Did Eve ever wear such sexy clothing? Faith pictured it in her mind. Eve in sequins and stilettos, those long legs of hers bared, the low cut of the dress showing off the shoulders and chest that Eve kept under button-up work shirts.
Faith shook her head. Her imagination was getting out of hand. Besides, those stilettos were covered in dust. It was clear that they were rarely ever worn.
Faith hopped in the elevator and pressed the button for the floor of Eve’s office. She looked around. She was the only person in the elevator who wasn’t wearing a suit. These stuffy men and women made Eve seem eccentric.
She got out at Eve’s floor and was faced with a wide-open reception area. A bored-looking woman sat behind the reception desk. Faith caught her eye.
“Can I help you?” the woman asked.
“I’m here to see Eve,” Faith said. “She asked me to drop something off.”
“You must be Faith. Ms. Lincoln is expecting you.” The woman stood up. “I’ll take you to her. Come with me.”
Faith followed the receptionist into the office. She looked around, wide-eyed. The office was huge and abuzz with activity. This was Eve’s definition of a ‘small’ firm? And all this belonged to her? Faith had underestimated Eve. Given the draconian way she ran her home, Faith shouldn’t have been surprised that Eve commanded all of this .
They reached a door with Eve’s name on the nameplate. The receptionist knocked.
“Come in,” Eve said from inside.
The receptionist opened the door and gestured Faith inside. Eve sat behind a desk, her eyes fixed on her laptop. The room was very similar to Eve’s office at home.
“Thank you, Andrea,” Eve said. “Shut the door, please.”
Andrea closed the door, leaving the two of them alone.
“Faith, thank you for this.” Eve continued to type away. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“It’s no trouble,” Faith said.
“I usually keep a spare in my office, but the kids got their hands all over it when they were here with me last week.” Eve shut her laptop, stood up and rounded the desk. “Andrea keeps telling me to hire a personal assistant for these things, but I can’t bring myself to trust someone else with important duties.”
So Eve’s control issues weren’t just to do with Faith? That was good to know.
Eve took the blouse from Faith and set it down on the desk behind her, then pulled off her jacket, revealing an ink stain near the top of her shirt. “Don’t go anywhere. You can take this to the dry cleaner for me. With luck, they can get the stain out.”
“Sure,” Faith said.
Without hesitation, Eve began unbuttoning her shirt. The top of her bra peeked out of it. It was lacy, red, and cut low.
Did Eve always wear such racy underwear under her clothes?
Eve’s hands stopped at the next button. “Faith? ”
“Huh?” Faith looked up. Eve was staring back at her through her tortoiseshell glasses, her eyes piercing.
“I said, am I making you uncomfortable?”
“No.” Heat crept up Faith’s face. “I’ll just turn around.”
Faith spun around. Behind her, she could hear the swish of clothing. She willed herself to not imagine Eve undressing. What was wrong with her? Just this morning, Faith had been thinking about how much Eve got on her nerves, and now this?
“I’m done,” Eve said. “Here.”
Faith turned around to face Eve. Eve tucked the bottom of her blouse into her pants and handed Faith the ink-stained shirt.
“Before you go.” Eve leaned back against the front of her desk. “How are you finding the job so far? Any issues?”
“No,” Faith said. “Leah and Ethan are easy kids.”