Page 1 of Wish You Weren't Here
1
14 FEBRUARY 2023
I’m not bossy, I’m the boss!
I examine the pink mug in my hand, smiling at the slogan proudly emblazoned across it, before setting it back down on the desk.
I stretch out in the ergonomic chair, my back arching as I settle into a good spot. I kick off my heel and pop my feet on the desk – perfect.
I notice a Post-it, stuck to my elbow, so I rip it off like it’s a plaster.
Nice girls don’t get the corner office.
Well, ain’t that the truth. I don’t know how many corner offices are here (well, I guess I technically do, given that there’s, y’know, four per floor) but I’ll bet most of those belong to men.
The sun is streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows (well, streaming might be a bit OTT, given that we’re in February). One of the things I love about Leeds Dock is that it always looks beautiful, no matter what season we’re in, and evenwhen the weather isn’t a spectacle, there is always something interesting to stare at.
There’s always plenty to see around the canal, and the boats that moor there – and I do love to watch the cute little water taxis come and go. It’s just such a good spot for people watching and, given that our office looks out at the Royal Armouries Museum, it’s not unusual to see a knight or hear a cannon being fired.
There’s never dull moment around here. Well, apart from all the very, very dull moments, of course.
I let out a contented sigh, rolling my shoulders back and feeling the tension leave my body. This is the life.
A knock at the door jolts me from my thoughts, and I quickly swing my feet down from the desk, my heart racing as I glance up.
Through a little window in the door, I see a man standing there. Wow. He’s hot – like if Josh Hartnett had a younger brother kind of hot. Tall, with that effortlessly tousled dark hair, deep-set hazel eyes, and a jawline that you could cut yourself on.
We lock eyes through the glass for a moment, and as his smile widens, I involuntarily suck in a sharp breath. That was weird.
I shake it off, snapping into professional mode.
‘Come,’ I say seriously, beckoning him forward with two fingers.
I don’t know how else to describe his entrance other than by saying he fills the room. Wow, he really is tall. I suppose I am sitting down but I’m not much taller when I’m standing up. If he’s 6'3" or 6'4" then he’s pushing a foot taller than me and I am into it.
‘Hello,’ he says. ‘Jennifer Carter?’
He glances at the nameplate on the door before his gaze lands back on me.
‘I’m a busy woman, what can I do for you?’ I cut to the chase, trying to sound as authoritative as possible. Oh, God, what am I doing?
‘I’m here to fix the computer,’ he says, flashing that smile again.
‘Oh, finally,’ I reply, leaning back in my chair with a faux-exasperated sigh. ‘I’m just so, so busy.’
‘Let’s see if we can get to the bottom of the problem then,’ he says, stepping closer.
He looks at the screen from behind me for a second before placing his hands on the desk, one on either side of me.
As he leans in, his face inches from mine, his chest lightly touching my shoulder, all I can think about is how good he smells. I wonder if there’s enough physical contact between us for him to feel my heart beating, because it feels like it’s jumping out of my chest like I’m a cartoon character.
‘What would you say was wrong with it?’ he asks, his voice low and silky smooth.
What would I say was wrong with it?
‘Oh, you know computers,’ I say, puffing air from my cheeks as I bat my hand. ‘It’s always something.’
Wow, that was just… awful.
