Page 12 of Say You Remember Me
A work trip with my incredibly attractive boss?
“O-okay,” I stammered, trying to shake off the haze and focus back on the meeting.This is a business trip, Maddie. Strictly professional.
But my mind had other ideas, suddenly conjuring up scenarios straight out of the contemporary romance novels that I loved.
You’d think after everything, I’d have learned not to get carried away. But no, instead of focusing on financial reports and investor strategies, I was imagining all kinds offorbiddenmoments—a business trip that turned into something...more.
That’s what I get for reading on the weekends Grant was with his dad this past year instead of going on dates, I guess.My brain seemed to be convinced I was living in a rom-com, especially after that kiss I’d shared with Ian when we first met.
I’d basically had the most unfortunate meet-cute with my future boss that anyone could imagine, and now my mind wasn’t letting it go.
But this wasn’t a romance novel. This was real life.
In real life, I needed this job to pay my bills and take care of my son. So imagining a scenario where we’d end up at a hotel and, whoops, there’s onlyone bedleft? Yeah, that needed to stop.
I sighed internally, shoving down yet another scene my overactive imagination was trying to formulate. One where Ian and I were snowed in at some remote lodge, forced to stay the night together and… No. I needed to stop this.
Besides, it was June. It doesn’t snow in Boston in the middle of June.
The meeting continued, the voices of the executives fading into the background as I mentally slapped myself back to reality. Ian was my boss, and I had no business entertaining these thoughts. Not if I wanted to keep this job and not complicate my already complicated life.
By the time the meeting wrapped up, I’d managed to fill my notebook with semi-coherent notes—though I’d probably have to decipher half of them later.
“So, about that business summit,” Ian said, glancing over at me as we walked toward his office behind a few of the other executives. “I was thinking I could fill you in over lunch since it’s coming up in just a couple of weeks. There’s a great Thai place next door.”
“It’s happening that soon?” I asked, trying to keep the surprise out of my voice. “Like, at the end of the month?”
“It’s the last week of June.” He nodded, his gaze steady. “Sorry I didn’t mention it sooner. My assistant usually handles my schedule, and with your recent hire and my friends’ wedding last weekend, things have been a bit hectic. But we should get you up to speed.”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” I said, my mind already racing with what I’d need to arrange for Grant during the trip. “I can join you for lunch.”
The sandwich, fruit, and yogurt I’d packed could wait another day.
But the idea of this trip happening in just two weeks? That was fast.
I’d need to see if Jaxon could take Grant that week. And if he couldn’t, maybe Sloan could help. Or Lexi?
“Great,” Ian said with an easy smile, completely unaware of the logistical gymnastics my brain was already working through. “I’ve got a call in a few minutes, and then we can head down together.”
“Sounds good.”
He opened the door to his office, and I sat at my desk, trying to calm the strange anticipation thrumming inside me.
It’s just lunch,I reminded myself as I pulled up a training video I still needed to watch.Nothing to get excited about.
Since again…my life was not a romance novel.
5
IAN
“Ready to go?”I asked Maddie as I stepped out of my office about twenty minutes later.
She quickly logged out of her computer and grabbed her bag. “Ready.”
We stood in silence as we waited for the elevator, the quiet stretching between us. After a moment, I cleared my throat. “Sorry if I seem a little off today,” I said, my tone softer than usual. “I think I’m still jet-lagged from Norway.”
“Oh?” She tilted her head, seeming surprised that I’d offered an explanation. “Were the layovers bad?”
