Almost at the thought, my phone buzzed. I checked it, hoping it was Alice. My stomach dropped when I saw the text. It was from Troy.
Where the hell are you, babe? Don’t you get it? My dad will get me out of it.
Then a second came in.
Don’t be scared. I’ll be OK.
I wanted to laugh. Then I wanted to text him back and ask him how, after eight years of dating, he still knew me so little. He knew the problem I had with his dad always bailing him out of every incident he got himself into. Troy came from a wealthy family, the family that built our little town. Everyone respected his father, but really what they respected was his money. Troy had been the golden boy who could do no wrong, even though there was practically weekly evidence to the contrary. Up until this point, it was never anything too serious. But now? Now someone had gotten hurt and daddy might be bailing him out of this one too, but I’d be damned if I’d be around for the next one. I was done.
I threw the phone aside and let it buzz. He was trying to call, but I ignored that too. I was done with Troy and done with Gainesville. I was a New Yorker now, or at least a hopeful one, and the problems of the past could stay there.
Sometime around four, I heard the key turn in the lock. Alice burst into the room, a whirl of energy and shopping bags. “Beck!” she shouted. Then she winced and took the Airpods out of her ears. “Hey, sorry about that,” she said in a quieter voice. “Sometimes I forget they’re in, even when they’re blasting in my ears.”
“It’s okay—” I started, but my old roommate had already pulled me into a crushing hug. She pulled back and squeezed my shoulders tightly with both hands.
“I’ve got great news,” she said.
“Will they hire me?” I asked, sucking in a breath.
“Yes!” Alice said and a wave of relief crashed over me until I realized there was something else. A shadow of hesitation lingered in Alice’s wide brown eyes and my stomach sank in that oh-so-familiar feeling of incoming disappointment.
“What’s the catch?” I asked.
Alice’s lips tightened. “I’m sorry, but the design department isn’t hiring,” she said.
I laughed at the braced look on her face. “Alice! I knew that was a long shot — I never even finished my degree. I’d honestly scrub toilets as long as I was getting paid. I just need something to get me off your couch as soon as possible. I hate being an inconvenience and you’ve done so much already.”
Alice’s face relaxed and she laughed a little too. “I’m sorry. I know you’re not a diva — I just didn’t want to crush any hopes. But don’t worry. It’s far from scrubbing toilets.”
“Then how bad can it be?” I asked and then sobered as that reluctant look returned to Alice’s face. “Okay, seriously. How bad is it?”
She shook her head and turned, walking back to the doorway to pick up the shopping bags she’d left in the entryway. “It’s really not that bad,” she said. “He’s not that bad.”
“He?” I asked slowly.
“Mr. Callahan,” Alice replied, not looking at me.
“Callahan as in Samuel Callahan?” I repeated. “As in The Callahan Company? As in the owner of the company?”
“One and the same,” Alice said as she carried the bags into the living room and dumped them in front of the couch.
“Sorry,” I said quickly, “do you need help?” I’d been just standing there slack-jawed at the thought of interacting directly with the head of this multi-million (billion?) dollar company.
“Don’t worry,” Alice said. “They aren’t heavy. And don’t worry about Mr. Callahan.” A silence stretched as I waited for her to explain exactly why I shouldn’t worry. She didn’t.
“So what is the job exactly?” I asked, sitting down heavily on the couch.
“Well, I know you were a PA in college,” she started.
I filled in the blanks myself. “Wait. You don’t mean…”
Alice gave me a crooked smile that confirmed my suspicions.
I found myself at a momentary loss for words. I’d moved up here to get away from wealth and the kind of men it crafted only to work directly for a guy worth millions? What were the odds of that?
“Are you upset?” she asked.
“No,” I said quickly. “Of course not. Not at all. Thank you for finding this for me. But am I even qualified for this?”
Alice shrugged and joined me on the couch. “Why the hell not? Besides Mr. Callahan is a bit… unconventional. You just need to keep up with him and do what he says. And don’t take anything personally.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing. But he does go through assistants pretty quickly. That’s why I was able to slip you in.”
“Is he a creep?” I asked.
“No, just demanding. He likes things done a specific way. I mean, you don’t get to be where he’s at and at his age if you don’t know exactly what you want. But don’t worry too much. When he fires you, you’ll be joining the ranks of a lot of other completely qualified girls. And you’ll have New York experience on your resume.”
“So this is a temporary job, basically,” I said.
“Pretty much,” Alice said, “but you’ll learn a lot while you’re there and get quite a bit of experience, so, again, don’t worry about it. It’ll be a lot easier to find another job after this one.”
I was silent for a moment, working over what Alice had told me. Okay, sure I’d have to work for a demanding, rich asshole, but at least that was better than dating one. I’d be able to jump ship once he was done with me and any job I’d have afterward would be easy comparatively. Overall, this didn’t sound like that bad a deal.
“All right,” I said. “When do I start?”
“So you’ll do it?” she asked.
“Of course!” I said. “And I’m actually kinda excited.” It would be a relief to be working again and earning my own money.
“Great! You have to talk with him before you ‘officially’ have the job, but trust me, you’re already hired. Report downtown at nine tomorrow.”
I leaned back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, my eyes finding that crack once again. Just like that, I had a space here. In New York, Troy far behind me, employed to a multi-millionaire. How quickly life can change.
Alice clapped her hands, jolting me from my thoughts. “Okay, now that that’s settled, let’s get down to business. We, my friend, are going out on the town tonight to celebrate.”
My eyes widened. “Really? It’s a Thursday. And we both have to work tomorrow.”
Alice laughed. “Oh, Beck. This is New York. The weekend begins on Thursday. Plus, I want to see Daniel.”
“Daniel?” I asked, giving Alice a sly look. “You didn’t mention a boyfriend?”
She laughed. “Daniel is far from a boyfriend. I just broke up with my ex a couple weeks ago and Daniel is… let’s call it ‘easing the transition’.”
“So you’re just having sex?” I asked. I didn’t think of myself as old-fashioned. I knew people just hooked up, but I’d also never known anyone that did.
“Yep,” said Alice. “Nothing serious. He can be a bit of a dick, but trust me. There’s no better way to get over an ex than banging some random and moving on with your life.” She grinned. “It’s a good reminder of the power we wield over men.”
“Huh,” I said. Again, as if he sensed my thoughts, Troy lit up my phone. I turned it over so Alice couldn’t see.
Maybe Alice had a point. I was never one to seek out random hookups, but I had only ever had sex with Troy. Now that I was a city girl, maybe I should cut loose, go wild a bit. Back in Gainesville, the wildest night of the week was Saturday and it was contained entirely to the single bar we had on Main Street. The young people of the town would gather in a corner and drink until they got too loud for the old timers at the bar and were pushed out to the street where they’d walk or try to drive to another spot or someone’s house where mor
e beer would flow until everyone was trashed and the night faded away into drunken shouts and sex in tall grass. Thoughts of last Saturday threatened to invade my thoughts, but I pushed them aside. That was a different Beck in a different life. This Beck was going out in Manhattan before her new job as a high-powered personal assistant to a very important man. Maybe this Beck would make out with someone tonight. Maybe she’d go all the way.
Then a thought occurred to me. “I don’t really have anything to wear,” I said.
Alice smiled and lightly kicked the bags at her feet. “What do you think these are?” she asked.
“You didn’t buy me anything, did you?” I asked. I already owed her so much. Any more would be too much.
“No,” she said, “but I do have a friend in fashion that always has too many clothes on her hands. I asked her if she had some pieces floating around and guess what…” She reached into a bag and pulled out a beautiful sundress that looked just my size.
Alice and I spent the rest of the afternoon trying on gorgeous clothing and getting ready for a night out. I put my phone on silent and ignored Troy’s messages. I was going to have a great time on my first night in the city. There was nothing he could do to change that.
CHAPTER TWO
Beck
The night was a whirlwind of lights and colors, sounds and people. Alice and I started at a bar down the block from her apartment. We fought our way through a crowd of people around the bar, got a drink, and immediately left. It seemed bizarre at first, but with so many places to go and things to experience, eventually it seemed stranger that anyone would stay in one place for too long.
At some point early in the evening, a group of Alice’s friends joined us. They embraced me and talked and laughed and asked where I was from and complimented my accent. I tried to remember their names and then just settled for their faces, but even that was impossible as more people joined us and others left to go to other bars or music venues or parties. We got a booth at a restaurant that looked like it’d been there for two hundred years and drank hoppy beer with pretzels and thick cheese. We danced in a club that Alice had to whisper a password to a doorman to get us into and, when we descended the staircase, I found a basement smaller than the bar at Gainesville that still managed to fit three times the population of the town into the room.
In the whirl of new friends and alcohol and promises of the future, Troy was driven completely from my mind. The lights of the city at night were so beautiful, enchanting and filled with hope.
The night started to count down the hours and before I knew what had happened, it was approaching one o’clock. I was tipsy, but far from drunk. Gainesville might not be as flashy as New York, but we could keep up when it came to alcohol intake. Besides, I hadn’t wanted to get trashed. Tonight wasn’t about drinking the pain away. I wanted to remember everything that happened — and avoid any regrettable mistakes.
We left the club shortly after one. I was trailing behind Alice, trying to calculate the exact amount of sleep I could get if I went to bed within the next ten minutes and only took five to get ready tomorrow. It wasn’t looking good. Alice didn’t seem to be in a hurry to head home. She was just paces ahead, talking to her “friend” Daniel who’d joined us about an hour ago. They managed to walk entwined with each other and I suspected that I might have the apartment to myself tonight.
I walked abreast with two of Alice’s close girlfriends that I thought were named Kylie and Jordan, though I couldn’t remember which name went with which face. They were quite a bit more drunk than I was and having a drunk girl conversation that seemed to consist of swearing their undying loyalty to each other and to each other’s future children. I was listening with half an ear when a sign caught my eye.
The White Stag. It was a simple sign, a white silhouetted stag facing head on. The windows glowed orange with light and promise. My gaze lingered and I felt a sudden desire to go inside. It was a silly compulsion, but the white stag was a local legend back home and somehow it seemed like this bar was put there for me.
Don’t be stupid, Beck. You’re done with that place, remember? We passed the door and I didn’t look back. I was done with Gainesville. I was a city girl now. I was—
“Hey guys,” I said. Alice and Daniel stopped and turned.
“Everything all right?” Alice asked.
“Can we go in there?” I asked, pointing back at the sign.
Daniel made a face. He was handsome in a prep school kind of way. He’d probably gone to Columbia for law. “The White Stag?” he scoffed. “I think you need a suit and tie to get in there.”
Alice nudged him gently. “No, you don’t. I’ve picked everywhere we’ve gone all night,” she said. “We can get one drink. It’s only one, anyway.”
Daniel looked like he might argue, but then thought better of it. “Fine, one drink,” he agreed.
“Aaalice,” Kylie (or Jordan) slurred.
“Dude, you are so drunk,” Alice said, grabbing the girl’s elbows to steady her. “Are you okay?”
“We— we are going home,” she said matter-of-factly. “We— we are tired.” Jordan (or Kylie) nodded, bleary-eyed next to her.
“I think that’s a smart idea. I’ll get you an Uber.”
We waited on the corner until the driver came and carted Kylie and Jordan away, leaving me with Alice and Daniel. The car was just pulling around the corner when I realized I’d just become a third wheel. I glanced at the couple and Daniel looked quickly away. Apparently it wasn’t just on my mind.
One more bar, I told myself. We’d check out this place and then I’d go back to get at least a few hours of sleep before getting up to get ready.
Daniel hadn’t been that far off. The place definitely gave off a rich vibe. It was crowded, but a lot of the men were wearing suits like they’d just gotten off from a long day on Wall Street. Everyone had a clean-cut, rakish air that only comes from a lifetime of getting away with everything.
Alice and Daniel went to the bar for drinks while I went to find a bathroom. In the bathroom, I straightened my hair and clothes. In the bags Alice brought earlier, I’d found a slim-fitting red dress that was absolutely gorgeous. It still looked nice, even after a night of traversing through bars and clubs. I checked my makeup again and lingered. The bathroom was fancy. Ivory handles on the sink and engraved patterns on the mirrors. I half-expected a bathroom attendant to make an appearance from behind the heavy door. I didn’t really feel a desire to go back out. I’d made a mistake coming in here. This place was just a reminder of everything I’d left behind in Gainesville.
I didn’t want Alice to worry about me though so I had to leave. I saw Alice and Daniel against the wall, talking into each other’s ears. I considered joining them for about half a second before turning to the bar. I’d wait for them by the door.
The front of the bar was packed and I slipped around the edge, looking for an opening. I worked my way around until I was on the far side, toward the back of the room. This only put me further away from the bartender and made me just as invisible.
I turned in frustration just as a door I hadn’t noticed before opened as a bartender exited carrying an empty tray of drinks. Over his shoulder, through the door, there was a private room. In the private room, there was a table, seating a group of men. But all of that registered later. What I really noticed, in that brief moment in which the door was open, was a pair of blue eyes that had locked to mine.
I stood there, buffeted by indifferent suits, locked in that gaze for seconds that slowed with my heartbeat. I didn’t have time to even notice the rest of the face that those eyes were attached to, though vaguely I was aware that it was handsome and refined. They gazed unblinking into mine. It was like he had been watching through the door, knowing that I would be there when the bartender opened it. He looked at me like he knew it was only a matter of time before I was caught in his trance.
Then the door snapped shut and the connection was severed. I stood there for a mom
ent, heart speeding up again as I tried to process what had just happened. Was I drunker than I thought? No, my last drink had been ages ago and I was getting close to sober. Maybe it was exhaustion. The past few days had been such a whirlwind. It wouldn’t be a surprise to find myself coming undone.
I turned away from the closed door, trying to forget the momentary hypnosis I’d just been under. This drink would be my last for the night and then I was going home. Well, it’d be my last if I was able to get it anyway. I tried to wave to the bartender, but he was busy with someone else.
Suddenly, as if summoned by my thought alone, the bartender’s eyes snapped over to me. He put down his drink and walked over, past the half dozen other patrons trying to get his attention.
“About time,” I muttered under my breath. The bartender approached me and I’d just opened my mouth to order when I noticed he wasn’t looking at me at all. He was looking expectantly behind me.
I turned, annoyed that I was getting passed over. “I was here first,” I said as I rounded on my adversary.
I immediately locked eyes again with the same blues I’d seen so briefly through the door. This close, he took my breath away. Tall and tailored, he looked down at me with the lazy indifference of a wealthy man. The blue eyes were set deep in an angular face, brushed with a light beard that was little more than stubble. His black hair was a little long, just enough so that it curled under his ears. A loose strand drooped down over his forehead. I had no doubt that during the day, that strand would be slicked into place, but it was after midnight in Manhattan and even the button-ups had to unwind just a bit. Even as that thought passed through my mind, I realized that this man could probably go into work in his pajamas and nobody would even look twice. He had an air of authority that bellowed out of every pore. It was in the way he managed to make the bartender forget his current task, in the way he lounged against the bar in his dark gray suit, and in the way he looked down at me now. He was sizing me up, just as I was him. He tilted his head slightly as if examining a painting he was thinking about buying. The look made me wet.
The Boss (Billionaires of Club Tempest #1) Page 2