Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
She’s probably getting a kick out of how nervous I am.
I shake it off, straighten my shoulders, and head down the hallway. Troy’s office door is closed, so I softly knock on the dark cherry wood door.
“Come in,” he says from the other side.
I take a deep breath as I open the door, my head feeling light. All I’ve been able to think about since last night is how his eyes swept over my figure and the way he spoke, his words leaving my thighs clenched.
“Good morning,” Troy flashes a smile. “I take it Gloria provided you with the new hire paperwork?” His eyes drop to my hands.
I nod. “She did.”
“Great, why don’t you have a seat and fill that out. Then we can chat.” His eyes flicker from mine back to the file in front of his desk, and they stay there.
Okay then.
Glancing around his luxurious but strikingly bare office, I sit in one of the high-backed leather chairs. I place my messenger on the floor beside me and dig out a pen. I swear, the air feels tense. However, if Troy thinks that, he doesn’t show it. His lips are pursed, and his eyes are laser-focused on whatever he’s looking at.
And I’m being creepy and staring. Ugh.
I click my pen and start filling out the basics, noting that it’s the same old new hire packet. I don’t even know why I have to fill this in. It’s not like Troy doesn’t know most of this stuff. He probably even knows my social security number. The thought makes me laugh out loud.
“Something funny?” Troy snaps but doesn’t look up.
“Nope.”
“Why were you laughing, then?”
I roll my eyes, feeling like I’m in time-out or something. “I don’t know. Can I fill this out somewhere else?”
“I would prefer you sit in here so we can chat as soon as you finish.”
“Okay, but couldn’t I sit out there and come in here when I’m done? I don’t really see the difference.”
He sighs, making me cringe, finally meeting my gaze with burning irritation. “I want to see what kind of worker you are. If you’re sitting out there, I can’t see that.”
I swallow hard, feeling something shift in my core. “Got it.”
Spending the next thirty minutes in silence, I finish filling out all the tedious stuff, which is a lot. Finally, I place my pen back in the side pocket of my bag and smooth out my pants and white blouse, standing.
“Here,” I say, holding out the packet.
“Go give it to Gloria and come right back,” he says, still making no eye contact.
I kind of want to whack him with it, but hold back, spinning on my heels and heading out of his office. As I enter the hallway, I see a couple of men sitting in the waiting room, talking amongst themselves. I have no idea who they are, but they stop chatting as I enter the area.
“Who are you?” one of them draws out slowly, his dark brown eyes rolling down my body.
Gross.
I choose to ignore him, turning to Gloria. “Here’s this. Tro—Mr. Watkins—asked me to bring this to you.”
“Perfect, thank you.” Gloria takes it from me and puts it on the desk beside her extra-large cup of coffee. “Will you let Mr. Watkins know he has visitors?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I can feel the eyes of the men on me, but I don’t engage, turning around and heading back to Troy.
Are these the kind of men I’ll have to deal with?
I let out a sigh and open the door. “You have visitors. Gloria wanted me to let you know.”
“Thanks. They can wait.” Troy looks up at me and then narrows his eyes. “Did they give you any problems?”
My lips part slightly, caught off guard. “Um… I don’t… No, not really.”
He pushes his chair back from his desk and stands. “What did they do?”
“They didn’t do anything,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “I guess they just… I don’t know. They looked at me a little weirdly. It’s probably just because I’m not…” My voice trails off as he slips past me, storming down the hall.
Oh my god. Oh my god.
I peer into the waiting room as Troy starts firing off questions, the men jumping to their feet.
“Boss, we didn’t do anything,” one of them says, his voice much weaker than before. “We just didn’t recognize her. That’s it. I swear.”
I step into Troy’s office to conceal myself just as the sound of someone being shoved up against the wall comes echoing through the office. My face is burning with embarrassment. I had no idea I would accidentally get those men in trouble, even if they made me uncomfortable.
After a few tense moments, Troy steps back into the office and closes the door. “They won’t bother you again,” he grunts, returning to his desk. He straightens his tie and gestures for me to sit down.