Apparently Reed wasn’t the only person on the seventy-fifth floor with a stick up their ass.
The doors opened and we stepped inside, then Blanca turned toward me. “I know you expected to shadow the CEO, but for the rest of this week, you’ll be working with me in editorial.”
Relief washed over me.
“I know that’s not exactly what you expected, but with the transition and all the kinks needing to be worked out, well, this seems like the best way to ease you into your internship without throwing you directly into the mix right away. I’m making an executive decision.” She shrugged. “Once the transition from father to son is made official at the annual shareholders gala this weekend, and Mr. Reed steps into his father’s shoes officially next week, we should be able to move you up to the seventy-fifth floor no problem.”
I worked hard to school my expression into one of neutrality.
“I’m sure you’re anxious to learn all you can, and the best way to do that is to work in as many aspects of publishing as possible, right? This way, you can get a taste of what it’s like in the editorial department. I’m excited to show you as much as I can.”
Smiling, I nodded. “Thank you. That sounds wonderful.”
And it was the truth. With the way my body reacted to him, even as cold and standoffish as he was, I certainly wasn’t prepared to spend any time beneath Cabot Reed.
My eyes widened and I focused on the button panel as my brain conjured an image that took that word far too literally.
Being beneath Cabot Reed was something I needed not to think about. Ever.
Pushing the inappropriate image aside, I replayed the last few moments on the screen of my mind instead. He’d caught me off guard, if I was honest with myself. I don’t know what I’d expected, but the man who sent me the gift was not the same man that had just dismissed me so rudely in his office. Although, that Cabot Reed was definitely the same man as the one I’d interacted with in the elevator, so, once again, rectifying these two versions of the Smirker proved to be an impossible task.
“Is he a twin?” I blurted without thinking.
“What?” Blanca was clearly startled by my question.
“Mr. Reed. Does he have a twin brother?” That was the only logical explanation for the dueling personalities.
Smiling awkwardly, Blanca tilted her head. “Not that I’m aware of…?”
“Oh, okay. Just wondering.” I shrugged and the conversation was dropped.
Well, without an evil twin–or, in this case, a good twin–there was no explanation. But I’d certainly seen enough of Cabot Reed in our two interactions to know that he wasn’t a nice man. The next time I saw him, I would be prepared. Ready to work for him and be completely unaffected by him.
Which, thankfully, wouldn’t be for some time. Hopefully the transition from one Reed to the next wouldn’t go all that smoothly and all the kinks would push me into the hands of literally anyone else at Reed Publishing.
Fingers crossed.
By the time Blanca was finished with me it was nearly five o’clock and my feet ached something fierce. Being introduced to every employee and every department all in the first day required a lot of activity. Hopefully tomorrow would be better… or, come Wednesday, I’d be the only one wearing sneakers to work.
After popping into the seventy-third floor to say goodbye to Marisa, I made my way downstairs and stepped off the elevator into the lobby of Reed Tower, smiling as the sound of children playing and laughing echoed off the walls.
The strong scent of coffee teased my senses, luring me toward the coffeeshop in the corner. I’d put in eight hours today, but my day wasn’t over yet. On top of my best friend’s insistence on meeting me after work for happy hour–the girl used literally any excuse to celebrate, so my first day at my internship was no exception–I’d need caffeine fuel to get me through job hunting.
There were a few places I wanted to check out nearby, like a serving position at a little Greek restaurant and a nanny job on the Upper East Side, but none of them really excited me. Unfortunately, though, unpaid internships meant I needed a part-time job, and beggars couldn’t be choosers.
I approached the counter of the coffeeshop, grateful to find myself in the middle of a lull, and ordered a lavender latte, then paid the barista and moved to the other side of the counter to wait for my drink order. As I watched the girls behind the counter work, I considered the job. It was definitely fast paced, and it required them to be on their feet for the whole shift, but–
I stretched to peer over the counter.
Yep, they were all in sneakers, so that would help with the standing.
Really, if they were hiring, it would be ideal to work in Reed Tower and not have to travel far between my internship and my part-time job. I mean, the only thing better would be a job close to home, but Park Slope was a community of single-family homes and sports parks, with the occasional bodega–and none of them were hiring.
When the barista set my coffee on the counter, I asked, “Hey, you guys aren’t hiring, by chance… are you?”
The girl smiled sympathetically, shaking her head. “No, not right now. But, if you want, I can get an application and you can just fill it out…” She shrugged. “Then we’d have it on hand. Would that work?”
“That would be great, thank you.”
The girl disappeared again and I sipped my latte, moaning as the sweet, floral goodness hit my tongue and warmed my throat. “Mmm,” I groaned.
Cabot Reed’s delicious scent engulfed me, and before my brain could register what that meant, I was breathing him in like a fiend.
The barista returned, passing the job application over the counter. “Here’s your applicationnn…” Her words trailed off as she focused on the man standing behind me.
And then I realized why I was surrounded by his delicious scent.
“What does an employee of mine need with a job at a cafe?”
Leave it to the man to open his mouth and ruin the moment. Couldn’t I just enjoy smelling him in peace? Rolling my eyes, I braced myself for my body’s reaction as I turned to face him.
Yep. There it was.
That tightening of my gut.
That tingling in my veins.
Stupid body.
His dark eyes locked with mine. That annoying smirk pulled at his lips. And the heat of his stare… it somehow seeped down into my bones and tugged at my groin.
It should be illegal to be so sexy, especially when you were as much of an ass as this man right here.
He raised his eyebrows.
“What?”
Reed’s lips twitched. “Why are you getting a job application?”
“I’m just an unpaid intern, sir.” I followed that up with a saccharine smile.
His eyes tightened at the edges, emphasizing crows feet that made him look even more handsome. It really wasn’t fair how men aged like fine wine and I was already getting Botox ads targeted to me on social media.
“We don’t pay our interns?”
Was he serious? Did he really not know?
He cocked an eyebrow in question.
I raised mine right back.
Like I was going to explain his own company’s policies to him. Ha.
We remained locked in this silent exchange for I don’t know how long. He was impossibly gorgeous with that dark hair and those intense black eyes. The plains of his face were hard and defined, lips full, and the dusting of silver hair at his temples begged for my fingertips. He had a good fifteen years on me, but I had a feeling that this was the kind of man who grew better looking with each birthday that passed.
If only the packaging properly represented the contents.
He licked his lips and my gaze fell to his mouth.
“Here you go, Mr. Reed.”
With that, the Smirker was back. Leaning forward, practically caging me in place, he retrieved his coffee. Still bent over me, he said, “Good luck on the job hunt.” Then he turned and strode away.
And I could breathe again without swooning. “Good grief,” I whispered.
“Right?”
Turning around quickly, I met the barista’s gaze.
“He’s so beautiful, isn’t he?”
I snorted. “He’s certainly something.”
What that something was, I had yet to figure out.
A lot of somethings, actually.