Bring on the shit storm.

I want to call Aaron, but he’s probably asleep. Actually, knowing him, he might still be up working. It’s no surprise he’s managed to become a billionaire before thirty with the insane work ethic he has. As tempting as it might be to text him right now just to hear his voice, it would only worry him. He’d grill me, and there is no way in hell I could tell him about tonight. Aaron is weird about sex stuff. My brother is borderline psychotic when it comes to me. That’s one of the main reasons I didn’t pack up and follow him to New York so many years ago.

Now he lives in a penthouse suite with his two best friends, Dominik and Tristan, living nearby.

Dominik…

The big, fat elephant in my head tonight. What the hell was that? That man had no business popping into my mind in that situation. Not like I’ve seen the guy in ages. The last I heard from Aaron is that Dominik made captain of the New York Slashers hockey team. I would have reached out to congratulate him, but the man has disliked me since we first met in high school. He and Aaron, on the other hand, have been inseparable since then.

I haven’t actually seen Dom since he graduated from Winchester High and left Boston. I’ve occasionally stalked his socials and checked his stats and speedy climb up the charts. I’m happy for him, even if he has something against me. And that’s likely why his face popped up at the worst time tonight. The guy is incredibly good-looking, and that hasn’t changed with age. If anything, he seems to have become hotter. But looks can only take you so far, and he’s a douche canoe. Except for the first day we met when I helped him find his class. He was sweet and shy, looking at me as if he’d never seen a girl before. I shake the old memories away, reaching for my seat belt and putting the car into drive.

Those days seem like forever ago now. Most people hated their high school years, but I loved mine. They were filled with hope and new possibilities, where my future was unwritten. I could be whoever I wanted to be. The days when chasing dreams actually felt like a possibility.

Today sucks.

I barely got two hours of sleep. Last night was a disaster, and this morning, I opened up my work email to learn we lost a potential client since I forgot to add an important detail to Greg’s presentation deck last week. Maybe he would have caught it if he looked it over, but why would he do that when it’s easier to blame his assistant? I’m definitely going to get an earful about that one later.

I have no idea what I had in mind for my life, but I never thought I would find myself at twenty-five, confined to a junior position at a PR firm, completely unrelated to my true passion of architectural design.

Speak of the devil, an incoming email from Greg with the subject “Meeting” pops up in the corner of my screen.

Do you have a few minutes? I need to see you.

My stomach dips, wondering if he wants to see me because of the client fiasco or because of last night. We have a rule to not discuss our non-work-related activities during office hours, but people love to break rules when it’s convenient for them.

Maybe he wants to check in on you because he’s worried about you.

Unlikely. When has he ever done that? He didn’t seem remotely concerned last night.

Logging off and grabbing my phone, I straighten my skirt and head out of my cubicle. I keep my eyes down on my phone and pretend like I’m messaging someone even though the screen is black. Doing this brings me comfort, knowing I won’t catch a judgmental glare or a blank expression staring back at me. Maybe it’s the fact that I enjoy being an antisocial introvert, or maybe it’s because I don’t actually like anyone in this office except for Sammy. And frankly, they don’t like me either.

Greg’s corner office comes into view. He’s leaning back in his black leather chair, laughing and running a hand through his blond hair while talking on the phone. He’s attractive, I guess. He’s never had trouble getting the attention of the women here or anywhere else we go. They stare at him, and he stares back at them, sometimes winking, and he doesn’t give a shit who’s watching. He asked me once at a bar if it made me jealous, and I shook my head, telling him I couldn’t care less, but that seemed to only piss him off. Why should I care if Greg wants to sleep with half the town? It’s not like there is a future here.

Our eyes meet, and his easy smile instantly drops. He averts his gaze, murmuring something into the phone before gently placing it back on the receiver.

Here we fucking go.

I give a customary double knock before opening the door and stepping inside. In here, the dynamic is firmly professional.

“Thanks for coming so quickly, Zoe. Please have a seat.”

I release a shaky breath, regaining composure as I shut the door. With a plastered smile, I stride toward the pristine, white leather seat opposite Greg’s desk.

“Everything all right? Any new files for me to handle?”

Loosening his tie, Greg takes a labored breath. “Listen, I’m just going to cut to the chase because Betty from HR is going to be here in five minutes.”

I hold my breath, my nails digging into my palms.

“You’re being relocated to New York. Some rumors have started circulating around the office, and I really can’t afford to have my reputation tainted right now. I’m up for a promotion in a few months, and it’s too risky to have you here. They wanted me to manage the new events division in New York a few months ago, but I didn’t want to move. A couple of weeks ago, they asked if we recommended anyone for an assistant position, and I put your name in. They sent an email yesterday saying they want you.”

I blink at him in disbelief. “Yesterday?”

Greg’s eyes are cast down as he plays with a mechanical pencil, ignoring me completely.

“Your files and existing clients will remain here, and I’ll take over the correspondence from here on out. You’ll be working in social media over there, so you won’t need to touch base with any of the clients here.”

“But they’ve been dealing with me from day one. A couple of them don’t like working with anyone else.”

Source: www.seynovel.com