“Our company website would have been a good place to start,” he counters.
I nod. “You’re right. I did skim over the website, but your pictures are not there.”
“They are.”
“No, I’m sorry, but they’re not,” I counter. I’ve been steamrolled enough by men in power. I won’t do it here. No matter how bad I want or need this job.
“She’s right,” Conrad chimes in. “We agreed it was time to update the pictures of each of us. The last one was when Marshall still looked like a baby right out of college.” He smirks at his brother. I make another mental note that Marshall is the youngest.
“Fu—” Marshall starts. “Forget you,” he quickly corrects, making Conrad throw his head back in laughter.
I ignore both of them and keep my eyes locked on Royce. I raise an eyebrow waiting for him to say I was right. He doesn’t.
“What issues?” he asks.
I watch as he leans back in his black leather chair and crosses his arms over his chest. His brown eyes stare at me intently, waiting for an answer. This time I do break eye contact to glance over at Gail. She gives me a nod and a comforting smile that tells me I should be honest with him. “I hate to talk ill of my previous employer.”
“As your current employer, I demand it,” Royce counters.
I nod, take a deep breath, and slowly exhale. “I was tired of my boss making passes at me. I was tired of the sexual comments that would fly from his mouth daily. I was tired of feeling objectified as a woman.” I watch as Royce’s jaw tightens, just the slightest bit. He otherwise seems unaffected by my confession.
“How long did you work there?” Marshall asks.
“Four years.”
“Enough interrogation,” Gail speaks up. “Let’s just enjoy the rest of our lunch. Sawyer and I have lots of work to get through this afternoon.” That’s an excuse, and we all know it. I pull my focus from Royce to the boxed lunch in front of me and begin to eat. I don’t make eye contact with any of them as they start to talk amongst themselves. I just hope I didn’t screw up and lose my job.
Gail and I make small talk about the programs I’ve used in the past, and the job duties that I held at the Sanders, Bower & Green Agency. This is all stuff that we discussed in my interview, but as we talk, she correlates each task to something similar here at Riggins that I will be responsible for. It helps weld my past experiences into my new position. It also helps me relax and let the conversation with Royce settle in the back of my mind.
I’m thankful for both.
Royce is the first to stand. “I have to get back to work.” He nods at Gail. “Thank you for lunch,” he tells her, tossing his trash, and walking out of the room. He doesn’t even spare a glance at me.
One by one, each of them agrees, and thank both Gail and me for lunch, and disappear down the hall.
“I’m sorry,” I say as soon as it’s just Gail and me. “I didn’t mean to talk that way to him. I’ll be sure to apologize.” I let my emotions get the best of me. I have to let the Royce I thought I knew go. Besides, none of these guys are my slime ball of an ex-boss. At least not that I know of. I was out of line.
“You’ll do no such thing. Royce was being an ass. He knows it, we all know it. He needs someone who’s going to stand up to him. That’s why he and Sam got along so well. She didn’t take his snide comments to heart, and she gave it back to him. He needs someone strong-willed and trustworthy. I believe we’ve found that in you. Just don’t go falling in love and getting knocked up by any of his friends.” She laughs. “He’s been even more of a grumpy bear ever since. As soon as the two of you get into a routine, it will all work itself out.”
I’m not sure I believe her, but I nod and clean up my trash, tossing it into the now full trash can on our way back to my desk. The afternoon passes by in a blur of information. It’s a lot to learn, but I’m up for the challenge. On the drive home, I think about how I acted and vow that tomorrow, no matter what happens, I’m not going to let Royce or any of the Riggins brothers get under my skin.
I’m a professional. I can do this.
I think.Chapter 2RoyceI’m exhausted. I barely slept a wink last night, and for the first time in years, it wasn’t because I was too buried in my work to bother to go to bed. No, this time, it was the blonde beauty that has done nothing but consume my thoughts since the moment I met her. The same blonde beauty that is my new assistant. I spent hours running every scenario over in my mind. Did she know who I was on the plane? Was she faking her fear? I quickly determine that no way could she have done that. I’d felt the panic coming off her in waves. It was real. No matter how I spun it in my mind, I still came to the same conclusion. Sawyer didn’t know who I was. Fate is a motherfucker like that. Send me a woman who enthralls me, and then surprise, she’s your new assistant.