by Susan Renee
“Sounds great.”
“Yeah? So that means you’re in? You’ll take the job?”
I take a deep breath.
How do I talk about my fear?
How do I bring up the beginning of our relationship?
Am I overthinking this?
I glance over at Abby, and she sees the trepidation in my eyes immediately and knows what I’m thinking without a doubt. She has my back.
“Hey, Finn,” Abby asks. “Can you point me to a restroom? You guys can talk job particulars while I step out for a minute.”
Finn directs Abby down the hall towards the bathrooms. Once she has left his office he turns and steps towards me.
“You’re scared. I can see it on your face, Olivia. Talk to me.”
Damnit, why do I wear my emotions on my sleeve? “I’m not scared, Finn, really. I just…um…” I take a deep breath and close my eyes to steady myself. “Tell me how this is going to work. With us, I mean.”
Finn mirrors my deep breath. His head tilts as he studies my hesitation. “Well, I don’t have any rules here about my staff not being able to date each other as long as it doesn’t interfere with their jobs. It’s easier to let it go than forbid it and have it happen behind closed doors. That just stirs up a lot of unnecessary drama, and so far it’s worked for all of us.”
“Oh, so will I see you every day?”
“Not always. We’ll be working on different floors, and I’ll try my best to stay out of your way. I would never compromise your integrity or reputation by taking advantage of our relationship at work; but I would be available if you, you know, if you needed me or whatever,” Finn says shyly. It’s cute to watch him try to piece together his professional and personal life at the same time.
“I like that.”
I shake my head and frown at myself. I’m such a fruit loop. “I mean, I like that you would be around not that I mean you would just be around for me. Obviously you wouldn’t just be around for me, that’s not what I mean. What I mean is...”
“Olivia?” Finn is smirking at me.
“Yeah?”
“Take the job.”
I grin back at him. There is no way he’s going to let me walk out of here without the job, and truth be told, I don’t want him to. I want this as much as I can tell he does. I swallow any fear I have left and take the leap.
“Ok.” I nod. “Thank you for the offer, Mr. Kellan. I think the job sounds perfect.”
Finn’s shoulders release from the tension I hadn’t noticed before, and he lets out a breath before lifting me off the ground and swinging me around in his arms. I can’t help but giggle at the ridiculously cute show of affection.
“Olivia, you amaze me. Thank you…for this whole weekend…for saying yes, to this job…and to me.”
Finn kisses me quickly. His kiss deepens, and his hands cup my hair. He wraps one of his hands around my head to hold me close to him, but the other slides softly through my hair, and oh my God his touch ignites something in me I haven’t felt, well, ever actually.
Seriously, how the hell does he do that? Turn me on just by touching my hair?
Abby is going to be back any minute from the bathroom. A girl can only pee for so long, and I don’t want her walking in on us making out in Finn’s office. I have to stop.
Stop kissing him, Olivia.
Mmm he tastes like pancakes.
Olivia, seriously, stop now. You have to stop kissing him!
But he’s so damn kisstastic!
I’m still giggling in his arms when our lips separate. “I’m really excited, Finn. This job sounds like a dream come true. Hell, this whole weekend has felt like a dream I don’t deserve. I feel like someone is going to pinch me, and I’m going to wake up and none of this will have happened.”
“Believe it, Liv. Whatever your dreams are, I want to give them to you.”
“How about dinner to celebrate?”
Finn flinches quickly. “Do you mind if I take you out after work tomorrow? Then we can celebrate your first day. I’m supposed to spend time with my buddy Toby tonight or else I would…” He furrows his brow like he was deliberating with himself.
“Well…why don’t you just come with me to meet him. I’m pretty sure…”
I interrupt Finn quickly. “No, it’s okay! You go. Do your thing tonight. I’m pretty sure Abby is going to want to celebrate tonight anyway.”
“I am?” Abby walks back into Finn’s office. “Celebrate what?” Her eyes widen, and she smirks at me. “You took the job?”
“I took the job.”
“HA! It’s about damn time girl! Let’s go celebrate! Oooh maybe we can try that new dance club over on Thirteenth! I hear they have a wicked DJ.”
I look back at Finn grinning from ear to ear. “See? I told ya.”
He chuckles at both of us.
“Yeah I see what you mean. Dance club huh?” He raises an eyebrow at me. “I hope to get to see that someday.” Finn tries to hide the look of desire on his face but fails miserably. His eyes roams from my face to my chest to my legs and back up.
“Whoa there, Tiger.” Abby laughs. “You can have her any other time, but tonight, she’s mine. Girls night it is!”
“Come on ladies,” Finn says shaking his head at both of us. “Since she came in just for us let’s get the paperwork done with Mrs. Hoover, and then I’ll drive you home.”
There’s always tons of paperwork when starting a new job, but Finn and Mrs. Hoover did such a great job of making time fly. Within fifteen minutes, Finn takes my hand and leads us out of the building and back into the warm spring sun. It’s shaping up to be another absolutely beautiful day. I peek over at Abby on the sidewalk who winks at me as she looks down at my hand entwined with Finn’s.
“Sooo cute!” she mouths to me silently. I chuckle back at her and squeeze Finn’s hand before stopping to allow him to open his car door for me. I’m deliriously happy at this very moment and praying to myself that I’m not making a huge mistake mixing business and pleasure.
7
My first day at the Kellan Agency arrives quicker than I expect, but I’m feeling positive and confident as my morning progresses. I choose a black, sleeveless pleated A-line dress, which I accessorize with a blue belt, the same color as Finn’s eyes. I find a coordinating pair of earrings and a silver bangle bracelet in my jewelry box. I’m already wearing my favorite silver ring, so after looking myself over in the mirror before leaving, I feel comfortable and just sexy enough for Finn to take notice. I don’t consider myself a drop dead gorgeous girl, but I have my moments.
Thankfully, though, for my first day, Finn notices that I’m nervous and keeps his distance enough that nobody knows we’re dating, or at least to those who don’t know, it’s not obvious. I know a few people already know about us, but I still don’t want to flaunt it on my first day, or ever for that matter. Finn takes me around the building and introduces me to a few key people, including my new boss, Karen Elena. She seems outgoing, outspoken, and excited to meet me. With her auburn, shoulder-length hair and dark green eyes, I can’t help but think of Susan Sarandon when I look at her. We talk a little about my daily job responsibilities and she shows me to my office, which is a room I share with four other photographers. It’s spacious and filled with computers, editing equipment, cameras, backpacks, and four desks that are laid out in a cubicle design on the side of the room. The layout provides enough privacy that I feel like I wouldn’t have someone looking over my shoulder watching me work all day but is open enough for conversation to flow freely among the photography team.
Karen has to take an incoming call, so she leaves me to get situated in the office and to meet the rest of the team.
“I’m pretty sure this must be your desk over here, and you must be Olivia!” I turn my head in the direction of the female voice that is speaking to me.
“Yeah, that’s me. Olivia McGuire.”
“I’m Mandy. It’s nice to meet you! Welcome to the team. This is
Austin Rivers, everyone calls him Riv,” she says pointing to a rough-looking man in the cubicle next to her. “And that over there is Luke Prescott.”
I smile and say hello to my new team. I hate being in the spotlight, so I want to make introductions as quickly as possible. I always consider myself a social person and want to make a good first impression, instead of being misjudged as the freak girl covered in scars. So far, so good; everyone seems pretty nice, and nobody has stared at me yet.
“It looks like you must have an admirer or a really great friend. There are a few things waiting for you over here at your desk,” Mandy says, walking over to my cubicle.
Sure enough, sitting at my desk is a vase of white roses. They’re beautiful. They have to be from Abby or maybe my parents. They’re the only ones who know I’m starting a new job today. I quickly open and read the card that’s sitting amongst the crisp white blooms.
Congratulations on your first day!Can’t wait to see your dreams come true. F
I’m blushing like a love-struck idiot, so I look down to try to hide it from anyone who’s watching me. There’s another gift for me sitting on my desk as well. Wrapped in a cute blue gift bag that has a picture of a whale on the front, I recognize the bag right away as one from the Boston Harbor Cruise gift shop. This has to be from Finn. I open the gift bag and sigh happily shaking my head. I pull out the camera lens that Finn had given to me the day he took me out whale watching. The card attached to the gift bag makes me blush again.
You told me to give this to whomever I hired to fill the position.
I’m happy to return it to you with fond memories
of a spectacular day spent with a beautiful girl. See you tonight!
Seriously, how did I get so lucky?
“Boyfriend?” Mandy asks me, smirking at the smile I’m trying very hard to hide.
“Umm, sort of...well...I don’t know...it’s complicated.”
“Wow. Lucky girl,” she says. “Can’t wait to hear all about him.”
“Yeah well, um it’s still early. I don’t even know yet if it’ll last or if it’s really a thing.” I really don’t want to bring attention to my relationship with the CEO on my first day. I know they would all judge me, and they certainly won’t want to be my friends if they think I’m spying on them for any reason. I’m going to have to be very careful with this, and it makes me anxious.
“I understand. Well given the attention he just paid you, he seems like a keeper! Hey, you want to grab lunch in a bit? I could help answer any other questions you have about work and could give you the rundown on office gossip.”
“Yeah.” I smile at her. “That sounds great. Thanks.”
I settle down at my desk and open my new office email. I shake my head amused at the first email I see.
No, we really won’t see each other much.
We work in different parts of the building.
Geesh…
From: Finn Kellan
Subject: Welcome
Date: May 19 2014 10:30
To: Olivia McGuire
Welcome to The Kellan Agency, Olivia. I trust you’ve found your way around and have been introduced to your team by now. I hope Karen was helpful to you this morning. If you need anything, feel free to contact me, or Mrs. Hoover if I’m unreachable. I always carry my cell.
Finn Kellan
CEO, The Kellan Agency
Was that his way of telling me he would always be available to me? I could text him anytime? I quickly type out my response to him.
From: Olivia McGuire
Subject: Thank you
Date: May 19 2014 10:34
To: Finn Kellan
Thank you for the very warm welcome, Mr. Kellan. I’ve been given the tour around my floor and have met and spoken to my team. I’m excited to get to work. It’s not lost on me that the Boston Harbor Cruise file is sitting at the top of the files on my desk. Thank you for that, and thank you again for this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Olivia McGuire
Commercial Marketing, The Kellan Agency
Once I settle into my desk and get to work, the rest of the morning flies by. I’m enjoying my research into the client files I had waiting for me on my desk when I arrived this morning. One of my new projects, besides the Boston Harbor Cruise Line, is for a winery.
A winery in Napa Valley.
Someone pinch me.
I get to travel to Napa Valley…and get paid?
I must be dreaming.
“I love this job already!” I mutter to myself.
“Hey Girl, you ready for lunch?”
I hear Mandy call for me from the cubicle next to me. I look at the clock on my computer which reads twelve-thirty. Wow, time flies!
“Yeah, just organizing my work for this afternoon. Ready in a sec.”
I take a quick second to check my cell phone for texts or voice messages in case I need to return any during my lunch hour. There are two texts, from Abby and my parents, wishing me a great first day. I have one voicemail from Finn letting me know he’s thinking about me and wishes he could be more around for my first day but is respecting my wishes to figure things out on my own like any other employee.
He is so attentive and excites my heart with those nervous flutters every time I hear his voice. I feel a little like Christine bewitched by her Phantom of the Opera…except I can’t sing nearly as well…and I’m the one with the scars.
Mandy and I walk out of the building and across the street conveniently to a sandwich bar for lunch. We grab our meals and choose a small table on their outdoor patio to escape the busy atmosphere inside. It’s much easier to hear conversation out here even with the bustle of traffic on the street. It’s not quite “New York City busy”, but there are cabs honking their horns and trying to weave through traffic and many people walking up and down the sidewalks to their respective lunch breaks, meetings, etc.
“So, Mandy, how long have you been with The Kellan Agency?” I ask, biting into my turkey sandwich.
“Since I graduated college actually, which was only two years ago. The Kellans are sort of like family, and the agency is very much a family business. You’ll learn that.”
“Yeah Finn, uh, Mr. Kellan told me that when we spoke about the job.”
“Yeah, Finn and I grew up together. Karen Elena is my mom and a good friend to Finn’s mom, so we’ve all known each other for a long time.”
I look up at Mandy and study her face. She is a stunning girl in her late twenties with shoulder-length auburn hair that’s layered around her face. I can’t tell the exact style, since she has half of it pinned back off her neck on this very hot spring day. Her eyes are a beautiful green color, and her face is speckled with little freckles over the bridge of her nose. Really, if she had any type of accent other than a Boston accent, I could believe she stepped right off the boat from Ireland. I can definitely see the resemblance to her mother with the dark red hair and piercing green eyes.
I’m suddenly finding it hard to swallow. It makes me a bit anxious knowing that I’m working on a team with people who are so close to Finn and his family. If they don’t like me, or we don’t get along, how will that work for Finn and me in the future?
“Oh, so what about your Dad? Does he work for the Kellens as well?”
“No, my parents are divorced, actually. When I was about eight years old, he left and never came back. Truth be told, I don’t remember much about him except for the few pictures I have. Good riddance, I say. If he can’t be bothered to be a dad, I don’t want to waste my time knowing him. So yeah, I really just hung out with Finn’s family and my friends a lot.”
“You grew up with Finn? What was that like?” I take another bite of my sandwich. I’m trying to dodge a bullet and praying it works for the next hour.
“Well, really, I grew up more with his younger sister, Sydney.”
I choke on the bite in my mouth. “Wait, what? Finn has a sister? He never…I mean, I didn’t know that.”
Fuck! Did I just give it away that I have anything other than a professional relationship with Finn? Damn me and my big mouth!
“Had…Finn had a sister.” Mandy explains. “She committed suicide our senior year of high school.”
I gasp out loud. “Oh my God! That’s so…wow. I had no idea.” I shake my head. “How long ago was that?”
“Our class graduated in two thousand and eight, but she left us before that. So about seven years now, almost eight.” She clears her throat and takes a drink to hide the emotion I see in her eyes. I look away momentarily to give her a minute and because I need a minute to process what I’ve heard so far. I am speechless. Like, literally speechless. All the air leaves my lungs, and I can feel the pain and loss of air from my chest, like someone has just punched me in the gut.
How could Finn not have told me this?
Don’t be stupid Olivia. You’ve been on one date.
And I can’t believe I’m learning all of this from Mandy.
Is this okay? Should I stop this conversation? Keep it going?
