Page 2 of Bear Boss's Mate
When she’d met him at the interview, she was surprised to see he looked as though he was just three or four years older than she was. He made her feel more at ease right away with his down-to-earth nature. He was warm and respectful of her throughout the half-hour meeting.
Most individuals who lived in Pleasantville knew about Bear Bones Construction and its two partners, Bernard Langstaff, and Austin Morgan. They were known throughout the community to be bear shifters.
Marcy hadn’t met Mr. Morgan yet and hoped he was as kind as Mr. Langstaff. When she applied for the job, she assumed it would be better than her last one, and after her meeting with Mr. Langstaff, she was sure it was going to be.
Fidgeting, she placed her hands on her lap and took a couple of deep, calming breaths.
Looking around the reception area, she found herself grinning. The whiff of fresh-cut flowers gave the air a sweet floral fragrance. The place was bright and airy.
It beat the stuffy office building she worked in before.
She was startled when she heard a male voice from the other side of the reception area. “Miss Wright?”
Marcy attempted to get up from the comfortable sofa and stumbled forward. She composed herself and smoothed her dress with both hands.
Mr. Langstaff smiled at her. He was handsome in a rugged sort of way, with brown hair and kind eyes. He was dressed in blue jeans and a pale blue button-down shirt.
She cleared her throat, thinking to herself how she’d overdressed. She hoped she looked okay in what she’d elected to wear. He didn’t seem displeased or bothered.
With a slight grin, she stepped toward her new boss. They shook hands. Marcy couldn’t help but be nervous. “Mr. Langstaff. Sorry, I’m late.”
“Call me Bern. No one here calls me Mr. Langstaff. Don’t fret about being late. It happens. Just don’t make a habit of it.” He winked and motioned for Marcy to follow him. “We have a meeting to attend, but I want to introduce you to a few people,” he said as they walked.
“As I discussed in your interview, we have been short-staffed for a bit. The business has been expanding faster than we can keep up. We have contracts all over the State and in town.”
“That’s excellent news. That business is good, I mean,” said Marcy, feeling awkward.
“Yes, it is. However, I’m afraid you’ll have your work cut out for you. Like I suggested on the phone, the reason I’ve brought you on board. And why I think you are perfect for the position is your years of experience.”
“Not to mention your desire to move forward in your career. You’re just the type of individual we had in mind for the position. I think you’ll be able to whip us into shape in no time.” He chuckled. “The team working with you is eager to be of help, and I think you’ll discover they are a nice group,” he said.
The pair wandered down a long corridor past a few offices. Some of the doors were closed, but several were open, with no one seated at their desks.
Marcy’s lips curled as she watched Bern peer into several of the empty offices. He had a slight grin on his face as he looked back toward her. “It looks like we’ll save the introductions until after—” Bern was interrupted by someone clearing their throat several feet behind them.
Marcy and Bern spun around.
She inhaled sharply when her eyes fell upon an attractive, well-built specimen of masculinity. He was gorgeous.
He appeared an inch or two taller than Bern, with short, dark brown hair.
The guy looked right at her with pursed lips. His face was unreadable in that he looked stern, maybe even annoyed, but it was hard to tell for sure.
He eyeballed her from head to toe before turning his attention to Bern. She rubbed her moist palms down her dress.
Could this be Austin Morgan?
She swallowed to moisten her throat. If so, he looked a bit, well, intimidating.
“You coming to the meeting?” he demanded, looking at his wristwatch.
Bern acknowledged him and put a hand on Marcy’s back. She was thankful for the gesture. The man in front of them seemed almost surprised, which bewildered her.
Bern looked amused. “Yes. I was showing our newest staff member around.”
The intense, dark-haired man pressed his lips together and eyed her for another moment. He appeared to be studying her, and a look of confusion was still evident on his face. She wondered if he knew Bern had hired her.
The man bowed his head, then turned to storm back down the hallway without a word. She thought he seemed put-out and worried that his initial impression of her was now ruined. Not that she had done anything wrong.
