Page 40 of Sweet Heat at Bayside
“I thought I picked up the scent ofnewbiein the elevator,” one of the suited guys said. He was tall and handsome, with closely shorn brown hair and wily green eyes she bet probably opened a lot of bedroom doors. His lips quirked up in a coy grin. “Welcome to the mayhem. I’m Gavin.”
“Nice to meet you,” Serena said.
The thin blonde she’d seen earlier said, “And I’m Laura, a junior designer. Spencer and I are on your team.” She motioned toward the bearded guy.
Spencer waved. “You can call me Spence. I’m looking forward to working with you.”
“Thank you. I can’t wait to get started.” Serena followed Chiara into her gorgeous new sunny office.
“Why don’t you set your things down, and I’ll let Suzanne know you’re here.”
She stifled the urge to do a happy dance and glanced out the window at the streets below. She was so excited. She had to quell the urge to take pictures to send to Drake and the girls. She set her bag on the credenza behind the sleek light-wood, extra-wide desk, and as calmly as she could, she said, “Thank you so much, Chiara. Maybe we can have lunch one day.”
“Are you under the impression you’ll havedowntime?” Chiara lifted her brows. “Seriously, lunches are crazy around here, and our senior designers often save lunches for client meetings. But maybe we can grab a drink after work sometime.”
“Sounds great.”
A few minutes later Chiara brought her into Suzanne’s office, which was three times the size of hers.
“Welcome to KHB,” Suzanne said as Chiara left the room. She waved to a leather chair across from her desk. “Sit down and get comfortable. Let’s get you up to speed.”
Serena guessed Suzanne to be in her late thirties. She had olive skin and sharp brown eyes. Her dark hair was pulled back in a sleek bun, and she gave off an aura of sophistication. Her finely fitted gray suit and expensive heels further underscored her business-savvy nature. But it was her confidence and assertiveness that Serena had first noticed during their interview. Suzanne didn’t mince words, and Serena respected that almost as much as she admired her design abilities.
“Do you have any questions before we dig in?” Suzanne asked.
“No. I’m ready and excited to take charge of my first project.”
“Great.” Suzanne picked up two folders from her desk and handed them to Serena. “You’ll be working with two major clients. Seth Braden, the president of BRI Enterprises, a major retail conglomerate, and Muriel Younger, a principal attorney at Younger, Lynch, and Ryan. We’ve worked with both of them before. All of the information you’ll need is in the files. Seth has just taken on a partner, and he’s doing a full-scale rebrand and redesign, and Muriel has expanded her offices and is taking over another floor in her building. You have a meeting scheduled to see Muriel’s offices Wednesday. I assumed you’d want some time to get your head wrapped around that job before meeting with Seth. He’s awaiting your call, but no pressure to get started yet. He’s out of town until next week. Since your last visit to the Boston Design Center was some time ago, I’ve asked Gavin Wheeler, another senior designer, to go with you Friday to help you get acclimated to the way things are done there.”
“Sounds perfect. Thank you.”
“You’ll also be working with two smaller clients.” She handed Serena two more folders. “The Wilkinsons are renovating their home library, and the MacIntyres have a small contracting firm. They want to redecorate their offices on an insanely meager budget.” She arched a brow. “We took them on as a favor to a big client. Good luck with that one. Did Chiara explain how to report business mileage and expenses?”
“Yes, and she encouraged me to take clients to lunch or dinner. Is that appropriate?”
“Appropriate and expected. The relationships are as important as the work itself. I also assume she introduced you to your team, Laura and Spencer?”
“Yes. She did. They seem eager and nice.”
“They’re loyal and creative. You’ve got a strong team behind you. Use them to their fullest extent. I believe you’re all set.” Suzanne rose to her feet and held out her hand. As Serena shook it, she said, “Welcome aboard. I’m really glad you’re here.”
“So am I.” Serena walked back to her office—heroffice—feeling a strange sense of euphoria. She was thirty-one years old, and she had finally truly connected with her lifelong love, and now she had the opportunity she’d always wanted. What more could she ask for?
Her stomach growled as she entered her office, where she found a box from Insomnia Cookies on the desk with a big pink bow tied around it. She opened the card, and her heart filled up with each word.Congratulations, Supergirl. I bet you didn’t eat breakfast. Hopefully these will make it to you by lunchtime. Knock ’em dead. Love, Drake.
“Someone’s got a sweet tooth,” Gavin said as he walked into her office.
“I have about twenty-five sweet teeth. The rest are just there to balance things out.” She untied the ribbon and set it aside with the card so she could take them home. “Want one?”
“Absolutely. Why else would I be standing here drooling?” He arched a brow and took a cookie. “Are these from your boyfriend or your sister?”
“How’d you know I have both?” She looked over the selection of delicious treats, itching to text Drake but not wanting to be rude to Gavin.
“You’re spending more time looking at the cookies than looking at me, which tells me you’re not single, and you sort of give off a vibe like you know someone’s got your back.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Could be the boyfriend, but in my experience, that kind of confidence usually comes from a girls’ club.”
She laughed. “What are you, the woman whisperer?”
“Something like that.” He glanced down at the files on her desk and winced. “She’s throwing you feet-first into the fire. Good luck with Muriel.”
