“You, too,” Cassidy said, less shy now. “Welcome aboard. Maybe we can go to lunch sometime.”
“I’d like that,” Meadow said warmly.
Dirk introduced her to the others, whose job titles ranged from product manager to senior game developer.
“Is it true that you’re dating Logan Brassard?” someone asked with bold curiosity.
Heat flooded her cheeks. “Um…”
Dirk laughed to cover the awkward moment. “All right, everybody. Back to work.” As the crowd slowly dispersed, he gave Meadow an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that. The Denver Rebels are kind of a big deal around here.”
“I figured as much,” she said wryly.
His blue eyes twinkled. “Let me show you to your office.” He reached for her bouquet of flowers. “I’ll carry this for you—it looks heavy.”
As he escorted her down the labyrinthine hallway, he reminded her that the company’s amenities included a coffee bar, cafeteria, lounge room and state-of-the-art gym. She’d been there before to sign paperwork, so she didn’t need another tour.
On the way to her office, they passed several employees in T-shirts and jeans, prompting Meadow to glance down at her fitted skirt suit and ask, “Am I overdressed?”
“No, you’re fine,” Dirk assured her as they headed down a corridor of glass-fronted offices. “You’re gonna be interacting with the public and meeting with local business leaders. As a company representative, it’s good for you to look as professional as possible.” He smiled. “But you get a reprieve on Casual Fridays. We also have Wacky Wednesdays, where employees are allowed to wear crazy outfits. You’re welcome to participate if you don’t have any offsite meetings that day. Oh, and we also observe Team Spirit Day twice a month, where people wear Denver Rebels jerseys.”
“Only Denver Rebels?” Meadow asked teasingly. “What about Denver Broncos or Denver Nuggets? And what if I’m a Golden Knights fan? Will I get in trouble for wearing their jersey?”
“No.” Dirk grinned. “But you might be shunned.”
She laughed, shaking her head.
Dirk stopped at the end of a long corridor. “Here we are.”
She followed him into a glass-fronted corner office with large windows that overlooked the sprawling business park. The sleek décor featured an adjustable desk, two visitor’s chairs, a glass worktable and an orange beanbag chair in the corner.
Following the direction of her gaze, Dirk explained, “That’s your thinking chair. Every office and cubicle has one. It’s supposed to help stimulate creativity.” He grinned sheepishly. “Like many tech companies, we’ve drawn a bit of inspiration from Google’s workplace design.”
Meadow grinned. “Everything looks awesome, and I’m sure I’ll make good use of my thinking chair.”
“Excellent.” Dirk set her massive bouquet on the worktable as she dropped her purse and attaché case in a storage bin next to the desk.
There was a large Apple iMac computer and wireless keyboard. As she rounded the desk, she saw a welcome basket filled with fruit, candy and cookies.
“That’s from us.” Dirk grinned sheepishly. “Sorry it’s not as, uh, impressive as Logan’s gift.”
“It’s perfect,” Meadow assured him with a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
“We’re excited to have you onboard. We want to give you as many reasons as possible to stick around.” He grinned. “The corner office is part of the bribe.”
Meadow laughed. “I’m definitely not complaining,” she said, sitting in the leather swivel chair.
“It’s ergonomically correct,” Dirk said.
“And very comfy.”
“Awesome.” Dirk grinned and sat in one of the visitor’s chairs. “Hey, I saw you at the game in Vegas.”
“Really?” Meadow said in surprise. “You were there?”
“I wish.” He laughed. “No, they showed you on TV when Logan scored.”
Her throat went dry. “Oh?”