Page 13 of Perfect Assumption
I’ve been recruited any number of times by a lot of different corporations, offered a ton of money to leave, but there’s nothing that could make me consider that as an option when I know Carys and David feel I’m a part of their family. And they do everything within their power to protect me.
“We were on a call with Z, and the whole internet went down just as Burke got him to agree to the terms of the new contract.”
“How long did it take to come back up?”
“Who says it has?” I arch my brow.
“Oh, holy hell,” he groans. “Did I buy enough coffee? Should I make another run?”
“Don’t you dare go looking for an escape route,” I threaten him.
“If I was going to do that, I’d fake an emergency from daycare.”
I snort. “Like your wife wouldn’t leave this hot mess in your hands to deal with while she got to rush out and handle your son.”
He opens his mouth to retort when the door crashes open behind him and tattooed male hotness stands in the doorway. Beckett Miller booms out, “I’ve been trying to call Carrie all morning. What the hell is going on around here, Dave?” Despite the fact David and Carys have been happily married for two years, David still bristles when he hears his wife’s ex-boyfriend’s voice. Especially when it’s shortening his name to a nickname he utterly detests. And only used by the man in question.
I wave the cup to emphasize my point. “See? Today is turning out to be a complete catastrophe.”
David leans closer, ignoring Becks for the moment. “I’ll give you a month’s pay right now if you go set off the fire alarm to get me out of dealing with him.”
My shoulders begin to shake with suppressed laughter. “As tempting as that offer is, no.”
“Where the hell is Ward? I know he supposedly works here?” David demands testily.
“Do I look like your brother’s keeper?” I ask impudently.
“What you always look like,” Becks drawls as he comes closer, “is Aphrodite. Angie, run away with me. Let me treat you in the manner in which you should become accustomed. Remove the agony of this world by fulfilling your heart’s desire by becoming my one and only.”
David looks ready to spit tenpenny nails into the rock giant’s face. Since it would be such a shame to mar such sinfulness on a Monday morning, I wade into this ongoing pissing contest that has lasted for years. “Becks, if I ran away with you, who would help Carrie get the internet back up?”
His bright blue eyes widen comically. “That’s what the cable company is for, lovely.”
Again, I remind him, “And I’m here to assist with problems. Both Carrie’s and David’s,” emphasizing the end of his name, winning a twitch of a smile from the man in question.
“But not Ward’s?” Before I can grit my teeth and reply that yes, my scope of responsibilities now includes supporting Ward Burke as well, Becks snaps his fingers. “If I can’t get in to see Carrie, can I pop in to see her little brother?”
“No,” I declare resolutely.
“Why not?”
David merely chuckles into his coffee. “I’m not touching this one, Angie. I’d better go check on the internet crisis before someone has to represent my wife for murder one.” He nods at Becks before disappearing with the tray of coffee behind the heavy wood doors.
Becks waits until he leaves before he drops any and all pretense of being an annoying prick. His voice is laced with true concern when he asks, “How are you doing today? I tried to call to get through, but with both the work line down and your cell off, I started to get worried, love.”
I start to say I’m fine, but Becks just pierces me with a stare. It’s odd to count one of the world’s most famous rock stars as one of your close friends, but one night well before Carys and David were married, when we were all working late, Becks arrived with another one of his infamous “dramas.” The four of us ended up engaging in raucous banter for hours. Becks bemoaned he was becoming the laughingstock of the tabloids.
I tried to hold it in, I really did. But my tongue was loosened by the two beers I’d consumed. I finally pointed a finger at him and chortled before saying, “You never will hold that title. Not as long as I’m alive.”
I thought my comment went unnoticed by the megastar until a few days later. He showed up, unsurprisingly without an appointment, but this time he didn’t ask to see Carys. Beckett Miller dropped into one of the waiting chairs and stared at me, rubbing his forefinger across his full lips for hours. But he didn’t utter a single word.
This unusual behavior lasted several days, and for the longest time, I wondered if he was going to ask me out. I began panicking before the more jaded side of me kicked in. It wouldn’t be the first time someone put two and two together and in an effort to boost their notoriety made a half-hearted pass on me.
But he didn’t want that either.
It was about a week later when the gladiolus bouquet landed on my desk. I stood, prepared to carry them in to David as Carys often received flowers from her artists, when I heard a cough. Becks was leaning against the door. He merely shook his head before turning around and leaving.
Shaking, I returned to my desk and placed the heavy vase down before opening the card.
