03

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and walked around the corner, stepping lightly so I wouldn’t draw any attention. I set the pile of reports down on the desk and looked up, scanning past the heads of the other employees who were eagerly listening to the speech.

At five-foot-three, I was shorter than a lot of other people so I stepped past the desk and stood on my toes, craning my neck until I got a good look at the person speaking on stage.

My stomach dropped, as if it suddenly discovered forty stories beneath it, and I gasped out loud in horror.

Shit !

It was him. Him-him.

The man who practically mugged me out of my coat this morning and whose ear I’d practically lectured off half an hour ago was standing in the make-shift podium, smiling and speaking to his audience.

“—know that I’m grateful for all your hard work and determination.”

Then his eyes zeroed in on me, as if I had a giant target sign on my forehead. I absently backed up a step.

Uh-oh. Please don’t fire me in front of everyone.

“Oh, hi !” he greeted with a crooked grin, waving at me enthusiastically. “See ? Another hardworking staff. Off doing her duties even after a rough morning so some of us could have this time together. We really have some amazing people working for our team. I’m reassured to know that my company, our company, is in great hands.”

I was sufficiently mortified.

I stared at the floor, wondering if it would open up if I willed it hard it enough and swallow me whole because everyone turned around to look at the person he—apparently Luke Hedenby, CEO of Hedenby Holdings—was talking about.

I felt the urge to take off and run but I forced my spine up and gave everyone a smile instead.

They looked mildly confused, some amused, and just nodded and smiled back at me before turning back to the boss.

Oh, God. My boss. I just saw my boss in all his naked glory this morning. Then I bit his head off promptly after running into him, albeit clothed at last, a second time.

At the sight of his knowing grin at me before he continued with his speech, it didn’t look like he was going to fire me. At least not right then and there. Especially not while he appeared to be thinking in the same moment how hilarious it was to watch a lowly employee realize, with great horror and dismay, that she’d run her mouth off with her boss, even if he did run off with her outer garments and dignity.

I was safe for a little while—at least until he stopped being amused.

Tiptoeing back to the reception desk, I grabbed the reports and dashed back down the hall as fast as my feet could carry me.

If I could’ve hidden my face in a folder all day, I would’ve, but I couldn’t so I endured the pitying looks some people in our office gave me as they filed back in from the meeting about an hour later. The marketing department had a lot of desks and cubicles spread throughout the vast room with managerial offices and meeting rooms lining up the corners. There weren’t a lot of places for me to hide.

Although Luke didn’t say anything negative about me when he picked me out of the crowd earlier, it was still pretty embarrassing especially since I currently looked like a forgotten piece of laundry that got stuck in the vent.

Nevertheless, I kept a straight face on. I was used to criticisms and people who thought I couldn’t possibly pull off whatever it was that I was hoping to do. I had been successful at proving them wrong constantly but it didn’t mean I was ultra-confident about it.

Theodora gave me a murderous look as she walked back into the office and only her curt nod and hand gesture toward her desk indicated that she wanted that meeting now.

I fought the urge to flee and dragged myself over. She spent nearly half an hour talking about all the things I needed to improve and warning me of all of the repercussions of my lack of professionalism. I was more concerned about Luke Hedenby firing me that Theodora’s evil rant barely made a dent on me. I got through that meeting with a combination of nods and monosyllabic answers, which was alright with Theodora since she often liked the sound of her own voice.

I had just sat back down at my desk when a hush fell over the room before everyone burst into energetic and sickeningly sweet greetings.

“Hello, Mr. Hedenby ! How nice of you to come see us !”

I secretly groaned at Theodora’s over-perky greeting and forced my head down until my nose was practically plotting coordinates on the top page of a report I was reviewing.

“She sits right over there, Mr. Hedenby.”

Recognizing Jillian’s voice, I stiffed. Jillian was my friend who worked in the IT department and her office was in the other end of the main hall. She only ever came here to talk to me or drag me out for lunch.

I snuck a peek over the divider that sectioned my cubicle from the others in the row and saw her pointing in my direction, grinning broadly. She waved and glanced back at Luke to see if he followed my direction.

I was just about to pull my head back down like a terrified turtle slinking off inside its shell at the threat of a predator but the man grinned and waved at me before turning back to Jillian to thank her

She is so paying for this later.

“Ms. Moss ! Hi !”

I could feel all eyes burn holes in different parts of my body as Luke Hedenby made his way toward me, pausing and greeting those he passed without getting distracted too long.

The moment he arrived at my cubicle though, Theodora appeared like an apparition, blocking me from his path.

“Mr. Hedenby, I just want to say that you gave such an amazing speech,” she started, moving her arms and hands animatedly I was certain it would’ve made an interesting shadow play if the lights had been out. “It was so empowering and it really engaged the employees. I know it went straight to my heart. I can’t wait to attend the industry update later.”

Luke’s brows rose gently as he focused on Theodora for the first time since she practically yelled at him in greeting when he came in through the door.

“I’m glad to hear it, Miss… um…”

“Theodora Graves, sir, marketing extraordinaire !” she said as she extended a hand which the man shook with a certain lack of enthusiasm. “My team welcomes you !”

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes because Theodora Graves wasn’t the head of the marketing team but I didn’t want to call more attention to myself than I already have.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Graves,” Luke said as she started to turn away from her. “I’m just popping by real quick here before I have to be back in my office for a conference call that I’m already late for so if you’ll excuse me…”

Before Theodora could say anything more, Luke stepped around her and stopped in front of me, planting his hands on my desk as he leaned down, smiling that brilliant, crooked smile that seemed to be his signature.

“Ms. Moss, could you come see me quarter to eleven, please ?” he said in a low enough voice that people wouldn’t normally hear unless they were absolutely straining to eavesdrop. “I’ll let my secretary know so you can just walk right in in case I’m still at the tail-end of my conference call.”

I opened my mouth, about to give an automatic hell no but how would I explain to people that the top man of the company asked to see me in his office and I told him off ?

Couldn’t this be a quick execution ? Did I really have to get boxed in and humiliated ?