Page 25 of Made for You
I hoped I’d like her other friends and vice versa, but for now, I needed to focus on the most immediate obstacle—the building sitting kitty-corner from Diner itself. Maybe I shouldn’t think of it as an obstacle, but that’s what it’d become for me since I’d seen Bruce on Thursday afternoon and heat had flashed through me.
Because the truth was, I really,reallyliked Bruce Camden. I was drawn to him in just about every way a person could be, and now, I was stepping into his world to become his employee. I’d need to be professional in a job I was overqualified and yet not at all qualified for. I’d need to keep my rapidly expanding attraction for him under wraps. I’d need to make sure this squirrel brain didn’t end up stepping on anyone’s toes and create more problems for me.
So… yeah. Obstacle.
Or maybe I shouldn’t think of it as an obstacle, but a conjecture needing a proof.Yes.
This whole situation—both work, and even life—was something I needed to look at like an advanced conjecture or problem. I needed to come up with my theorem and create the proof. And I could only do any of that by keeping an open mind and… starting. After all, Andrew Wiles never would’ve solved Fermat’s Last Theorem if he’d never started.
Not a perfect metaphor since I didn’t have my conjecture yet, but it went something like,I can work at Saint Security without falling completely head over heels for a man I already like way too much.Or, for the larger new reality of my life,I can build a life in Silverton when I have utterly failed to do so at any other point prior to this second.
Yeah. Sure. Conjecture out. Now to start on the proof…
My pulse increased at the thought, a little jet of hope injecting into my bloodstream as I breathed in the warming September-morning air and checked my watch.Time to go.
With one last steadying breath, I entered the little log-cabin-looking building I never would’ve imagined housed the stylish décor and high-tech features inside. The reception desk sat empty, as it had for my last visit. I hadn’t gotten a tour of the whole building, but after leaving, I’d taken a guess at how much space they had based on the building’s dimensions and what I had seen. Somehow, it made it feel less opaque if I knew the square footage, even at a guess.
They must’ve had a sensor for people entering the building, because in a flash after I’d stepped all the way inside, Bruce was there.
“Happy first day,” he said, all kinds of ridiculously handsome in a plaid button-up and dark green utility pants.
No. Not handsome.Couldn’t be thinking like that. And I’d already crawled around in my own head long enough that I blurted, “And to you. But, uh, happy three hundred fiftieth day.”
Half that definitely-not-gorgeous mouth quirked up into a grin while his brows flashed a furrow. “Three hundred fiftieth?”
I shrugged one shoulder. “I recalled you saying you arrived mid-June. It was a rough guess on the days you’ve worked here assuming you took most weekends but no extended time off. I’m probably way off.”
Another half-smile. “I think you know very well you’re notwayoff. The only variable is the fact that I have no idea what the real number is, but I’m going to take your word for it.”
He gestured for me to follow him with a tip of his head. I assumed he’d stop at the desk where I’d eventually be sitting, but instead, he continued all the way down the hallway to his office, where I’d had my interview. It had just enough character to make it comfortable, but not so much that you could learn much about the man. I knew without asking that had been strategic.
He rounded his desk and sat, so I took the seat across from him.
“We’ll take a beat here, and then we’re going to head into the all-hands.”
A tilt of my head asked the question for me.
“Every other Monday, we do an all-hands-on-deck-style meeting where we round up, debrief, and deal with assignments. The one at the first of the month is always our bigger group, and then the one later in the month is usually locals-only. It’s perfect timing for you to dive right in since these will be your coworkers, but I can’t have you join us until you’ve signed the NDAs.”
I pulled a folder from my bag and handed it over to him.
He nodded and flicked it open, then sifted through the pages to check signatures as he spoke. “Thank you. Do you have any questions now?”
I waited for him to look from the contents of the file before speaking. “I’ll wait until after the all-hands, if that works for you.”
He tipped his eyes toward his watch, then nodded. “Works perfectly. Why don’t we head in and we can meet people as they arrive. Typical start time is nine thirty.”
He stood, and I took note and did the same, then waited for him to lead the way back toward the conference room.
“We’re lucky that we only ever have a handful who can come in person, or we’d be SOL for space. We’re already working on expanding to a larger building.”
I entered the conference room to find three people sitting and chatting—two men, one woman. They all turned to size me up when I entered—and that’s exactly what it felt like. A sizing up. Gone were the friendly smiles of Kenny or the shy politeness of Tristan. Here was a steely-eyed blond woman, a stone-faced giant, and a man who looked like his second job was masquerading as a mountain man.
“Veronica Hastings, meet Eddie James-Williamson a.k.a. Ed, Jude Rawlins a.k.a. Beast, and Dorian Forrester, a.k.a. Stone. Veronica is our new admin and may also be helping me out with some accounting projects. She’s newly local and well vetted.” He turned to me and held out a hand to the woman. “Eddie’s one of our newer members, with just four months on hand, but she’s also Wilder’s sister-in-law, so we’ll forgive her for not leaving her life as a spy to join the fun here sooner.”
Surprise flashed through me at his words, but Eddie seemed unperturbed. She stood and extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, Veronica.”
“Nikki, please.” I wondered why Bruce would introduce me as Veronica anyway, but maybe he felt like he needed to use my legal name or something.
