With my child occupying my thoughts, I half-heartedly began overseeing the first mock-up of a new advertising campaign that I’d been sent by a member of our marketing team. “When you dine, do it with Wendall Wine,” I read aloud before grimacing. “No, no, no. That won’t do at all.”
After sending back a rather stern e-mail to the marketing department, I engrossed myself in my next task, then the next and the next and the next. I glanced at the clock and noticed that time had flown by. Lincoln’s day at nursery would be coming to an end in just a few minutes which meant that if I did head home, I could spend more time with him like I’d promised. It was certainly more appealing than hanging around at the office and it would keep my mind off of the newest accountant who seemed to be the last thing I needed right now: a complication.
It wasn’t like I enjoyed slacking off, but I did feel guilty about leaving Lincoln with a nanny so much. It wasn’t right for a kid to spend so much time with someone who wasn’t family, but I didn’t have much other choice. Being a single dad was hard enough already even without the guilt I inflicted on myself.
Since Lincoln was the most important person in the world to me, he came first in all my decisions. I worked hard to give him a lovely home, every toy he could ever want, and trips all around the world. Yet, I still felt it wasn’t enough.
“I wonder if I’ll ever feel like it’s enough,” I muttered to myself before flicking through more documents on my desk.
In the end, I resolved that it wasn’t very often I could sneak out like this, so I had to take the opportunity where I could. Just as I was beginning to pack my belongings back into my suitcase, Peter showed up. He knocked on the door before entering and then he made his way toward my desk. His hands were on his hips and he was a bit short of breath like he’d practically run all the way here.
“Well, I have to give it to your parents, they sure know how to pick ‘em,” he commented with a smile before rubbing at his chin.
The remark caught my attention and I looked up, worrying about what might have happened between them. Had it been a bad move to hire her? Was she already making mistakes? My heart was pounding in my chest as anger began to swell. It felt like I’d never be able to rely on an employee ever again. Not after…
“Don’t look so worried, Quentin,” Peter said, interrupting my downward spiral. “I mean, she’s clearly a little out of her depth here, but it’s nothing we can’t help her with. I’d say that she’s a little too sweet for her own good and she’s definitely timid, but if your parents hired her, I’m sure they knew what they were doing.”
I grumbled and Peter laughed. He always did find my grumpy attitude to life humorous, much to my own dismay. Still, he was the best friend I ever had, and he was serious when I needed him to be. When Lincoln’s mother left me, Peter had been the one to help keep me going. In a lot of ways, he was like a brother to me, so if I had to put up with a little bit of teasing, it was worth it.
“Seriously, Quentin, don’t run her off. We need an accountant desperately and good ones are hard to come by. Let her prove herself before you dismiss her,” he implored before sitting down in the chair opposite me. “What do you have to lose by taking a chance on her?”
Everything, I thought to myself dismally as I dug my nails into the edge of my desk.
Peter leaned in and took in my vague expression before rubbing his chin in contemplation. “Come on, Quentin, be honest with me. What’s going on here?”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Peter had been my best friend since middle school, and I knew I could trust him with just about anything. So, I scrubbed a hand over my face and leaned forward conspiratorially before speaking in a quiet voice. “Honestly, Peter, she’s gorgeous. You can’t tell me you didn’t notice,” I confessed before sighing and dropping my head into my hands.
“Yeah, she’s a looker all right, I’ll give you that,” he admitted with a nod. “I did think she was your type when I first noticed her.”
“Right?” I agreed in an exasperated tone. “I’m meant to be the boss, not some horny teenager who has trouble keeping his hands to himself. Not only is it completely inappropriate, but even if I ever did decide to do anything about it, it’s not like I really have any time to myself to do things like date.”
“Whatever you say, man,” Peter replied with a shrug.
“And what does that mean?” I questioned, feeling my hackles rising.
“You know what I mean.”
Peter’s eyes were looking right through me. He was right, of course. It wasn’t just my extremely busy schedule that kept me from getting close to somebody. I had been burned pretty badly before, but it wasn’t an easy thing to admit or talk about—especially at the office. It was part of the reason why I was so closed off and unwilling to let anybody new in.
Besides, the new girl, Billie, had really riled me up. I was already in an awful mood before she’d spilled her coffee all down my brand-new shirt. That kind of stain was going to be impossible to remove which meant more shopping and I didn’t have the time for that. I hadn’t intended to be so short with her during our first meeting, but I was already hanging by a thread, Billie just happened to be the last straw.
“Regardless,” Peter began again, “she’s here now. You need to talk to her. Be nice and find out just what made your ‘rents hire her, okay?” Peter reached over the desk to pat my shoulder comfortingly. “Get to know her, but don’t sleep with this one, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I replied with a nod.
“I’ve got a meeting with a catering company in ten minutes, I need to go get set up. Are you going to be all right by yourself up here?” he asked with a sincere expression.
“Of course, I’m always all right,” I answered, shrugging his concern off like I always did.
“So you say.”
Before I could even respond, Peter had already stood up and headed out of the door. For a few minutes, I just sat staring down at my hands and thinking about what to do next. I’d wanted to avoid the problem so badly and now, I was conflicted. I’d been planning to head home and occupy myself with my son instead of getting caught up with Billie, but what would that really solve? If I was a real man, I’d be able to face the challenge head on and stop hiding, at least, that’s what I told myself.
With a sharp nod to myself, I lifted my phone from the desk once more and I began to dial the extension for the accountant’s office where Billie should be. As the phone began to ring, I held my breath, waiting for her to answer. After a few rings, I heard a scuffling before a surprised, “Hello?”
I’d been foolish to think that calling her would be easier than seeing her in person. I already had the image of her burned into my mind and as soon as I heard her sweet, musical voice, I was hooked again. My nails dug into the palm of my free hand and I willed myself to calm down before I totally lost control of myself.
I took a deep breath to steady myself before I spoke. “Hey there, Billie, it’s Quentin again,” I started as nonchalantly as I could possibly manage. I unclenched my fist and began to distract myself by idly tapping my fingers against the desk. “Are you settling in okay?”
“Yes!” she replied excitedly. “Just… swell.”
Yet, something in her tone told me that she wasn’t telling the whole truth. I wanted to ask her about it. I desperately wanted to know everything there was to know about her, but I couldn’t. It was inappropriate. It was wrong. I had to keep things professional.
So, instead of saying what I really wanted to, I responded, “That’s great to hear. Listen…” I paused. “Would you mind coming back to my office once more? I won’t keep you very long, I just want to rectify something.”
For a moment, there was only silence and I wondered if I’d panicked her, but then she said, “Of course, boss.”
My shoulders slumped with relief at her obedience and a sly smile came to my lips. “Great, I’ll see you soon, Billie.”
“See you soon.”
I hung up the phone and waited at my desk for her to arrive. I was steepling my fingers when a knock came on the door again. This time, the person there waited, and I stood up to go answer it. When I pulled the door open, I was hit by the beauty of the woman behind it. She was just as perfect as I remembered. Her chocolate-colored hair looked soft and shone in the light. Her hips were wide, and they swung in a tantalizing rhythm like a metronome as she nervously waited for me to address her. The swell of her breast was pressing against her shirt and making the buttons look like they were ready to pop open. It was difficult to avert my eyes from her mesmerizing body—difficult but not impossible.
I smiled at her and let out a breath of air as I mentally prepared myself for what was coming next. “Right, we’re going to try this again and hopefully, things will be a little bit easier this time,” I told her with a chuckle. “Hi, I’m your boss, Quentin Wendall. It’s nice to meet you.”
The dazzling smile that spread wide across her face was more attractive than anything else about her and I felt my heart begin to thunder against my chest. “Hi, Quentin. My name’s Billie Nichols and I really, really want to keep my job.”
We both laughed and I nodded my head. Yeah, we can make this work. I’m sure of it.
5
Billie
My first day at work had gone far better than I’d hoped for after the rocky start. Quentin and I managed to smooth things over which helped settle my anxiety about being fired already. Once we had a proper conversation, I came to realize he wasn’t as bad as I’d thought at first. It was a Monday morning after all, so I put his bad attitude down to being cranky and moved on with my day. I stayed in his office for most of the day actually. Quentin had done a good job of filling me in about the accounts I was going to be working with. He also let slip why there was a vacancy in the first place – apparently, the last accountant had retired – but most importantly, he told me that his parents had hired me without his input. I was starting to understand a little more why my presence had unsettled him that morning.
Eventually, I went back to my own office and breathed a sigh of relief to have some space from such a sexy guy. I got my teeth stuck into the computing systems, reading the beginner’s guides and getting myself familiarized with how things worked at Wendall Winery. It felt like I had finally begun to get a real handle on things and I was so proud of myself.
By the end of the day, I was feeling satisfied but exhausted. I got home, fed myself and Lucky before collapsing on the sofa with a tub of ice cream and a procedural cop show. I hadn’t managed to keep my eyes open for very long and I was soon dragging myself off to bed with Lucky trotting behind me.
I slept well that night and woke up feeling hopeful and refreshed. I carefully applied my make-up after showering and pulled on my office wear before making myself a steaming hot cup of coffee. I sat alone at the kitchen counter sipping from my drink as I scrolled through my social media before eventually checking the time and heading out of the door with a quick wave goodbye to Lucky. As I approached the office, however, my heart began to pound louder and louder. The mistakes of the day before were still fresh in my mind and even though I knew that today was a new day, it was hardly a fresh start and that worried me.
You’re a professional, Billie. Act like it, I scolded myself as I climbed out of my car and hurried toward the door. My pencil skirt was riding up my thick thighs and I had to keep reaching out to pull the material down again. It had always been a problem for someone with my body type, but I hated wearing slacks, so I had to bear it.
When I arrived this time, I headed straight toward my office to get set up and ready for the day. However, upon entering the main office, I noticed that someone was sitting outside my door waiting for me and looking every bit as hunky as he had done the day before. Thankfully, however, it was Peter and not Quentin who sat there. The former was less likely to rattle me than our more attractive boss.
“Good morning, Peter,” I greeted politely as I approached. “How are you this morning?”
“I’m very well thank you, Billie,” he replied as he stood up and straightened his shirt. “How about yourself?”
“Never better,” I told him cheerily. “Did you want to come inside?”
“Yes, Quentin is actually out of the office today, so I’m here to help you today,” Peter explained as we both entered my office together.
“Oh no, is everything all right?” I asked. My brain began working overtime straight away. Could he have avoided coming in today just so he didn’t have to see me? No, surely not.
“His son is sick apparently,” Peter continued to explain as he pulled a spare chair around to my side of the desk and sat down. “Just a little stomach bug he told me, nothing to be worried about.”
My whole face flushed. Of course, my gorgeous boss was already taken and had children! And here I was getting a schoolgirl crush on him. I was mortified and tried to hide my head behind my computer screen. I hope Peter doesn’t notice, I thought to myself.
“That’s a shame,” I said in a quiet voice after I realized I’d been silent for a few seconds.
“Yeah, but that’s how it is with kids. They’re always getting some bug or another,” Peter responded with a shrug. “Have you gotten the accounts system set up and running yet?”
I nodded and after that, Peter and I delved into the ins and outs of my new job. We went over things that Quentin had filled me in about the day before and then covered a few questions I still had about the work I was going to be doing. Meanwhile, a part of my brain was constantly distracted by Quentin and his mysterious family.
What was his wife like? It was hard to imagine what Quentin’s type might be, but for some reason, I found myself picturing a leggy, slim blonde with bright blue eyes and a dazzling smile—my polar opposite. It didn’t matter either way. Even if by some miracle Quentin turned out to be single, I wasn’t going there. Getting involved with colleagues was always a bad idea, let alone someone who is actually your boss!
“Ahh, that’s not the right function,” Peter explained, interrupting my thoughts and leaning over the desk to take the mouse from me. “You need to click here first and input the account number and then press the function key.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I replied with a shake of my head. “At my last workplace, the system was a little different.” I began to hastily do as I was told and hope that he didn’t think I was totally incompetent.
“Don’t worry about it at all, Billie,” Peter told me with a smile. “It’s your second day on the job, I don’t expect you to already know everything. In fact, if you did, that would be a bigger cause for concern, don’t you think?”
He chuckled and I felt myself relax a little more. I’d been so on edge about this new job and I’d been desperate to make a good first impression that I’d forgotten I didn’t need to be perfect. No, I just needed to be willing to learn.
“If there’s ever anything you don’t understand or you’re not sure about, just let me know and I’ll walk you through it,” Peter continued as he leant back in his own chair and pushed his hair back from his forehead.
I paused for a moment, biting down on my bottom lip nervously, before finally opening my mouth. “Actually, you don’t mind showing me how to use the scanner for any invoices we receive by post, do you?” I asked, my pulse racing. “I know most are sent by e-mail these days, but I’ve noticed we still get the odd one by snail mail, so I think it’d be good to know. If you have time, I mean.”
Peter let out a short laugh before patting me on the shoulder. “Of course, Billie. It’s no problem at all. Follow me.”
I let out a relieved sigh before following him toward the copier.
My second day at work seemed to go faster than the first. I’d spent almost the entire day with Peter since there were so many new systems to explain and I had plenty of questions about them all. By the end of it, I was feeling much more settled in my new role and like I actually had a clue what I was doing. It was r
eassuring to pick everything up so quickly and I knew a lot of it was down to Peter’s help. I decided that I liked Peter a lot. He was kind and patient as he taught me new things, but he also enjoyed a joke or two while we worked and proved to be quite quick-witted.
Once he’d introduced me to all of the tasks I’d need to take care of on a daily basis, I realized that this job truly wasn’t much different from my old one. The only difference really was that I was being paid a fair wage for it this time. It just proved that I should have gotten out of Sausalito sooner and seen what else was out there, but before I could berate myself too much, I tried to focus on the fact that I was doing it now and that was all that mattered.
A knock sounded at the door and my head jolted up to look in that direction. “Come in,” I called out, unsure who it might be. I’d only seen Peter all day.
The door opened and it was indeed Peter waiting there. “Sorry to disturb you, Billie. I was just stopping by to let you know that I’ll be in a meeting for the next hour or so, so feel free to leave when five o’clock comes around. I doubt I’ll be out by then, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I smiled gratefully at him. “Thanks, Peter, I will. See you tomorrow.”
Peter disappeared after that and I continued to flick my way through the company brochure I’d been given to familiarize myself with the company’s goals and values. It seemed like the Wendall family valued loyalty and fairness above everything and that only made me feel better about my role here. After all, they were values I very much believed in and even though I’d moved so far away from my own family, I hoped to find one in the community of Napa Valley.
When five o’clock came around, I skipped out of the office and all the way to my car. I still couldn’t believe how lucky I’d gotten by being hired here, especially since hardly any places had been hiring a full-time accountant when I was looking. Everything seemed to be falling into place quite nicely and as I drove home, I decided to pull into one of my new local grocery stores.
Dear Boss: A Single Dad Office Romance (Forbidden First Times Book 3) Page 3