Page 22 of Bling

Isabelle squirmed. “OK. That’s fine. Whatever makes you happy.”

“Fine.”

She shifted back and forth on her heels. “Is that all?”

He looked up from his stack of paperwork. “For now. I want you to work on a list of things you think could be better around here from an average employee’s perspective. I’ll have other work for you soon. I’ll have Regina call you and give you a crash course in getting in touch with me. After that, I’ll catch you up on dealing with management stuff here because I have to get on a plane to Washington tonight. I’ll be back on Thursday afternoon.”

She still wasn’t sure who Regina was, but the last thing he said terrified her. Did he expect her to run the place?

“Don’t worry. I didn’t fire the entire management team. Most of them are on probation though, and I expect you to keep an eye on things and document any inappropriate behavior.”

Isabelle felt like the room was spinning.

“I’m sorry,” Garrett said, snapping a binder closed. “I’m overwhelming you. I work fast and expect the same of my employees, but you’re not used to this. You’ll assimilate, but I’ll try to slow down for today and help you get caught up.”

Isabelle blew out a breath. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I’m slow.”

Garrett picked up the phone and waved his free hand. “You’re not slow. Sit down. I’ll have lunch brought in and we’ll go over everything from the beginning.”

Turning his attention to the phone in his hand he said, “Regina, cancel my lunch calls please. I need to get Miss Alvarado up to speed with everything here. Has her email and calendar access been granted yet?” He paused. “Excellent, thank you, Regina. I’ll call you after lunch about my flight information.”

He set the phone down and began rearranging things on his desk.

“You’re being very stiff and formal,” she said, feeling bold.

He looked at her with a blank stare. “We’re at work, Isabelle. I’m not going to flirt with you in the office, especially not when you’ve asked for space. I can’t exactly disappear and not talk to you if we’re going to work together, but I can be professional.”

Isabelle gave him a sad smile. She missed his flirtation but was grateful for his respect of her boundaries.

“I’ll figure things out soon,” she whispered.

He lowered himself into the chair next to hers and leaned over to squeeze her hand. “Take all the time you need, Isabelle. For now, we’re just coworkers.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon going over everything Garrett thought she would need to know during his absence. Everything from truck schedules, to how to reach him in an emergency. He gave her the contact information for every remaining member of the management team. He also tasked her with reorganizing some of the filing cabinets and computer files that were a mess.

The job turned out to be one she enjoyed a great deal, and the rest of her week flew by without incident. Garrett had prepared her for a number of potential problems that could arise, but thankfully none did. Her shifts at the hotel had been fun and educational, and it gave her hope that she might one day fulfill her lifelong dream. But working two jobs were definitely taking a toll on her. Now, it was Thursday and she was back in the office where new furniture and art had been delivered and assembled.

The morning was uneventful, and she spent it sorting through paperwork trying to get the filing cabinets more organized.

When it was time for her lunch break, she decided to grab a bite from a nearby deli and bakery. She stepped into the cool Colorado air and breathed in deep, trying to give her senses a jolt of energy from the fresh air.

Her heart lurched into her throat as she approached her small car. Both tires on the driver’s side had been slashed and there was a note on the window. Instinct told her not to touch it, but she was able to read it even tucked under the windshield.

You’ll pay for ruining my life, BITCH.

She sucked in a breath and reached for her phone. It slid out of her hand and clattered on the pavement. Damn it, the screen was broken. A car pulled into the parking lot as she bent to retrieve it and she screamed and dropped it again as a door slammed behind her.

“Isabelle. You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What happened?”

It was Garrett. His velvet smooth voice soothed her frazzled nerves as he helped her stand. Bending, he picked up the broken phone.

“What happened?” he asked again. Unable to speak, she pointed to the tires and windshield.

Garrett had his phone out and was already calling the police. When he finished telling the dispatcher what happened and where they were, he ducked his head into his car and spoke to the driver. “Wait here for the police. I’m taking Isabelle upstairs.”

Garrett wrapped an arm around her shoulders and walked her inside.

“You look like you haven’t slept in a week, Isabelle. Are you not sleeping at night? What happened out there?”

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