Page 5 of Stuck with the Hot Boss
‘Leo’s your new boss, Evie,’ he told her. ‘Take the morning to show him the ropes.’
Evie’s new boss was smiling at her, his eyes crinkling attractively. What were the odds he had a sexy tattoo on his calf? Or near his hipbone, maybe snaking down the V …?
Back the truck up, Evie,said Nicky’s voice in her head.He has two strikes against him already. He’s your type: handsome, easy-going so no doubt completely unreliable.Andhe’s your boss, which is never a good career move, no matter how many times you watchMaid in Manhattan.
Leo moved towards her and stuck out his hand.
‘Great to meet you, Evie,’ he said.
She caught a whiff of cologne that brought to mind surf, sun and spice. His hand was warm and a little rough, outdoorsy. Definitely a tattoo near his hipbone.
‘I hope you and I can be a close-knit team,’ he said. ‘Double K has a bright future, and I’ll need the right people around me if we’re going to reach our full potential.’
‘I – hope so, too.’
It was all she could think of to say. Because, despite the smile and attractive crinkly eyes, Leo’s words had sounded ateensybit like a threat.
Surely not? She’d been a key part of Double K’s growth over the last four years. Keith and Kev liked her a lot. Well, Keith did. With Kev, it was easier to know when hedidn’tlike you. But her performance reviews had been excellent, and last time, Keith had even unchained his wallet to give her a raise.
Then again, Keith hadn’t mentioned to her that they were looking for a marketing manager. He certainly hadn’t asked her ifshewould consider the role. He’d hired a complete strangerand installed him above her as her boss. A complete stranger who seemed to be asking her to prove her worth to him – or else.
I could be imagining it, Evie thought.My instincts about men haven’t been that reliable thus far. Plus, I haven’t a clue what a ‘strategic marketing function’ is, so it’s probably fair they hired someone who does. I should give Leo the benefit of the doubt.
‘No milk for me, thank you,’ Evie heard Leo say.
Janice had wheeled the tea trolley round and was offering him a mug.
‘I take my tea black,’ he explained.
‘Not round ’ere you don’t,’ said Janice, as she forced the mug into his reluctant hand.
‘Scone?’ she added. It was not strictly speaking a question.
Evie could see Leo weighing up his options. If he preferred his tea without dairy, then odds were he also shunned gluten and sugar. Janice’s scones were made of white flour and generously topped with jamandwhipped cream.
But Janice was also Kev’s mum. Leo would have been interviewed by both Keith and Kev, which meant he knew how terrifying Kev was. And now he could see where Kev got it from.
Leo took a scone. So did Evie, but happily as Janice’s scones were banging and she didn’t skimp on the whipped cream. Janice moved on, the wheels on the ancient tea trolley squeaking like fingers on a blackboard, only not as pleasant to listen to.
Evie temporarily forgot that her new boss was standing next to her, and bit into her scone with a small moan of delight.
‘That good, is it?’
In Leo’s tone, Evie sensed both a rebuke and a hint of regret. Confusing. But there was no point in worrying about how to respond because her mouth was full of scone.
She managed an ‘Mm-mm,’ keeping her lips firmly pressed together to ensure she didn’t spit crumbs at him. No new boss-employee relationship ever started well with a soggy crumb shower. She knewthatat least.
Leo let out a short sigh. Evie couldn’t tell if it was impatient or wistful. He certainly was a man of mixed messages. Or, more likely, she was just crap at reading them.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘Time to show me the ropes. By which I mean the tattered threads this company’s marketing is hanging by.’
Oi!Evie readthatmessage loud and clear. How dare he! Waltz in here and act like everything she’d done for four years was utter shite!
But no new boss-employee relationship ever started well with a punch to the head, either. And shehaddecided to give him the benefit of the doubt. So–
‘I’ll take the scone and tea off your hands, shall I?’ she said.
Doubt flickered in his eyes.
