Page 3 of Office Affairs

I turned right and spotted a chrome wall plaque announcing the coffee bar around the corner. The smell hit me and my eyes sank closed for a brief second. I couldn’t stand there daydreaming. I had a mission.

Miranda spotted me and stood halfway, waving one hand back and forth. “I got you a coffee.”

I slid into the seat across from her and picked up the white cup. “Mocha espresso?”

“With an extra shot of espresso and whipped cream.” She toasted me with her own dainty cup. “Now tell me everything.”

“I’m going to be Chase’s administrative assistant.” I still couldn’t believe it. I’d applied for the job thinking it would be some menial position. I thought I’d work with one of his underlings.

Miranda stared at me, her large brown eyes wide. Light caught on her coppery skin and refracted off her gold hoop earrings when she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I think I just hallucinated. Who will you be working with?”

It was my turn to stare. “Chase. The position was for an administrative assistant. For him.” I rolled my lips together, tasting the whipped cream on my tongue.

Miranda made a noise somewhere between a cough and a snort. “I’ll be damned. You did it.” She flew around the table and wrapped her arms around my neck. “We’ll be work besties.” Her springy curls bounced around her face and she hugged me again. “I can’t wait to introduce you to everyone. Speaking of …” She spun around and grabbed a man and a woman by the arm. “Terrence, Laura, this is Sabrina, my best friend. She was just hired and starts work tomorrow.”

“Congratulations.” Terrence’s deep voice had substantial depth, as did his handshake.

Laura was a little slower to shake my hand, but her smile looked genuine enough. “I run the HR department. You’ll need to see me sometime tomorrow for your welcome packet.”

“Of course.” Nerves fluttered in my stomach, churning the espresso. “Can I come by anytime or do you have a preference?”

“Oh, anytime.” She flapped a hand. Her bright red lipstick popped against her porcelain skin. She wore a sixties hairstyle that somehow complemented her oval face. “Things are pretty relaxed around here, for the most part. Keep the bosses happy and things run smoothly.” She tittered like there was some inside joke.

Miranda rolled her eyes but didn’t clue me in. “Oh, you need to meet some more people.” She took me by the elbow and led me over to a group standing around a single man sitting on a stool at the bar area. Coffee cups lined the space in front of him, along with trays of coffee creamers, sugars, pretty much anything a person would need to make any kind of flavored coffee. It was a tiny slice of heaven in this cold, impersonal building.

I couldn’t really say that about the whole building. The conference room had personality. Did Chase choose the decorations up there or someone else? The thought of him conferring with a stylist burned through me in a sudden fit of jealousy.

Okay. I’d officially gone crazy.

“Mike, this is Sabrina.” Miranda tugged me close to her side. “Mike is the resident tech genius.”

Mike glanced up from whatever he’d been doing on the tablet sitting in front of him. He shot me a look, his gaze roaming over me, then he dismissed me with a twitch of his head.

The group around him didn’t even bother looking my way.

“I’m looking forward to working with all of you.” I attempted to break the ice. They would be my coworkers. I didn’t need their approval, but I was sure it would help the workday go better if I had some friends among my colleagues.

A thin woman with glasses and a pert nose glanced over. “You probably won’t be working with us. The departments stay pretty localized. So, unless you’re a tech geek”—her look implied she knew I was not—“then we won’t be spending time together.”

Ouch. I raised my eyebrows at Miranda in an are-you-shitting-me look.

She shrugged and led the way back to our table. “It’s like that at first. One big pissing contest to see if you’re going to shake the corporate ladder.” She finished her espresso, a look of concern tightening her eyes. “And since you strolled in here and grabbed one of the most coveted positions available, you might want to brace yourself for more than a few cold shoulders.”

“It’s not like I intended to step on anyone’s toes.” I grumbled into my cup and sighed. Great. I hadn’t even started work yet and already had people who wanted me gone.

Screwup Sabrina had struck again.

Damn it. I refused to let that mentality drag me down. I’d worked hard for this job.

I fixed my expression into one of careful neutrality. I couldn’t make these people like me, but I also didn’t have to let them know their instant dismissal hurt my feelings.

Miranda leaned toward me, her hands in her lap and her bright eyes earnest. “Look, Sabrina, I’m glad you’re here.”

I sensed a “but” and held my breath.

A commotion broke out on the far side of the room.

Chase strolled in, his hands in his pockets and his face not showing a care in the world. Two men walked on either side of him. I recognized them from my research. Russell Bennett on Chase’s right, and Garrett Smith on his left. Both had dark brown hair, but Russell sported a bit of a well-groomed beard and had a leaner physique than Garrett. All three men walked with purpose in every stride.

---