She downed half a glass of water, then sank back into her pillows until the alarm went off. Groaning, she forced herself into the shower, where she let the hot water clear her sinuses and soothe her tired muscles. Stepping into the steam-filled bathroom and wrapping a towel around her shivering body, MaKayla wanted to climb back into bed.
A self-depreciating laugh escaped her lips. There was no way she was skipping out on Gabe. Not after her little snit in the car last night. She’d been tired and ornery and sick, and Gabe had pushed her buttons.
She paused. That wasn’t truly fair. Gabe might understand. He’d offered to give her the day off, in a kind of backhanded way. His attention the night before puzzled her. Honestly, the last person she’d expected to see at the hotel was Gabe. Her life at the hotel was supposed to be separate from her life with Gabe. They weren’t supposed to mix, and suddenly they were in a blender. No one from her old life, except for Brooke, knew she’d gotten married, and she wanted to keep it that way. Gabe’s appearance threw everything out of whack, and she still couldn’t figure out why he’d shown up.
She quickly toweled off. Maybe he was a micromanager. The way he’d jumped all over where the funds were coming from for the prizes and then showed up out of the blue to check on her would suggest that he didn’t know how to let things go. She threw the towel on her bed. That was just great. Gabe didn’t see her as an equal, like she’d thought; he saw her as a project.
By the time she finished getting dressed and doing her hair, she was fifteen minutes late to the hotel. She’d vowed to be a model employee right up to the end, but her cold made moving feel like sledging through muddy lake water.
She ducked her head as she passed the hotel manager’s office. He hadn’t been too happy with her since she turned in her two weeks’, but that was his problem. All she could hope for now was to avoid a dirty look; it wasn’t like he could fire her for being late. She smiled to herself. That was the beauty of having a job lined up before you quit.
Thankfully, Tera had their nine o’clock appointment up to speed, and was walking them through the place settings for their wedding when MaKayla entered her office. Sinking into her chair with her business smile in place, MaKayla was grateful for Tera’s abilities. She really had caught on quickly. MaKayla made a mental note to tell her how impressed she was after the meeting. The couple was happy with how things were progressing, and it looked like it would be a fairly easy reception to coordinate.
For the rest of the morning, MaKayla and Tera reviewed procedures and phoned or emailed past clients to inform them that MaKayla was handing over the reins. MaKayla ignored her body as it begged her to go get some rest, and instead focused on crossing items off her to-do list.
In the car on the way over to her new job, MaKayla let her head drop back against the seat and tried to gather strength. She was grateful for Gabe’s foresight in arranging for a car, even if his motives were controlling. She doubted she’d be able to keep her eyes open behind the wheel. How was she ever going to get through an afternoon of meetings?
Slowly climbing out of the car, she patted the driver’s arm and told him thank you. Her favorite shoes felt heavy as she crossed the small plaza. On one level, she was excited about the afternoon’s agenda, but on a completely physical level, she dreaded getting through it.
Not surprisingly, Gabe met her in the lobby. His lowered brow left no doubt that he’d watched her slow steps from the car to the building. She chided herself for not being more aware. Hoping to win back a few points, she smiled and said, “The driver is a lifesaver. Thanks again.”
“It’s no trouble,” replied Gabe. He didn’t return her smile, though. Instead, he squinted as he took in her red-rimmed eyes and puffy face.
His scrutiny had MaKayla tucking her hair behind her ear nervously. She wasn’t used to people noticing her or paying close attention. Most of the time, she was a contact, someone who could get things done, a part of the overall event; hardly anyone really looked at her, and Gabe’s intent gaze made her feel exposed and somewhat shy. Her reaction was strange because she considered herself an unconquerable extrovert. Her outgoing nature was part of what made her so good at her job.
She didn’t have the energy to argue over whether she was healthy enough to stay, so she sidestepped the whole conversation and said, “I’m excited to meet with David to plan the shareholder’s luncheon today. I have some ideas that should make it tasteful and yet memorable.”
Gabe nodded. “David’s planning to meet you in your office. I’ll take you up.” He motioned for her to go first.
MaKayla was grateful he didn’t try to coddle her. She needed to make a good impression on her coworkers, to earn their trust, and she wasn’t going to do that by hiding behind Gabe. It was important that they see her as capable without the boss’s presence. That was one reason she was glad this meeting with David did not include Gabe. The other reason she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It was like a sudden set of nerves hit her at strange times when Gabe was around, causing her to forget her training and do embarrassing things, like stumble into his arms. Besides, without him hovering over her shoulder, she’d feel more at ease.
Gabe pressed the elevator button. “How was the hotel?”
“Just fine.” MaKayla adjusted her purse. Should she ask him about his drive home last night, or would that be snarky? She’d heard his tires when he pulled away. Either he was normally a maniac driver, or he’d been upset. He hadn’t said anything about their time together last night, and she wasn’t about to be the first to bring it up.
Gabe looked around the small elevator as though he were looking for a topic of conversation. MaKayla fought a smile. It was nice to see him flustered, made him seem human. It also made her wonder if she’d pegged him wrong. He wasn’t drilling her on stats, facts, or budgets; wasn’t checking to make sure she had every detail down; and wasn’t pestering her like she’d expected.
When the doors opened and Gabe reached for her elbow, MaKayla was the one flustered. She looked down at his hand and then up to meet his gaze, where time froze. For just a moment, Gabe wasn’t her boss. He was just a man. A man with concern on his face. Was that concern for her? MaKayla placed her hand over Gabe’s, feeling his warm skin against hers. His startling blue eyes searched her face, glancing off her lips and causing MaKayla’s heart to sprint.
Sharon coughed as she crossed the open space.
MaKayla snatched her hand back. This was Gabe—her boss. He was not a man, not available, and not interested!
Gabe cleared his throat before pointing to different hallways. “That hallway leads to human resources. That one goes to research and development. That one is accounting. And this one is where we go.”
He kept his hand on her arm, and MaKayla found it much easier to move with his support. It wouldn’t do to spend too much time contemplating what had just happened between them. They would be in close contact for the next year, and moments like that were bound to come up every now and again. It was just one of those things. Wasn’t it?
At the end of the hall were two offices. Gabe gestured to the left. “This is my office.” He indicated the one on the right. “This is yours.” He checked his phone. “Why don’t you look around for a minute, and I’ll be right back.”
Turning in a circle, MaKayla took in the expensive mahogany desk, the wood paneling, the bank of windows, and the leather couch and two chairs situated around an oblong coffee table made from the same wood as the desk. There was a built-in set of shelves behind the desk, and the carpet was a cream-colored Berber. For a man who freaked out about buying a few measly prizes for a race, he sure did like to spend money on interior decorating.
She couldn’t smell anything because of her cold, but she imagined the room smelled like furniture polish because the wood glowed. There were a few lamps here and there for softer lighting if she desired it, and plants made just the right touch of green that balanced the room and added a lighter texture to the heavy combin
ation of leather and wood.
Walking around the desk, she sat gingerly in the chair and opened the laptop.
“Welcome MaKayla Russell” was printed across the home screen. She smiled. It was like walking into her fairy tale office. She couldn’t believe Gabe had ever signed off on this extravagance.
“Do you like it?” asked Gabe, as he came in with a Styrofoam cup in one hand and an assortment of tea bags in the other.
MaKayla chuckled. “Do you own stock in a tea company, too?” She hadn’t meant it to come out condescending. After his rant about the rate of returns on pharmaceutical stocks, she couldn’t help herself.
Gabe set the cup down. “I have an ancestor who was part of the Boston Tea Party. I think it would be bad luck for me to try my hand in the tea market, and I can honestly say I haven’t spent a dime in that direction. However, for someone fighting a cold, an herbal tea can be just what they need.” Opening the box, Gabe continued, “I did a quick search and found that ginger or mint are usually best for head colds. But if you have a sore throat along with it, then we should probably add some honey.” He pulled a miniature honey bear from his back pocket with his left hand.
MaKayla cleared her throat. Gabe was doing it again, micromanaging her health. However, the herbal tea was a good idea. Her mom used to make it when she and Brooke were kids. Even if it bugged her that Gabe hovered, his solution was spot-on. “No sore throat, so I’ll skip the honey, but thanks. You think of everything.” MaKayla selected the bag labeled “mint” while Gabe took the lid off the cup, releasing a puff of steam.
“I stopped on the way home last night. I felt bad leaving you alone when you obviously didn’t feel well.”
MaKayla played with the tea bag, lifting it and letting it drop back down in the water. She kept her eyes on the cup in case he looked too closely at her again. “Thank you, I honestly didn’t expect—” MaKayla stopped before she said I didn’t expect you to be nice. That would have been insulting. Where was that part of her brain that told her the appropriate things to say? It was like it took a vacation when she got sick. Get back here, she told it, I need you if I’m going to get through the rest of this week. She scrambled, “I mean, thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I set up a meeting with my accountant for three. He’ll walk you through the money. We need to talk about the Thanksgiving run and the Boys’ and Girls’ Center.”
“I’m not interrupting am I?” asked David as he tapped lightly on the open door.
“I was just keeping her company until you got here.”
MaKayla took that as a sign that their time was up. They’d have to talk about the Center later.
Gabe put the lid back on her cup and turned to David. “Make sure she drinks that, will you? She tends to forget to eat or drink when she’s in a meeting.”
MaKayla snapped her mouth shut just as quickly as her jaw had dropped. How did he know that? She was constantly pushing food aside, so she could focus just like Brooke did when she studied.
“Will do.”
MaKayla took out her iPad and set it on the desk, while David settled into the seat across from her. In her foggy state last night, she’d forgotten to charge it, and the battery was low. Rather than run it completely dry—she’d heard that could damage the battery—she opened the top drawer, looking for a pen and paper, and found a charger that would hook the iPad to her laptop. “Nice,” she said as she plugged it in.
She glanced through her open door to where she could see Gabe in his office talking on his cell and shook her head. “Does he think of everything?”
David smiled like one of those teen rappers who is overconfident in their looks and abilities. It was a natural extension of his play boy attitude that she’d caught onto yesterday. “I don’t know about everything; that would be your department.” His tone implied that he wasn’t talking about things that happen in the office.
She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. There was no way she was going to go down that road or encourage gossip about what was or was not happening in her marriage within the company.
He laughed at her reaction. “Come on, I’m only joking. You guys are newlyweds, after all.”
MaKayla decided to let it slide. She’d made her point, and if David wasn’t really digging for information, then she could handle his teasing. It was probably part of his personality and one of the ways he got in people’s good graces. It wasn’t his fault that her marriage was unconventional.
Pressing her lips, she wondered why she thought the state of her marriage was someone’s fault. Fault implied blame—blame implied something was wrong—and there was nothing wrong with her marriage. It was coming together exactly as described in the contract. There was no need to think that it should be any different.
“Here, you’d better drink some of this or I am going to get in trouble.” David moved the tea closer to her hand.
“I’ll drink if you tell me about last year’s luncheon. Then we’ll discuss what to do to make this year’s better.”
Between sips, MaKayla took notes and jotted ideas down as David talked.
“Does it really have to be so formal?” she asked after a while. “It’s in the middle of the afternoon.”
“We thought the sit-down meal would show the shareholders we valued their contribution to the company.”
“Hmm, I can see that, and I like the idea of keeping it earlier in the day. It negates the need to serve alcohol.”
David eyed her wearily. “Are you opposed to alcohol?”
“Not at a dinner or a social gathering, but at a business meeting, people don’t need the distraction.”
“I don’t follow.”
MaKayla drank one final sip of the tea and grinned. “I was over a company Christmas party two years ago where the owner’s son got plastered, grabbed the mic from his dad, and announced to the whole company—and their significant others—that his mom spent their Christmas bonuses on breast augmentation and a tummy tuck.”
David tipped his head back and laughed. “That did not happen.”
MaKayla held up her right hand. “I swear I’m telling you the truth.”
“Okay, if we aren’t serving drinks to loosen things up, then what are we going to do?”
“What colors did they use for the invitations and such?”
David dug through his stack of files and handed her one that contained the invitation as well as other correspondences regarding the restaurant, place settings, and centerpieces. “I think we can work with this. The restaurant is nice, but not over-the-top. Let’s change up the food a little, make it more accessible for picky pallets.”
Clicking his pen, David started writing.
MaKayla continued, “We’ll also want to change the overall tone of the invitation. This is basic. We could add some phrases in here that will sound more welcoming and less like it’s an honor for them to be included. And let’s look at actual invitations instead of basic copy paper. How many are on the list?”
“Just under one hundred, but not that many will come.”
“That’s fine. Invitations for that number won’t cost much. Hmm.” MaKayla tapped her fingers on the desk.
“I’m not sure I like that look; it’s too intense. What are you thinking?” asked David.
“We’ll print them in the company blue, and let’s make sure the logo is on the invitation but not in a demanding way. Something understated. The restaurant should have linens to match, but I’ll make a call and verify.”
“I can do that.”
“I don’t mind.”
David tossed his pen on the desk and joked, “Will you let me do my job?”
“It’s not your job to make calls for me.”
“Um, yeah, it is.”
MaKayla rolled her eyes.
“I’m not kidding. I was part of the marriage contract.”
MaKayla started and bumped into her cup, almost knocking it over. She grabbed it by the lid at the last second. Did David know t
hey had a contract? As she steadied her hands, she decided she and Gabe needed a closed-door meeting to go over their strategy for handling situations and comments like this.
“Just think of me as your step-assistant-in-law,” said David as he gave her another one of his self-satisfied grins.
MaKayla’s desk phone beeped and a woman’s voice echoed over the intercom. “Mrs. Russell?”
MaKayla took just a little too long to realize the voice was talking to her. “Yes?”
David stood up and buttoned his suit. He indicated that he was going to leave, and she waved him off.
“Your three o’clock is here.”
Three o’clock: accounting overview. Time to learn the books. Thanks to the mint tea, her head was much clearer than when she walked through the doors. Okay, Gabe, I’ll give you that one. She still felt achy, but it wasn’t enough to send her home. Besides, she was determined to see this day through.
After today, she had another half-day at both jobs, and then the weekend was hers. Well, not really. She was moving into Gabe’s house on Saturday. Glancing across the hallway, she caught a glimpse of Gabe resting his chin in his hand as he scrolled through something on his computer. He’d taken off his suit jacket and hung it over the back of his chair. His tie was crooked, and he had papers all over his desk. Not exactly the OCD behavior she’d expected. Before David shut the door to Gabe’s office behind him, Gabe looked her way and their eyes briefly met. She ducked her head, embarrassed to be caught staring, and turned her attention back to her job.
“Send them in,” she told the receptionist.
Putting the files for the luncheon in her bottom drawer, one of two drawers big enough to hang files, MaKayla noticed that there were several colors of hanging folders and regular file folders already in place. Color coding was one of her secrets to keeping events organized, and she smiled again, thinking that, without even knowing her, Gabe had anticipated her needs. Either that or he had an assistant make sure she was stocked up. More likely it was the assistant, although, as she set her empty cup in the garbage, she wondered.
The Organized Bride (Billionaire Marriage Brokers Book 2) Page 6