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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. All person(s) depicted on the cover are model(s) used for illustrative purposes only.
Working It
Copyright ©2017 by Christine d’Abo
Cover art: L.C. Chase, lcchase.com/design.htm
Editor: Delphine Dryden, delphinedryden.com/editing
Layout: L.C. Chase, lcchase.com/design.htm
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ISBN: 978-1-62649-521-0
First edition
February, 2017
Also available in paperback:
ISBN: 978-1-62649-522-7
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Nolan Carmichael is getting a fresh start—new career, new company, new life. The only problem is, he liked his old life just fine . . . until an accident robbed him of his health, his job, his self-confidence, and his ability to go out in public without having anxiety attacks.
Zack Anderson has scared away his last four executive assistants. So when he hires Nolan on a whim, he’s not too worried, since Nolan will be gone within the week anyway. Two weeks later, Nolan has made himself indispensable, completely reforming Zack’s schedule, life . . . and libido.
But in a company already torn by internal politics, one wrong step could ruin both their careers. And not only are they working to reopen Ringside Gym, Zack’s retreat when he was a troubled teen, but they also can’t help themselves falling for each other. If only the rest of their lives could go as smoothly as things do when they’re alone together.
About Working It
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
Dear Reader
Also by Christine d’Abo
About the Author
More like this
Nolan hated mirrors. They were an unfortunate necessity for his morning routine—shaving, tying his tie, doing what he needed to fix his hair—but it was still strange to see himself, even after nearly two years of adjusting to the changes.
His sister, Tina, said nothing was different about him, he was the same old Nolan. She was sweet to say so, but he knew the truth.
Come on, get your act together.
He gave himself a moment and went through his anxiety checklist, ensuring he’d be able to keep himself in one piece. He hated having to do that, almost as much as he hated mirrors. Still, his therapist had been right about so many other things, he’d come to accept she knew what she was doing. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on his emotions. Yeah, he was nervous, worried about what people would think of him. It was a job interview, and he was underqualified for the position; that would raise questions he didn’t want to answer. Only an idiot wouldn’t be worried. He was also angry his life had taken such a horrible turn that he was forced to be in this position in the first place.
Nothing new, then.
Opening his eyes, he looked directly at himself as he turned on the water and let it flow over his hands, grounding him in the here and now. He took a deep breath, held it for a three count before letting it go.
“The water is warm from when I shaved a few moments ago. The running water sounds relax me and make me think of a river. The mirror needs cleaning. I need to remind Tina that I want to get a small water feature for the living room. It will help settle my mind in the morning . . .” He shook his head and gently directed his thoughts back to the present, to what his five senses told him. “I can smell the shaving cream, and maybe the fabric softener on this shirt. I can taste the mint from my toothpaste.”
He held his hands there until his fingers started to prune. He took extra time to dry his hands, enjoying the feel and smell of the fresh towel. It hadn’t been hard to convince Tina to switch fabric softeners, especially since he was paying for it. There was something to be said for the finer things.
Okay, the tie looked good, mostly straight. He adjusted it again and debated changing it one more time. No, damn it, he’d already wasted the better part of ten minutes picking this one out. It was fine.
Hair? He’d been growing it out in front since the accident, but still wasn’t entirely used to it. A necessary evil. Knowing exactly what he would find, he lifted up the long fringe that covered the left side of his forehead. The scar had faded to a light pink, a jagged road running just below his hairline. It was the least horrific of his injuries, and yet he couldn’t help but hate it the most. Nolan had never considered himself a particularly vain man, but he despised how the scar on his face opened him up to questions and comments, as if everyone felt entitled to information about his body now that it was so visibly flawed.
Oh my God, what happened?
Did it hurt?
You’re lucky you didn’t lose an eye.
Do you have other scars?
Not the sort of conversation he wanted to have with his family and friends, let alone complete strangers who didn’t know the first thing about him.
The hair fell back into place, and he took another moment to ensure nothing looked off. If the people at Compass Technologies noticed, he’d have a polite response ready to go; he’d memorized quite a few. It helped with the stress and prevented his anxiety from overwhelming him.
In theory at least.
He hated interviews. Even before the accident, he’d sucked at them on a good day, and he had a feeling that today would be anything but good. Nerves and doubts were more his enemy than the other applicants. At least he assumed he was the only neurotic, panic-prone candidate they were meeting with this afternoon. His résumé spoke for itself, as did his references; none of that would matter, though, if he broke out into a full-blown anxiety attack the moment he walked into the office.
No, he wasn’t going to let that happen today. Not this time.
<
br /> Yes, his life had been challenging over the past two years, but that didn’t mean he had to let what had happened control his future. He’d fought through physiotherapy, got his broken body working again, and that alone proved how strong he was. Didn’t it?
Damn straight it did.
Shaking his head, Nolan let out a breath and marched out of the tiny powder room. Ready or not, here I go.
“Let me see.”
So not ready . . .
Groaning, he turned and faced his big sister. “I do know how to dress myself. I’ve been doing it on my own for years now.”
Tina snorted before proceeding to loosen his tie. He ducked her attempts to run her fingers through his hair.
“Come here. You look like an uptight asshole.”
“I am an uptight asshole. Will you fuck off?” He stepped past her and did his best to avoid her grabbing hands. “I’m going to be late.”
“No, you’re not. You’re going to be a half hour early because you’re always early.”
“I won’t be if you don’t stop picking.”
“I’m just making sure you look your best. I want you out of here.”
As much as she bitched about him crashing at her apartment, he knew she didn’t mind. Well, maybe she did a little. Okay, probably more than a little. “I told you I can get my own place anytime. I have savings and am more than capable.”
“Not until you know if you have a job. I promised you could stay here until then, and I keep my promises.” She stepped in front of him as he finished slipping his dress shoes on. “Let me see.”
This would go far faster if he gave in to her prodding. Nolan straightened up and held his arms out slightly. “Fine. Have at me.”
The grin Tina gave him was positively satanic. Her fingers raked through his fringe and she brushed some lint from the back of his blazer. “You look good. Really good. Maybe you’ll find a hot guy to go with your new job.”
“Thank you. I don’t have the job yet, and I doubt they offer hot men as a signing bonus.”
Tina laughed. “That would be an interesting contract negotiation.”
His nerves gave way to a chuckle of his own. “Can you imagine? Now that would bring on a panic attack. Thankfully, that won’t happen. Can I go now?”
“Yes.” She pulled him into a hug, giving him an extra squeeze when he finally reciprocated. “Are you doing okay?”
He should have expected the question; his own poor attempt at a joke had given her the opening she was looking for. This was his first interview since his accident . . . and since the subsequent mental meltdown at work when he’d tried to go back to his previous job. He knew the possibility of an attack was weighing as heavily on her mind as it was with him. “I’m good. Took my pills, had a good sleep, and my leg doesn’t hurt at all. Only mildly freaked out right now.”
“On a scale of one to ten?”
“Four.”
She pulled back and gave him The Look.
“Okay, a six. But I don’t think it’ll get any worse. Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to trying this.”
It was weird how his emotions could be a chaotic mix of excitement and nerves while his body kept urging him to pee. Stupid body.
Tina stepped back, giving his hand one final squeeze before she let go. “You have my number. If there’s a problem, call me, and I’ll come get you.”
“I’m twenty-six, not a child.”
“Nolan, don’t be like that.”
He knew she was only trying to help. Tina and he were the closest in age, far younger than their three older brothers. Over the years they’d learned to look out for one another. Despite working full-time and with a busy volunteer schedule, Tina had spent a part of every day with him after the accident, helping him get back on his feet. Literally at first, then figuratively. Without her, Nolan knew his recovery would have taken a lot longer. She might be a pain in the ass, but she loved him. And he loved her more than anyone or anything in the world.
He lowered his chin and sighed. “Sorry. I guess I’m more nervous than I realized. I’ll call you if I have any problems.”
“Thank you. Or text me, and I’ll send you goofy gifs or something. Now, go knock ’em dead.”
“I think they frown upon that at job interviews.” He gave her a quick kiss to the cheek before making his escape. If he didn’t get on the road now, he would miss his ride, and then he really would be late.
His Uber driver was pleasant, on time, and more importantly a nontalker, making the drive to Toronto’s downtown core uneventful. It gave Nolan a few moments to mentally prepare. It had been a while since he’d interviewed for a position, let alone something that wasn’t in his field of expertise. His career history would inevitably lead to questions about why he wanted to change paths. That was something he would avoid going into detail about if at all possible.
Looking down, he caught himself rubbing at his thigh, and lifted his hand.
“Hey, we’re here.” His driver double-parked, not giving Nolan much time to get his things together before people started honking. Fortunately, his leg was cooperative today—painful, but not cramping.
“Thanks.” Nolan stepped out of the car, shut the door, and made his way to the busy sidewalk before he happened to glance up at the building he hoped would soon be his place of employment. He stopped cold. The familiar tightening in his chest began as his thigh throbbed. Shit, no, this couldn’t happen now. He could fall apart after the interview. Hell, he could puke in the washroom the moment it was done, but not a second sooner.
Get your ass moving!
His feet stayed planted.
Fuck.
Reaching into his pocket, he wrapped his fingers around his phone. Tina was only a text away if he needed her. Not that he would give in to the impulse.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the sounds around him, taking a moment to identify several individual elements before moving on to the smells. Exhaust, street meat, and something that smelled strangely of urine. Wonderful. But grounding. When he finally opened his eyes, the colors of the bustling downtown seemed momentarily sharper. Regardless of how he did this morning, the world would keep turning and he’d keep going.
He took a step toward the building. Then another. One foot in front of the other until he made his way through the front door and to the security desk.
Don’t forget to smile. Of course it was Tina’s voice in his head. The smile felt foreign on his face, and his lips trembled from the strain. It worked, though, helping him push through the panic to speak to the woman behind the counter. “Hello. I’m Nolan Carmichael, and I have an interview at ten with Compass Technologies.”
She barely looked at him as she went through her list. “Yup, there you are. Take this badge and go up to the fourteenth floor. Swipe it through the card reader first, then select the floor number. Make sure to return it here when you’re done.” She then smiled at him without making eye contact. “Good luck.”
That wasn’t the least bit reassuring. “Thanks.”
After a short battle with the security badge, the elevator doors closed and the carriage flew up. His stomach fell somewhere around his feet from the speed, only to come slamming back into place when it stopped. By the time he reached his destination and stepped off the elevator into a tastefully decorated front-office area, he was ready to go back home to bed. Why did existing have to be so hard some days?
“Welcome to Compass. How may I help you?” The gray-haired woman behind the reception desk smiled pleasantly enough. “Interview today?”
“Yes. Nolan Carmichael.”
She ticked his name off. “Wonderful. They’re running a bit late. Please have a seat with the others and I’ll let you know when they’re ready for you.”
“Thanks.”
The seating area she’d directed him to held eight other hopeful candidates. Most were women, but there was one other man, which helped relieve some of Nolan’s tension. He’d assumed there would be far f
ewer male executive assistants than female, so it was nice to know he wasn’t the only one in the applicant pool.
All he had to do now was wait.
No problem at all.
His nerves crept up on him as time crawled forward. One older woman was called in, then the other man. The wall clock’s second hand ticked steadily forward, and constantly drew his attention. Damn it, this was worse than he’d thought it would be. And to top things off, he now really did have to pee. He should do that. Nothing worse than squirming his way through an interview. Or worse, being so nervous that he pissed himself.
He got to his feet so quickly he drew the attention of the remaining interviewees. Shit. Ignoring them, he strode over to the receptionist. “Hi. I’m sorry. Do I have time to use the washroom?”
She peeked at her computer screen. “Yes. There’s one person ahead of you still. It’s down the hall and on your left.”
“Thank you.”
Thankfully, the bathroom was empty. Granite countertops lined the wall, and held a long trough-style sink. Nolan used the urinal and washed his hands, then took a moment to splash water on his face, close his eyes, and run through his breathing techniques. Get a handle on yourself. It’s just a job interview.
For a position he’d never held before. One that would make the interviewers ask why he was settling for a lower salary range, less room for advancement . . .
No, nothing to worry about at all.
Closing his eyes, he focused on his breathing and ignored the pain that was creeping up his thigh toward his hip. In and out. Nice and deep. Relax. He wasn’t in a full-blown anxiety attack yet, so he knew he still had a chance to get a grip. The fan in the bathroom hummed softly in the background, and he latched on to that. It wasn’t the same as running water, but it was better than turning his hands into prunes before walking into a social situation.
He counted backward from one hundred in his head; around sixty-three, he felt he could finally breathe normally again.
Okay, he could do this.
His leg still throbbed, no doubt from forcing himself to walk without his slight limp. Being slightly off-balance was probably the reason he caught sight of his profile in the mirror beside the sink. Nolan knew better than to look—he’d practically trained himself not to—but his eyes focused on to his image and refused to move away.
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