Page 91 of Unexpected Kisses

I blow out a heavy breath and head to the kitchen to make a pot of tea for Eric and coffee for … Adam. God, it’s going to be so hard getting used to calling him that.

As I’m making the drinks, I work through my memory for signs I must have missed that AJ is Adam. But I don’t think there were any to miss. AJ and I hadn’t really talked about work very much and not once did he mention he was expected to take over the family business. Plus, Eric said his grandson lived in New Jersey. How would I have possibly thought AJ was Adam? None of it makes sense. AJ’s been here the entire time I’ve known him whereas Eric said Adam only moved here last week. My head hurts trying to piece it all together.

Lucy steps into the kitchen with my container of cupcakes. “Here ya go. I thought I’d bring them down before I ate them all.” She chuckles and leans her hip against the counter. Raising her eyebrows, she fans her face. “The new boss is pretty hot. Too young for me, but ideal for you.”

Saliva pools in my mouth and I choke on air. I snap my head around, checking there’s no one in earshot. “You can’t talk about our new boss like that, Luce,” I whisper-shout at her. “Plus, do you remember the updates to the handbook? No fraternization between employees.”

She shrugs with a smirk. “At least we’ll finally have some eye candy in the office.” She chuckles as she walks toward the door to leave.

“Stop it!” I hiss and then hear her chuckle from the other side of the wall.

I blow out a breath and add some cupcakes to a plate, then place everything on a tray with shaky hands. I guess AJ will get a cupcake after all. I fortify my shaky legs and carry the drinks and food to Eric’s office. The door’s closed, so I place the tray on my desk and raise my knuckles to knock, only to be startled by Eric’s shout.

“She’s a woman! And not fit to run this company.” My eyebrows almost shoot to my hairline. I had never heard Eric raise his voice, but over the past few months, he’s done it a lot. I glance through the gap in the closed blinds to see a red-faced Eric leaning over his desk in a most intimidating way. AJ is still seated, looking as calm as anything.

Since there’s a lull, I knock on the door and open it, pasting on my best smile. “I brought you both a drink and some cupcakes. Do you need anything else?” I look at Eric, then glance at AJ to check if he’s really all right after his grandfather’s outburst. He nods his head slightly and I turn my attention back to my current boss.

He smiles at me, straightening his tie and returning to a seated position. “That will be all for now. Thank you. I’ll let you know when we’re ready for you.”

“No problem, Mr. Wainwright.” I tip my head and escape, closing the door behind me. I quickly make myself a cup of decaf coffee and get to work checking emails and updating the database—it’s hard to maintain my concentration, though. Every now and then Eric raises his voice, but never AJ. I’m not sure what’s going on, but clearly, Eric isn’t happy.

I grab my phone and shoot Mel a message.

Me:Guess who my new boss is

Me:Forget it, you’ll never guess

Mel:Is he a super stud hot model that poses in Calvin Klein underwear?

Of course, Mel has her mind in the gutter and ordinarily, I would laugh at her message, but not today. I’m too wound up at the prospect that I’ve lost AJ, and I’ve totally ruined my career by sleeping with my future boss. I drop my head to my hands. How could I mess up this epically?

Me:Nope. I wish it were some super-hot model. That would be a hell of a lot simpler than the real answer

Mel:He can’t be that bad

Me:Yes, yes he can

Mel:Well, don’t keep me in suspenders. Who is it?

Me:AJ *crying emoji* *crying emoji* *crying emoji* *crying emoji* *crying emoji*

My phone instantly rings, so I jump up from my desk and head toward the reception area, the farthest distance from Eric’s office as I can possibly be and remain on the same floor.

“You have got to be shitting me.”

I blow out a heavy breath. “Nope. I wish I was. God, Mel. How is this possible?” I pull my hair back and hold it away from my face as I pace. Lucy gives me a weird look so I lower my voice. “Why? Mel. Why does this shit happen to me? Just when I thought I could have something real and meaningful with AJ, this happens. I’m going to lose him now and I could lose my damn job.”

“Calm down. You met himbeforehe became your boss, surely that means it won’t impact your job and you don’t know if you’ll lose him. Is there anything in the company policy about dating colleagues?”

I glance over, noticing Lucy leaning forward. I would take the call in the stairwell, but it’s a dead zone and I can’t get reception in there. I move further away and soften my voice. “Not in the original employee handbook, but he included it in the updates. What am I gonna do?”

“You’re going to do your damn job because you’re good at it, and then you’re going to speak with AJ when you get the chance and find out what the hell’s going on. I thought Adam lived in New Jersey and only moved back here last week?”

“I know, right? I’m totally confused. I know AJ hasn’t lied to me about where he lives, that would be impossible. But why would Eric lie about where his grandson lives? I don’t understand.”

CHAPTER38

–aj–

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