Page 9 of Even if You Fall

“But I don’t,” I began, stumbling over the words a little, even as I automatically reached to open the door for her when she pulled on the handle. “I don’t even know what my position is. I don’t know what I?—”

“All in there, sweet girl,” she said without a backward glance as she shuffled out of the building, leaving me gaping after her long after she’d pulled out of the parking lot.

“Oh man,” I breathed as I let the door shut behind me, already rushing for the desk as I frantically opened the binder. I’d only made it to the side of the desk when my clicking steps came to a sudden stop because I had to be seeing the contents wrong. Or hallucinating. Something.

With a steadying breath, I flipped back to the beginning of the binder and slowly scanned the pages. A panicked-sounding laugh tumbled past my lips when I realized I hadn’t, in fact, been hallucinating anything.

The first few pages were employment forms, waiting to be filled out by me. Thankfully, Ada had writtenOffice Administratorin the position slot, so at least I knew what my job was. After the forms, there was a handwritten note from Ada in beautiful script that said, “Don’t be too good at your job; it’ll annoy Asher,” with her number written below. But every page following was blank. Nothing more than filler to make the binder appear full.

I was in so much trouble.

Turning at the sound of the door opening, hope surged in my chest that it was Ada returning, as if this might all be onemassive joke, but a bright smile automatically spread across my face instead when I was met with another man I didn’t know.

If I hadn’t already known all the details surrounding Asher’s siblings, I would’ve sworn he was Asher’s younger brother by the seemingly permanent scowl on his handsome face and the anger radiating from him. But Asher only had one brother who’d passed months before, which was how the adorable one-year-old, who was often in my house, fit into the mix.

“Who’re you?” the new guy asked as the door slammed shut behind where he’d paused just inside the building.

“I’m Chloe—hi!” I said as I dropped the deceptive binder on my desk and walked the handful of feet toward him, my hand already extended.

But he just glanced at my hand, then back at my face, never making a move to take it.

Awkward.

“And whoareyou?” he asked pointedly.

“Oh, I’m Lainey’s housemate,” I explained as I lowered my hand to nervously run both over my stomach. “And I, uh...I guess I’m the new Ada.”

At that, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. But instead of verbally responding to anything I’d said, he just gave a single dip of his head as he started walking away. Not that I planned on letting him get away that easily.

Grumpy people didn’t scare me off that easily. Clearly.

“And who areyou?” I asked, my smile widening as I shot his question back to him.

He mumbled something that sounded like “Evan” without stopping.

“Evan?”

“Evans,” he corrected as he turned enough to look at me, seeming more annoyed than before. “Beau Evans.”

“Got it,” I said in a tone that feigned seriousness. “I didn’t know we introduced ourselves in that wholeBond...James Bondstyle here. But I’ll be prepared now.”

A sneering laugh left him, the sound little more than a breath as his eyebrows drew together. But with nothing other than a quick, dismissive once-over, he turned and left for the remainder of the office.

“Two out of four,” I mumbled under my breath as I twisted to stare at my desk. “Not off to a great start.”

Then again, it wasn’t just the coworkers I wasn’t off to a great start with—it was the job in general. You know...since I literally had no idea what I was supposed to be doing.

With a determined breath, I rounded the large, wooden frame of my desk and reached for my purse. Once I’d fished my phone out of it, I let the bag fall back to the floor as I flipped the binder open once again.

Seconds later, I had a call going through to Ada. But just as quickly as I lifted the phone to my ear, her voicemail sounded, as if her phone wasn’t even on. After the same result a minute later, I texted Lainey.

Okay, okay, so you were right. BUT your man’s letting me keep the job and said Ada would train me...you know, like Ada said she was going to. Only Ada left right after without even telling me what the position was, AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING! Help?!

Also, is being outlandishly gorgeous a requirement to work here? Because if so, I shouldn’t be here. Also...goodness me *fans self*

I let my phone clatter to the desk when the front door once again opened, but the breath I’d started drawing in left on a rushed wheeze when I noticed the familiar man filling the frame, looking at me curiously as if he wasn’t sure he was actually seeing me.

Tall, also ridiculously handsome, and like something out of a Viking show... Cameron Rush. Asher’s best friend.

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