I stepped inside and watched as he dried off with a towel, put his shoes on and covered the hot tub. He looked cold, but much tougher than me as he ran toward his back door.
Somehow, in the matter of only a few days, he’d broken through all my defenses. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but there was more to this than me finding him attractive. I felt…affectionate…toward him.
He was sweet.
Frozen.
But definitely sweet.
Chapter Ten
When I arrived at Booms and Nibbles the next morning, it took every ounce of courage I had to walk through the front door. Starting a new job was always nerve-wracking, but this one didn’t even feel real. I moved forward purely because I needed the job and because I didn’t want to disappoint Tessa.
The girl at the reception desk smiled warmly as I walked towards her, so I began to relax, even though it probably didn’t show in my features.
“Good morning,” the girl said. “Are you Krista Bennett?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding slightly. I should probably smile back at her, but I just didn’t have it in me right then.
The girl blinked at me, obviously a little rattled, but she smiled broadly again, a little more forcefully, and handed me a name badge on a lanyard. “Take this and go to the elevator behind me. When you get to the second floor, turn left down the executive hallway. Tessa’s office is the first one on the right.”
“Thank you,” I said, trying to inject some warmth into my tone. I wasn’t sure I succeeded.
The elevator was slow, like an old man who wasn’t in a hurry to get moving, so I had time to straighten my skirt and check to make sure my blouse hadn’t come untucked. The only business-appropriate clothes I owned were the ones I’d bought for my hostess job—nothing but black pencil skirts and white blouses. They would have to work until I got paid.
As the elevator slowed to a stop, I summoned every bit of confidence I had and stepped out, determined to at least look like the person Tessa thought I was.
Fortune smiled on me. As soon as I turned to the left to look for Tessa’s office, I saw her coming toward me with a wide smile. She picked up her pace and met me partway.
“I’m so excited you’re here,” she said, her enthusiasm washing over me like sunshine.
“Thank you.” Why couldn’t I be as warm as Tessa? Still, she’d hired me because I was intimidating, so maybe she wouldn’t mind that I didn’t sound as friendly toward her as I felt inside.
I watched her closely. She did seem to relax a little, so some of my worry dissipated.
Tessa waved for me to follow her into her office and sit down in front of her desk. Then she handed me a clipboard. “I just need you to fill out this paperwork. Once you’ve done that, I’ll introduce you to Mr. Jennings and show you around your workspace. We’ll spend the morning getting you settled in and organized, and there will be a few training videos you’ll need to watch throughout the week. Most of those you can do at your desk.”
“No problem, Ms. Young.”
“Call me Tessa. We keep things pretty casual around here.” She paused a moment. “Although, for the next few weeks, you probably need to be as severe and formal as possible. Your number one priority is to keep all the lovelorn women around here away from Mr. Jennings’s office unless they’re scheduled to be there. Think you can do that?”
The whole situation struck me as funny, so for the first time that morning, I managed to smile. “Not a problem. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not here to make friends.”
Something about what I’d said made Tessa look concerned. “If you ever need one, remember I’m in your corner.”
Since I’d never been good at making friends, her words meant more than she could possibly know. “I still don’t understand how this all happened, but I want you to know, despite how crazy it is, I’m grateful for this opportunity.”
Before Tessa could respond, something behind me caught her attention. “I hope you still feel that way at the end of the day. Now, I’ll leave you to get that done while I go take care of another matter.”
She stood up then and went to the door, tugging on her skirt as if she was nervous. Whatever it was, I hoped I’d be able to help her with it. But for now, all I could do was get this paperwork filled out.
I set my bag down on the seat next to me and got started. I’d only gotten a couple of pages into it when my phone vibrated in my bag. Since I was alone, I hesitated only a moment before pulling it out to see who had messaged me.
Good luck on your first day!
My brows scrunched in surprise. I’d only told one person about my new job. Damien?
Of course.
How did you get my number?
Off your rental agreement.
Oh yeah. Feeling dumb, I kept my response simple. Oh.
And now you have my number. Keep me posted on how it goes!
Well, they gave me a name badge and paperwork to fill out, so that’s a good sign this is real, right?
I’d say so.
I felt awkward not responding again, but I didn’t really know what else to say.
So weird. Did I have two friends now? Just like that?
When Tessa came back, she seemed more at ease than when she’d left. “Come on. Let me take you to your desk.”
I grabbed my bag and took the paperwork with me since I still wasn’t done with it. We passed the office directly across from Tessa’s and continued on to a small alcove. My desk stood in the front corner of the alcove, behind a chest-high counter that would allow me to keep an eye on the comings and goings down the hallway. The desk itself was sleek and dark with a large, flat-screen computer monitor and wireless keyboard, a phone with a built-in transfer system, and various office supplies.
As I sat down in the surprisingly comfortable desk chair and felt out my new space, Tessa said, “I’m afraid I don’t know when Mr. Jennings will be out of his meeting, but as soon as he is, I’ll introduce you.”
“What should I do in the meantime?”
“Go ahead and log in to your training videos. And keep people away from his office with that intimidation thing you do so well.”
“On it,” I said. And I was. I’d live up to Tessa’s faith in me no matter what.
Tessa helped me get logged in to the computer, showed me a few programs, including the one that I’d use for Mr. Jennings’s schedule, and left me to finish up my paperwork. It wasn’t long before I felt a presence looming over me.
Looking up quickly, I saw a man staring at me with a mixture of surprise and dismay. I was just as surprised as he was. It was the man Tessa had been with at the restaurant that first night I’d met her.
He was every bit as good-looking as I’d remembered, and I knew at once that this was the man causing all the heart-fluttering around the office. A million questions flew through my head about what had gone on between him and Tessa since that night, but it wasn’t like I could ask.
Instead, I nodded at him and said, “Good morning, Mr. Jennings. Can I help you with something?”
He blinked. “Not right now. No.” He cleared his throat. “Thank you, though.”
He left quickly, and a moment later, I heard his office door shut just down the hall from me.
Looking around to make sure I was alone, I got my phone out of my purse and sent Damien another text. I think the man that I’m supposed to be working for is scared of me. What if he tells them to get someone else?
Don’t freak out. Try smiling at him.
I’m not good at smiling.
I love your smile. You just need to do it more often.
His words made my insides flutter. He loved my smile? That definitely made me feel better. I took a deep breath and texted back. Ugh! I’ll try.
You can do it!
About an hour later, Tessa gave me a tablet to use in meetings and took me into Mr. Jennings’s office to introduce us. Partway through, she said, “But you both remember each other, don’t you?”
>
“Yes, I remember him,” I said, not wanting things to be awkward.
He nodded. “From the restaurant the other day.”
Tessa smiled at us both. “So, see? This will be easy. I’ll leave you two to get started then.”
While she was in the room, I felt confident that I could be more friendly, like Damien had suggested, but as soon as she left, all I could do was stare, blank-faced, at the man across from me.
Finally, he looked down and cleared his throat. “So let’s discuss my schedule.”
“Yes.” I opened the tablet and pulled up the calendar that was linked to his.
Fortunately, Mr. Jennings was a decisive, no-nonsense kind of guy, and we got through his schedule for the rest of the week in no time. He gave me a few other instructions and concluded with, “I look forward to working with you, Krista.”
I knew he was doing his best, but he was obviously still uncomfortable. “Well, even if you really aren’t, I promise I’ll take good care of you. And keep your fan club under control.”
There didn’t seem to be much else to say, so I nodded and left. He looked sort of shell-shocked, but even if I couldn’t quite smile at him, I was sure I could prove myself to him in time.
Just as Tessa had warned me, two pretty women came to hang out in front of Mr. Jennings’s office close to the lunch hour. One was a tall, fair-skinned woman with short dark hair, and the other was closer to my height with curly hair and a sweet expression. They were chatting as if they’d just happened to pause there by accident, but it was clear they were waiting for Mr. Jennings to come out.
Smiling was hard for me. Making friends was harder. Chasing people off? That I could do.
I walked around my desk and faced them with my blandest expression. “Hello. I’m Krista Bennett, the new secretary. Do either of you need to schedule an appointment with Mr. Jennings?”
The taller of the two looked down at me, her dark hair sweeping forward since she had to angle her head so far. She was definitely caught off guard by my presence.
“What? Oh, no. We’re just talking.”
“I see.” One of the best tools I had to control a situation was, funny enough, calm silence.
As the seconds ticked by, I watched both of the women grow steadily more uncomfortable. The tall one finally spoke again, this time obviously annoyed. “I’m the Brand Manager. My office is right down there.”
Since she didn’t tell me her name, it was clear she was just trying to establish her superiority. But even if my position wasn’t as high as hers, my main job was to keep them away from Mr. Jennings. As far as I was concerned, the only people I’d give way to were Tessa and whomever owned the company.
The sweet-looking, petite woman relented first. “Um…I’d better get going. I’ll talk to you later, Angela.”
After a short stare down, the tall woman—Angela?—walked away too.
Pleased with my victory, I walked back to my desk and continued exploring the different programs I needed to learn.
A moment later, Mr. Jennings emerged and crossed the hall to Tessa’s office. Since I’d seen the two of them leave the restaurant together the other night, I suspected there was more between them than they showed here at work, and that was great with me. I’d be perfectly happy if part of my job was to help them keep their romance secret.
Tessa had given me an amazing opportunity. She deserved to find some happiness.
Only after that thought flashed through my mind did I wonder when I’d started to associate romance with happiness.
Chapter Eleven
Anxious to finish some of the training I needed to do, I got to work early on Friday morning and passed by Tessa’s office just in time to see Mr. Jennings carefully setting up an action figure on her desk. I smiled at this latest evidence that something was going on between them and got situated at my desk before he came out. I didn’t want him to know I’d seen what he was up to.
At eight o’clock, I took him a cup of coffee and the reports he’d asked me to print off for him before he went to his meeting with the design team. He thanked me quietly and went back to work but caught my attention before I left his office. “Actually, Krista, I’d like you to come to this meeting with me. Would you be able to?”
No doubt he wanted to have someone to buffer him from Angela, so I didn’t hesitate. “Of course.”
And so I found myself sitting in a meeting with Mr. Jennings and Angela in her office, trying not to zone out in case I needed to take notes on anything. Mr. Jennings hadn’t asked me to, but I wanted to at least look like I was doing something besides playing bodyguard.
When they finally finished, Mr. Jennings glanced at his watch and stood up. “I’d better hurry. I have a meeting with Melinda in a few minutes.”
“Thank you for your recommendations, Logan,” Angela said, a warm purr in her voice.
“That’s what I’m here for,” he said as he slipped out the door.
I was on the point of following him when Angela called me back. “Krista, I realized that I haven’t shown you around our product line. Do you have a few minutes to come dig around in my sample room with me?”
Since Mr. Jennings was probably already in his meeting across the hall, I didn’t have a good excuse not to. And I was curious. Still, I studied her a moment, wondering if she was really sincere or if this was a tactic to get me to like her so she could have access to Mr. Jennings. Regardless, I replied, “I do.”
“Great. Follow me.”
As she led me down the executive hallway and around in a big loop through the other departments, she talked cheerfully. “You know, at Booms and Nibbles, we pride ourselves on offering sizes to fit all body types. Every time we hire someone new, I like to challenge our catalog by finding items to fit her.”
“Oh.” I looked down at my chest as we walked. “Well, I’m pretty small.”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice. That’s exactly why I want to show you around. We have a great deal to offer women like Tessa who have big cup sizes and curvier figures, but since I’m an A-cup myself, I make sure we have a lot to offer on our end of the sizing too.”
“That’s great. A lot of what I can find in stores looks like it’s designed for preteens.”
Angela nodded and opened the right side of a double door with what I could only call a flourish. “Well, those days are over.”
I stepped in ahead of her and looked around in awe at the tall shelves that went at least five aisles back, stacked full of pink and aqua boxes, all precisely labeled. To my right were at least a dozen clothing racks with negligees, nightgowns, robes, and swimwear. I’d never seen so much lacy, frilly, silky material all in one place before.
Angela laughed at my obvious shock. “It’s a lot, huh? Okay, let’s see what we have in the petite sizing…” She snapped her fingers. “I know. I just got in samples of some absolutely delicious bralettes from a new supplier. Let me find them.”
While she hunted around, I went over to the nearest rack and ran my hand along the silk nightgowns hanging there. The fabric was cool and slick against my hand, and though they were beautiful, I was sure I’d freeze to death if I ever slept in one.
Angela sat a box down on a high table that had measurements marked off in a grid all the way down the edge. She tossed a few tiny scraps of lace onto the table and held one up by thin silk straps. Only then did I realize it was a bra—except it wasn’t like any bra I’d ever seen.
“What are you? A 32A?”
I had to give her credit for knowing her stuff. “Yes.”
“Oh, perfect. This one should fit you. I love that it’s lightly lined with sheer gauze behind the lace, but it’s also got removable pads for if you want a little more modesty. Oh, and I bet you could put in your own bigger pads if you wanted to add some volume.”
She handed it to me, and I didn’t know what else to do except take it from her.
“But this one is just…” She sighed dramatically, which supplied her meaning
well enough. “A black plunge bralette with a halter neck and eyelash lace. Look at the wide band that fits around your ribs under the cups. This would look amazing under a thin white blouse with a few buttons open. And look at this yellow one with crocheted daisies—I’m dying. Here, take all three of them.”
“Take them?”
“Yeah. Try them on. Wear them. Wash them. Put them through the wringer. I want to know what you think of them. I’ve got more for me and Rian to try out, so that will give me enough info to decide. And I want to know what you think within two weeks—preliminary opinions anyway.”
“Um, these aren’t really my style.”
She laughed. “Have you ever tried anything like this before?”
“No.”
“Well, how do you know, then? Besides, every woman needs to have something sexy to wear. Especially when you don’t have much in the girl department, you know. Try wearing them and tell me they don’t make you feel more feminine.”
A spark of interest—and maybe even hope—flared to life inside me. “Okay. I’ll let you know.”
“Excellent,” she said, fully pleased with herself. She put the bralettes in a pink bag and dropped in some matching panties. “You can’t wear these with cotton boyshorts, you know. They just wouldn’t do them justice.”
That wasn’t exactly what I wore, but I got her point and didn’t argue. As I took the bag from her, my eye caught on the rack of swimsuits behind her. “Do you happen to need anyone to test those?”
She looked over her shoulder. “The swimwear? I do. I didn’t think anyone would be swimming yet, though, since we’re in the middle of a cold snap.”
“My neighbor has a hot tub, and my current suit is…” My voice trailed off as my brain caught up with my impulse. What was wrong with me? “Never mind.”
Angela caught hold of my arm as I turned away. “Hold on there. Is the neighbor, by chance, a man?”
I nodded.
“Single? Cute?”
Oh, Keep Your Shirt On: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Shaped By Love Book 2) Page 7