over to the refreshments table and the glass of wine calling my name. Its taste is on my tongue as Heather begins her opening speech.

“I’d like to welcome you all to the Red Mountain Retreat. My goals for us are simple over the next five days. Since we all come from different walks of life, have come together with experience from different companies—save for Blakely, our resident Glam girl, here—I’d like for us to use this time to become a team. While we should celebrate our differences, whatever those may be, we need to bond together so we know we can trust each other and learn to share our opinions without being afraid of being shot down.” She pauses and takes a moment to meet each of our gazes, and I swear to God, the sickeningly sweet smile on her face is enough to make me want to roll my eyes.

She continues to drone on. Sentence after sentence while I take in her brand-new clothes and pre-scuffed boots that make her look the part of avid hiker. I would put money on the notion that she cut the tags off them this morning before she drove up here and that they’re sitting in her garbage at home.

I take the moment to glance around at my colleagues—the six others who are here and their significant others. Obviously, I work with them on a daily basis, but they’re all still new enough that I’m not one hundred percent sure what to make of them or know what they make of me.

Regardless, I wonder what they think of Heather. Is their job just a paycheck to them, or are they biding their time because they think she’ll wear out her welcome sooner rather than later and a new boss will take her place?

I’m inclined to think the latter.

I’ve worked beside them, with them, and have spent late nights in the office getting pitches ready, but I still don’t really know them. As she talks, I smile at some of them when their eyes meet mine while others listen intently.

Where are you, Slade?

“In conclusion, I was hoping that we could all come together as seven couples, have some adventures together, bond, and then leave here as one big, happy family. At least on those nights when I ask you to work late, your spouse or boyfriend will know who you’re cheating on them with . . . me.” Her laugh is obnoxious, but I give her credit for trying to pull this off. “So let’s do a quick intro to get everyone acquainted with each other.”