Page 76 of Through You
“I’m not going to tell you where she’ll be working.”
“As if I couldn’t figure it out on my own.”
Alex smiles playfully. “That’s where you’re wrong. I know you. Why would the chief executive officer go out of his way to inquire about this year’s interns when he’s never shown an interest before? You know damn well staff will be suspicious if you snoop around, which will in turn put a target on the poor girl’s back before she even starts.”
“You’re in the mood to play games today, aren’t you?”
“Always. Also, I bet she didn’t tell you because she doesn’t want special treatment while working here.”
“I don’t—”
“Artemis, please, admit that you’ve been contemplating the many ways you could make her experience easy and pleasant from the very instant you found out she’s going to work here.”
He’s right. I can’t help myself. I want to set up her first office, get it organized and decorated to her liking. And outfit it with the best equipment and most sophisticated technology so she can do her work with every tool and resource at her disposal. I want to look at her smile and the excitement in her eyes when she finally sits in her chair behind her desk. But I know that interns aren’t assigned offices, and they have to share desks with other interns.
I rub my face with my hand.
“Alex, I’m not going to deny that the thought crossed my mind. But I respect her too much. And I understand she wants to start from scratch and earn her place with hard work. It would be disrespectful to her intelligence and abilities if I were to meddle in any way.”
Alex’s mouth drops in an exaggerated and dramatic way.
“Shit. That girl has you whipped.”
“And you have too much time on your hands.”
“Ah, come on. It’s Friday.” He moves his eyebrows up and down. “How about a glass of whisky? How about we go to your bar? I’ve acquired an appreciation for its candlelight lounge.”
“Listen, Alex, bringing up the fact that you almost kissed Claudia is not the best move on your part.”
“Get over it. How was I supposed to know who she was? You should be thankful that I was able to put on the brakes before anything happened. Anyway, it was thanks to my call that you were able to come down to the club and seduce her. By the way, you never thanked me for that. I’m not feeling very appreciated as your friend.”
“Oh, what should I say? Thank you, Alex, for holding yourself back and not sticking your tongue down my girl’s throat?”
I purse my lips as soon as the words come out of my mouth, aware of the critical error I’ve made.
Alex smiles widely. “Your girl, huh?”
“You didn’t hear a thing.”
Of course, Alex won’t let it go.
“Everybody is afraid of you in this company. You bring that cold and serious exterior wherever you go. If they only knew you were all soft inside, just like a—”
“Don’t say it.”
“Avocado.”
“Get out of here, Alex. Go earn your salary.”
“It’s Friday and it’s about”—he looks at his watch—“five o’clock in the afternoon. Work finished at four, so please loosen your tie and come along with me to your club.”
“This might come as a surprise to you, but drowning myself in whisky is not my priority at this moment.” I hold the bridge of my nose between two fingers. “There’s a new project I need to oversee, and lots of papers to sign and decisions to make.”
Alex checks his cell.
“Wow. According to Instagram, your fiancé has been enjoying herself in . . . Barcelona? I thought she was in Rome.”
“She’s been traveling all over Europe this month.”
