Page 18 of Kiss Me Forever

"I'd like to say a few words first," Luke said, heading toward the end of the room. He looked imposing even though his shoulders were relaxed. In fact, his whole body was relaxed, but he still radiated power.

"I'd like to say a few things about Megan. She's a great addition to the team. She's worked precisely on the kind of projects we like and need her for. I’m certain she’ll ace the internship program, and we’ll see where things go from there. I put up the three new projects I want us to pitch for in the intranet. If you have spare capacity and like the projects, make a note. I’ll review everything and accommodate your wishes unless I think your talents fit another project better. That's it. Now we can have lunch."

"Thank God," Jonathan exclaimed. "I'm starving."

There was a lot of commotion as everyone took a plate and formed a line to get to the buffet. I filled my plate with pizza and even a bit of salad, but I was going back for seconds because this was truly a feast.

I thought it was incredibly nice to hold a luncheon of sorts for a new employee. It instantly made me feel appreciated and part of the team.

During lunch, no one talked shop, which I thought was surprising. Instead, everyone discussed what they did in their free time, where they planned to travel on their next vacation, or what Netflix show they'd binged lately. At SkyDesigns, there hadn’t been any chitchat.

I spoke mostly with Derrick because he was sitting next to me. Klaus was standing near the buffet. Donna was sitting on my other side. The ratio of men to women was about fifty-fifty from what I could see.

“I have to say, you're getting better and better at this," Donna said to Luke, who stood a few feet away. "This is even more delicious than the last luncheon we had."

"I always try to be the best, Donna. Always."

"So, what are your top projects?" I asked. “I'm sorry. I know no one is talking about the job, but I'm very excited."

"We have a room in which we displayed our best work in 3D models. I can show them to you later," Jonathan said. He sounded eager.

"I'll do that," Luke said. It was the first time his voice sounded different. There was less camaraderie in his tone and more authority. Derrick seemed to notice that too, because his eyes widened.

"Sure, boss."

I swallowed hard, turning to glance at Luke. He kept my gaze until I started to shimmy in my seat, and then I looked away too. Could anyone tell something was off? The thought of anyone finding out and thinking I’d slept my way to this job was making me break into a sweat.

The lunch lasted about half an hour, and then everyone put the plates into the tray that said “dirty dishes.”

"The catering company just takes them with them. Don't worry about it," Jonathan explained. "Come on, let's get to work. Looking at the new projects will take some time."

"Megan, wait a few minutes, please. I want to talk to you," Luke said. Again, he sounded authoritative. I wondered if I was already in trouble.

Jonathan gave me a thumbs-up, which possibly indicated he also thought I might be in hot water.

After everyone left, I turned to face Luke. He was still standing at the end of the oval table. "How’s your first day so far?" he asked.

"Great. I like the team."

"Good. They like you too."

"How can you tell?"

"I can read a room."

“Thanks for the intro at lunch. It made me feel welcome.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Do you want to go look at the 3D projects now?”

I was dying to see them, so I nodded eagerly.

He pointed at the door, and we walked out of the conference room. Once again, I felt that strange tension between us in the corridor, like the space was too small.

The room with the 3D models was breathtaking. It was the same size as the other offices, and the displays were set up on tables. Luke walked me through all the projects. I loved listening to him. He was so passionate about every single one and revealed details I wouldn’t expect him to remember.

“Why did you decide to focus on residential projects and offices?” I asked.

“Creating living and working spaces is what I like to do,” he replied simply. “Mom says that even when I was a kid, I liked to build things. I guess I never outgrew it.”

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