Page 40 of Nailed

There were several text messages, most from Ellie. But it wasn’t those that had me sucking in air and sprinting for the closet for my shoes.

I’d overslept. I never overslept.

I was supposed to meet Natasha at the breakfast buffet in five minutes.

* * *

By the time I got downstairs, hopping into my heels as I reached the ballroom, I was breathing hard, but on time.

Barely.

I found Natasha tapping away at her phone at one of the circular tables. “Hi,” I said, trying to breathe normally.

She looked up, luckily not seeming to notice that I’d skidded in without a moment to lose.

“Sarah!” She smiled warmly and pocketed her phone. “Wonderful to see you again. Shall we eat?”

We headed out to the hallway where a row of long tables filled with breakfast fixings lined the center of the space, which smelled of coffee and bacon. Christmas music piped out of the speakers and a long line of people snaked out on either side of the table. While we joined one, Natasha chatted about some of the history of Empire and more about their central offices.

I was listening, but I also found myself scanning the lines for Jamie. I didn’t see him anywhere. I forced myself to focus on Natasha. I needed to focus. Before, I’d wanted this job to get away from Jamie. Now, I needed it to ensure he’d have no excuse for us not to at least try being together. Last night, between rounds of lovemaking, he told me about what Gary had done—how he’d harassed an employee at the company and even drunkenly assaulted at least one of them. “He groped her at an office party,” Jamie gritted out. “It’s half the reason I saw red when I found him talking to you.”

Jamie said Gary had done it before and possibly chronically for years. It was clear Jamie blamed himself for what had happened, though I tried to reassure him it wasn’t his fault that Gary had been an abuser. Jamie had dealt with it swiftly and fiercely, including introducing an ironclad policy that forbade executives from fraternizing with staff.

“Is that what we’re doing?” I’d teased later, stroking my fingers along his bare back. “Fraternizing?”

Heat rushed through me at the memory. But I shook it off fast, telling Natasha more about my volunteer work with Heartbreaker Trades.

If I messed up this job at Empire, my career options were limited. Anything at this level would take me away from Quince Valley—away from Jamie. This opportunity was the perfect solution. Career advancement like I’d been working toward. A job that aligned with my values.

The ability to stay in Quince Valley and work with Winona and Heartbreaker Trades.

And Jamie. The icing on the cake.

Natasha’s phone trilled when our line was nearly at the table. She glanced at the screen and then looked at me apologetically. “I’m so sorry. I have to take this.”

“Of course.” I was relieved at the moment this would give me. I’d been switched on for the past twenty minutes straight and needed a moment to breathe.

I reminded myself that this was all going well, save for not having heard from Jamie. I was just considering texting him when someone called my name.

“Sarah! Hey!” It was Sam. He looked adorably rumpled, aside from the hint of bags under his eyes.

I smiled, but glanced up at Natasha’s back.

“Can I hop in line with you?” Sam asked. He made a praying motion to the guy behind me in line, who was also on the phone but waved him into the queue.

“You would not believe my night last night.”

“Actually, Sam,” I said, trying to whisper. “It’s not a good time.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m starving, too.” He picked up two plates, handing one to me. “I’m not going to kiss and tell, but man… I kissed. And I’m telling. At least that part. Shit, I probably shouldn’t be saying anything to you, huh?”

“No,” I said, glancing up at Natasha, who thankfully was still chatting into the phone. Last night, before Ellie and I got to the social, we’d run into Sam out in the lobby. He’d insisted on us doing a shot with him, and we’d ended up chatting a little more familiarly than I probably should have. Nothing too bad, but Ellie and Sam had gotten along like gangbusters, and I’d been talking him up to my friend as if we were old friends. I saw that Sam now took that to mean we really were old friends, which would have been cute under literally any other circumstances.

But not with my potential new dream boss standing right next to me. Not that Sam knew that.

“Guess I also shouldn’t tell you that I saw Jamie this morning,” he continued, his bad loud whisper conspiratorial. “In his tux. You know what that means.”

“Sam,” I hissed, “I’m kind of in the middle of—”

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