Page 11 of Catalyst

“No shit.” Matthew laughs. “This is what I’m talking about, though. You’re freaking out about a crush on your secretary because you’re not able to get any work done. Yet, not a single person has noticed you haven’t been putting in as much effort. Do you even realize how much you get done in a day? It’s at least three times as much as any normal person can accomplish.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“Think whatever you want, but it’s true.”

I sigh, not sure where to go from here. I recognize that my anger at Ellie is misplaced and completely irrational. I’m just not sure how to address it. “What do I do now?”

“Take a deep breath. Loosen your tight hold on the reins a little and see where it takes you. You’re only mad at Ellie because you feel like you’ve lost total control. You haven’t, Adam. You still have everything right where it needs to be; it’s just adjusted a little.”

Nodding, I finally turn on the car to head back to Westlake. Loosening the reins is not going to be easy for me. It’s not going to be like flipping a switch and suddenly I’m mister go with the flow. I’m going to have to consciously make the decision every day to let things go until eventually, it comes naturally.

“Ellie is pretty fucking hot, though,” Matthew says. “Her tight body, the outfits that skirt the edge of inappro—”

“Don’t fucking talk about her,” I growl, which Matthew seems to find hilarious. “I’m serious. Also, stop flirting with her. You know I can hear you in my office.”

Matthew laughs harder, mocking me with a salute. “Fuck, this is going to be fun.”

I have no idea what that means, but the next few months should prove to be interesting, to say the least.

CHAPTER6

Ellie

A snort burststhrough my nose as I complete my little drawing. A magic wand sits in the corner of the sticky note, with stars shooting from its tip. The stars curve around the words in the middle of the paper, making an adorable little border. The note reads:

“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” —Roald Dahl

I rip the note off the pad and stick it on Adam’s computer, then dash back to my office. Adam’s anal-retentive tendencies have come in handy since I started my ninja sticky-note project. He shows up at the office at 7:30 on the dot every day like clockwork. All I have to do is show up ten minutes early, and I get to start my day with a laugh.

Since the note didn’t take long to create, I pull out my iPad and open my drawing app. When the IT guy gave me the tablet and pencil, I immediately downloaded the app and started drawing again. Until I can afford a tablet of my own, I’m going to break the rules and use my work one.

I’m a little rusty, but I’ve had a lot of fun playing with all the new features. Things have definitely changed from when I was in school.

The sound of Adam’s keys jingling has me lifting my head. I set my drawing off to the side, listening for the moment he sees my note. It’s my favorite part of the morning.

I hear a scoff, then paper crinkling. I bite my lip to keep my giggle inside.

I wish I could fully understand how such a good-looking man can be so grumpy every day. I have a feeling it’s due to overworking himself, but since I’ve only been here for a few weeks, I don’t know for sure.

I run through the schedule for the week, prepared to answer any of Adam’s questions. I’ve started to really enjoy this job. I don’t feel like a glorified coffee maker. All of my responsibilities have a purpose, even when I’m fielding phone calls and emails. I feel needed in this role, important, even if my boss is a grumpy asshole most days.

At 8:00 a.m. sharp, I gather my things, along with coffee for both of us, and head into Adam’s office. “Good morning, boss!”

“Morning.” Adam stands from his chair and walks over to his seating area. His light grey suit is tight in all the right places, and I force my eyes away from him. I’m surprised I got a full word out of him this morning. I think my notes are starting to take effect. Normally, I get a grunt.

Placing our coffees on the table, I situate myself on the couch. When Adam is settled in the chair, I start on his schedule.

“You’ve got meetings out the wazoo this week, so plan accordingly. Your heaviest day will be Wednesday; the lightest day will be today.” Ignoring Adam’s eyebrow raise at my made-up term, I continue. “Mr. Jones has asked you to read through the updated contract for NOLA. I took the liberty of highlighting the updated parts for easy reading. I also highlighted a couple of additional paragraphs in red. The language was very convoluted, potentially skewing toward the football club if read in certain lights.”

“Thanks for making my life easier.”

I wave my hand in the air, brushing off his thank-you. Those things are easy to do and hopefully will allow him to spend time getting other stuff done. “You also have the Jett Hill Foundation event on Friday evening. Do I need to arrange a date for you?”

“I’m perfectly capable of finding a woman on my own,” Adam bristles.

I take a sip of my coffee to hide my smile. “I’m sure you are. I was merely offering to help take a task off your plate.” Do I want to ask a woman out for Adam? Absolutely not, but I know he’s going to have a lot to do this week, as always. It’s my job to make his life easier.

“It’s fine. I can do it myself.”

---