Page 62 of The More the Merrier

Gregor ground his molars. Seriously, if he had to listen to much more of this crap, he would have a heart attack. He knew he was wound way too tight and took a few deep breaths to calm down.

“I just spoke with Susan. She is not coming back.”

Atticus dropped the smirk. “You mean until after the babies are born?”

“No, as in permanently. I need a new PA.”

“The timing sucks,” Atticus answered, looking thoughtful. “I’m sure we don’t need to outsource. With close to ten thousand employees, there has to be another Susan somewhere.”

Gregor chuckled. “I hope you’re right, brother. The masquerade ball is in two days, and I don’t have time to go over her planning to ensure everything is in place.”

Atticus stood up. “Send it to me. I will make sure we set everything according to her plans. Aegir is practically running itself. I have a lot of downtime these days.”

“I guess I could give you a reduction in pay, then!” Gregor barked out at Atticus’ retreating form. His only response was a nebulous laugh drifting into his office.

Chapter 2

Claire

Red-rimmed eyes traveled the packed boxes strewn about the small room. Claire sighed. This was it, the fresh start she had craved, but never under such depressing circumstances.

She clutched her mother’s urn to her chest before placing it reverently in the last open box. Sighing, she packed extra bubble wrap in the box despite assurances that the vessel was shatterproof. It was hard to take anyone at their word these days. As she eyed the box warily, her thoughts traveled to her last online date a few weeks back. She thought that had been the straw that broke the camel’s back, but then her mother had taken a turn for the worst.

Showing up to meet sexy Calvin from the med program at U of M and finding a fat, balding man in his seventies had put the normally soft-spoken Claire into a rage. She blushed at the words that followed and the tossing of the cold mochaccino in the man’s face before storming out of the café. Swearing off online dating for good had been a good thing, but now what?

Claire taped the last box closed and added it to the small pile in the middle of the room. She was only taking what she could pack in her car, everything else she’d sold right after her mother had departed this world. While maybe not the best idea, what was done was done and Claire bravely let go of her seller’s remorse. After all, she couldn’t move forward if she couldn’t let go of some old trinkets of little value other than to offer her sad memories. And those she wished to leave behind. Now all she had to do was hand in her resignation and tomorrow, she would leave New England for a new adventure. There was nothing here but pain and disappointment, and Claire wanted to be as far away from that as she could.

“There’s a time to mourn and a time to dance. Promise me you’ll leave this place and learn to dance again, my sweet girl.”

Those had been the haunting last words from her mother before the monitor beeped its last. Claire wiped the tear that tracked down her pale cheek. “I love you, Momma Bear,” she whispered to the empty room.

Stepping out of the tiny house they’d been renting since Claire’s father had gone out for milk and never returned, she locked the door. Taking the few steps to her car, she wondered if “old Betsy” would make it across the state line.

“One problem at a time,” she chastised as the engine sputtered to life. Claire drove the ten minutes to work, the letter of resignation in her coat pocket weighing like a lead ball.

She really liked where she worked. It was the first satellite location for a massive company based out of Colorado Springs. MBC set up operations in Massachusetts and Blaze MacLeod, a giant Scotsman, with piercing blue eyes was its head.

Claire had applied for a junior accounting position but soon found herself moved up the ladder and into direct contact with Blaze. The first time she met him, she thought her fantasy man had come to life. He was stern, and that was a quality that naturally attracted Claire. But the pair had no sexual chemistry at all, and she quickly stopped batting her eyes at him when she realized he was more like the older brother she’d never had.

They’d become friends in the only way a boss and employee can. But she was glad of his guidance in business and had learned a lot from him these past ten months. She shuddered at the look he would give her when he read her resignation letter. It was only days since her mother’s death, Christmas day, and leaving during a time when there was already an employee shortage was not very nice of her, but Claire couldn’t imagine another day here, never mind the minimum two weeks that a proper resignation required.

Claire parked and marveled at the snow removal that had already taken place. They were in for a storm; she could feel it percolating. Last night’s dump was just a warning of a bigger mess coming, and she prayed it held off until she was safely on her way out of the state. She’d made no concrete plans, just figured she’d drive until whichever gave out first, her car or bank account, and then look for work.

Walking into the building, Claire took the elevator up to her floor, her heart palpitating with the confrontation nearing. When the elevator dinged her floor and the doors opened, she pasted a smile on her face. Greeting the receptionist, she continued down to the safety of her office, but didn’t quite make it when Blaze stuck his head out the door of his office.

“Can you come in as soon as you’re settled?”

She smiled more broadly and nodded. “Of course. I’ll be just a moment,” she chirped. Did she sound as fake as her smile must look?

Claire entered her office and closed the door, her heart hammering in her chest. Leaning against the heavy wood, she took a few shaky breaths.

Why was this so difficult? She already knew the answer. Disappointing people was really hard for Claire. She took it personally and had always done whatever people needed of her and Mr. MacLeod had been no different. What made things worse was that he had been so kind to her, like he knew she was barely holding it together.

“I’m such a bitch,” she lamented aloud. “Yeah, I’m a bitch but I need this.” Disrobing her winter coat, Claire hung it on the peg. She went back to reception to grab herself a coffee and was at Blaze’s door in record time, gently knocking.

“Come in!” His detectable Scottish burr thundered through the door.

Claire took a deep, steadying breath and entered with her smile cemented in place as she greeted her boss.

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