Sweet Heat at Bayside

by Addison Cole

  “And less privacy,” Muriel said sharply.

  “Noted. Let’s talk about the flow of the office. Will there be a reception area on this floor?”

  “Yes. Let’s go back downstairs and I’ll have my assistant walk you through. She can answer any other questions you may have,” Muriel said as she walked back toward the stairwell.

  So much for Serena’s dream come true. She was as hamstrung as a mummy.

  Two hours later she returned to her office, scheduled an appointment to meet with Drew Ryder the following day, and headed straight to Suzanne’s office. She found her studying floor plans at her desk.

  Suzanne waved her in. “How’d it go with Muriel?”

  “I’m not sure, actually. She’s worked with the company for eight years, and you’ve designed six suites for the firm. I assumed she might want to freshen things up, but she has no interest in any design suggestions. Do you think I missed something?”

  Suzanne waved to the chair. “Sit down. Let’s talk.” She came around the desk and sat in the chair beside Serena. “Muriel is one of our top clients, and yes, she has a very specific way of doing things. But she expects the same treatment as our less-controlling clients.”

  “Which means a senior designer instead of a junior who would be perfectly competent for the job?” Serena asked.

  “Exactly. Companies come to us for our expertise. Some of them truly want the design experience we bring to the table, while others simply want the ability to say we are on their team.”

  “I understand.” Even if I don’t like it. “I’ll work up the space plans and meet with Spencer and Laura to get them up to speed. I’ve scheduled a presentation meeting with Muriel next Tuesday. Would it irk her if I showed her exactly what she’s asked for as well as something slightly different on the off chance she might budge?”

  “You can try, but it’ll be a futile effort,” Suzanne said with a shake of her head. “I was once idealistic like you, and I admire your persistence. But don’t take Muriel’s attitude as a personal affront to your abilities. I only send her the designers I know I can trust to get things right.”

  “Okay. Thank you. There’s one more thing. She asked for a sixty-day turnaround. I know it’s possible, but one hitch in the plans and that time line will be shot.”

  Suzanne rose to her feet. “When it comes to Muriel, there can be no hitch, and in my experience with Muriel Younger, there is no wiggle room.”

  “Okay.” Serena nodded. “I do love a challenge.”

  Serena headed into her office, wishing she’d stopped for that doughnut on the way back to the office. If ever she needed a little pick-me-up, it was today.

  Since when is a doughnut better than cookies?

  Since Kane’s Donuts reminds me of Drake.

  There was no time to fret over cravings or ridiculous clients. They were the ones who paid her salary, after all. But there was always time for her best craving and her most spectacular sort of client. Drake. If only every job were like the resort or the music store.

  She pulled out her cell phone and sent him a selfie of a pouty face. Back at the office without a Chocolate Orgasm. Maybe we can make up for that tonight, xox.

  She returned her voicemail messages, scheduled appointments with the MacIntyres and the Wilkinsons, and then began working on the budget calculations for the law office.

  Long after everyone else left for the evening, Suzanne poked her head into Serena’s office. “Burning the midnight oil? Have we overwhelmed you already?”

  “No, not at all. I’m just putting together the budget for Muriel’s job. Tomorrow I’ll do the sourcing of materials and make sure nothing has been discontinued since the last time we ordered.”

  Suzanne frowned. “That’s what you have a team for.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind doing it. I actually love that part of the process. Since I’ll be out of the office most of Friday with Gavin and then I’m heading home for the weekend, I wanted to make sure I had everything in order.”

  “Yes, but that’s what junior designers are for. They handle the legwork of checking availability and the like. Serena, you’ve set up entire companies from start to finish. Don’t demean yourself by doing lower-level work. You’ve risen above that. Wear your new crown with pride. People would kill for a senior-design position with KHB.”

  Great. Now she sounded too small-minded for the job. “Of course, yes. I’m sorry. You’re right.”

  “Don’t be sorry. Authority takes some getting used to. You’ll get the hang of it, and I promise you’ll learn to love the higher aspects of project management. Most of all, the luxurious lunches and dinners you’ll enjoy.” Suzanne checked her watch. “Speaking of dinner, I’ve got to run. It’s almost eight o’clock. See you tomorrow.”

  Eight o’clock? Serena gathered her things and headed out a few minutes after Suzanne. But instead of heading home, she decided to get that doughnut after all.

  “IS THAT MY sweatshirt?” Drake asked Serena on FaceTime later that night. She looked adorable with her hair all tousled and no makeup on.

  “No. It was yours,” she said sassily. “You loaned it to me on Easter. Remember?”

  He smiled with the memory. They’d set up an evening Easter egg hunt in the dunes for Hagen and his friends, and after all the kids left, they’d had a bonfire on the beach.

  “Loaned?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Want it back?” She pulled it over her head, revealing a black lace bra.

  “Oh yeah. Now we’re talking.” He got excited—until he heard the sounds of cars honking and realized she was outside. “Where are you?”

  She pulled the sweatshirt back on and said, “On the rooftop deck. See?” She turned her phone, showing him the harbor in the distance. “And check this out.” She showed him the lights of the city and then an array of lounge chairs, tables, and gorgeous planters overflowing with colorful flowers. “We need something like this at the resort. Maybe on the roof of the community building? That would be awesome. And check out the decking.” She pointed the phone down at the cedar slats beneath her pretty bare feet.

  “That’s a great idea,” he said as she came back into focus and sat down on one of the chairs. “Let’s talk about it when you’re here this weekend. I’d love a place like that to hang out with you. But, babe, let’s not strip in public, okay? I’d hate to have to drive to Boston to kick some guy’s butt for wandering up to the roof when you’re shirtless.”

  “Have I told you lately that you’re hot when you’re jealous?” She blew him a kiss. “But you know I’d never whip my shirt off if a guy were around.”

  He scoffed. “I’ve seen you do it on the beach.”

  “Hey! Hush up about that. We said we’d never talk about it again.” She sipped a glass of wine. “In my defense, I was two sheets to the wind.”

  “And how’s that wine coming along?”

  She lifted the glass. “It’s my first glass, and probably my last. I just wanted to pretend I was home with all of you guys, sitting by the water and complaining about my day, knowing tomorrow would be better.”

  “You complained about your days at the resort?” He was only joking. He knew perfectly well they all did, including him, but he wanted to lift her spirits. “I have an idea.” He headed downstairs and out the front door, then jogged toward the dunes.

  “Are you going to the beach?” Her eyes lit up. He already missed seeing that in person. “You’re so sweet.”

  “I’m not that sweet. I’m trying to keep from driving to Boston, hauling your pretty little butt over my shoulder, and dragging you back home. Be careful when you tell me what you wish for, because I darn well might make it come true.”

  She smiled, and it warmed him all over. He walked to the edge of the dune and sat in the sand, turning the phone so she could see the water.

  “See, Supergirl? We’re under the same stars, separated only by a few airwaves.” Turning the phone back toward himself, he said, “Talk to me.
What’s going on?”

  “I don’t want to drag you down. It’s just a momentary blip on my radar, that’s all.” She looked away.

  “Look at me, Serena. When you aren’t telling the truth, you don’t look me in the eyes.”

  “I don’t do that.” She brought her eyes back to him.

  “I know you, Serena. Say what you need to say. I’m all ears, and I want to be here for you.”

  “It’s just that when I took this job, I thought I’d actually be designing not just managing budgets and coordinating the efforts of others. I mean, I love the budgets and coordinating and working with architects, even though they usually get annoyed with me for making changes. But what I enjoy most is the actual hands-on sourcing of materials and goods. It’s the whole creative wheel, start to finish, that makes it exciting.”

  The thrill in her voice was inescapable when she talked about the aspects of the job she loved. “I don’t understand. You’re not doing those things?”

  “It’s probably an anomaly, but I met with one of their biggest clients today, and she didn’t want any design input at all. I could have been anyone standing in her office. She shut me down at every turn, then handed me off to her assistant. The whole thing feels impersonal. I know she cares, or she wouldn’t be so adamant about how things are done, but her unwillingness to take even a hint of a suggestion makes it feel like she doesn’t. She just wants what’s easiest and quickest. I’m meeting with her architect tomorrow, which will be another total waste of time. It’s not like I can make any changes to his plans. I’m sure she gave him the same directive to make a carbon copy of her other offices. And you know how architects get irritated with designers, so he’ll have an ax to grind before I even open my mouth.”

  “Then he’ll be eating crow,” Drake said vehemently, “because a gorgeous, smart woman will come into his office and not make the changes he anticipates. Maybe you’ll have gained a friend in the industry, which doesn’t equate to wasted time.”

  “That’s true. There is a silver lining. Anyway, I have a plan to fix this annoying thing of being the yes woman.”

  “Does it include Chocolate Orgasms?”

  “Yes. I had one on the way home, in fact. But I needed more reinforcements.” She aimed the phone down at a half-empty pizza box, and then tipped it up toward her again. “My plan is to gain at least a hundred pounds, stop washing my face so I get acne, and I might stop showering every day. Maybe that will make it so I’m not the face of KHB they shove in front of annoying clients. It should be easy to gain the weight without Emery’s yoga classes or evening activities with you guys. But you might want to start thinking about looking for a different girlfriend if you want one that looks good in a string bikini and doesn’t smell bad.”

  He laughed. “Man, I miss you. I love your sense of humor. But, uh, what’s up with the attitude? You think I’m not manly enough to handle a hundred more pounds of hot woman? I’ve got news for you. I’d still want you just as much as I want you right now no matter what you looked like. If you smelled, I’d haul your hot sexy butt into the shower, but you know I’d be all over you in there, too.”

  “Really?” She lay back in the chair. Moonlight shimmered in her eyes, making him miss her even more.

  “I wish I was there right now, holding you.”

  “You’re not upset that I’m not exactly in a sex-chat mood?” she asked carefully.

  “Not at all, sweetheart. Sometimes you just need to cuddle up in your—my—sweatshirt with your man. And don’t worry too much about today. This is all new for you, and I’m sure you’ll have clients you love and clients you don’t, like with any job. But if anyone can make a difference, it’s you. So just give it your all and see where you land in a few months. Have you talked to Chloe and the girls about this yet?”

  “Only Chloe, when I was stuffing my face with the doughnut. I have meetings set up next week with more clients, and Friday I’m going with Gavin to the Boston Design Center. That should be fun.”

  “Gavin, or the design center?”

  Her brows furrowed. “Is my guy jealous again?”

  “Should I be?”

  “No. Although he is cute, clean-cut, and knows how to dress, like all the guys at my office.”

  “You’re not winning any bonus points, Supergirl. Maybe I do need to drive to Boston.”

  She giggled. “He’s funny, too, but he has one glaring flaw.”

  He sighed, knowing she was just pulling his leg. Or at least hoping so.

  “It doesn’t matter how far apart we are,” she said. “No man could ever be you.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “GIVING UP THE legwork makes me feel like I’ll walk out of here half dressed,” Serena said semi-jokingly to Laura and Spencer Friday morning. She’d gotten to know them over the last few days, and her earlier impression was right: They were eager and easy to work with.

  “That could be interesting,” Spencer said with a snicker. He leaned back in his chair, one arm hanging down beside him as he drummed a beat on the edge of his chair with his other hand.

  Laura rolled her eyes. “He’s trying to get fired for sexual harassment.”

  “Is that true?” Serena couldn’t hide her shock. “You want to be fired?”

  “No. I’m just a line crosser, and Laura’s not, so she likes to point it out.”

  “You probably do have to be careful in big companies like this. We joked around all the time at my last job, but we knew each other really well.” And now I’m sleeping with my previous boss, so there’s that.

  “You know I didn’t mean it that way, right?” Spencer leaned forward, picked up a pen, and began doodling. “Seriously, though. You don’t trust our abilities?” His eyes flicked up to hers. “The previous two senior designers tossed work on our desks and never looked back.”

  “Oh, no. It’s not like that at all,” Serena assured him. “I’ve looked through your portfolios, and you do great work. I’m just used to doing jobs from start to finish. If it seems like I’m micromanaging as we get moving on our projects, I’m really not. You can tell me to back off if it gets annoying. The client counts on us to get this right the first time. How can we do that if we’re not all involved?”

  Laura had a wary look in her eyes. “You mean, you actually care.”

  “Of course I care. Didn’t the last person who had this job?” Serena asked.

  Spencer scoffed. “They loved their lunch hours and client dinners. But like the long line of people who held the position before you, it was a stepping-stone to other opportunities or they got burnt out.”

  “You’re in the hot seat,” Laura explained. “As a senior designer, you get all the luxuries of corporate life, and you get to take credit for your team’s work. But did the previous designers care about the work?” She shrugged. “They seemed too busy to care about much beyond their next opportunity.”

  “Well, that’s their loss. Or maybe their clients’ loss.” Serena had known plenty of people like that. She straightened her spine, looking directly at the two of them, so they would know she had nothing to hide, and said, “I can assure you, I will give credit where credit is due, and if anything, you’ll see me in the trenches with you, not looking down at you.”

  “Certain people won’t like that,” Spencer said under his breath.

  “That’s too bad. Consider me the rebel of KHB, because unless you want to see me lose my sanity, I can’t be that hands-off. The very definition of team is a group working together toward a common goal. Do either of you have a problem with that?” Their eager smiles soothed the jitters in her stomach over possibly getting on the bad side of other senior-level employees. “Okay, then. Let’s show the others just how awesome our team can be.”

  They discussed the budgets and interior elements for Muriel’s offices, and Serena got the lowdown on how they usually handled projects. She tweaked their processes so they could work as a cohesive team rather than three separate entities coming together at a
finish line.

  Two hours later, Gavin peeked into the meeting room. “Ready to go on our BDC date?”

  Laura’s eyes sparked with curiosity.

  “After a quick lesson in sexual harassment, I think it’s more appropriate to call it an outing.” Serena winked at Spencer. “Can you give me ten minutes to wrap things up with my teammates?”

  Gavin’s brows shot up in surprise. He checked his watch and said, “Uh, sure. I was hoping we’d get lunch afterward.”

  She glanced at the work before her and said, “I’m not sure I can afford the time for lunch. Can we grab something to go on the way back?”

  Gavin stammered in agreement.

  Serena purposely took her time wrapping things up with Laura and Spencer, making sure they were all on the same page. “I’d like you to go see Younger, Lynch, and Ryan’s space Tuesday. Can you guys make time?”

  They exchanged another astonished glance.

  “We don’t go see clients alone,” Laura said carefully. “Only seniors do that.”

  “We can shadow you, though,” Spencer said.

  As much as that bothered her, she understood why the company worked that way. However, it didn’t scream teamwork to her. If this were her company, she’d want the clients to be comfortable with any of the designers who were on their team. Although I wouldn’t pit Muriel against either of these two. They were too nice to have to deal with her.

  Heck, I’m too nice.

  “Okay, then. Clear your schedules for Tuesday afternoon, and I’ll make the time to take you over.” Serena consulted her client notebook. “Actually, clear your morning and early afternoon. I have an appointment with the Wilkinsons for a library redesign. Shadow me on that visit, too. It’ll shorten our lead time for the job if we do it all at once rather than two meetings.”

  “Suzanne’s pretty firm about the initial meetings being only the seniors,” Laura warned.