Page 6 of Serena
“Do you know what this is in regard to?”
“Not a clue. No one knows, but it may have something to do with the new campaign? Mr. Kayde’s assistant reached out first thing this morning and scheduled the meeting.”
My eyes move to the door as it swings open. Then he walks in, the man from the balcony, the man whose eyes held my attention even amid the chaos of emotions. He casually looks around the room, and his eyes meet mine. The corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk.Shit.
“Good Morning, everyone. I’d like to introduce myself. I am Ian Kayde, the CEO of Kayde Investments. I’m usually based out of our corporate office, but since this is a transition period for all of us, this will be my home office until further notice.”
Questions are asked, and he politely answers them. Short answers and straight to the point. The meeting ends, but just as I make my way to the door…
“Ms. Nerva, may I have a word?” I can feel all eyes on me. It’s like being called into the principal's office. My ears heat. I nod. I see Jacob walk by me with a shit-eating grin on his face. What a dick.
Everyone exits the room, and only he and I remain standing. This man is tall—it’s one of the first things I noticed about him—I’d say about six three and built like a wall. His tailored suit fits like a glove. I’m short, and although heels add some height, I’m nowhere close to meeting him at eye level. His mere presence engulfs the space around us, and I can’t look away.Pull yourself together, Serena, I chastise myself. He’s just standing there, not saying a word.
Does he recognize me? There were so many women at the party, granted, only one was on the balcony punching andkneeing a guy. Shit, I hope he doesn’t remember me. I’ll be mortified if my new boss realizes that he saw me knee a man in the balls. I was so upset that I didn’t care if anyone saw me. I was so careless, which is unlike me in public.
I doubt that one single look at me would be memorable for someone like Ian Kayde. I stand with the confidence that I’m severely lacking. What’s that saying? “Fake it ’til you make it.”
“Ms. Nerva, I want to check in and make sure you are settling well into your new position,” he finally says.
“I am, everything has been great. Work has been very busy, and my office, well, the view is amazing. I also hired a wonderful assistant. Thank you for checking in, Mr. Kayde.”
“I’m glad to hear it, and please call me Ian.” He takes a deep breath. “There is a business trip that you need to attend in a couple of weeks. Kayde Investments is continuing to expand, and another possible acquisition is in the works. I need you to audit their finances. I hope a couple of weeks' notice is enough time to make adjustments to your schedule. My assistant, Selma, will be coordinating everything.”
“Don’t you think Jacob from accounting would be more suitable? It is his department.” I can’t believe I just suggested Jacob, but something tells me that being close to Ian Kayde isn’t a good idea. There’s something about him that I just can’t put my finger on.
No, is the only answer he gives me.
“Is this a request or an order, Mr. Kayde?” Where did that come from? “Because I don’t do well with orders.”
He smirks. “Expect the trip to be a couple of days, Ms. Nerva.” He grabs the door handle and turns to me. “By the way, how’s your bad leg?” He grins and exits the room.
Well, that answers that question. I’ve barely spoken to this man, and he’s already infuriating. I make it back to my office and check my calendar. Yup. There’s a trip on it, scheduled forlater next month, with a full itinerary. It lists two others who will be joining me: Maggie from Human Resources and Andrew in Operations.
My day flies by in a blur of meetings, but I mentally prepare myself to visit my best friend after work. I promised Yuri that I would stop by her studio, mostly so she can check and make sure that I’m still alive. I park and walk toward her studio. My best friend and I are inseparable, despite our opposite personalities. I like structure, and she thrives on chaos.
When we moved to Veridian Bay, her father insisted on buying her an apartment. As a way for him to monitor and keep some semblance of control over her life, which always backfires. I know because I've always been there for the fallout. Xander is an example of that. My best friend is passionate about dancing, so she asked her father for funds to open her own studio. Being outgoing and charming pays off. That is why her studio is so successful.
When I enter the space, I see there are a couple of classes in session. Yuri is at the front desk, welcoming people. I mentally prepare myself for all the questions she’ll have about the weekend. Unfortunately for both of us, I don’t have any answers. But she knows that I spent the last couple of days spiraling. I always get stuck in my own head.
When we lived together, there were times when I wouldn’t leave my room. She would ensure that I ate. There were other times when she would wake up and find me in the living room at three in the morning because I couldn't sleep, so she’d stay up with me. I know she worries about me living alone, so whenever she needs me to ease her mind by doing check-ins, I do. Not everyone has a Yuri in their life.
“How are you doing?” she asks, getting straight to the point.
“I’m fine. I went to my class this morning hoping it’d help calm my spiraling.”
“Did it help?”
“Not really. This weekend was hard, honestly, I don’t even know how to wrap my head around seeing Byran again. Did he tell you why he was there?”
“No, I'm still in shock. We haven't seen or heard from him in years.”
“Yeah, maybe Elias can look into it?”
“Serena, are you sure you want him to do that?”
“Yes, no, I don’t know. Maybe if I ignore the fact that I saw him, it will go away.”
I can tell she’s nervous.
