Page 1 of Boss On Notice
CHAPTER1
Off The Clock
DELILAH O’SHAY
Ding, ding, dum, dum…
I awaken with a gasp, then blink into focus my ringing cell phone.
“Oh…” I massage my temples. My head, which feels like it’s the consistency of cement, sinks deeper into my pillow. Last night I hung out with my favorite cousin, Xena, along with friends I haven’t seen in like forever. We danced. We drank. We danced some more. I had a good time—my dull, throbbing headache is evidence of that.
But lying here in my very comfortable bed, I know that something is wrong. I’m not supposed to be still in bed. There’s too much light in my room. I was supposed to wake up extra early this morning to get to the office and do something.
What was it?
What time is it?
The phone is on its fourth chime. It’ll do eight before sending the caller to voice mail. I squint at the screen.
“Damn it,” I breathe.
It’s Orion Lord, my boss. The time at the top of the screen glares back at me.
I wince as I fling myself up and into the sitting position. It’s 11:00 a.m. I had planned to be at the office three hours ago—and now I remember.
The letter.
My heart constricts as I panic. But then, I also remember that Orion never gets in before noon on a Friday. So, I have nothing to fear.
Feeling a teensy bit more relaxed by the seventh chime, I snatch my cell phone off the nightstand as I spring to my feet. “Good morning, Orion.” I sound extra chipper in efforts to make him believe I’m at my desk working my ass off.
“I’ve been calling you all night and this morning.” His tone suggests that I had committed an unholy act by not answering when he calls. I had definitely done something unusual by avoiding his after-hours disturbances. Yesterday afternoon, I let Xena persuade me to put my cell phone in Do Not Disturb mode and leave the office before 5:00 p.m. I was on a call with her complaining about Orion when the power went out. I meant to unsilence my device when I got home last night. I must’ve forgotten to do it. And now, I can’t chance him making it to the office before I do.
“Mm-hmm. Well, you found me now.” I laugh a little too high and then freeze midmotion. “Where are you?”
Orion never pauses for this long. He’s the sort of man who presents with an annoying kind of confidence. It’s as if he never has to think about what to say or do because he thinks second-guessing himself is a weakness. And so that pause means something is definitely amiss. I move even faster.
“On my way into the office,” he finally says.
I speed-walk to my closet, a real walk-in closet in New York City. I can afford it because Lord Technical Innovations pays me an executive’s salary to be the assistant to one of the worst executives on the planet. The money is why I never complain about him to his face, even when he assigns me the silliest tasks.
“Okay!” I say cheerily as I peel a navy blue shift dress off the hanger. “I’ll see you soon.”
I wait for him to say something. Orion’s not one of those people who ends a call without agoodbyeor asee you soonor athank you. Even though he’s a horrible and annoying boss, he has fantastic manners and persuasive charm.
“By the way, you didn’t send me my calendar yesterday,” he says.
If I had the time I would stop dead in my tracks, but I don’t have the time so I shove my feet into my running shoes as fast as I can. “I know. Sorry. The power went out at around four thirty.”
“Which is why I was calling you.”
“I know… Sorry.”Not sorry.
“Don’t worry. I got it.”
Now I go rigid in the middle of hanging my satchel over my shoulder. “You did?”
No…
