Page 24 of Man of the Year

I turn to Nick, who flicks his eyebrows.

“Anything else?” I ask him.

He looks expectantly at Rosenberg, who doesn’t bother to respond.

Nick shrugs and smiles at me. “Thanks.”

Before I close the door on the way out, I hear Rosenberg’s voice, “She’s pretty.”

This should be a compliment.

Then why do the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end?

SIXTEEN

ANONYMOUS

I know what you are doing, pretty girl. Look at you, two days in, and you’ve graduated from flirting with the staff to batting your lashes at your new boss.

I rewind the footage of you in the office, zoom in on your face, and study it. Your gaze is electric. Well-practiced. It’s not the same as it is in person, but it still gives me goosebumps.

And you are smart, so smart, working the people around you with caution, unlike many other women before you.

I like smart. But this? This is the wrong game for you to play, Natalie.

SEVENTEEN

NATALIE

“Thank you for letting me meet the boss,” I say to Nick as we stand outside the staff entrance during a lunch break.

“No problem,” he says. His tie is gone, the sleeves of his shirt are rolled up, and he slowly twirls a set of keys between his fingers. “He usually doesn’t bother talking to the staff. He must’ve noticed you, though. I don’t blame him.”

I like compliments. Except when they come from a possible serial predator like Rosenberg.

“I wish Julien were as friendly as you,” I say.

Nick instantly tenses. “Julien is very protective of his workspace. The boss likes him.”

“Doyou?”

He chuckles. “He’s all right. Why?”

“No, just… He doesn’t like me much. No one does around here.”

“Sure they do!” Nick clicks his tongue in protest. “They are just trying to get a sense of what you’re like. It’s normal. You are smart. And nice. What’s not to like?”

I chuckle. “Thanks.”

His gaze on me softens. “Thank you for being here. It’s refreshing.”

“Refreshing?”

“Well, everyone is pretty uptight here. It’s nice to see a new face. A beautiful one, too.”

I think I blush. Nick casts his eyes down, a smile lingering on his lips. He’s quite irresistible.

“It can get”—he pauses for a moment—“stressful here, you know.” He glances up at me. “Boss can be demanding. Sometimes, pretty intense. Occasionally, he… I’m just glad to see a friendly face here, though I don’t get to very often.”

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