Propositioning Love

“Clara, please,” I plead at her. “Later?”

She nods her head slowly, but her eyes light up like she’s enjoying this immensely.

I drop my hand and she crosses her fingers over her heart as she says, “Later.”

I push her phone back in her hand just as the air in the room seems to thicken with tension.

The man of the hour has probably just walked in.

I slowly swivel my chair towards the front of the room and for a few seconds I think I’m hallucinating.

Standing in front of the room, dressed in a sharp dark suit, is the man I just left in bed. His hair isn’t the ruffled mess it was though, and he certainly doesn’t look open and vulnerable…

No, he looks pissed.

I blink my eyes, hoping the illusion will fade away, but his image remains. My mind isn’t playing tricks on me, he must be really standing there.

Shit. This can’t be happening. Did he track me down or something? Is he here to call me out in front of everyone I work with?

I shoot a panicked look at Clara. She must take my look of horror as me being worried about being fired though because she smiles reassuringly and reaches over to squeeze my hand.

“Good morning everyone,” Bry addresses the room in a clear, loud voice full of authority. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Bryce Ericsson, and I’m the new owner and president of SpinToLove.com.”

Everyone’s attention snaps to him, and my heart is pounding so hard I think I’m going to be sick.

Bry… Bryce…

Oh god, of course. I’m so stupid.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I had a one-night stand with my new boss.

Can the crazy train please slow down so I can get off at the next stop?

Bry’s angry gaze slides to me and I wish with all my heart that a hole would open up in the ground and swallow me. The way he glares at me, the way his eyes bore into me, gives me the impression I’m the reason he looks so pissed off…

I can only imagine what he thinks of me after I slipped out without a word.

I’m so going to be fired.

“We all have things to do, so I’ll just get straight to the point.”

Clara’s hand squeezes mine, but I’m too weak to squeeze it back. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pointed at me and sacked me first.

Bry’s eyes sweep away from me as he takes in the room. There’s a long, dramatic pause, as if he knows everyone is hanging on his every word. Our livelihoods are literally in his hands right now.

“No one will be let go today.”

Wait? What?

The room erupts with gasps and murmurs. It seems everyone else is just as confused as I am.

Bry continues on, talking over the whispered noise. “Everyone, however, will be expected to sit for a full and thorough evaluation of their position. The company is moving in a new direction. Those who can’t keep up will be left behind.”

The murmurs and whispers grow louder and louder.

Bry dismisses everyone with a, “That will be all.”

Everyone sticks to their chairs. It seems no one wants to be the first to stand up.

Bry flips open a folder in his hand and starts to thumb through the pages. After a minute or two, he looks back up and scowls at the room.

“Get back to work,” Bry snaps, and suddenly everyone is instantly on their feet.

People are nearly tripping over themselves to escape.

I’m a lot slower to stand up. I want to run out of the room with the others, but my knees are too weak.

Did I just dodge a bullet?

“See,” Clara murmurs happily as she stands. “I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

If only she knew…

“You,” Bry says sharply and looks at me.

I freeze in place like a deer caught in headlights. My butt is only halfway off the chair but I can’t seem to move.

“Yes?” I stumble out and then clear my throat.

“Zoe, correct?” he asks expectantly.

I numbly nod my head.

“What’s your last name?”

Oh shit, that’s right. We may have learned everything about each other’s bodies last night, but we were just two strangers in the dark. He doesn’t even know my last name.

“Adams,” I say, just stopping myself from tacking a ‘sir’ onto it.

The authority of his stance and his fierce stare is making me feel like a naughty school girl who was sent to the principal’s office.

“Good. I have your file right here so we’ll do your evaluation first.”

Damn. So that’s my file he’s looking at? That can’t be good…

Clara shifts uncomfortably beside me. She frowns between Bry and me.

Bry shifts his attention to her and gives her a look that screams he wants her to leave the room with the others.

Clara hesitates, despite the look, unwilling to abandon me. She’s probably starting to sense something is up.