Page 3 of Not As Advertised

Jack Blakley, Appeal Media’s president and founder, was widely known in the industry as a man who ran his company like a well-oiled machine. And from what I had seen so far, this was true. Jack had taken a chance when he’d hired me. At thirty-six, I was several years younger, and thus less experienced, than most of the applicants for this job. And hiring such an important position from outside the company added even more scrutiny to my transition.

Sure, no one would question Jack to his face, but that wouldn’t stop the rumor mill of office gossip present in every corporation.

The pressure was on to prove my worth as Jack’s new second-in-command. I would not give anyone ammunition to use against me.

I’d never backed down from a challenge, and I would not start now. Whether it be a fistfight with a neighborhood bully harassing the younger kids or taking the top spot to keep my full-ride scholarship through college, I handled things.

Feeling the strain of the last few hours at my desk, I rolled my shoulders. The tension of the past few weeks had settled at the base of my neck, one of many reminders of what it took to succeed.

Dragging in a deep breath, I looked at the only personal item I’d allowed myself to bring into my new office: the family photo from last Christmas. That was the biggest reminder of why I’d worked so hard to get here.

Leaving my family back in LA wasn’t something I’d ever planned to do. My mom, my two younger sisters, and I were a tight-knit group. Mom had done everything she could to provide for us as a single parent. Even though finances were tight, she’d worked hard to ensure we had enough to eat.

Growing up had been far from the idyllic, quaint streets of the midsized city of Amado, which sat outside my window.

After those childhood years of major financial struggle, I was now in the position to make sure my family never wanted for anything. I had a singular focus: ensuring they never had to go through the uncertainty of where they could afford to live or where their next meal was coming from ever again.

That also meant being able to send my youngest sister to the school of choice for her master’s in child psychology. I also made monthly contributions to both my niece’s college fund so she’d have the same freedoms when she turned eighteen and a retirement investment plan for Mom.

Everything I wanted for my family hinged on the money that came with this job. And, office gossip aside, the real imperative was proving my value to Jack Blakley was the pivotal piece in securing that career-long goal once and for all. The fear of failing had kept me up many nights since I’d accepted this job.

Expecting a call from my Realtor, I checked the time on my phone. It was close to the time HR was due to bring up my new assistant. I’d been counting on being finished with the call before she arrived.

By all accounts, I’d chosen the best person for the job. Other than three years’ worth of performance reviews, which stated Abigail Summers was “reserved” and encouraged “her to set goals toward increasing her responsibility within the company,” there didn’t seem to be any issues with her suitability for the position.

I had no patience for employees that didn’t pull their weight. I’d have to monitor how she handled the transition. She wouldn’t be the first or last employee to fold under the extra stress of a new role.

With a few minutes to kill, I read over the last version of the house offer my agent had sent back to the sellers the day before. The Spanish-style detached I’d spent the past week negotiatingto buy was another step to show my commitment to staying at Appealfor the long term.

As timing would have it, my phone rang just as I’d called out the knock at his office door.

I answered quickly, hopeful of getting off the call as soon as possible so that I could give my full attention to greeting my new assistant. I didn’t look up. Instead, I held up a finger to indicate I needed a minute and kept it short and to the point with my agent.

I raised my head after ending the call and was greeted by two people who stood politely before me.

Barely registering Linda’s presence, I nearly choked as my attention locked on the young woman from the park. What was she doing here?

I’d arrived in Amado early Friday evening to spend the weekend getting acquainted with some of Appeal’s larger accounts. By Sunday afternoon, I’d been going stir-crazy in my hotel room, so I’d headed out to what they calledthe Squarein the center of town.

Despite not being the type of person to people-watch, I found my attention drawn to a gorgeous young woman holding a professional-looking camera.

I couldn’t help but catalog her appearance, suddenly hungry for any detail that might reveal her secrets to me. Her hair was a stunning blend of blonde and lavender that cascaded down her back in a hypnotic way. She was dressed in a T-shirt with some sort of cat-and-moon cartoon drawing on it, ripped jeans, and a pair of pink Converse my youngest sister would love. Her look screamed college student, making her way too young for my mid thirties self to be this drawn to.

As I was about to walk away from her, I saw something round fall out of her bag as she walked toward the other side ofthe park. Against my better judgment, I jogged over to snap up her lost item.

I was taken aback but quickly regained my composure and turned to Linda with a smile, hoping to put both at ease.

“Linda. Nice to see you again. Thank you for bringing… Ms. Summers up.” I hoped Linda didn’t notice my hesitation in saying the young woman’s name. I was scrambling to process my new apparent reality.

“No problem, Mr. Sullivan. Happy to help. You picked an exceptional employee as your new executive assistant. I can assure you.”

“It’s Aiden, please.”

Slowly, I stood up from behind the desk, trying to regain my bearings. The sweet face that had kept me company last night was no longer anonymous, and the reality of her presence completely messed with my head. This shouldn’t be happening.

I couldn’t believe my luck when I found out she wasn’t a student, but I’d spent the whole evening kicking myself for not asking for her number yesterday. I couldn’t resist picturing spending more time with her, even though I didn’t have the time or desire for a relationship. I had to keep my very real attraction to her under wraps, knowing she was still too young for me. I didn’t want to be that guy.

The woman in front of me looked so different from her appearance at the park. Gone was the cartoon T-shirt, ripped jeans, and casual shoes. They were replaced with a plain white blouse and a fitted knee-length skirt. Her clothes did nothing to hide her curves. No matter what she was wearing, her body commanded my attention as much as her face did. A generous chest and hips made my blood heat.

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