Page 13 of The Boss
Except I was starting to think that Mr. Lexington wouldn’t be coming anytime soon. I knew he worked a lot, but I’d thought a couple extra hours here and there, with the occasional weekend. Apparently, I’d underestimated him by assuming that his reputation as a playboy meant that he spent time at bars and parties.
For the first time, I wondered if I’d been listening to rumors about him the way people would listen to rumors about me.
Still, that bit of guilt I felt wasn’t enough to keep my ‘date’ this weekend.
I sighed as I looked at the clock again. I hadn’t had much in the way of lunch, and I was starting to get hungry. If I had to wait here much longer, I wasn’t going to take responsibility for anything I said or did. Being weak and loopy from hunger was a genuine defense for stupid behavior.
Or I could take the initiative and do something rather than passively waiting to react.
I put my laptop in my bag, took a fortifying breath, and headed for the CEO’s office. The entire floor was down to evening lighting, and eerie shadows lingered in the corners. My heels made strange sounds on the carpet, something I hadn’t noticed until now when I went down the hall to Mr. Lexington’s office, reminding me I was far more alone than I had been earlier today. No receptionist. No bosses expecting to see me. No co-workers.
I wasn’t afraid of him, exactly, but I’d have been lying if I said the idea of being so completely alone with Mr. Lexington didn’t make my heart beat faster.
The door was closed, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d missed him leaving. Perhaps he’d gone home – or wherever – while I’d been watching one of the dozens of videos I’d watched today. I wasn’t about to leave without at least seeing this through.
I knocked, then waited. When I didn’t hear anything after a minute, I raised my hand to knock again…and almost hit my boss right in his firm-looking chest.
I managed to stop my hand, but not my surprised exclamation. “Oh!”
He looked equally surprised but managed to hide it much quicker than I did. “Miss Webb, I thought you’d gone home for the day.”
“Are you keeping tabs on me?” I asked, startled enough to forget why I’d come in the first place.
One side of his mouth tipped up in a half-smile, and for the first time, I noticed how warm his mocha brown eyes could be. “I just meant that I’m usually the only one left by this time. Come in.”
He stepped out of the way as he issued his invitation, his behavior a complete one-eighty from when he’d ordered me here earlier. Granted, earlier, he’d had a reason to think I’d done something wrong, but the change left my head spinning.
I followed him inside, this time leaving the door open and walking over to his desk with him. He leaned against it, and I kept a chair between us, but I was still closer than I’d been before.
“I spoke with Mr. Hancock and Ms. Lamas,” he said. “They both speak highly of you.”
I blushed, half from embarrassment, half from pride. “I’ve enjoyed working for them. It’s been a real learning experience.”
“Is that where you see yourself in the future?” he asked. “In their positions? Heading up A&R?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. When I was a runner, it was the department that I was most interested in.”
He leaned on his desk, loosely lacing his fingers together in front of him. “I’m guessing you didn’t come here to tell me about how much you’ve enjoyed working in the A&R department. How can I help you, Miss Webb?”
There wasn’t really another way to say this other than to just come out with it. “I can’t go with you this Friday.”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t yell. “Why is that?”
“Because people will think we’re sleeping together.”
“Is that so?” He seemed amused. “Or perhaps they’ll simply think that a member of the A&R department is sitting with the CEO to provide him with information during an event.”
I was shaking my head before he’d finished. “That’s not what they’ll think.”
“It will be if that’s what I tell them to think.”
I gave him a puzzled look. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but gossip doesn’t usually do what it’s told.”
His mouth tightened. “I’m aware of that, Miss Webb.”
“Then you should know that it won’t matter what you tell people. They’re going to see a wealthy, powerful man with a young woman who works for him. We both know what people will automatically assume.”
He stood up straight and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Do you care what people assume?”
