In that moment Nolan realized the dragon was human after all. The words were barely out of his mouth before his boss’s eyes grew wide and he frantically shook his head. In a heartbeat he morphed from the indomitable Mr. Anderson, to simply Zack who really didn’t want to talk to the man on the other end of the line. The ice melted, and in a rush of humor, the tension that had built up inside Nolan vanished.
“I’m very sorry, Mr. Chopra, he’s in a meeting at the moment. No, no, I’m afraid I can’t interrupt. Who am I? Nolan Carmichael, Mr. Anderson’s new assistant. Yes, I do value my job. Again, I’m sorry that I can’t interrupt him.” The last time he’d run such heavy interference was when Tina’s ex Malcolm had called, wanting to convince her to give him another shot. So far there was far less swearing with Mr. Chopra, but that was about the only difference. Nolan covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “I’ll bring your coffee as soon as I’m done.”
Zack didn’t move immediately, which made dealing with the troublesome Mr. Chopra all the more challenging. Nolan’s skin tingled where he knew Zack’s gaze roamed. He wasn’t getting a sexual vibe from his boss, more curiosity. As though Nolan was a puzzle that needed figuring out. Stupid, as he was the simplest man in the world. All he needed was to find a way to get on with his life, deal with his anxiety, and convince his sister that he really was a grown-up who could live on his own. If things were really going his way, he’d find a hot guy to climb into bed with on a semiregular basis for sweaty sex. Someone tall and strong, with brown eyes and hair.
A blush started to climb up his neck. God, keep it in your pants.
“Let me check his calendar to see when he might have an opening to meet with you.”
As Nolan retook his seat, Zack spun on his heel and disappeared into his office.
“Are you even listening to me?” Mr. Chopra’s voice rang in his ear.
“Yes, sir. Now it looks like Mr. Anderson is free a week from Thursday.” Figuring out his boss would have to wait until later. Nolan had a job to do.
Zack had finished his meetings for the day over an hour ago. Mondays were always long, filled with updates and check-ins from his global staff. It was an exhausting way to start his week, especially when he had to break in a new employee.
It had been frustrating to say the least. Not because Nolan had done anything wrong. If anything, his new assistant had been far more adept at handling tasks than Zack had assumed he would. The timidness Zack had witnessed in Nolan back in the bathroom was nowhere to be found. He’d dived into the meetings, emails, and reports that had been waiting for him. Zack had watched as Nolan would stare at something, shake his head, and plow through.
And yet.
Zack had been annoyed.
Every time Nolan tackled some task or other successfully, he’d smiled. Each time his lips curled up, something inside Zack had prickled. It wasn’t even rational to be annoyed with someone for doing their job. To be rankled by another’s success.
And yet.
This was proof that he was better off on his own. In the end, he would probably do Nolan a favor by letting him go. He’d save Nolan and himself a world of trouble; Nolan could find another job, and Zack could go back to doing what he wanted—being a prick.
For years, Zack had been the one who got things done. The heavy hand dragged in on a moment’s notice to fix other people’s screwups. At first it had annoyed him. He was a tech guy, never intended to be the corporate muscle. Then he took on purchasing for the department, then purchasing for all technology company-wide. With each successive task that had landed on his plate, Zack had begrudgingly taken it on and eventually owned the hell out of it. His success rate grew, and with it came promotions. Three years ago he’d achieved the ultimate prize, the role of chief technology officer for Compass. Not bad for a computer guy with a business bachelor’s and anger management issues.
Sure, he’d stepped on a few toes to get where he’d wanted to be, but those individuals had caused the company problems in the first place. He’d never once intentionally sabotaged someone’s career to get ahead. He didn’t need to. Patience was his virtue, and competence was his sword; he fixed everything and got Compass back on track.
It was dark outside, the only light coming from the harsh glow of the overhead fluorescents. His office door was open, and from his desk he had a clear vantage of Nolan’s chair. It was empty, and he hadn’t seen hide or hair of Nolan since before his last conference call. Annoyance prickled like fire ants beneath his skin. While his decision to hire Nolan might have been impulsive, the inevitable firing wouldn’t be. It wasn’t fair of him to place unrealistic expectations on his assistants, but he was who he was. If they couldn’t handle it, then it was better for all involved to sever the relationship quickly rather than both of them suffer in protracted agony.
Nolan disappearing before Zack was done working on day one was a fast track to a pink slip.
Zack pushed to his feet, ignoring the muscle cramps racing through his back. The outer office was empty, but Nolan’s computer was still turned on and the screen saver was flashing. A half-filled coffee mug held watch on the desk, flanked by the notebook Nolan seemed to have in his hand all day. Ridiculous for him to have a pen and paper method of keeping track of things, given he was the CTO’s assistant. If Nolan survived through the first month, Zack would have to do something about that.
The key word was if.
First thing tomorrow he’d have to read Nolan the riot act about leaving without telling him. Or before Zack was done with him.
His back muscles protested again as he walked over to the small kitchenette around the side of the fake wall behind Nolan’s area. He’d been sitting far too much today and hadn’t made it to Ringside last night to get some much needed work done on the place. Being there always helped him chill out and refill his emotional reserves. Given how much shit he still had to do before he called it a day, he’d have to miss another visit. At least he could do some stretching before he went back to work.
Coffee in hand, he returned to his office, kicked off his shoes, and flicked the light. He set his mug on his desk, pulled his tie free, and undid the top two buttons. That was better. His office was big enough that he didn’t have to worry about moving any furniture out of the way.
Standing in the middle of the dark room, Zack closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Yoga had been one of the things Russel had forced him to learn as a teenager at Ringside. He’d wanted to move, run, hit things, not hold a tree pose with his eyes closed. He’d been surprised not only by how challenging it had been to learn the poses, but by how his mind and body had always felt clearer once he finished. Max and Eli hadn’t kept up with the practice, but Zack had quickly made it a part of his routine, especially on days when the buzzing in his body didn’t want to subside.
Taking another long breath through his nose, he bent his knees and stretched his arms out and above his head as he straightened into a mountain pose. Just as slowly he folded in on himself until his hands were flat on the floor. He groaned, enjoying the pleasant ache before going through the motions again. Over the years, yoga had helped him keep his temper in check. It was easy for him to slip into that mental place of peace with a few moves.
Zack was halfway through his routine when a noise from the outer office caught his attention. He froze on the spot when Nolan burst through the main doors, a stack of files in his arms and a headset flattening his hair.
“Yes, I understand that you need to speak with Mr. Anderson, but as I mentioned, Mr. Chopra, I can’t get you an appointment any earlier than the one I’ve already booked.”
Jesus, Raj needed to chill the hell out. Zack knew what the director wanted, and Raj knew his position on it—they’d been having the same argument for a month now—but he should also know Zack’s mind wasn’t going to be changed with a bombardment of annoying phone calls. Zack stepped toward his door, intending to say something to Nolan, when his assistant smiled.
“Yes, I under
stand your frustration. All I can do is promise you that I’ll present the new information you’ve provided. Thank you for that email, by the way. Yes. Of course. No, I understand. But remember Mr. Anderson’s approval is key to this. He’s a reasonable man and will take all your information into consideration. Yes. I will. Have a good night, sir.” Nolan ended the call and tossed the headset on his desk with a groan.
That had been . . . surprising.
Raj had driven his last assistant nearly insane with his constant calls. She’d begged Zack to deal with him, to talk to him, anything to get him to stop. As much as he pitied her, it was her job to manage those calls and difficult people. She hadn’t seemed overly upset when he told her she was fired. At least Nolan had one thing going for him.
Two. He’d also stayed late.
Zack realized that Nolan didn’t know he was still there, when he walked past the office with his mug over to the kitchenette. Zack heard splashing sounds—Nolan was washing the mug and, from the sound of it, the few other dishes in the sink. He shouldn’t let Nolan do those, the cleaning staff would be around soon enough and that was part of their job, not his. Picking up his mug, Zack headed for the kitchenette and made a point of coughing before stepping past the threshold.
If Nolan was startled by his arrival, he didn’t show it. “Hello, Mr. Anderson. How did your call go?”
There was something about the way Nolan said his name that irked him. “Call me Zack when we’re alone.”
Nolan paused briefly, then nodded. “No problem.”
“I thought you’d left.”
Nolan turned and looked at him wide-eyed. “Leave? I might have to live here for the next week to get caught up. Your appointment calendar is a mess, as are your files. I assume you’ve been the one handling these reports and approvals.”
“I haven’t had an assistant in eight months. Your predecessor lasted two days.”
“Not surprising. The backlog alone would drive anyone to quit on sight.” Nolan set the mugs in the drying rack and dried his hands off. “I’ve emailed you your agenda for tomorrow, along with the reports from the California office. You’ll need those for your budget review next week. Also, I’m sure you just heard Mr. Chopra on the phone again. I understand your concerns with his proposal, but I reviewed the additional supporting documents he sent over today, and I believe he’s addressed some of them. I wouldn’t pass it along if I didn’t think it was worth your time. That said, if you don’t agree, I’ll contact him once you’ve taken a look and break the news.”
The man on the verge of a panic attack was nowhere to be seen. Nolan’s shoulders were pulled back and his eyes sparkled with something Zack could only assume was excitement. That was, well . . . strange. No one ever enjoyed working for him, let alone this closely. Maybe there was something not quite right in Nolan’s head.
Hands dry, Nolan lobbed his paper towel into the trash can. “I know it’s only seven, but I was going to head home. Unless you need me for something else.”
Zack moved closer, taking perverse pleasure in watching Nolan’s hazel eyes widen with every step. He was shorter than Zack, but not by much. His wavy black hair was longer in front than Zack preferred on a professional, with a long forelock sort of like a pony’s, but on Nolan it worked. It made him look handsome and vulnerable at the same time.
Where the hell did that come from?
Zack didn’t look away and was impressed when, despite his obvious discomfort, Nolan didn’t back down either. “What time do my meetings start tomorrow?”
Nolan swallowed, the tip of his tongue darting across his lips. “You originally had an eight o’clock with Finance, but I moved it to two, after your lunch meeting with Dell. I didn’t see the sense in you needing to go out twice when one trip gets things sorted.”
Okay, maybe he was going to have to keep Nolan around. Finance had refused his request for a meeting change twice. “I still expect you to be in by eight.”
“If its fine with you, I’m going to keep the 7 a.m. start. It gives me time to get ready for the day and put out any fires before most people arrive. Plus it’s quiet here at that time. It helps with my concentration.”
Hard to argue with that logic, even if Zack suspected there was more to it than that. “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Nolan nodded and turned to go, but stopped after only taking a few steps out of the kitchenette. “Are you okay, Mr. Anderson?”
“Zack.” Why the hell did it matter what name Nolan called him by? Everyone referred to him by his surname.
“Sorry. Zack. You seem . . . off.”
None of his assistants had ever stuck around long enough to care about how he felt, let alone noticed his emotional state on the first day. Given how little time they’d spent together interacting today, he couldn’t imagine Nolan was that aware of his ebbs and flows yet. “It’s been a long day.”
“It has.” Nolan hesitated a moment longer, before finally moving toward his chair. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Zack. Have a good evening.”
Zack didn’t move as Nolan gathered his things and left the office. He watched him stride all the way down the hall to the elevator and press the button. What was it about Nolan that had him paying such close attention? Yes, he was the first male assistant he’d had, but that shouldn’t make much of a difference. He’d had closer working relationships with more men than he could count over the years. Things shouldn’t be any different with Nolan. Even if he was attractive, intuitive, and made a perfect cup of coffee.
Nolan stepped into the elevator and stood sideways as he pressed the button. The doors slid shut without him meeting Zack’s gaze. Maybe he wasn’t as calm and collected about his new position as Zack assumed.
If Zack didn’t want to be searching for his own files and yelling at Finance to change meetings again, then he’d have to take it a bit easy on Nolan. If nothing else, Nancy from HR would thank him for not scaring off someone else from the support team.
A wave of exhaustion hit him, and for the first time that day he wanted to leave the office and head home. Tomorrow he’d be fresh, and no doubt his abnormal kind streak would vanish and he’d return to his old habits. He gathered his things and did his best to ignore the lingering scent of Nolan’s aftershave as he walked down the hall.
That week, Nolan managed to average four hours of sleep per night. The early mornings didn’t mean early evenings, and as Zack grew comfortable with him, he started asking him to do more and more. Now it was Friday, and for the first time since this whirlwind employment had begun, Nolan hoped that his boss would call it quits early. He wanted to go home and do nothing, shut his brain off while his body recovered.
Yeah, like that was going to happen.
When he wasn’t actually working, he was home thinking about work. He was surprised on his third day of employment when Zack handed him a brand-new tablet. “It’s embarrassing to see you using paper and pen.” Nolan had been grateful and about to say something when Zack followed up with a quick, “But don’t waste my time playing around setting it up.”
So the last two evenings had been filled with him learning the new technology, operating system, and programs. Now, no matter the time of day, Nolan had access to Zack’s schedule and Zack had unfettered access to him.
That was an oddly appealing thought.
The tablet was yet another mixed signal from his boss. The thoughtfulness of the tool so he could do his job more easily, versus the cold remarks he’d made when presenting it. This contradiction in Zack’s personality had been digging at Nolan from the moment he’d laid eyes on him that first day. Nancy had warned him when he’d gone to chat with her in her office that once Zack got annoyed, Nolan would be on the receiving end of a barrage of negative remarks and picking. “He does try for a while, but he’s just not a very nice person.”
Her remarks had echoed in his ears the entire walk back to his desk.
The phone rang, jerking him from his thoughts. “Good afternoon,
Mr. Anderson’s office.”
“Nolan.”
A shiver rolled through his body at the sound of Zack’s rumbling voice on the other end of the receiver. “Yes, sir?”
“Cancel my six o’clock with Jeremy. I ran into him earlier, and we discussed the shipping issues with Vancouver.”
Three clicks and Jeremy was deleted into the ether. “Done. Anything else?”
“Go home.”
Nolan frowned. “It’s only four fifteen.”
“I have a personal appointment that’s going to take up my time, and I won’t be back to the office. It’s Friday. Go home.”
Oh. That was more than a little unexpected. “Are you sure? I don’t have any plans tonight and would be more than happy—”
“If you say another word, I’ll fire your ass.”
Nolan snapped his mouth shut. Zack was also quiet, and if it weren’t for the hiss of the open line, he would have sworn his boss had hung up on him. The temptation to say something—ask a question, pretty much anything—was strong, but he had no doubt Zack really would fire him.
So he waited. Eventually, Zack cleared his throat. “This week was . . . positive. Given you’ve never done this job before, I didn’t know what to expect. You surprised me.”
“Thank you.” He cringed and hoped the almost-compliment wasn’t leading up to a death blow.
“Leave. I’ll see you Monday.” Zack hung up.
Nolan held the phone receiver out and stared at it for a few moments before replacing it on the hook.
Okay. That had happened.
He couldn’t shake the feeling this was a test. Did Zack expect him to ignore the demand and stay, or did he genuinely want him to have an early weekend after putting in long hours all week? It shouldn’t be this much of a problem, and he hated that his brain went off in search of problems when he should be gathering his things and leaving. Shit, he could get some takeout to bring home to Tina. They could celebrate that he was now gainfully employed and looking as though he might actually be able to keep the position. For the first time in a long while, Nolan smiled as he got to his feet.
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