“So anyway, Gary probably should’ve told you to keep your new job a little private around here. We just had lunch last week. Wonder why he didn’t tell me there was a new hire?”
“What’s the big deal? People come and go all the time.”
“That’s not it. People don’t come and go in Barboza’s group. It’s just him and Gary.”
“Is that strange?”
“For this place, yeah. He’s the only partner who doesn’t oversee a whole staff. All we know is, he knows his shit and he brings in a lot of business.” Her eyes were huge. “And we don’t know anything else.”
Cara gasped, thinking about the unsavory owner of Doyle Construction, where she sensed all along that something wasn’t right. “Is he doing something illegal? Please tell me he’s not.”
“Oh no. Nothing like that. He’s a good guy. Keeps to himself.” She shrugged. “And really friendly when you see him around.” Her voice got quiet. “But I hear he’s a playboy.”
Cara’s heart sank. “Really? Is that why he’s single?”
Rhonda’s brow arched and she looked around the room, suddenly feeling the urge to confide a piece of juicy gossip in the new girl. “You can’t repeat this. Hell, you could find it online if you knew where to look. But there’s a rumor his engagement ended because of infidelity. We all think he cheated with a girl who got fired the week before it happened.”
“Oh no!”
“Yes. Of course, it’s just a rumor, but still.” Rhonda sighed. “So, tell me a little about you. New to the area? Married? Kids?”
“I’m from Newark originally but I just moved back home after losing my job in Chicago. This is my first real job in months. Never been married. One kid, Isaac. He’s three.”
Rhonda grinned. “I got a three-year-old, too. A girl, Justine. Also got a five-year-old, Aidan. And I got a no-good cheatin’ ex-husband. The divorce was final last month.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. Could be worse. Could’ve had that third kid we were trying for when I found those pictures on his cell phone. What about you? You got a cheatin’ man, too?”
“No.” Cara nervously straightened the cuff of her sleeve. The situation with Isaac’s dad was a secret she’d decided long ago to take with her to the grave. It was easier to tell everyone she never knew his dad than to tell them the truth. “Isaac was my gift from a one-night stand my last semester in college. Never saw him again. I consider my son to be my graduation present.” She smiled.
“Ah. Well, you’re better off anyway.” Rhonda looked at her watch. “I gotta get back to my desk but I’ll come over for some chitchat later if you like. They give you an office or a cubicle?”
“An office.” Cara swallowed, hard. After this conversation, she was reluctant to mention she’d been given a spacious office with a spectacular view.
“Okay. I’ll come over there and find you later.” Rhonda patted Cara’s shoulder. “Take care. Nice meeting you.”
Cara waited until Rhonda was safely out of the break room before leaving herself. It was good to make a friend at her new job so soon, but with Victor keeping such a low profile, she wasn’t sure it was smart to hang out with one of the office gossips so quickly.
No matter. With her head held high, she left the break room and went back to her office, trying not to obsess about this new information she’d received about her boss. Was he really a playboy? Did he cheat on his fiancee? Is that who he was with the night they met? It would make sense and possibly explain why that lady was so furious about him talking to another woman in front of her.
Cara had to get herself to stop thinking about it. After all, he was just her boss and this was simply her work place. Nothing more. What he did in his personal life was none of her business.
She took a deep breath with the realization that she definitely had a crush on him. And that sucked.
* * *
“Damn it!”
“What’s the big deal? People come and go all the time.”
“That’s not it. People don’t come and go in Barboza’s group. It’s just him and Gary.”
“Is that strange?”
“For this place, yeah. He’s the only partner who doesn’t oversee a whole staff. All we know is, he knows his shit and he brings in a lot of business.” Her eyes were huge. “And we don’t know anything else.”
Cara gasped, thinking about the unsavory owner of Doyle Construction, where she sensed all along that something wasn’t right. “Is he doing something illegal? Please tell me he’s not.”
“Oh no. Nothing like that. He’s a good guy. Keeps to himself.” She shrugged. “And really friendly when you see him around.” Her voice got quiet. “But I hear he’s a playboy.”
Cara’s heart sank. “Really? Is that why he’s single?”
Rhonda’s brow arched and she looked around the room, suddenly feeling the urge to confide a piece of juicy gossip in the new girl. “You can’t repeat this. Hell, you could find it online if you knew where to look. But there’s a rumor his engagement ended because of infidelity. We all think he cheated with a girl who got fired the week before it happened.”
“Oh no!”
“Yes. Of course, it’s just a rumor, but still.” Rhonda sighed. “So, tell me a little about you. New to the area? Married? Kids?”
“I’m from Newark originally but I just moved back home after losing my job in Chicago. This is my first real job in months. Never been married. One kid, Isaac. He’s three.”
Rhonda grinned. “I got a three-year-old, too. A girl, Justine. Also got a five-year-old, Aidan. And I got a no-good cheatin’ ex-husband. The divorce was final last month.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. Could be worse. Could’ve had that third kid we were trying for when I found those pictures on his cell phone. What about you? You got a cheatin’ man, too?”
“No.” Cara nervously straightened the cuff of her sleeve. The situation with Isaac’s dad was a secret she’d decided long ago to take with her to the grave. It was easier to tell everyone she never knew his dad than to tell them the truth. “Isaac was my gift from a one-night stand my last semester in college. Never saw him again. I consider my son to be my graduation present.” She smiled.
“Ah. Well, you’re better off anyway.” Rhonda looked at her watch. “I gotta get back to my desk but I’ll come over for some chitchat later if you like. They give you an office or a cubicle?”
“An office.” Cara swallowed, hard. After this conversation, she was reluctant to mention she’d been given a spacious office with a spectacular view.
“Okay. I’ll come over there and find you later.” Rhonda patted Cara’s shoulder. “Take care. Nice meeting you.”
Cara waited until Rhonda was safely out of the break room before leaving herself. It was good to make a friend at her new job so soon, but with Victor keeping such a low profile, she wasn’t sure it was smart to hang out with one of the office gossips so quickly.
No matter. With her head held high, she left the break room and went back to her office, trying not to obsess about this new information she’d received about her boss. Was he really a playboy? Did he cheat on his fiancee? Is that who he was with the night they met? It would make sense and possibly explain why that lady was so furious about him talking to another woman in front of her.
Cara had to get herself to stop thinking about it. After all, he was just her boss and this was simply her work place. Nothing more. What he did in his personal life was none of her business.
She took a deep breath with the realization that she definitely had a crush on him. And that sucked.
* * *
“Damn it!”
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