Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“I won’t be here next week. I’m out of town.” He curses and rips off his headphones, tossing them and the controller carelessly aside. “Did you not look at the calendar?”
“No, not for next week.”
“Of course not,” he grumbles, scrubbing his hands over his face.
“In my defense, I wasn’t sure I’d make it through this week without quitting or getting fired, so I didn’t want to get ahead of myself.” I shrug, and he pulls his hands from his face to give me a look that is filled with a whole lot of disbelief. “What? I’m just being honest.”
“All meetings that need to be rescheduled from today will have to be put off until I get back into town. I have a big deal I’m working, and it needs my undivided attention until then.” He pushes up off the couch, and I notice he has dark circles under his eyes, like he hasn’t slept for days. I wonder if they’ve always been there but just hidden by the glasses he normally wears.
“Righty ho, Ranger Joe,” I mutter under my breath, and he grunts in response before stepping around me. With no choice but to follow him, we make our way back toward the elevator, then stand there in awkward silence after he presses the button.
“What deal are you working?” I blurt, needing something to fill the quiet as we step into the elevator.
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you,” he says, and my head flies his way so quick it feels like I gave myself whiplash. “I’m just kidding.” He holds up his hands.
“I know, but I can’t believe you just attempted to joke with me.” I take my eyes off him when the doors open, but I don’t miss the sour look he gives me before I step off the elevator.
“Penny,” he calls out, and I turn to look at him, realizing he’s stopped a few feet behind me. “I’ll be back here this afternoon, and we’ll go over what’s going to happen next week with me out of the office.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I plaster a sugary-sweet smile on my face, then I head for my office with pep in my step, knowing I won’t have to deal with him in person for an entire week.
Lucky me.
Chapter 4
Wake-Up Call
The ringing of my phone pulls me from sleep, and I open my eyes, finding my room dark. My heart instantly starts to pound with worry as I fumble around for the device I left plugged in next to my bed. No one but my mom would be calling me before the sun is even up, and she would only call if there is something wrong.
Before I even have my cell fully in hand, I slide my finger across the screen and answer with a breathless “Hello?” putting it against my ear.
“Penny, it’s Jace,” my new boss’s deep voice rumbles in my ear, causing confusion to wash away the worry I felt seconds ago.
“Jace?” I rub my tired eyes. “What time is it?”
“Five.”
“Five?” I repeat, sure I heard him wrong, because there is no reason whatsoever that he should be calling me at five in the morning on the weekend.
“I need you to meet me at the airport in an hour.”
“What?” I push up to my elbow and turn on my bedside lamp as he sighs.
“I need you to meet me at the private airport just outside of Modesto in an hour.”
“Why?”
“I’ll explain why when I see you.”
“So you want me to meet you at the airport, but you’re not telling me why I need to do that until I get there?”
“Yes.”
“It’s Saturday.”
“I know.”
“I don’t work on Saturdays, Jace.”
“Now you do. See you when you get here.” He pauses. “And pack a bag with enough clothes for the week.” He hangs up before I can tell him where to shove it, and I pull my cell away from my ear and glare at the device in my hand like it’s all its fault.
“He’s insane if he thinks I’m actually going to meet him,” I grumble to myself before I drop my phone on my bedside table and turn out the light. After fluffing my pillow, I lay my head back down… then grit my teeth as I picture Paris slipping right through my fingers.
I doubt I could find another job that would pay me as much as I’m making now in the next week, and if it took me a week to find another job, that would be a whole week of money I’d be missing out on.
With a curse, I toss back the blanket and sit up on the side of the bed before I flip on the lamp. Grabbing my phone, I dial the number that just called me and wait.
“Yes,” Jace answers on the third ring.