Unsettled (8 page)

W
hen I returned to the conference room after my lunch break to clean up, the executives were filing out into the corridor.

I parked myself just inside the conference room door, waiting for everyone to clear out. When only a few execs remained, I began to gather the leftover press packets from the vacated table. I looked up when I felt a set of eyes boring a hole into the side of my face. Logan glanced at me, but I feigned ignorance and dutifully turned my head away. I discreetly slanted my eyes to see if Logan was still looking in my direction, and was rewarded with a coy smile.

Diverting my attention back to my tasks, I noticed that Trent was moving his body slower than was humanly normal.

“I’ll be right there,” Trent said to Ron, who was standing near the conference room entrance. As soon as everyone exited the room I attempted to thumb miscellaneous paperwork to avoid Trent and whatever interrogation he had planned.

“I see you know Mr. Colton,” Trent sneered. “What I’m having the damndest time figuring, is how my assistant has made the acquaintance of one of the youngest CEOs on the East Coast, when it took me, the executive vice president, three months to cajole him into a meeting with Copple,” Trent continued.

“I don’t know him, Trent. We bumped into each other in the lobby Monday as he was heading into a meeting with Ron. Until today I didn’t know who he was and I was certainly surprised to find that he was the CEO of a construction company,” I replied, maintaining my calm.

“Well, don’t get too familiar with Mr. Colton. You’re here to complete the tasks that I assign you, and nothing more.”

“Trent, I assure you, I know my role within this company.”

“Well I just want to make sure you keep it that way. I feel it is necessary to remind you that you are expendable. One call to the temp agency and I can have another person to replace you, like that.” He emphasized his point by snapping his fingers in front of his face. “Just think, another young woman sitting at your desk on Monday morning, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and more than eager to please.”

Just listening to Trent spout out deprecating bullshit brought me down from the brief euphoria I’d enjoyed while inconspicuously exchanging glances and small talk with Logan. I was officially back in hell.

In a smooth tone I rebutted, “I know what my responsibilities at Copple are.”

“Well good, I’m glad we’ve cleared that up,” Trent replied coldly, turning and walking abruptly out of the conference room, and leaving me to clean up the rest of the mess. As I discarded a paper plate into the trash, I silently gave myself a pep talk regarding all the reasons why I needed to stay gainfully employed.

For the rest of the workday, I graciously welcomed a reprieve from dealing with my ass of a boss. At four thirty I shut down my computer. I was ready to leave and I was definitely not going to stick around to haphazardly run into Trent.

I grabbed my purse out of my desk drawer and headed downstairs to get home before
Law & Order: SVU
came on at seven. Alex and I loved to watch the show together. Stabler’s antics were hilarious.

I exited through the double doors on the executive floor without being detected and preceded down the staircase, practically running. My black kitten heels pounded on each stair as I continued my descent.

Marci interrupted my mad dash for the front door just before I was free from Copple’s overbearing presence.

“Oh, Ms. Caldwell! Someone left a note for you. I attempted to call you on your desk phone but I suppose you were away.”

“Who left me a note?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. I found the envelope resting next to the visitor log.” Marci handed me the light envelope and I accepted it graciously.

“That’s odd...maybe it’s a winning lotto ticket?” I shook the envelope as if it were Christmas morning.

“Yeah, I doubt that honey,” she replied, amused by my phony optimism.

“Thanks Marci. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I dropped the envelope in my purse and headed out the double doors of the building. As I walked down the street toward home, I relished in the fact that my day at the office was over.

WHEN I ARRIVED HOME
Alex was in the kitchen cooking. Salsa, cheese, and shredded lettuce were laid out on the kitchen island in small serving bowls. I tossed my purse on the counter and relaxed into one of the bar stools.

“Hey Alex…smells good in here…tacos?” The scent of cumin, onion, and ground beef tickled my nostrils.

“You guessed correctly. Jay put in a special request this morning so I all too happily obliged—in exchange for him taking my car in to get serviced in a few weeks,” she replied while dicing up half a tomato.
Oh Alex, the grade A negotiator
.

“You know how I hate dealing with mechanics, they’re all a bunch of shysters.”

“Well I hope there is enough for all of us. I definitely don’t feel like cooking after the day I had with you know who.”

“Of course there is! Do I ever let my bestie go hungry? What did good ole’ Trent Walker do today?”

“No you don’t…” I replied coquettishly. “Not too much; just reminded me of my high ranking on the company totem pole. Could you pass me a bottle of cranapple out of the fridge please?”

“Sure…hold on a sec…” Alex said as she stirred the sizzling meat. “As far as Trent, that’s nothing new. I don’t know why you don’t just look for something else. You’re more than capable of doing more, it’s not like you aren’t talented. You really should look into becoming a freelance photographer…you’re really good at capturing shots,” she added, sliding the juice bottle down the kitchen island in my direction.

“Alex…” I twisted off the cap to the cranapple juice.

Alex had been on me about turning my photography hobby into a side gig ever since I purchased my DSLR camera a few years back.

“What? I am being honest. Sometimes I don’t think you give yourself enough credit for your abilities.”

“I can’t just up and quit my job. Newsflash: I have a boatload of student loan debt, and in case you didn’t know, freelance work is hard to come by—and certainly not a steady source of income,” I replied, taking a sip of the cold juice.

“Nobody said it would be easy, but sometimes you have to color outside the lines. We both know you aren’t working your dream job, especially working for Trent.”

“Yeah…well…my day also sucked ass because I found out that this random guy I bumped into last week and not-so-subtly called a stalker is actually the CEO of some construction company.”

Alex’s ears immediately started twitching and perking up like a doberman pinscher. “Don’t start, Alex. It’s nothing like that. I was pretty embarrassed.”

Alex looked at me pointedly. “Details! Now!” I sighed and rolled my eyes before recounting the short and sweet version of my encounter with Logan Colton. Alex found the whole episode hilarious, as I knew she would. I, on the other hand, failed to find the comedic relief in the whole disaster.

“Well, I’m off to take a shower,” I said, reaching for my purse. The envelope that Marci gave me earlier caught my eye and I remembered I never opened it. My name was scribbled on the front in black ink. I skeptically pulled back the sticky flap and retrieved the small card that was inside. In the left corner of the card was a foil stamped pair of interlocking silver and royal blue blocks. The center of the card read:

LSC Capital Construction
Logan Colton
Chief Executive Officer, PMP

A black arrow at the bottom of the card indicated that I should turn it over. I did as instructed and found the message “hope to hear from you soon” scrawled in sloppy print. My mouth practically dropped to the floor. I continued to stare at the card until Alex broke my concentration.

“What’s that?” she asked, intrigued. The thought of lying to her immediately came to mind.

“Logan’s business card,” I muttered out instead.

“Why were you looking at it like it was going to catch fire?” Again, truth or lie? I knew Alex well enough to know that she’d take his small gesture and turn it into some type of cockamamie marriage proposal.

“He wrote his cell number on the back of the card,” I replied.

“What?! Let me see that!” Alex grabbed the card out of my hand before I could shove it back into my purse and away from her prying eyes. Alex read the card and turned to me with a smile full of mischief. “Why does his name sound familiar?”

“I don’t know” I said, shrugging. I wasn’t going to help her with her scavenger hunt.

Alex abandoned her taco meat and pulled out her phone from her sweat pants pocket. She began scrolling through screens on her Galaxy S.

“Well, according to my trusty friend Google, Colton Capital Enterprises and its subsidiary LSC were listed by Bloomberg as one of the top up and coming companies run by a person forty and under. Net worth, $22 mil.”

Alex glanced up from her phone, with a devilish smile, “so…are you going to call him? He’s obviously interested.”

Before I could answer her question, she began bobbing her head up and down and mouthing the word
yes
. Alex was like a mix between a pitbull and a bloodhound. Once I show the slightest whiff of interest in a guy she sinks her teeth in and will not let up until I go on a date with him.

“No I’m not going to call him, Alex. He’s the CEO of a large account that Copple is attempting to land. Dealing with Trent is more than enough headache for me without adding a CEO and conflict of interest to the mix,” I said. “Besides, I’m not some plaything for him to toy with while in town and then toss when he’s done,” I muttered. Alex shifted her eyes in exasperation.

“That’s crap Brooklyn, and you know it. He made the first move. He wouldn’t have left you his private cell number otherwise. Last time I checked CEOs didn’t just hand out their private contact information to any and everyone,” Alex said.

I knew she was right, but I wasn’t going to relent. I was not willing to open myself up to potential failure again…even if I had played googly eyes with him earlier in the day.

“I am not going to call him, Alex; I don’t want to pursue any ‘love’ interests.”

“Okay, suit yourself,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

I rolled my eyes again. I really didn’t want to think about my limited dating experience.

“Please just let it go Alex. I’m not calling him.” I took the card from Alex’s hand and placed it back in my purse. I walked out of the kitchen, turning down the hallway.

“I’ll be out in a while, after I take a shower,” I called over my shoulder as I continued walking.

“You’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met!” she said, shaking her head.

I looked back quickly, “sue me” I retorted.

“When I get my credentials, I will! Shoot, the meat!” The sound of the spoon banging around in the skillet made me laugh.

“Don’t kill yourself in there!” I said, turning my doorknob.

“Shut up!”

LOGAN COLTON WANTED ME
to call him? Why? I wondered as I stepped into the shower. For the life of me I couldn’t understand the cruel joke that the universe was playing on me. I wasn’t the pretty or popular girl that got asked out by legions of boys to prom. I still remembered the awkward years of my youth—the braces, obscene hairdos and neon tights. Nope, I wasn’t Paula Patton beautiful.