Page 11 of Before I Loved You

Until that night, that is.

When those green eyes embedded themselves not just in my mind but in my heart too.

And now…

Now, I don’t know what to believe.

three

SARAH

I spin on my black cushioned leather office chair in front of my new espresso brown desk, feeling so damn proud of myself.

I did it.

I freaking did it!

After spending a mundane year doing my time as the coffee girl at a bank close to school, making minimum wage, I scored myself a paid internship at a corporate office for one of the biggest banks in the world, LH United. Not only is it just a quick car ride from my apartment to its location in the financial district, but it’s also a position that allows flexibility with my schedule while attending school. It’s perfect.

My end goal of becoming a financial analyst is becoming closer and closer with each day.

I can feel it.

And no, my dream out of life was never to be a financial analyst. In fact, the thought of working in a corporate office for the rest of my life makes me want to gouge my eyes out and eat oysters.

Yeah, I really don’t like oysters.

But it’s a good, stable job. A job that will bring in a decent salary and allow me to continue taking care of myself like I always have. Money is tight enough as it is in this economy. Never mind adding a baby to the mix.

Even if I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do about that yet…

Anyway, the point is that everything depends on me doing well in this internship, especially when I no longer have the option of failing.

“Hi, Sarah.” A beautiful, tall brunette approaches my desk, extending her slender hand. “I’m Gianna. It’s so nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you.” I smile as I stand, extending my arm toward her, currently covered in my black cardigan. I didn’t think my floral arm tattoos would fit in a place like this and would most definitely guarantee a judgmental look from each stuck-up person here, so I opted for a boring cardigan to be safe.

I’ll say it. Banking people aren’t my cup of tea. But again, I’m here to bring home a steady paycheck. And it helps that I’m pretty good with numbers.

Scratch that. I’m really damn good with numbers.

“I’m the financial service administrator and sit just down the hall over there.” She points her French-manicured finger toward her desk, and I suddenly wonder if it’s acceptable that mine are black. Shit, I didn’t think about that. “It’s so nice having another woman in the office, so if you ever want to grab a coffee or lunch and save me from all the boredom, just let me know.”

“I will definitely take you up on that.”

She smiles and then walks away, leaving me to turn on my computer and start my day. After a few hours, my stomach rumbles, so I reach inside my purse for one of my protein bars to hold me over, and just as I take a rather large bite of the bar, my phone rings.

I pick it up without looking at it like an idiot. “Hello,” I murmur through a mouthful of food.

“Hi, Sarah, this is Sabrina, Mr. Black’s secretary. He asked for you to see him now.”

I gulp down my bar. Mr. Black. The big boss. The head of this corporate office wants me to see him. “Of course! I’m on my way.” I jump out of my seat, straighten my dress, ensure my cardigan is buttoned, and smooth out my hair before letting out a deep breath. My heels click on the glossy floor with each step I take, getting closer and closer to his office.

As I approach, I see who I assume is Sabrina sitting at a desk outside his office. She looks at me, smiling, and tells me to go inside.

My fingers tremble as I carefully open the frosted glass door.

“Mr. Black. You wanted to see me, sir?” I ask, cautiously making my way inside.

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