I couldn’t wait to get out of there and only hoped the time I spent with Jones would be limited.
Tamsin’s office couldn’t have been more different, even if it had been in a different building. The dark walls should have made the space seem dim and stuffy. However, the windows along one wall let light and warmth flood the room. Everywhere I looked, there were books. They lined most of the rest of the three remaining walls, interrupted only by the door, a fireplace at the far end of the room, and a few small spaces where tasteful pen-and-ink drawings adorned the walls. The only place in the office that showed any disorder at all was the desk. It at least looked as though someone spent time at it working—except for the Rubik’s cube perched on one corner. Somehow, the sight of that colorful cube made everything feel more human.
“This was originally Tamsin’s uncle’s office. Richard Tamsin was one of the founding members of the firm. Tamsin—Christopher Tamsin—took it over when his uncle retired.”
Matt’s words dimmed my hopes somewhat that this office was an accurate reflection of my new boss’s personality.
Oh well. I was accustomed to dealing with disappointment.
“Let’s check out the rest of the floor and I’ll show you how to operate the coffee machine.”
Coffee seemed to be a major concern, so I began to wonder if there was something else I needed to know—like how to be a barista or something.
“Are Mr. Tamsin and Mr. Jones picky about their coffee or something?” I finally worked up the nerve to ask.
Matt glanced at me sideways. “Not really, I don’t suppose. It’s just Jones bought this high-dollar coffee maker that will do everything but clean itself...wait...I think it does that too. Anyway, it can be a little tricky to operate sometimes. So pay attention.”
It wasn’t nearly as tough as I had anticipated after all the buildup, and I felt like remembering how the two partners preferred their java served was easy enough. Jones liked it black with enough sugar to open a candy store. Tamsin wanted no sweetener of any kind but enough cream to turn it the color of peanut butter.
As the morning passed, some of my nervousness receded. I helped replace files. Alphabetizing wasn’t exactly taxing my brainpower. I spent time learning the office phone system and answering some of the incoming calls. Unlike so many companies, at Tamsin & Jones there was always a living, breathing human being picking up the phone.
Midmorning, even ensconced in the file room as I was, I felt a shift in the energy level, a hum as if everyone inside the building had just kicked it up a notch. Matt stuck his head in. “Tamsin and Gabby are back. She’d like you to come up to her office.”
I had to rack my brain for a moment. “Top floor right after I leave the elevator?”
Matt gave me a thumbs-up.
I took a deep breath and ran a critical eye over everything. Shirt still tucked in, buttons all closed. Probably as good as it got. This time, ascending to the top floor by myself made my stomach flutter.
The doors opened and I quickly found Gabby’s office. A slender, attractive woman, her midnight hair was pulled back off her face, showing off her clear skin and classic cheekbones. She was on the phone but glanced up when she saw me hovering in the doorway. Motioning to the chair across from her desk, she finished soothing whoever was on the other end of the line. In another minute, she had replaced the phone in its cradle and folded her hands in front of her.
“You must be Finn. How are things going so far?”
“Really well, Ms. Daniels.”
“Call me, Gabby. We’re not formal around here. Tamsin is in with a client at the moment, but he should be free in another few minutes. I’ve set aside some time in his schedule for the two of you to meet and talk.”
My confusion must have shown on my face.
“You’ll be working primarily with Tamsin and me. Jones has his own interns.”
“I hadn’t realized that. I figured I’d be doing a lot of work in the mailroom or something.”
Gabby laughed. “Oh there will be plenty of that as well. Trust me. Let me give you a few bits of information to help you. I suggest calling Tamsin Mr. Tamsin until he suggests differently. Just whatever you do, don’t call him Christopher or even worse, Chris. He can’t stand his first name, so he just goes by Tamsin. Don’t touch the Rubik’s cube.”
“The Rubik’s cube?”
“It’s his version of a stress ball.”
As she listed a few more dos and don’ts, I began to wonder if Tamsin was going to be a difficult employer. It wasn’t as if I had a vast amount of experience from which to judge, but he seemed a little picky.
“He’s not going to beat me or anything if I screw up, is he?”
Gabby arched a brow. “Not at all, Finn. I think you’ll find Tamsin is pretty easygoing. Did Matt show you how to operate the coffee machine from hell?”
I had to smile at that. “Yes.”
“Good, then why don’t you make a cup for you and one for Tamsin? I’ll let him know you’ll join him in just a few minutes.”
Facing off with the coffeemaker monster, a frisson mixed of fear and anticipation slithered down my spine. I wanted to get this coffee just right for Mr. Tamsin. If all I was going to be good for this summer was making coffee and filing files, then I wanted to be the very best coffee fetcher at the firm. Exactly how Gabby expected me to be able to drink my own coffee at the same time, I wasn’t sure, but I would make a cup.
I was finally going to meet my boss. My skin tingled.
“About ready there, Finn?” Gabby asked as she stuck her head in the doorway. “Tamsin’s free now.”
I nodded as I gulped and picked up the tray carrying the two mugs of steaming java.
“You need me to get the door for you?”
“No, I got this.” Who knew that my work at Atelier would come in handy at a law office?
Balancing the tray on one hand, I opened the door and entered Tamsin’s office. When I glanced at his desk, though, he wasn’t there. Just as I started to close the door again, a deep voice at my back startled me.
“Do you need any help?”
The tray shifted. I watched in horror as the mugs slid and tried to catch them, but it was too late. As if in slow motion, the coffee spilled, splashing Tamsin, me, and the dark, polished-wood floor.
At least I saved the mugs and the tray.
But I was mortified.
And starting to flash back to childhood accidents that had brought down a rain of abuse from my mother. The piping hot liquid spotting my pants was bad enough, but it was nothing to the tightening of my skin and the suffocating sensation wrapping itself around my lungs.
“I-I’m so s-sorry.” My gaze jerked from one part of the room to another, looking for something with which to wipe up the mess. I had to hurry before...
“Hey.” Tamsin’s voice was deep, soothing, and as rich as the coffee I’d spilled. When his large hand cupped my shoulder, the tension from spilling the hot liquid flowed right out of me. What filled me instead was the heat and electricity of his touch.
I raised my gaze to his, mesmerized by his bright blue eyes and the cleft in his square chin. Oh God. He wasn’t at all like the picture on the website. He was a million times better. I swallowed, totally aware I was staring and completely unable to stop.