Page 26 of Finding Forever

Gina

Work was so busy this morning, I’d barely touched my morning iced coffee by the time the office’s lunch hour rolled around. I eyed the now tepid concoction that I’d purchased on my way to work at eight and shook my head. It was a pitiful, watered-down soup of cream, sugar, coffee, and melted ice.

“I know my first stop before getting food,” I said to myself, gathering my purse from the drawer in my desk.

As I was brainstorming what I had a taste for, a shadow darkened the area above my desk. I immediately rolled my eyes when Sera, the dental hygienist, came into view. She had ivory skin, was over six feet tall and dark-haired.

“Sera. What a treat.” My tone was dry as I made eye contact.

She was a stunning woman and allegedly good at her job. But I swore she was the biggest pain at times. Skipping over any semblance of a greeting, Sera folded her arms across her huge breasts and fixed her mouth in that stupid pout that was starting to trigger my fight response. I knew nonsense was sure to flow from her lips right after that expression.

“There was an accident in the restroom.”

“Okay,” I returned disinterestedly. Why was she updating me on janitorial issues?

“You should clean it up,” she said, watching my every move. “Beforeyou leave for lunch.”

Oh. That was rich. The woman believed that because I wassimplythe office manager and got paid less than she did, she could boss me around. Somehow, I managed to hold in my laugh at her insanity and smiled condescendingly up at her instead.

“I’m going to lunch,” I informed her, not even addressing her “request.”

After making sure my computer was in sleep mode, I stood and tried to sidestep her to get to the front entrance. But Sera, annoying creature that she was, blocked my path.

“I just told you that there’s something that needs to be done before you leave.”

“And I told you that I’m leaving. Have a good lunch!” I beamed, just to piss her off.

Lines formed in her forehead and around her mouth as she took in my reply. Never once in the years that I’d worked here had I taken commands from a dental hygienist. But Sera seemed determined to change that narrative every day since she’d started six months ago. She clearly had issues with power that I had no interest in dissecting.

“Cleaning is not a part of my job description. We have a very capable cleaning staff that comes in every evening after we close. They’ll handle it.”

“It can’t wait until then. You need to do it now.”

“No,” I said, growing really tired of this conversation. What I wanted was to be in my car so that I could check my messages and maybe have a quick talk with Maverick. That is, if he even took a lunch break today. Sera was still talking when I tuned back into the conversation. Sheesh, this woman must have really loved the sound of her own voice.

“Fine, I’ll let Dr. Long know,” she threatened, referencing the head dentist and owner of the small dental clinic. The man who had hired me many years ago, even before I graduated from the medical receptionist program, since I had interned with his previous office manager.

Sera did not like me. That much was crystal clear. Why? There was no telling. And without caffeine in my system, there was no way I was going to figure it out. But threatening to tell on me? That was hysterical.

“Did someone say my name?” Dr. Long’s baritone broke in. “Tell me what?”

The white-haired man stood there, looking between us with a pleasant smile. Dr. Long was nice. Or maybe not since he’d hired Sera the nuisance. Gladly, I turned on my heel toward him and filled him in.

Dr. Long looked contemplative before he addressed Sera. “Well Sera, as you know, running this office is a team effort. If the mess is so disturbing that it can’t wait until the janitor gets here in a few hours, perhaps you should clean it up.”

Sera’s expression was sour as he directed her to the closet full of cleaning supplies.

“The mop is in there,” he told her. Then he turned to me with a pleasant smile, effectively dismissing Sera. “Headed out to lunch?”

I tried—and probably failed—to hide my smirk. “I’m going to get coffee and probably a sandwich from Lorenzo’s. Want anything?”

His light green eyes lit up and the laugh lines around his eyes deepened. I knew he loved the local sandwich shop as much as I did.

“If it’s no trouble,” he started meekly, making me laugh.

“The usual?” I cut him off.

“Yes, please.” He was already reaching in his wallet to give me the company card. “Buy yours with this, too. And I hope you’re getting that coffee with a paper straw.”

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