Modern Girl's Guide to Office Romance

by Gina Drayer

  “That’s exactly why we wanted to give you the news first,” Matt, their chief creative officer, said. “There’s been a lot of change and upheaval since the buyout and we want to give the staff—everyone, the ones that were here before and the new hires—a sense of stability.”

  Simon, the CFO, added, “And we really think you are going to be key to this next transition.”

  “Just tell me what you need from me and I’ll do it,” she said, trying to hide her smile.

  This was it. They were going to offer her the management job she’d been working for. When Simon had hinted they were going to create a full-time partner position to manage the New York branch of Millennial Marketing, she didn’t dare hope that they’d pick her.

  Not that she didn’t deserve the promotion. Kira was practically running the office already. And now that she had her master’s in advertising, after years of night school, she really felt like all her hard work and sacrifices were finally going to pay off.

  “I mentioned last month that we were looking for a more permanent solution to our management issue,” Simon began. “The three of us rotating back and forth from Chicago just isn’t sustainable. And we’ve come up with a solution that I think will work for everyone.”

  “What Simon is trying to say,” Peter interrupted, “is that we’re bringing in a managing partner.”

  “Thank you. You can count on me,” Kira said. It took a few second before her brain caught up with her mouth. Peter had said bring in. “Wait. Are you talking about someone new? You don’t want—” The word me was on the tip of her tongue—you didn’t want me. It was what she wanted to know, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it. “You aren’t going to promote internally?”

  “We thought about it,” Simon said, looking to the other owners for backup. “There are several qualified staff.”

  “Everyone here does their job very well. We decided, because of the nature of the position—the extra administrative demands—that it would be better to bring in someone new,” Matt added. “Since none of us want to relocate, we really need someone we can trust implicitly. That’s why we’re bringing in Jason. My brother.”

  “I see,” Kira said. She hoped that her voice didn’t betray her roiling emotions. She’d honestly thought this was her one chance. The opportunity to move up. She was so sure they saw all the extra work she did for them, and she was going to be rewarded. Isn’t that how it was supposed to work?

  But it was just another example of the old boys’ network at play.

  “We don’t want this transition to be disruptive. That’s why we need your help,” Simon went on. “We’d like your support. Everyone respects your opinion. If you could work with Jason, especially in the first few months, it would help a lot. He has extensive experience in finance and business relations, but he’s never worked in advertising before.”

  “And you thought he’d be good as managing partner of an advertising firm?” she asked without thinking.

  “I’m sure it won’t be long before you have him up to speed,” Matt said with a smile.

  “I’m sorry. I just thought since this is an important job, like you said, you would want to bring on someone with a little more experience.” Kira couldn’t believe she’d spoken those words aloud. She was a company player. She never questioned her bosses. Never made waves. But their decision had thrown her for a loop.

  Peter leaned forward, frowning. “I thought you’d be relieved. I realize you’ve been doing a lot of extra work. Work that we should be doing.” He looked pointedly at his colleagues. “But that’s all going to change. Once Jason settles in, you’ll be able to relax.”

  “We thought you’d be happy,” Simon said, looking still more confused. “Your workload will be so much lighter. It will be like before.”

  “I am happy,” she said, trying to force the smile. “And you’re right, it will mean a lot less work for me.” Because starting today, she wasn’t going to do all that extra work. The new guy got the job, so the new guy was going to have to do it himself.

  “Great,” Matt said, getting up from his seat. “I knew we could count on you.”

  Kira stood up and followed him to the door. “If there isn’t anything else, I still have a few things to get ready for the Monday meeting.” She didn’t wait for an answer.

  When she got back to her office, she closed the door and locked it. She’d never locked the door before, but she really needed the privacy. This was not the news she expected this morning, and she needed a few minutes alone to regroup.

  However, the cell phone hadn’t gotten the memo. Kira went to silence it, but saw her mother’s name on the display. Since she’d rushed to the office early for a job offer that never came, her mother had taken Riley, her daughter, to school.

  “Is something wrong?” Kira snapped.

  “Why do you always think something is wrong when I call?” her mother said, voice laced with annoyance.

  “Because, Mom, I told you I was going to be in meetings until after lunch. So I’m assuming that the only reason you’d be calling is if there was an emergency.”

  “Everything is fine. I dropped Riley off ten minutes ago and I was just calling to find out how that early meeting went. Should I make reservations at Jack’s tonight to celebrate?”

  “Mom, I can’t talk right now.” This was the last conversation Kira wanted to be having at this moment. “Can I call you back this afternoon?”

  “Oh sweetie, they didn’t give you the job, did they?”

  The sympathy dripping from her mother’s words sucked all the oxygen out of Kira’s lungs. The tears that she’d managed to hold back were threatening. “Mom, I really don’t want to talk about it right now,” she said. Unfortunately, despite her best effort to sound calm, her voice cracked.

  “Those bastards. Do they even know how much work you do for them? That stupid company of theirs would have imploded months ago while they were off chasing women. The only reason it didn’t was because you were there every day holding things together. You should quit.”

  “Mom,” Kira said, wiping a few renegade tears. “I can’t quit.”

  “You don’t owe them anything. You should go into Simon’s office and tell him to shove his stupid job. You’ve worked too hard to be treated that way.”

  Her mother’s righteous indignation actually made her feel a little better. At least someone recognized the potential. Even if it was her mother.

  “I appreciate the support, Mom, but I can’t quit my job. I need my paycheck.”

  “You should at least look for a new one. All the work you did to finish your degree, you should at least put it to good use. If you keep letting people take you for granted, you’ll never be more than a glorified secretary in their mind.”

  She’d never thought about leaving. But if she wasn’t going to be promoted here, she might as well look for a job somewhere else. That’s why she’d gone back to finish her degree, after all.

  “I’ll think about it,” she said, walking over to the wall mirror to touch up her makeup. “I really do have to go. I love you, Mom.”

  “I love you too, sweetheart.”

  Kira spent the next hour putting together the packets for the morning meeting. The mindless busywork was good for her nerves. And by the time she finished setting everything up, the shock of the morning was wearing off. Now, all she felt was numb acceptance.

  “Is something wrong?” her friend Kim asked. Narrowing her eyes, she gave Kira a once-over. “You look like someone stole your candy. Is everything okay with Riley?”

  Kira gave her friend’s shoulder a squeeze, resisting the urge to pull the other woman in for a hug. With that thought, she knew it was bad because Kira wasn’t a hugger.

  “Riley’s good,” she said, forcing out a weak smile. “I just have a headache. I didn’t sleep last night.”

  “Good. If you’re up to it, why don’t we have lunch today,” Kim said before finding her seat.

  Thankfully, sh
e accepted Kira’s weak excuse without pressing any further. Kira appreciated the concern, but if she had to explain herself, she’d probably break down.

  As the rest of her co-workers started trickling in for the Monday morning meeting, Kira realized that leaving here would mean leaving all of them behind. This place had become a second home. These people were family. A few of them had been there for her during some of her hardest years. She might be able to replace the job, but she’d never be able to replace the people.

  She handed out the packets and started the projector just as Simon came in to start the meeting. They were always the same, filled with project updates and new client briefings. This one was just like all the rest—that was, until the very end.

  Simon stood up to address the team as Matt slipped out the door.

  “First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for the hard work and dedication you’ve shown over the last year,” Simon said. “When two companies merge, it’s like two families coming together. There’s always some growing pains. I realize the road we traveled to get here had a few bumps. But I think I can speak for Matt and Peter when I say that the team we’ve built together is stronger and more dynamic. That being said, we all think it’s time to add a little more stability to this office. Starting today, the New York office of Millennial Marketing will have a full-time managing partner.”

  A soft murmur went through the room. The announcement wasn’t unexpected, but change always comes with some complications. The conference door opened and Kira turned her back to it, stacking the papers from the meeting. Anything to keep her mind off the reality that her dream job was being given to someone else.

  “I’d like to introduce Jason Carver,” Matt said. “As you may have already guessed, he is my brother. But that doesn’t mean he’s not ready to take on the job. Jason has been working closely with all of us at the Chicago office, and with Kira’s help, he should be up to speed in no time.”

  At the mention of her name, Kira plastered on the most welcoming smile she could manage and turned around. But that smile faltered when she recognized her new boss. It was the guy from the bar. The man she’d been trying desperately to forget. The one she was never supposed to see again.

  And he was staring right at her.

  Jason stood at the front of the room while his brother introduced him. After running down his background, education and work history, Matt moved on to their vision for the future.

  It was all background noise to Jason. He’d known Kira was going to be there. Hell, he’d been looking forward to seeing her. But this wasn’t the meeting he’d fantasized about. She wasn’t anything like he’d remembered. She looked demure and a bit uptight with her blonde curls restrained into a tight bun and her knockout figure hidden beneath the long skirt and shirt buttoned up to the neck.

  He was having a hard time reconciling the memory he’d clung to with the woman standing at the back of the room. It was almost like he’d met her wild twin sister that night. But the second the shock wore off and color came back to her cheeks, he caught a glimpse of the opinionated, wild-haired woman he’d met those many nights ago.

  Matt nudged him. He’d completely forgotten that they were standing in front of a room full of people—his new co-workers. And there he was, gawking at the office manager. That probably wasn’t going to win him any brownie points with the staff.

  “First off, thank you all for being here today. I know you kind of had to, but …”

  The room was deadly silent. A few people shifted in their seats. He was fucking this up. He needed to stop trying to emulate his brother and just talk to them like real people.

  “What I mean to say is, I’m happy to join the team. I’m excited to learn from you all and look forward to helping grow the business. I’m sure, together we can do great things. I don’t want to take up too much of your time today. I look forward to meeting you all”—his eyes fell on Kira—“one-on-one later this week.”

  Jason’s introduction might not have been as eloquent as Matt’s, but his little speech seemed to do the job. Simon and Matt said a few more things about Jason’s role and then dismissed the staff.

  As everyone started to shuffle out of the conference room, there were a few smiles, some nods, and even a couple of handshakes. But the one face he didn’t see leave the room was Kira’s.

  “She slipped out while you weren’t looking,” Peter said, patting him on the back.

  “Who?” Jason asked, but Peter wasn’t buying the innocent act.

  “Kira,” he said with a shake of his head. “Normally, I’d pull you aside and remind you not to fish off the company dock, but if you’re interested in Kira, I’m not worried.”

  “Why do you say that?” he asked, and then hurried to add, “Did she turn you down or something?”

  “Even if Meg wasn’t the only woman I had eyes for, I wouldn’t have tried. Kira’s all business,” Peter said, as if that explained it all. When Jason didn’t nod in understanding, he went on. “I’ve never seen a person more dedicated to her family or her job. She doesn’t drag her personal life into the office. As far as I know, outside of her kid, she doesn’t have a personal life. She’s smart and focused, and she’s definitely not the type of woman who’d fall for your games.” Peter started toward the door, but stopped before opening it. “By the way, that wasn’t a challenge.”

  It might not have been meant as a challenge, but Jason took it as one. There was definitely some mystery behind that woman and he was determined to investigate. As part of the transition process, Jason had planned on meeting with each of the employees to learn about what they did for the company. Since Matt and the other partners did nothing but talk about how key Kira was to the whole operation, it seemed fitting that his interviews start with her.

  Chapter 3

  Put Your Career First

  As you’re considering that office affair, take a minute to lay out a five-year plan. Don’t let your relationship make you veer off course. If the relationship reaches the point where you feel it might take precedence over your job, re-evaluate things. But remember: fifteen minutes in heaven shouldn’t push your career plans back fifteen years.

  * * *

  Kira slipped out of the meeting without being seen. It had been too much, hearing him talk about being part of the team—her team. She hurried to her office, and shut the door like some criminal making a prison break.

  And as if the morning hadn’t been stressful enough, she tripped, spilling hot coffee down the front of her shirt.

  “Frack!”

  The coffee burned her skin and she frantically peeled away the sodden fabric. Great. Just great. She glanced at the mirror hanging on the wall to inspect the damage. A dark stain covered the entire front of the blouse. The white blouse. It was ruined. At least the skirt had been spared the carnage.

  Unfortunately, the only other top she had at work was a ratty T-shirt she wore to the gym—when she was able to make it. She hated the thought of wearing that all day. Although the dress code here was casual—which was most noticeable in the hot months, when some people wore flip-flops and shorts and T-shirts—Kira always dressed professionally. And today, she wanted that armor more than ever.

  With a sigh, she shed the soiled item and deposited it unceremoniously into the wastebasket with a wet plop. A metaphor if she’d ever seen one. Feeling defeated, Kira dug the T-shirt out of the long-neglected gym bag. It looked smaller than she remembered. It had been—what? Four, no six months since she’d been to the gym. Holding the shirt up to her chest, she sighed. Definitely on the small side. She didn’t need this right now.

  “Stupid butthole coffee.” She kicked the trash can, causing the mostly empty vessel to skid across the room—and it stopped at the feet of the last person she wanted to see right now.

  “Butthole?”

  “Oh!” Kira jumped behind her chair, using it as a shield between Jason and her semi-nudness. How long had he been standing there?

  Jason raised
an eyebrow. That sexy lopsided grin pulled at the corner of his lips. “I don’t know what that trash can did to you, but I think you’ve punished it enough.” He leaned down to peer into the overturned can and smiled. “I do approve.”

  “Approve of what?” she asked, still slightly stunned by this surreal conversation.

  “Ditching that shirt. It was hideous. It’s like you got it from my mother’s closet.” He looked down at the can again and wrinkled his nose.

  “It was one of my favorites,” she said still unsure of where this was headed.

  “I preferred what you were wearing the last time I saw you.” Jason closed the door behind himself and made his way over to one of the empty chairs, taking up residence in her office as if she wasn’t half dressed.

  And there it was. Kira wondered how long it would take for them to address the elephant in the room. While he was distracted, she pulled the snug shirt on and crossed her arms.

  “Is that why you’re here?” she asked.

  “I thought we should have a private talk,” he said.

  “Can we do this later?” She called on her cool professional persona despite the fact she was wearing a stained T-shirt that said “Cardio is Hardio.” She could do this. She could be the bigger man—or person. Coming out from behind her chair, Kira sat down and turned to her monitor instead of looking into those piercing green eyes. “I’m swamped right now and don’t have time to discuss personal matters with you. I’m sure you have a lot of things to do, as well. Shouldn’t you be learning about your new job?”

  Okay, so maybe she couldn’t be the bigger person. Her feelings were still raw and she couldn’t deal with him right now.