Page 57 of Empowered

I collected my leather portfolio and phone and made my way to my office. My black patent-leather heels clicked against the floor as I strode down the hall. I had to hurry back to finish up reading through some product reports before my next meeting, which would keep me occupied until after lunchtime. I hated when my assistant booked me through lunch, but it must have been important to keep me from eating. I liked to visit the taco truck next to the building during my lunch hour.Old habits die hard.

Once in my office, I shut the door and kicked off my heels. I still preferred flats, but heels were growing on me. I unbuttoned my white suit jacket before dropping into my ergonomically designed chair. I wore a black lace shell underneath that was a touch too saucy for the office, but it hugged my curves in all the right places, leaving a smooth appearance under my jacket. I sat cross-legged in my chair with my feet tucked up under my legs. Luckily, my tailored trousers had some give in the seam so I could fold myself comfortably in my chair.

I unlocked my computer and loaded my documents for review. My assistant, Lucy, was a sweet older lady who had only been hired in the last month or so. She took care of me like a daughter, making sure I had an unlimited supply of beverages and snacks in my office. Every morning, she had a hot cup of spiced chai waiting for me on my desk. The only thing that sucked about her was her scheduling skills; I needed to review that with her, but it’d have to wait until tomorrow because today was too busy.

I was happy at my job. I finally felt like I found my “sweet job”—the one you stay at for at least five years. I had the respect of my superiors and often worked closely with the CEO to pitch product ideas or change the courses of current projects.

On the personal front, I still lived at home with Mom. She was able to cut back on her hours while I supported the both of us with my salary. I had even reconnected with a lot of my childhood friends and went out with them sometimes. Though, lately, I rarely had time to do that since I was putting in extra hours at work. Being a VP wasn’t a nine-to-five job. Most days, I was the last to leave the office. It was pretty much the janitor and me left in the building, working into the night.

I took a sip from my steaming mug of chai. It was good, but never as good as the ones I had in India when I was with—

A knock sounded at my door. Lucy rarely used the pager button on the phone to let me know when she needed to talk to me.Another thing to add to the list of things to review tomorrow.I shoved my feet back into my heels that I had hidden under my desk. “Come in.”

Lucy popped her head inside. “Your eleven o’clock is here.”

Already? I glanced at the time.Shit. What was the company I was meeting with again? S.S. Inc.? I had forgotten to research them since I’d been busy prepping for my big meeting earlier this morning.

I stood up and buttoned up my jacket and smoothed out the wrinkles from my pants. “Right. Send them in,” I said while looking down to avoid tripping as I rounded my desk to greet my next appointment.

The person halted just inside the office door. I looked up with my well-rehearsed professional smile fixed on my face, prepared to offer a handshake. I froze when I caught sight of who it was, and my smile vanished. I stared in shock at my visitor.

He took my hand in his, squeezing it gently, setting my skin on fire—the same effect he had always had on me. “Ms. Becker. How are you?” After all this time, his deep voice still brought my insides to life.

“Shyam,” I whispered. Breath had left my lungs and I felt nearly ready to pass out from being so close to him.

I looked over at Lucy, my eyes wide with panic.“Wow,”she mouthed, grinning like a schoolgirl, before shutting the door and leaving me alone with the man who haunted my thoughts every day and left me wet in my dreams every night.

“You look well, Amelia.” A sly grin spread across his lips as he looked me up and down, taking in my figure in the suit.

His eyes burned me. I pulled my hand from his and wiped my palm on the side of my pants to ease the discomfort in my flesh, singed from his touch.

“Why are you here?” I asked quietly.

“I have a business proposition I’d like to discuss. May I sit down?” He motioned to the chair in front of my desk.

“Of course,” I answered nervously. I moved around the desk on shaky legs, somehow managing to sit down in my chair without stumbling.

He looked around my office, sizing it up. I had opted to decorate in blacks, silvers, and whites because I preferred a sleeker sci-fi vibe. It made me feel more comfortable, like I was coding in my bedroom at home. “You’ve done well. This office suits your style,jaan.”

His nickname for me snapped me out my reverie. “What are you doing here, Shyam?”

A knowing smile spread to his face. “I have an executive position at Sethi Tech that I need to fill.”

I saw through his motives. He was playing at something. “I’m not sure that we have anyone from the board looking to leave anytime soon.”

“Once you hear the offer, I’m sure you’ll be able to find someone for the role.” His tone was mischievous which could only mean trouble for me.

I was losing my cool, and he was loving that he could still get a rise out of me. “This really isn’t in my job description. Maybe I could have one of the recruiters meet with you instead.” I stood up, ready to leave. I refused to let him see me break, and I would if I sat there across from him any longer.

“Sit down, Amelia,” he said. His tone was clipped.

I refused to take orders from him again. “I prefer to stand.”

He got to the point, realizing he was losing me fast. “I’m in need of a new Chief Technical Officer.”

“You have Jai as your CTO. Why do you need a new one?” I asked, utterly confused.

“He’s left the company.”

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