Page 10 of A Gift of Time
“No fucking way,” I muttered.
I nearly shit myself: a Jaguar instead of the piece of junk I’d used to have. I felt like a kid as I unlocked it and slid into the seat, admiring every inch of the interior.
After pulling myself together, I drove to work, maybe a bit too carefully.
And I only hoped that what waited for me there was something I could handle.
***
The first difference I noticed once walking into Holton that day was my small cubicle had someone else’s name on it. Sure, it wasn’t the best workspace in the office, but it wasmine. Or it had been at least.
Logan caught my eye from across the room and walked over.
“About time you showed up,” he whispered, giving me the one-eye. Then, he looked at where I stood before focusing back at me. “What are you doing at Renee’s cubicle?”
Renee was a few years older than me and had been pining for that director of marketing position just like I had. And now the bitch had my work area.
Before I could answer Logan, he said, “You know what? I don’t care.”
He then grabbed my arm and started leading me across the room, past the other cubicles and into the area with the bigger offices. Most people didn’t pay us any attention as he dragged me along, but the ones who did gaped as if I was a three-headed alien.
We stopped in front of the door I’d only ever dreamed of having my name on: the Marketing Director’s office.
“Logan, what are we—” I stopped midsentence as I saw the name on the door: Jack Taylor. My knees nearly buckled beneath me, but I regained balance before I fell and made an ass out of myself. Meeting his brown eyes, I shook my head in shock. “What’s going on?”
His irritation turned to concern, and he pulled me into the office before closing the door behind him.
“No, Jack. You tellmewhat’s going on,” he demanded, putting a hand on his hip. “We drank a little last night, but it wasn’t enough to screw you up this bad. You act like you don’t even know me that well.”
I don’t, I wanted to say.
Logan was just a guy I worked with who liked to flirt, but someone I would never pursue.
“Jesus,” he said before sighing. “Not sure what happened to your memory, but hi, I’m Logan. Your damn personal assistant and also someone you sleep with on occasion. I—”
“Assistant?” I asked, interrupting him. That was certainly another change. “And I’m really the marketing director of advertising?”
I scanned the office and was stunned; not just by the amazing skyline view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, but also with the magnitude of my confusion.
It had to be some kind of dream. That was the only explanation.
Logan stepped forward and clutched my hand in his. “Do you need to go lie down or something? You’re kinda scaring me.”
I jerked my hand from his, hating the intimacy of it. Turning around, I walked to the desk and ran a finger along the smooth wood; thinking.
If itwasa dream… why not play along? Hell, when was I ever going to have that happen again? I had my dream position at work, had a luxurious apartment, and wasfree. Free from the burden of kissing my boss’s ass on every occasion and free from Caden.
What?
My line of thinking halted me in place, and I plopped down in the desk chair. The relief of not having him around shouldn’t have felt as good as it did.
I loved him… but maybe I just needed a break from him.
This could be kind of perfect,I thought as I surveyed the nice office. One with my damn name on the door.
“Didn’t you say something about a presentation?” I asked, glancing back at Logan.
He stood in the middle of the room, staring at me with that same confused look before answering, “Yes! Um.” He bustled toward the desk, grabbed a file, and handed it to me. “It’s a pitch to a possible new client about their coffee house.”
