Plus, I have plans of my own.
For the last year, while Mom’s been going through treatments and surgeries, I’ve been working with a travel agent, planning a trip to Paris—somewhere my mom has talked about visiting since I can remember. I wanted to surprise her with the trip, not if but when she was in remission, and when she gets back from New York, I’ll be able to share the news that we are going on her dream trip. Ten days in Paris, staying at a fancy hotel close to the Eiffel Tower, eating and drinking to our hearts’ content, and seeing some of the history I love, up close and personal.
I’m excited, and I know that when she finds out, she will probably pass out with happiness.
But first, I need to make it through the next few weeks, because in order to finish paying for the trip, I had to find a summer job. I was planning on working at one of the local businesses near my apartment, but then a friend of mine from college, Christy, offered me a temporary assistant position. She just had a baby and needed someone to fill in for her while she’s on maternity leave, and since I will be making way more than I would at say… a coffee shop, I took her up on her offer.
I’m nervous. I haven’t had an office job since I was in college, and all I can remember is that I hated every second of it. There was nothing worse than going into work and dealing with the politics and different personalities. And to say I’m out of practice dealing with adults is an understatement, since I spend most of my days wrangling six- and seven-year-olds. But I just keep telling myself that if I can handle all the drama that happens in my classroom on a daily basis, I should be okay.
Or I hope so, anyway.
The only thing that has me somewhat concerned is that the person Christy originally hired to cover for her while she was on maternity leave quit unexpectedly, and when I asked her why, she changed the subject, then avoided the conversation when I brought it up again. And since her boss is some big shot who is loaded, I can only imagine he played a part in that person quitting without notice. Which doesn’t make me very hopeful for what awaits me.
But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he’s awesome and I’m overthinking things. I guess only time will tell.
Chapter 2
Meeting Mr. Grump
With my purse over my shoulder and heels on my feet that feel foreign after living in sneakers for the last few years, I pull open the front door of Ellis Technologies and wonder if I’m late. The huge two-story space is filled with the low hum of talking as men and women go from here to there with purpose, like the tiny ants in glass ant farms I keep in my classroom for my kids to watch.
“Can I help you?” Turning my head, I watch a very attractive man wearing a security uniform approach me across the sunlit white tile, and I glance quickly at his name tag. Mike.
“Hi, I’m here to fill in for Christy Smith for the next few weeks.”
“Penny, right?” he asks, and I nod. “Christy said to expect you.” He motions with a lift of his chin to the right. “Come with me and I’ll get you a badge, then take you up to her desk and introduce you to Jace.”
“Great.” I follow behind him, and my heels clack against the tile, the sound drawing attention from people going about their workday and stopping them in their tracks. I stick out like a sore thumb—with my copper hair up in a tight bun and my chic business attire—amongst everyone else dressed like they’re running errands on a Saturday afternoon in their jeans, shorts, and T-shirts.
My cheeks get hot, and a ball of anxiousness flares to life in the centre of my chest. The uncomfortable feeling isn’t something I’ve felt in years, probably since I was in middle school. I find myself avoiding making eye contact with anyone, and I keep close to Mike.
I go through the motions of him taking my photo and printing off my badge, and before long, we are on the move again. I follow him upstairs, where we walk between long tables that are set up almost like my classroom. Except up here, no one is sitting down. Everyone is up and talking in small groups or watching giant screens hanging on each side of the room, where there are videos of games being played and numbers scrolling.
When Mike comes to a stop, I watch him press a button on the wall before he glances over his shoulder at me. “You’ll be in here.”
A smoky glass door slides open, revealing a huge corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows. Stepping into the room, I get so lost in the view out the clear glass that I walk toward it without thinking. Where I live near Modesto, I never get to see the Golden Gate Bridge and rolling green hills beyond it, and from here, it’s the entire stunning view.
“Assuming you’re Penny, I’d like to get to work… whenever you’re done,” a deep, masculine voice calls, bouncing around the room and making me jump.
I spin on my heels, holding my hand against my now-pounding heart.
Sitting casually behind a black-lacquered desk that is covered with papers and coffee cups is a dark-haired man with thick-framed glasses that are perched on the bridge of his nose. A neatly trimmed mustache and beard cover the lower half of his face. He’s a conundrum in his glasses that make him look a bit nerdy with the tattoos traveling down his arms ending just above his wrists. Without a doubt, if he put on a suit, he’d be almost unrecognizable—like Clark Kent was in Superman when he wore his specs.
When he stands, I shift on my heels, feeling like an idiot for not asking Christy for the dress code, because it’s obvious there isn’t one around here. The only difference between the man in front of me and everyone outside this room is that his plain black T-shirt looks expensive and freshly pressed. And so do his khaki shorts that surprisingly look cool on him.
But surely the head of the company, the person I’ll actually be working for, wouldn’t be dressed so casually. And wouldn’t Mike introduce us if he was? So this guy must be another employee. And a rude one at that.
“Are you in there?”
“Sorry.” I clear my throat. “The view is just gorgeous from here.” My cheeks warm. “I mean, the view outside is gorgeous. Not that you are gorgeous.” I squeeze my eyes closed and shake my head. “Not that you’re unattractive.”
“Now that we’ve established that you don’t find me hideous, may I ask why you’re late?”
“I’m not.” My brow puckers as he walks toward me.
“We start at seven.” He flips over his wrist to look at his fancy watch. “It’s after eight.”
“Christy told me to be here by eight,” I say, leaving out what I really want to ask, which is who the hell starts work at seven in the morning? I don’t even have to be at school by seven, and the doors open for children at eight. Does this guy come in an hour before the boss, maybe to prepare for the day?
But wouldn’t that be something his assistant does?
“Seems you two will be okay,” Mike mutters from where he’s standing near the door, interrupting the many questions I have, and I bite my bottom lip as the man in front of me turns to look at him with a grumpy scowl.
“Thanks, Mike. I’ve got it from here.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Mike focuses on me. “And nice meeting you. Have a good day, Penny.” His eyes glance at Mr. Grump. “Jace.”