“Pete, thanks for the offer, but I don’t think so.”
“Brianna, come on. You never go out with us on Friday nights. You say you don’t have a boyfriend right now. I don’t understand what the problem is.” Pete sounded a little exasperated, and she hated the fact that he thought she owed him an explanation. She didn’t.
Chapter 3
Brianna stepped back around her desk and headed for the elevator before saying, “Pete, I would prefer we be friends. I don’t have time for anything else. I need to go upstairs, I’ll see you later.” As the elevator door closed, Brianna could see the look of disappointment on Pete’s face but knew he would get over it. She had never known Pete to be lonely for long and she figured he was already chatting up the next name on his list. Smiling, she was proud of herself for standing her ground.
Just as quickly as her smile had come, it went when she saw the elevator drawing closer to her destination. Brianna wasn’t sure why she had been summoned to Mrs. Marshall’s office. To her knowledge she hadn’t broken any rules in the employee handbook, and she had only been two minutes late this morning. Surely, they wouldn’t fire someone for two minutes?
It wasn’t even something she could have prevented. The light rail had arrived on time, but then someone had ridden their bike in front of it. They hadn’t been hurt, but by the time the driver had discovered that fact, several minutes had passed and the light rail was behind schedule.
The not knowing had her stomach tied up in knots. She couldn’t afford to lose this job, not right now. The next monthly payment for her mother’s nursing care was due in two weeks and she would just barely be able to pay that by combining her next check with what she had saved from the previous one.
Brianna’s mother had suffered a stroke seven months previously, which had left her unable to use her left side at all. The nursing facility had taken a reduction in their normal fees, being that her mother didn’t have any insurance to help, but with only Brianna to help pay the remainder, things were very tight. Brianna had been trying to finish her degree when her mother fell ill, but had been forced to quit school and had taken a job to cover the expenses of her long-term care.
Her then boyfriend, Todd, had tried to be understanding, but when all Brianna could do when they finally found time to be together was fall asleep from exhaustion, he called it quits. He also called her some very unflattering names that Brianna had tried to ignore, but whenever she thought about starting up a new romantic relationship, his hateful words came back to haunt her. Cold. Frigid. Sexless.
Brianna had convinced herself that caring for her mother and working to pay the bills was enough for right now. At some point in time, she hoped to finish her degree, but right now that was a distant thought and required too much energy. For the last six months, she had been existing; barely.
When her mother had first had her stroke, she had stayed in the hospital and Brianna had become a temporary resident on the fourth floor. The nursing staff had quickly learned her name, and had even set up a portable cot in their lounge so that she could rest. The first weeks were very critical and she had been afraid to leave the hospital, sure, that if she did her mother would die all alone.
When it came time for her mother to leave the hospital, the hospital social worker had suggested a nursing facility. Her mother was unable to walk or use her left side at all. She had to be cared for in every respect and the social worker had strongly advised Brianna against trying to care for her mother at home. Brianna had finally agreed and located a place that promised to care for her mother and work with her on the payments.
The secretarial position at Coldwell Enterprises had been like an early Christmas gift and it paid her just enough to cover her mother’s expenses, the rent on a room at the little rundown motel on the other side of town, with a few dollars left over for food. After moving her mother into the nursing facility, she had cancelled the lease on their small house, sold off all of the furniture and other valuables to pay the hospital bill.
It still hadn’t been enough, and at some point in the near future, she would need to start making monthly payments to them as well. Since the hospital was part of a Catholic charity, they had agreed to give her some time to regroup and find a job before beginning to make payments. She had two more months before that kicked in.
When she had interviewed with Mrs. Marshall, she had been told that the chance of promotion was high and that if she performed well, she would receive a ten percent raise upon completing her ninth month of employment. That ten percent increase would allow Brianna to vary her diet some, make a small monthly payment to the hospital, and also purchase some little extras for her mother. She couldn’t lose this job!
Knocking once upon the office door, she slowly turned the handle upon hearing the request to enter. She quietly entered the office and then closed the door. If she was about to be fired, she didn’t want anyone else lingering in the hallway to hear about it until she had left the building.
Janet glanced up and inwardly cringed at the veiled look of terror on the young woman’s face. She thinks she was called in here because she’s being fired. Boy, is she about to get the surprise of her life. “Brianna, thanks for coming up so quickly. Please, have a seat while I get this paperwork sorted out.”
Brianna took the offered seat and sat primly with her hands in her lap. Mrs. Marshall seemed very happy. Would she be that happy if she were getting ready to fire someone? One would hope not!
Janet straightened the last of the file she had in front of her and then looked up at Brianna with a smile. “So, tell me how things have been going here?”
“I really like working here, Mrs. Marshall,” answered Brianna timidly.
“Please, call me Janet. Mrs. Marshall sounds like my mother.” Janet accompanied that directive with another smile at Brianna and a wink. Brianna gave her a weak smile and a nod in return.
“So, you’re probably wondering why I called you up here in the middle of the day?” Seeing Brianna’s nod, Janet continued, “Well, it seems there has been a family emergency that has taken the CEO’s personal assistant away for a while and he needs a replacement immediately. That is where you come in. I have had nothing but good reports from your supervisors, and I’m recommending you for the job.”
Brianna swallowed and tried to comprehend what she was being told. She was being given a promotion? “Mrs. Marshall,” she began, but at a raised eyebrow, she started over, “I mean, Janet, is this like a promotion or…”
Janet nodded, “Sort of. It’s not a permanent promotion, as I understand that Pam plans to return at some point in the future. Her daughter was injured and has newborn twins at home. Pam is going to stay with her until things return to normal.”
“So, it’s like filling in for someone when they go on vacation.”
Janet nodded, “Yes, and no. Yes, you will be filling in for Pam while she’s gone, but you may be the one who wishes you could go on a vacation after you spend a week working with Trent. He’s a real slave driver and I’ll warn you now, he’s a perfectionist of the worst sort. He’s also extremely arrogant so you’ll want to correct his mistakes very carefully.”
Brianna tried to place the name Trent but came up blank. Her employee folder had stated the name of the CEO was a Mr. Coldwell.
Janet saw the look of confusion cross Brianna’s face and continued, “Trent is expecting you to start right after lunch today. He has some big contract negotiation thing and needs the corrections made before 3 o’clock. Pam had to leave before that could be completed. I know it’s only 11 o’clock now, but maybe you could take an early lunch break today and that might give you a few extra minutes to get things sorted out upstairs.”
Brianna nodded, “Sure. I can do that. Where exactly is her office?”
“Pam’s office is the foyer outside Trent’s office and it takes up the entire top floor.” Janet smiled at the stunned look on Brianna’s face, and then reached into her desk and pulled out a special key car
d and handed it to her.
Brianna took the offered card, looking at it first and then Janet for an explanation. “The top floor is only accessible with that key card. You’ll see the slot on the panel, just slide it through and it will take you right up. Oh, and I forgot to mention, but I’ll need you to sign these forms for payroll so that they can adjust your salary accordingly.”
Brianna took the offered forms and began to read them only to have her hands start to shake at the salary she would be making. It was five times what she was making now, and the idea that she would not have to worry about money while filling in brought a huge relief to her. She looked up once at Janet to confirm she was actually reading the numbers correctly and Janet just nodded and said, “Keep reading. It’s a great opportunity for you and you definitely deserve it. If you could just sign where I’ve indicated, I’ll send them down to Payroll immediately. You should start to see the increase with this Friday’s check.”
“This week? Really?” Brianna was in complete shock. She quickly signed her name and then handed the papers back. When Janet just smiled at her, she asked, “Should I go then?”
Janet nodded, “Yeah. Hey, and don’t take any guff off Trent. You tell him I said to be nice or he’s going to answer to me. And remember, his bark is much worse than his bite, I promise.”
Brianna nodded and wondered at the strange statement as she went back to collect her things. She wasn’t sure that she should tell her new boss “to be nice” and would probably just ignore that bit of advice. She also hoped the advice was ill-given and that her new boss wouldn’t need anyone to tell him “to be nice.”
Chapter 4
Brianna collected her purse and lunch, and then made a stop at the ladies room to make sure her hair was still neatly collected at the nape of her neck, and that her attire was presentable. Having little resources at her disposal, Brianna brought her lunch each day and usually ate it under one of the shade trees located in front of the building.
She gave her appearance a critical look and then shrugged. Her khaki skirt was full with extra material due to the pleats, and it fell almost to her ankles. Her button down shirt was a size too small for her breasts, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, and she only had five outfits that she deemed appropriate for a work environment.
She looked down and made a mental note to buff her shoes this evening, and hoped that she wouldn’t forget. They were a sensible brown leather, with flat-soles that made the trek from the light-rail stop to her small motel room bearable. Sighing, she closed her eyes and reminded herself that this was only temporary. Someday in the near future, money wouldn’t be so tight, she wouldn’t have to shop at the local thrift shop, or live in the run-down motel room across town. Someday things would get better, they just had to; there was nowhere left to go but up.
Shaking her head at her foolish wishes, she dabbed a bit of gloss on her lips, squared her shoulders, and headed out of the ladies room. She needed to make a good impression on the CEO and hoped that Mr. Coldwell was a patient man. She thought of heading outside to enjoy some sunshine, but then remembered Janet had mentioned a deadline this afternoon. She could enjoy her lunch outside another time.
Today, she pulled the key card from her pocket, and slid it through the elevator slot. She wasn’t sure what type of corrections needed made, but she wanted to prove to Janet that she could handle the job and decided that the peanut butter sandwich in her purse could wait.
When the elevator doors opened, Brianna slowly exited into a plush reception area complete with couches and chairs in small settings around the room. A large desk, complete with several filing cabinets and bookshelves, occupied one corner of the room and she approached it, assuming that was her work area.
Seeing the nameplate indicating that Pam Whistler sat there, she realized this was where she would be working. She placed her purse beneath the desk and then spied the neatly typed notes waiting on the desk. The office door behind her was slightly ajar and she debated momentarily about announcing her arrival, but then decided to peruse the notes first and get acquainted with her work area. He wasn’t expecting her until after lunch according to Janet, so she would take a few minutes and make sure she knew how everything worked. She didn’t want to appear incompetent on her first meeting with the CEO.
She immediately worked her way through the various passwords and computer program commands that Pam had left for her replacement. Brianna was grateful that the woman had been so thorough and found that all of her instructions worked perfectly.
Pulling up Mr. Coldwell’s calendar, she saw that he didn’t have any meetings scheduled for the afternoon. She looked at the office door and wondered again if she should knock and announce her presence, or if she should wait for him to exit.
Taking a look around the office, she saw the picture of the stately looking man hanging across the room and admired how nice he looked. She hoped that Mr. Coldwell’s personality was as nice as his picture. The silver haired gentleman had a sparkle in his eyes and a smile on his face that made her feel at home. He reminded her a little bit of her grandfather who had passed away when she was eight.
She looked over the notes again and located the one that discussed how to use the intercom system. Deciding that she would page him, she picked up the phone and pushed the correct series of buttons.
She heard the resulting beeping noise come from behind the partially closed door, but instead of someone answering the page, suddenly the door opened and she was looking into the face of the most gorgeous man she had ever encountered. A very irritated hunk of man to be precise!
Trent heard his phone paged from the front office and looking at the clock, stormed across his office to confront whoever was trespassing at Pam’s desk. If Chelsea had somehow convinced security to let her up to his office again, heads were going to roll. Chelsea was the latest in a long string of model-thin, high-society women that Trent had been dating. He had cancelled their date to the symphony last night, needing to concentrate on the upcoming acquisition. She had been less than pleased and he fully expected a tantrum from her the next time they met.
Normally, he would have Pam stop by the jewelry store and pick her up some appropriate bauble that said “I’m sorry” and “It’s been nice, but it’s over.” Pam always had excellent taste and didn’t mind spending his money. Often, she took great joy in telling him exactly how much she had spent.
He had dared to growl at her one time, and she had put him in his place by informing him that if he was going to tomcat around, and then expect somebody else to do the cleanup for him, he shouldn’t complain about the cost. Furthermore, she had informed him that he could always purchase these gifts himself.
Trent had immediately declined and apologized for complaining, something he didn’t do often. Pam had laughed outright at how hard it had been for him to apologize and told him he should probably practice saying that in the mirror each morning until it became easier. Trent had proceeded to growl at her again and the issue had been closed.
Throwing open the door, he anticipated facing a pouting Chelsea but instead encountered a young woman sitting behind Pam’s desk with the phone to her ear, looking at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. Her brown hair was pulled severely back into a bun at the nape of her neck, and while her skin appeared flawless, it was obvious that cosmetics were not something she was familiar with.
Her eyes were almost grey, she had a sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose and her mouth looked soft and inviting. Trent took in the entire picture and decided that she was entirely average.
Her clothing was very non-descript and her neat button down shirt and khaki skirt spoke of thrift store, not Saks Fifth Avenue. She was very unassuming and normal looking. As he approached her, she quietly put the phone down and stood up, stumbling as she bumped up against the chair she hadn’t scooted back far enough. With a small gasp, she caught herself and rubbed a hand over her hip as she stood and moved away from the desk.
&n
bsp; Trent’s eyes were drawn to where her hand rubbed along her hip, and he changed his opinion as he looked more closely at the young woman standing in front of him. Now that she was standing up, he realized that while her clothing was nothing spectacular, the figure she was hiding beneath the dull clothing certainly was. She was a little on the thin side, but Trent could tell her hips flared nicely and the curve of her ass was just visible underneath the folds of material that were masquerading as a piece of clothing.
Moving his eyes up, he couldn’t help but notice how her shirt strained to stay closed around her breasts, the shirt pulling at the button which lay right between them looking ready to pop. Her considerable charms were offset by the tiny waist and slender shoulders.
She was approximately 5’4” tall, short compared to his 6’5” height and unlike other women her age, she didn’t have three-inch heels on, attempting to lift her ass while making her appear taller. She had on the ugliest pair of brown flats he had ever seen.
“Who are you?” Trent asked, trying to curb the impatience in his voice. He needed to finish reviewing the contract before lunch so the new secretary could get it fixed before this afternoon. He did not need any interruptions. Clearly, security had misunderstood where this young charity case needed to go. She must have been looking for personnel, hoping to find an entry-level position in his company. Before he could act upon sending her back downstairs, she spoke up and he immediately stopped. The smoky quality of her soft voice had his body responding quicker than ever.
“Uhm..Janet.. I mean Mrs. Marshall sent me up here. She said you needed a replacement for Pam?”
CEO's Pregnant Lover Bundle (Books 1-3) Page 2