Page 6 of Analysing Her Assets

“To head a department, you’ll need to be more politically savvy. You’ll need to step out of your comfort zone, be a people person. For example, take advantage of the Eilat offsite to mingle more.”

“I’m not a people person?” Tamar asked, though she knew the answer. She wasn’t.

“Even with my support, it won’t be clear sailing.” N was unrelenting. “You’ll be dealing directly with Keynan, and he needs to believe that you’re the right person for the job.”

Keynan, the CEO, wasn’t part of Tamar’s, or anyone’s, daily existence at Peaks. He rarely left the 29th floor. Apparently, you didn’t need to be a people person when you were the big boss.

“Keynan needs to think well of you. He doesn’t like what he calls opinionated people, and by people he means women. I’m always very... soft when I’m with him.”

“Soft?” N’s kind eyes crinkled at Tamar’s aggrieved tone.

“Yes, soft. Womanly-like. He is old-fashioned. He expects certain behaviors from women.”

Tamar made such a disgusted face that her boss laughed. Then she sobered.

“Look, men have it easier—with other men. Especially with men like Keynan. You’ll need to go the extra mile. To think outside the box. You’re not a shoo-in. I need to give him one other name, another internal candidate.”

There were three other senior analysts besides her, all men. Guy, Omri, and Gideon. Guy had two small children and was constantly absent. Omri famously said he was happy where he was. Gideon was surely too new to be considered. He didn’t even have other analysts on his team yet. She was a shoo-in.

“I’m thinking about Gideon Sela,” N said, and Tamar gaped. “I’ll be talking to him right after you. He came in almost at the same time you did, but explained that as soon as Keynan arrived, he was going upstairs. Something about a puppy.”

She blinked at N’s smiling face.

Without another word to her boss, she got up, grabbed her jacket, and ran to the elevators in a race to get to the 29th floor.

She needed to lay claim to a smelly, hairy, forbidden puppy. Fuck.

5. Gideon

It was his first visit to the hallowed 29th floor and Newe Zedeq, Tel Aviv’s first neighborhood, was sprawled at his feet. The two-storied, multi-colored houses tumbled down the hill, as if racing against each other to reach the nearby Mediterranean.

He heard hurried footsteps behind him and turned to see Tamar running down the long corridor. Did she want a puppy too? Well, she wasn’t beating him to it. Gideon smiled at her and picked up his pace—he had longer legs and a head start. He would turn the corner and reach Sonya’s desk way before Tamar would.

But Sonya’s desk was empty, and Gideon knew better than to barge into Keynan’s office without getting the okay from his secretary.

Tamar reached him. She was panting, catching her breath as they both stood, side by side, at a respectful distance from Sonya’s desk. Her jacket was bunched under her arm, and it was the first time he’d seen her without it. Her blouse stretched over her generous bust, and her round buttocks curved her pants.

“Why are you here?” she asked, panting. “Are you here for the puppies?”

Her hairband slid down her sleek hair. She caught it, slipping the stretchy circle on her wrist. She threw her head back and shook the rippling dark brown cascade.She bunched her hair into a ponytail, which she coiled several times into itself to become a bun. Her exertions brought out her not too sweet floral scent.

He averted his gaze. He’d woken up this morning with a huge hard-on and fuzzy images of juicy lips trapped in a tight doorway with him. He didn’t jerk off, fearing whose face and body he would conjure.

“Yes, I’m here for a puppy. I’ve always loved dogs, had them growing up. It’s work, but it’s very rewarding.” Gideon was making small talk, composing himself.

“I don’t like them, not really. I hope there aren’t any left.” Her tone was dry, as usual.

“I’m sorry about yesterday. Outside the toilets,” he said quickly. He was extremely embarrassed about his hard-on, and talking about it would be good for both of them. “I got carried away. I mean, I haven’t had... but it’s no excuse. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, your schlong doesn’t frighten me.”

"My schlong?” He grinned. She used a word he’d last heard from his grandmother Paulina. Nonetheless, his schlong twitched as if actually hearing its name called.

“Yes, your...” She made a movement with her hand towards the general direction of his nether regions.

“No, I know what you mean. When you call it a schlong, it’d supposed to be, like, enormous, right? You’d be disappointed. Mine is medium sized.”

Her mouth curved and twisted, and she bit her lips to stop herself from smiling. Then she gave up and burst out laughing. She had an unguarded laugh, a wide smile that bunched her cheeks in the most adorable way. Her nearly black eyes sparkled at him, and he smiled back, mesmerized by her transformation.

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