“Oh?” Jim nodded. “I’m glad you get the picture. I have a feeling that with a little assistance, you could become a valued employee.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” I said. “Because I quit.”
Jim’s mouth flew open. “What?”
“You heard me,” I said. I stepped closer, letting the rage bubble out of my body like toxic gas. “I’m sick of being abused and demeaned and leered at on a daily basis, and I quit. Find someone else to get your stupid fucking lattes – I’m out of here!”
“Now, wait just one second,” Jim yelled. His chipmunk cheeks were turning bright pink with anger and a feeling of satisfaction began to settle over me.
“Don’t bother,” I said. “Save it for someone who cares.”
Before Jim could reply, I walked back to my desk and grabbed my coat and purse. The office was silent as I walked out, holding my head high. Fuck them all, I thought as I waited for an elevator in the lobby. They’re all sadistic assholes, anyway.
But as soon as I was outside, my confidence began to falter. What if I’d done the wrong thing? What if, somehow, Jim and everyone else in that stupid fucking office managed to keep me from getting another job in Boston?
What would I do? It wasn’t like I could live off Danielle’s charity forever, and I knew she wouldn’t be thrilled with me when I told her what I’d done…but on the other hand, I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t stand to stay in that office, with Jim smirking and leering at me all day – it was disgusting!
By the time I got home, I was seriously depressed. It was only three in the afternoon, but the sun was already starting to set low in the Boston sky and I shuddered. I hated winter, I hated the cold, I hated almost everything about this city. I kicked off my shoes and curled up on the couch, closing my eyes and dreaming of a tropical, warm place where the chill and frost couldn’t touch me.
That was when his face flashed across my mind. The most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen, with tanned skin and unruly cowlicks of dark hair, and intense dark eyes that made my heart flutter and skip in my chest.
Jack.
Sometimes I wondered if I’d done the right thing by giving him a fake name and not leaving my phone number. In my strong moments, I felt like it was what a modern, confident, successful woman would do. But right now, when I was feeling weak and sad, I regretted it more than anything in the world.
Whenever I thought of the magical Christmas Eve night we’d shared in Jamaica, I blushed and broke out in goose bumps. I couldn’t believe that it had been almost a year ago – in just a few weeks, it would be Christmas Eve again.
But this time, I knew there would be no Jack. No sexy, fun, spontaneous trip to Jamaica. No beach and sun. Just the cold and snow and ice, and jerks like Jim who thought they could push me around.
I stayed on the couch, shivering, until Danielle got home. She stomped her boots in the foyer, sending crusted chunks of snow flying under the furniture. When she turned on the light and saw me lying there, she gasped.
“Oh my god,” Danielle said, putting her hand to her chest. “Hanna, you nearly gave me a heart attack! What are you doing home?”
“I quit,” I said lamely. I sighed. “I know, I know – you don’t have to tell me. But it was really bad, Danielle. My boss was such a creepy asshole!”
Danielle gave me a sympathetic smile as she sat down on the couch next to me. “It’ll be okay,” she said. “I’m sure you’ll find something else, Hanna. You always do.”
I bit my lip. “I’m really sorry.”
Danielle waved a hand dismissively in the air. “Don’t worry about it, sweetie,” she said. “We’ll make do.”
“I feel like the world’s worst best friend for putting you in this kind of position,” I said. “I really am sorry, D.” As I told her about Jim and the horrible day I’d just had, I felt the weight of the world start to lift off my shoulders. I still felt shitty and guilty for what I’d done, but I was starting to realize that I likely wouldn’t have lasted much longer at that job, anyway. Jim had been a colossal ass – and he wasn’t likely to change, even if I did start acting the way he wanted me to act.
Danielle shrugged. “You do what you have to do,” she said. “You know, my cousin works for a staffing agency. Maybe after the holiday, I could call her and see if she could find you anything.”
“Oh, god, that would be amazing,” I said. “You’d really do that?”
Danielle gave me a wry smile. “Of course, I would,” she said. “You’re my best friend.” She clapped her hands together. “Now, come on, get dressed. We’re going out.”
“I can’t afford to go out,” I said. I wrinkled my nose. “I have to use what money I have left for rent and bills.”
“My treat,” Danielle said drily. “You need a night of fun, Hanna.” She raised her eyebrow at me and grinned salaciously. “Besides, maybe you’ll meet some hot guy and it’ll take your mind off things.”
I flushed. “I’m not interested in dating anyone, you know that,” I replied.
Danielle shrugged. “Well, then come out with me anyway, you can be my wing-woman.”
I bit my lip. The truth was, I very much wanted to date someone. But not just anyone.
I wanted to date Jack, the gorgeous man I’d met in Jamaica.
But I knew the likelihood of that happening was about the same as Jim coming to me on his knees, begging for my forgiveness.
In other words, completely impossible.
Chapter Two
James
“James, thank you so much for your assistance. Really, it’s been fabulous – we’ve been so lucky to have you here!”
I grinned broadly. “It’s been my pleasure,” I said, lying through my teeth. “I’m just so happy that things are finally getting back on track for Magnate Group.”
Lewis, the London manager of Magnate Group, nodded. “Yes,” he said. “And while it took rather a long time, I’m confident that we’ve been able to turn things around. In just a year, we’ve acquired two new and very powerful clients, and our reputation is better than ever.”
“I’ve been thinking of expansion,” I said. “Perhaps we could open a Bangkok office, or one in Seoul. I hear international expansion can take us in a totally new direction.”
Lewis frowned. After nearly twelve months in London, I’d learned that was his default facial expression.
“Perhaps,” Lewis said hesitantly. “I just wonder, James, maybe you’re getting a little ahead of yourself. Don’t get me wrong – you’ve done amazing things for the company – but maybe right now isn’t a good time for something so adventurous.”
I shrugged. “Well, we can always table it for later,” I said.
“Right, right,” Lewis agreed. “At any rate, I’d like to speak with you privately. Could you follow me, please?”
I narrowed my eyes and glanced down at my watch. It was half past seven, and I was starving. Plus, it was a Friday. I’d grown used to working long, late hours in London, but this was unusual. I wondered if something had happened.
“And don’t worry – everything is just fine,” Lewis said. The tone of his voice made me unsure.
I followed Lewis through the large London office. It was dark and quiet – most of the other employees had gone home hours ago – and I was impatient to leave myself. There was a quiet little pub near the flat where Magnate Group had installed me, and they had the best cheeseburgers I’d ever eaten.
“What is it, Lewis?” I asked. “You don’t have to keep me waiting, you know – the whole office is gone.”
Lewis looked deeply uncomfortable.
I rolled my eyes. “There’s no one here,” I said, turning around and glancing at the empty building. “You can just spit it out, you know.” I winked at him. “No need for a stiff upper lip and all.”
Lewis frowned. Just as he was about to speak, I heard a loud cry.
“Surprise!!”
The lights flickered on and I watched as the London employees st
epped out of the shadows. One of them, a secretary, was wheeling a cake toward me with a giant Magnate Group logo screened on the front.
“Surprise, James,” Lewis said. He still looked uncomfortable. “We’ve been planning this for weeks, you know.”
I snickered. “What is all of this for? It’s not my birthday,” I added. “And just because I’m the CEO doesn’t mean you have to surprise me!”
“The London office has made such an incredible turn around that we wanted to thank you,” Lewis said stiffly. He sounded almost offended. “And I did hope you would be appreciative!”
“I am appreciative,” I assured him. “This is great.”
As the employees began to mingle and chatter and nibble at slices of the Magnate Group cake, I sighed and leaned against the wall. It wasn’t that I was unhappy. In fact, quite the opposite. I missed Boston, but I was proud of the work I’d accomplished in London. In under a year, I’d made my company two billion dollars richer. There was even talk of an IPO, once things began to settle down a little bit.
“Congratulations, James.”
I glanced up to see a secretary, a pretty blonde slip of a thing, blushing and holding out a slice of cake.
I chuckled. “No, thanks,” I said. “I’m watching my sugar intake.”
The girl flushed and I smirked at her. “Please,” she said. “I was the one who ordered it, and I wasn’t sure if you’d like it.”
“Oh, all right,” I said with exaggerated irritation. “Thank you…”
“Margery,” the girl said. “My name is Margery.” She cleared her throat, blushing hotly. “James, I’m so happy to have gotten the chance to work with you. It’s been such a fun year.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Margery flushed and squirmed under my intense gaze, and I realized with a touch of guilt that I liked watching the way she moved. She was cute, too – petite and blonde, with bright white teeth and curls to her shoulders.
“Yes,” Margery said primly. She licked her pink lips. “So, how is it?”
I made a show of taking a small bite of cake. “Incredible,” I said. I winked at her. “Did you bake this yourself and lie about it?”
Margery’s cheeks turned red and she shook her head. “No,” she said. “I just ordered it. I’m glad you like it.” She stepped closer and the warm, innocent smell of vanilla washed over me. “So, what are your plans?”
I shrugged. “I assume I’m flying home to Boston in a few weeks,” I said. “And then I’ll be going back to work there, maybe even working on expanding internationally.”
“Oh, that would be exciting,” Margery said. She bit her lip, looking sad. “And sir, if I’m not being too forward…may I just say that everyone here is going to miss you so much. You’ve been such an asset.”
I grinned. “I’m glad you think so,” I said.
“So, um, are you doing anything after this? My friend, you see, he just opened a Thai restaurant, and—”
“Sorry,” I said, flashing her a charming grin. “But I have dinner plans.”
Margery’s face fell. Before I could reassure her, I felt a huge hand clapping down on my shoulder.
“James, you bastard!” The familiar sound of Harry’s voice filled my ears and I turned around, grinning. My best friend was standing there, holding a plate loaded with cake. He looked the same as ever – devilish gleam in his eyes, and a knowing smirk as he watched the way Margery stared at me.
“Harry!”
We pulled each other into a bro-hug, clapping each other on the back. Harry thumped me so hard that I almost spat cake out over his designer suit. When we pulled away, I realized Margery was standing there, looking awkward.
“Where are my manners,” I said, snickering. “Margery, this is my best friend – Harry. He’s from the States.”
“I came to surprise him,” Harry said, smirking at Margery. “But I think I like you more.” He eyed me conspiratorially. “James definitely wouldn’t look good in that dress.”
Margery flushed hotly and I rolled my eyes. Harry had a practiced, easy way with women – the few that didn’t fall all over themselves at the first sight of him usually caved after just a few minutes. He’d slept with hundreds of girls over the years – and somehow, I guessed Margery was about to become the latest notch on his bedpost.
“Excuse us,” I said to Margery. She lingered for a second, looking hungrily at the both of us, but then obediently turned and walked away.
“Jesus, James, talk about wasting a fine piece of ass,” Harry said, staring at Margery’s butt as she walked away. “She was practically trying to climb you right here!”
I shrugged. “I’m not interested.” As I said it, I looked around the room. I’d gotten used to the London Magnate Group offices, but I didn’t feel any kind of real attachment there, like I did back in Boston. If anything, I felt like my presence was a detriment to people like Lewis – people who had a very clearly British way of doing things, and who were frequently annoyed by my boorish American behavior.
“You can’t tell me you haven’t slept with any of these girls,” Harry said. He was practically drooling as he gazed around the room, looking at the bevy of women. “Some of them are smoking hot.”
“I haven’t,” I said truthfully. “I’ve been busy working.”
“Let’s blow this joint,” Harry said. “I came over here to get drunk with my best pal and pick up girls with hot accents, not stand around in some boring office.”
As much as I disagreed with Harry, I wanted to leave. The pub by my flat was calling my name, and this forced social interaction with coworkers was more awkward than I could have imagined.
“One second,” I told Harry. Stepping into the middle of the room, I cleared my throat and held up a hand in the air. “Excuse me, everyone,” I called loudly. “Thank you very much for this. This has been a real surprise, and I know I’m going to miss working with you all when I return to Boston.”
The crowd of people began to look deeply uncomfortable – I wondered if anyone had ever been so candid in the office before.
“So, again, thank you,” I said. “And please, enjoy the party. I’ll be in the office for a few days next week to wrap up any final details, and then I’m sure you’ll all be relieved when this Yank is back in the States.”
An uncomfortable ripple of laughter went through the crowd, and I groaned inwardly. It was obvious that my presence was as much of a bother to them as it was to me.
“Come on,” I said to Harry. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Harry and I left the office. It was cold, dark, and snowing – much like Boston winters – and we stumbled through the blustery weather. I led Harry into the corner pub by my flat and we took a small table by the fireplace. The flames felt good on my chilled face, and I rubbed my hands together and raised them to the fire.
“Nice place,” Harry said. He smirked. “We sure as hell don’t have bars like this back in Beantown.”
“Damn shame,” I said.
“So, what’ve you possibly been doing with yourself, since you haven’t been fucking all those cute girls back at the office,” Harry asked. “I can’t believe you’ve been completely celibate.”
“Not exactly,” I said.
“Well, it’s a damn shame,” Harry said. He smirked at me. “You know, I have a couple of really hot girls who live here – one is a lingerie model, can you believe that? She’d go for you, too,” he said, shaking his head and laughing. “She likes those dark, brooding types.”
I shrugged.
“What?” Harry’s jaw dropped. “You can’t tell me you’re not interested. She’s fuckin’ smoking hot, James!”
“I’m leaving London next week to go home,” I said. “So, I don’t really see the point of dating someone. It wouldn’t really be fair.”
“God, you’ve gotten…what do the Brits call it? Thick?” Harry shook his head in obvious disgust. “I’m not talking about dating anyone, numbnuts. I’m talking
about pure, hot, unadulterated fucking.”
“I’m not interested,” I said. “I don’t need any drama right now, Harry. I’m dealing with a ton of shit at work, and—”
“Jesus,” Harry said. He stared at me for a long moment before shaking his head. “You’ve gone and turned into an old man!”
“I haven’t,” I argued. “I’ve been out with a few girls.” I didn’t bother telling Harry that the only reason I’d gone on the occasional date was when I needed someone to come out for a company dinner. “I’m just not interested.” I shrugged. “The girls here aren’t really interested in casual dating, and it’s not like I have time to be a boyfriend.”
“You’re boring,” Harry said. He rolled his eyes.
“I’m an adult,” I said drily. “I care about work, and my company. I’m not exactly in the market for a relationship right now. And besides, women here are no different than American women. When they meet me and find out who I am, all I can see is dollar signs in their eyes.”
“So? You have all that money, you might as well put it to good use,” Harry said snidely.
I sighed.
“Seriously, James, I thought this would be good for you. New city, new girls – nothing like back home in Boston.”
I hesitated. For a second, I was tempted to tell Harry the truth. That there was, in fact, someone I was interested in.
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