Page 23 of Brassy Bigwig

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHLOE

When I woke up on Saturday morning, I was more tired than I ever remember being. My head hurt, and my body felt like I’d run a marathon.

It felt just like it did the morning I woke up in Trey’s bed.

I got my coffee and began to fix the report Mr. Andino needed so badly, he had me working on a Saturday. It was a simple mathematical error that needed to be fixed, and the margins weren’t off. Not even by a millimeter.

I think he was just looking for something else to criticize me over. When I sent it back to him, almost immediately he responded with:

Chloe—

I already fixed that one. It couldn’t wait any longer. Send me the hours report from the past two months.

—D.A.

No please. No thank you. Just one hundred percent pure asshole.

I got him the reports he needed and logged off before he could send me another task. I even went so far as to shut off the notifications for the email app on my phone. Luckily, he was quiet for the rest of the weekend anyhow.

Just as I’m settling in to my work after getting back from lunch, I hear the elevator ding. I pick my head up, and my eyes meet the sliding doors about seventy-five feet in front of my desk. My heart drops into my stomach when I spot Dex, Trey’s best friend, walking toward my desk with Randall from finance.

Is this for real?

Do he and Bianca live in the city? I’d assumed they lived in California, like Trey.

“Dex?” I practically squeak with shock and excitement. “What are you doing here?”

“Genevieve?” I see his eyes lock onto the nameplate on my desk, and I panic.

My palms are covered in sweat instantly, and I can feel my body temperature rise at the same time as my blood pressure. My throat is suddenly very dry, and it’s hard to swallow.

“Um. It’s Chloe, actually.” I wait for his response apprehensively.

“Huh.” Is all he gives me.

The questioning look on his face has me fighting to get my words out quickly, to try and explain to him why I lied before he has a chance to accuse me of being a horrible person.

“I’ll meet you in the boardroom whenever you’re ready,” Randall looks suspiciously from Dex to me before walking away.

“I don’t usually give my real name out to random guys. At least, not until I get to know them better. I had a bad experience once and…”

I stop blabbering and take a deep breath. I’m about to speak again, but Dex beats me to it.

“I can understand that. I actually did something similar when I first met Bianca,” he smiles, but the look in his eyes tells me he learned a hard lesson because of it.

“I’ve been wishing I could take it back since the moment it happened. I should have given Trey my real name.”

“Well, sometimes things happen for a reason,” Dex explains.

“Wait.” Something just clicked in my head. “You’re Dexter Truitt? Of Montague Enterprises?”

“The one and only,” he smiles, performing a slight bow.

“How crazy is that? How do you know Mr. Andino? He mentioned you guys were close business associates.”

Dex puckers his lips and squints, as though he’s choosing his words carefully. A weird feeling creeps up my spine as I watch him. His reaction seems odd, but I know some of the business Mr. Andino conducts is confidential.

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