Page 6 of Near Miss

One of the men in the car gave her a sidelong glance, and a woman’s lips tilted upward.

Heat suffused Sophia’s cheeks. “First day at my new job.” The combination of nervous energy and excitement fizzed in her veins like her favorite diet pop.

Emily texted this morning to wish her luck from Paris, and Admiral Dane and his wife Carla sent her flowers with a sweet note.

Her parents hadn’t called or sent a text. Sophia’s enthusiasm dimmed. Maybe they forgot.

Or it wasn’t important enough for them to remember.

She gave her reflection a firm look to banish the sudden, hollow ache in her chest.It doesn’t matter.

“Congratulations and good luck,” said the man who’d given her the side-eye before he stepped out on his floor.

“Thanks.” She pushed away the negative thoughts trying to dampen her mood.

The doors opened on the eighth floor. She gave a brief nod to her fellow riders and stepped out, turning right toward a set of glass doors with the nameLandry Associates Internationalstenciled in a dark, metallic silver across the glass.

Sophia pulled open the door and stepped inside.

LAI’s office manager, Penny Turner, sat behind a mahogany-paneled reception desk detailed with silver laminate and flanked by potted dracaenas. The fluorescent lights in the overhead ceiling glinted off her chic white bob, diamond stud earrings, and bright fuchsia blouse.

She stopped typing and greeted Sophia with a welcoming, maternal smile that instantly put her at ease. “Good morning, dear.”

Sophia returned the smile. “Good morning, Mrs. Turner, it’s nice to see you again.”

The woman waved off Sophia’s formality. “Oh, please, call me Penny. Jared’s waiting for you in his office.”

Several feet behind Penny, blue-gray color dominated the back wall, broken up by a small, glass-fronted conference room on the left and a varnished wood-stained door on the right that sported a stylish silver nameplate.

“Thank you, um, Penny.” Sophia’s heels sunk into the blue and gray patterned carpet as she made her way past Penny to the ornate wooden door. After a tentative knock, she pushed the door open just enough to peer around the edge. “You asked to see me?”

Her new boss, Jared Landry, stood from behind his cherry executive desk. She couldn’t help but admire the subtle authority he wore as naturally as his dark gray tailored suit and blue and silver silk tie. He was in his mid-thirties, tall and lean, with light brown hair and a short, neatly trimmed beard.

She’d researched him when she applied for the job. He’d grown up in California, gone to UC Santa Barbara, and served as an Army Ranger for several years before leaving to start LAI. He seemed to be incredibly well-connected in government circles. Congressman Kellerman had joked to her before she left that LAI was as successful as it was because Jared Landry knew where all the bodies in town were buried.

“Come in, Sophia.” He waved her to a brown leather settee in the far corner. “Have a seat.”

Morning sunlight streamed into the spacious office courtesy of the wall of windows behind Jared’s desk. Behind the seating area he’d indicated, the walls were decorated with photographs of Jared with politicians, a celebrity or two, and even a former president. Her gaze lingered on the shadowbox center stage that held his military badges and medals—what her new boss had called hischest candywhen he’d first interviewed her.

When she’d asked him why he left the military to become a government contractor, he’d smiled cryptically and simply answered, “The pay is better.”

“Welcome aboard.” Jared took a seat opposite the low coffee table in a wingback leather chair while she set her briefcase and mug down, smoothed her coat beneath her, and sat on the sofa.

“I’m excited to be here.” She moderated her giddiness and nerves into a practiced smile. At twenty-seven, she was a bit young for her new position, and the last thing she wanted to do was sow any doubt in her boss’s mind that she wasn’t mature enough to handle the job.

“Good.” Jared gave her an approving nod. “Because I’m throwing you in the deep end. The executive committee meeting is in three hours. I’d like you to give a presentation to the rest of the team on upcoming legislation that may impact our funding.”

She met his look with a wide-eyed one of her own. “This morning?”

“Is that a problem?” His gray eyes narrowed. “I assumed you’d already be up to speed on the legislation.”

She reached down deep and pulled a façade of confidence from her bag of tricks. “No, not a problem at all. I’ll be ready.”

Jared clapped his palms together and stood. “Excellent. Penny will set you up in your new office so you can get started.”

She stood as well and gathered her belongings. “Thank you, Mr. Landry.”

He smiled. “Call me Jared.” He walked her to the door, then shut it behind her with a firm click.

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