to go?”
I held up the thick stack of file folders in my hand and gave an apologetic look.
“I"d love to, but I have to work through lunch today.”
“Really?” She wrinkled her nose. “They loading you up that much?”
“That, and I"ve got a meeting this afternoon that"s going to cut into my time to
get all this crap done.” I shrugged. “Such is life, right?”
“Well, as long as they"re not making you stay late,” she said.
“God, don"t give them any ideas.”
She laughed. “Okay, well, let me know when you"re free one of these nights so
you can go get trashed with us.”
“Will do.”
She stopped to wait for the elevator while I kept walking.
“How much did I miss?” I asked when I got to my assistant"s desk.
Laura, my assistant, held up a delightfully thick stack of pink phone
messages. “Phone"s been ringing off the hook.”
“Great.” I flipped through the stack, skimming for anything urgent.
“Hey, I just noticed,” she said. “You actually wore your hair down for once.”
I brushed it off my shoulder. “Yeah, I was in too much of a hurry this morning
to put it up.”
“Looks nice.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “Oh, by the way, I"ve got a meeting at two with a potential
new client. His name is Mr. Hendricks. When he gets here, please let me know right
away.”
She nodded. “Will do.”
“And it"s a „don"t let anyone interrupt me unless the building"s on fire"
meeting,” I said. “So, you know the drill.”
“Hold your calls and barricade the door,” she said, laughing. “Got it.”
30
Lauren Gallagher
With messages and a shitload of work in hand, I went into my office and shut
the door. I leaned against it, closing my eyes and letting out a breath. Days like
this, I needed a break like nobody"s business.
Breaks were for people with time, though, so I pushed myself off the door and
took a seat at my desk to catch up on all the e-mails, voice mails, and handwritten
phone messages that had avalanched in during the staff meeting. Yet another
reason staff meetings were, in my completely humble opinion, worthless wastes of
time.
But what the higher-ups wanted, the higher-ups got, so now I jumped in and
got caught up. I ate lunch at my desk in between making and taking calls. I
completely lost track of time and didn"t even blink when my phone rang for the
seven hundred thousandth time while I tried to finish everything else.
This time, Laura"s extension lit up the screen. I picked up the handset. “Yes,
Laura?”
“Mr. Hendricks is here for his appointment.”
Already? Absently smoothing my shorter-than-usual skirt over the garter I"d
never worn to work before, I checked the clock on my computer. Sure enough, it was
two o"clock sharp.
“Excellent. I"ll be out in a second.” I hung up the phone and put away all the
papers I"d been working on, restoring my desk to its bare, immaculate state.
On my way out of my office, I stopped with one hand on the doorknob. Deep
breath. Deep, cleansing breath.
Then I opened the door, stepped out into the busy reception area, and my
attention was immediately drawn to my waiting client.
Oblivious to the hustle and bustle all around him, he was the very picture of
relaxed and casual. Legs crossed at the knees and hips twisted just slightly. Button-
down shirt with the top button left open. Elbow on the armrest. One finger absently
tracing the side of his neatly trimmed goatee. We made eye contact from across the
room, and when he grinned, my nipples hardened.
He watched me come around to the front of Laura"s desk, his eyes making a
slow trek from my slightly low-cut blouse to my hemline, then down my legs. When
he got to my shoes, which were a good inch and a half higher than I ever wore to
work, he gave the subtlest nod of approval. Then his eyes flicked up and met mine.
“Mr. Hendricks,” I said, exchanging a knowing look with him as I extended my
hand. “Glad you could make it.”
He rose
I held up the thick stack of file folders in my hand and gave an apologetic look.
“I"d love to, but I have to work through lunch today.”
“Really?” She wrinkled her nose. “They loading you up that much?”
“That, and I"ve got a meeting this afternoon that"s going to cut into my time to
get all this crap done.” I shrugged. “Such is life, right?”
“Well, as long as they"re not making you stay late,” she said.
“God, don"t give them any ideas.”
She laughed. “Okay, well, let me know when you"re free one of these nights so
you can go get trashed with us.”
“Will do.”
She stopped to wait for the elevator while I kept walking.
“How much did I miss?” I asked when I got to my assistant"s desk.
Laura, my assistant, held up a delightfully thick stack of pink phone
messages. “Phone"s been ringing off the hook.”
“Great.” I flipped through the stack, skimming for anything urgent.
“Hey, I just noticed,” she said. “You actually wore your hair down for once.”
I brushed it off my shoulder. “Yeah, I was in too much of a hurry this morning
to put it up.”
“Looks nice.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “Oh, by the way, I"ve got a meeting at two with a potential
new client. His name is Mr. Hendricks. When he gets here, please let me know right
away.”
She nodded. “Will do.”
“And it"s a „don"t let anyone interrupt me unless the building"s on fire"
meeting,” I said. “So, you know the drill.”
“Hold your calls and barricade the door,” she said, laughing. “Got it.”
30
Lauren Gallagher
With messages and a shitload of work in hand, I went into my office and shut
the door. I leaned against it, closing my eyes and letting out a breath. Days like
this, I needed a break like nobody"s business.
Breaks were for people with time, though, so I pushed myself off the door and
took a seat at my desk to catch up on all the e-mails, voice mails, and handwritten
phone messages that had avalanched in during the staff meeting. Yet another
reason staff meetings were, in my completely humble opinion, worthless wastes of
time.
But what the higher-ups wanted, the higher-ups got, so now I jumped in and
got caught up. I ate lunch at my desk in between making and taking calls. I
completely lost track of time and didn"t even blink when my phone rang for the
seven hundred thousandth time while I tried to finish everything else.
This time, Laura"s extension lit up the screen. I picked up the handset. “Yes,
Laura?”
“Mr. Hendricks is here for his appointment.”
Already? Absently smoothing my shorter-than-usual skirt over the garter I"d
never worn to work before, I checked the clock on my computer. Sure enough, it was
two o"clock sharp.
“Excellent. I"ll be out in a second.” I hung up the phone and put away all the
papers I"d been working on, restoring my desk to its bare, immaculate state.
On my way out of my office, I stopped with one hand on the doorknob. Deep
breath. Deep, cleansing breath.
Then I opened the door, stepped out into the busy reception area, and my
attention was immediately drawn to my waiting client.
Oblivious to the hustle and bustle all around him, he was the very picture of
relaxed and casual. Legs crossed at the knees and hips twisted just slightly. Button-
down shirt with the top button left open. Elbow on the armrest. One finger absently
tracing the side of his neatly trimmed goatee. We made eye contact from across the
room, and when he grinned, my nipples hardened.
He watched me come around to the front of Laura"s desk, his eyes making a
slow trek from my slightly low-cut blouse to my hemline, then down my legs. When
he got to my shoes, which were a good inch and a half higher than I ever wore to
work, he gave the subtlest nod of approval. Then his eyes flicked up and met mine.
“Mr. Hendricks,” I said, exchanging a knowing look with him as I extended my
hand. “Glad you could make it.”
He rose
Similar Books
