Page 16 of The Perfect Putt

Fitz throws his head back and I can’t help the laugh that escapes me at the sound of his cackling.

“She’s feisty,” he says to Miles and claps him on the back. “I like that for you.” He turns his attention back to me. “Keep him humble.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I knew it would be a mistake for you two to meet,” Miles says with a sigh. “We’ve got to get going. I’m going to grab a quick shower. I’ll meet you at the car?” he says to me.

I check the time on my phone. “Okay, we’ve got less than fifteen minutes before we need to be on the road to the first sponsorship meeting.”

He nods in acknowledgement, then looks to Fitz. “See you later. You got my clubs?”

“Yeah, I’ll drop them by your house on my way home. Good luck today. Don’t let the suits walk all over you.”

Miles smirks. “You know me better than that.” They hug, slapping each other on the back a few times before Miles jogs off toward the clubhouse. Fitz shoulders the large golf bag with a grunt.

“Best be glad you aren’t the caddy, or else this would be your job.”

“I don’t envy you,” I reply.

“I’m certain you don’t, for more reasons than having to carry a heavy bag in this Florida heat. Miles told me about your little speech at the diner.”

I twist the bracelets on my wrist as we walk down the sidewalk to the lobby entrance. “It’s a wonder he didn’t fire me after that.”

“He likes a challenge,” Fitz says, amusement coating his tone.

“Oh, that is abundantly clear.” I pause as he opens the door for me and I murmur, “Thank you.”

“This world isn’t as bad as you think it is,” Fitz says as we walk through the lobby. The receptionist from before smiles warmly at us–or rather Fitz–as we pass.

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean it’s something I’ll ever be a fan of,” I tell him honestly. There’s no sense in pretending. Miles is my boss and he knows how I feel.

“I think we’ll be able to change your mind.”

“We? Have you joined the lost cause that is getting me to like golf?”

“I don’t think we’ll have to make you. Stick around long enough, and you’ll fall in love all on your own.” He starts backing away. “I need to head out, but it was nice to meet you, Ellie.”

“You too,” I say, my voice coming out stilted as I consider his words. I highly doubt I’ll fall in love with golf.

Shaking my head, I slide into the driver’s seat and turn on the car to blast the AC. I only get a few minutes of peace before Miles is in the passenger seat. Since he has some paperwork and things to look over, I’ll be driving us around all day. Out of the corner of my eye, I see he’s changed into olive green dress pants and a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up. He reaches to type the location into the GPS, and his toned, tan forearm comes into view. I avert my eyes, feeling my face heat. He turns the AC on high and the scent of sandalwood and citrus fills the car. A scent that wasn’t here until he was, so I know it’s him. His arm brushes mine when he sits back. My heart stutters at the sudden contact.

This is going to be a long day.

Chapter ten

Miles Day

I shouldn’t have had her come today. I should have hired a driver and handled everything myself. Or maybe the mistake was hiring Ellie in general. I glance over at her. Her eyes are on the road and her arms are taut as she grips the steering wheel. She looks about as relaxed as I feel. I rake a hand through my damp hair and look down at the contract in my lap again.

I’ve always thought I had good instincts. But after several assistants gone awry, and now Ellie, I’m not so sure. She’s been perfect when it comes to work. It’s only been a few days, but she’s completed every task I’ve given her excellently. Today is going to be chaotic, but she managed to schedule everything with plenty of time to get from place to place with added breathing room. I prefer to handle as many meetings as possible in one day so I don’t miss out on days of training driving into the city. She did everything right, if only she could also erase the memory of her first day on the job.

After our awkward encounter, I steered clear of her. Not just because I felt ridiculous for running away over emails from my mother, but because of the…whatever it is that’s between us. I still can’t shake the image of her eyes locked on mine, tension curled around us like a vine. And now she’s in my car, her candied orange scent floating in the air and doing dangerous things to my mind.

“Are you good with taking notes during these meetings?” I ask after ten minutes of agonizing silence. Unless it’s on the course, silence isn’t my forté.

“Yes,” she replies. Okay, so my question isn’t the conversation starter I anticipated.

“Are you sure? I know you haven’t sat in on one of these before.”

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