For now, all I had to do was send and reply to emails, check Mr. Graves’ schedule a bunch of times before setting upa meeting, and also had to make sure I chose the right partners for Graves Automobile Company and verify each company’s background.
It was nothing complicated or anything I couldn’t handle. If I thought about it, this was the easiest job I’d ever had. It didn’t involve drunk people, no poop or vomit cleaning, and definitely no old people with dementia.
My skin prickled at the memory of that one time when I used to work for an older woman. She was a sweet one, but when one of her episodes would hit, I’d leave her house covered in scratches with her screams still echoing in my ears. It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t recognize me, but that was a job I couldn’t handle.
Something about her forgetting everything hurt me in the depths of my bones.
“You coming?” Sara asked, closing her laptop and standing up from her chair.
My brows furrowed as I lifted my eyes to her. “Coming where?”
She walked away, putting her brown coat on and taking the purse off the hanger. Sara dragged the hair that had been caught under the coat and put it in the front.
“We have a thirty-minute break and everyone goes out to eat,” she explained.
I took a look at the clock on the work laptop.
Twelve p.m.
Time passed so quickly I didn’t even feel like I'd been sitting in front of a monitor for hours. Instead of going out to eat, I could stay here and show how devoted I was to getting this job.
Plus, I wasn’t that hungry either.
“I’ll see you when you get back,” I said, and watched her eyes lower into a squint. However, she didn’t argue and walked out of the office without saying another word.
NINE
TRISTAN
My fingers lingered on top of my screen. I couldn’t decide if it was better to text her and check if she was all right or go on with my day without getting involved.
Like every other sane person in the building, when the clock hit twelve p.m., I got up from my seat, eager to get a much-needed coffee and something to eat. By mistake, my eyes wandered all the way to the office next to mine and I noticed Sara was gone, while Haelyn Ross still had her nose deep into her laptop.
Some of my employees brought food from home if they had a busy day, but I spent enough time watching her in the hallway to realize she wasn’t about to take anything out of her bag.
I thought about knocking and informing her that taking a break was mandatory, but I quickly changed my mind and called the elevator instead. It wasn’t my responsibility to ensure my employees were eating accordingly. Doing that meant watching over thousands of people and having it as my full-time job.
The bells of the small coffee shop rang over the chatter, putting my thoughts on pause. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Maybe it was the sound of her heels that gave her identity away. Or maybe the routine.
“Mr. Graves? I didn’t know you like to drink coffee here.” Sara’s voice reached my ears before she invited herself to my table and took a seat.
Yet she’s here every single day without fail.
Before hiring her, there was a rumor going around that I was sleeping with my assistants and even if I didn’t deny or confirm it, I couldn’t stop it from reaching Sara’s ears. She thought she was subtle about trying her luck to get into my bed, but that was only because I didn’t offer her much attention.
I didn’t see anything in her besides an employee, so her advances simply brushed past me.
Maybe if she saw that I was occupied, she would leave me alone.
With that thought in mind, I gave her a barely noticeable tip of my chin and I opened the chat with Haelyn on the Unlock app.
Me
How’s your first day going?
“Mind if I join you?” Sara asked.
Without moving my eyes from my screen, I answered. “You already have.”