An ear-piercing alarm shattered my peaceful sleep. I sat up in bed and attempted to catch my breath after being startled awake. I’d set Killian’s ringtone to be the most annoying sound on the planet, so I’d know exactly who it was when he called. Hearing it that early in the morning wasn’t the most pleasant way to wake up. I grabbed my phone, ripping the charger from the socket. I pressed the END button and tossed the phone on the bed before throwing myself down on my back again. I shoved my hair out of my face and tried to calm my racing heart. It was a shitty way to wake up and he probably thought it was some sort of hilarious joke.
Why the hell was Killian calling me so early? I glanced over at the clock and my heart ramped up again.
Shit! Shit! Shit! I launched myself off the bed. Why didn’t my alarm go off? I grabbed my phone again and checked the clock app.
Damn it!
I accidentally set it for six p.m. instead of a.m. It was a good thing I pulled out my clothes for the interview already. They were hanging on my closet door next to my full-length mirror.
I did a double take when I saw my reflection. God, I looked awful. I’d forgotten to remove my makeup last night, so there were streaks of mascara cascading down my cheeks. I looked like someone from KISS. I licked my finger and tried to get it off, but instead, I made it worse, the streaks were longer now, making me look much more bedraggled.
I groaned and ran out of the room.
I knocked on Tanner’s door once and then burst in. I flipped the light on but he didn’t budge. “Tanner, honey, we have to get moving.” I clapped my hands together a few times, allowing some of my nervous energy out along with attempting to wake him from his slumber. He slept like a rock. Like mother like son.
The small bundle under the covers didn’t move.
I gently rubbed his back. “Tanner. Wake up. It’s time for school.”
“Nooo,” he moaned. “Too early.”
I smiled and moved the comforter aside. Tanner curled his little body into the fetal position and with his eyes still closed, reached for the comforter. I pulled it further from his reach.
“Honey, we’re running late. Mommy needs to get on the train to the City for her interview. Be a good boy and get up so we can get you ready for school.”
He groaned and buried his face in his pillow. “Come back in five minutes.”
I tickled his foot. “If you get ready now, you can have one of mommy’s breakfast bars.”
With those few words, Tanner jumped out of bed as if he had springs for legs. He went to his dresser and started pulling out clothes.
“We need to be downstairs in five minutes!” I called as I sprinted from the room.
After scrubbing my face, brushing my teeth and putting on a heavy amount of deodorant to mask the fact that I had no time to shower, I changed into the brand new outfit that Mom bought for me. It looked nice on me in the dressing room yesterday but for some reason when I paired it with the new shoes I really looked good.
The silky black slacks with the pumps made my legs look fantastic and thin. And paired with the matching blazer that fit almost too perfectly, I had to be noticed by this mogul. I wasn’t trying to be seductive, I wanted to be accepted on my own merit, but I had to admit I was looking good. The ego boost gave me the energy to expertly rally Tanner and get him downstairs. He had a tendency to be distracted, so I dangled the breakfast bar above his head like a carrot.
He’d finished the bar by the time we arrived downstairs in Mom’s kitchen. She and Dad were already showered and sipping coffee at the table. They were early birds, a trait they hadn’t passed down to their only daughter. Dad glanced over the top of the newspaper at me and then continued reading. He was a man of few words. I noticed the buttons on his shirt were strained by the several pounds he’d packed on since the summer.
“Good morning,” I said to both of them.
Mom glanced at the clock. “Cutting it close?”
“Yeah,” I said, not having the time to get into it with her. I loved her to death but she had a way of saying the most unhelpful things sometimes.
“Are you going to do something with your hair?” she asked.
My purse vibrated with Killian’s ringtone. I groaned and let it go to voice mail again. “I’ll do my hair on the train.”
Mom raised an eyebrow and I mouthed the word, “Killian.” I didn’t want Tanner to know his father had been pestering me all morning. He’d insist on talking to Killian and then I’d really be late.
“Mom bribed me with a breakfast bar!” Tanner said randomly.
“Traitor!” I hissed.
Mom tsked. “You know those have a lot of sugar in them.”
Ignoring her, I kissed the top of Tanner’s head. “I gotta go! Love you all!”
“Love you!” Mom and Dad chorused as I dashed out the front door.
RaineyTwice on the way to the train, Killian’s ring tone blared from my phone again. I didn’t need his shit today. I pressed END every single time. Even though he wouldn’t stop calling, he didn’t leave a message or send a text. So obviously whatever he needed wasn’t that important or else he’d try to find another method of contacting me. The only emergency I cared about was Tanner and he was safe with my parents. If I picked up the phone Killian would say something stupid and mess with my head somehow.It was only during those last months of our marriage that I realized how much he held me back in life. He had been the one to go to college while I was stuck paying the bills by taking odd temp jobs. Then when Tanner came along, Killian didn’t want me to work. It was only later that I understood that he wanted to be the big-shot breadwinner with a wife at home who would be at his beck and call. I had drive once and it took spending everything I had (plus money from my parents) on a law
MichaelMy first interview wasn’t until nine. Normally I would have arrived at the office by seven. Today was different. I stayed up until midnight, catching up on all of the work that I missed while I was in Bar Harbor. I wanted to hold onto that last bit of vacation, so I took my time getting ready. Being the boss definitely had its perks.I chose one of my favorite Italian suits to wear today. It was comfortable and that’s what I needed to get through all of these interviews.On the way down to the lobby, I decided to treat myself to breakfast and I knew exactly where I wanted to go. While I enjoyed the fresh selections of food in Maine, I missed the typical New York staples in my diet. And the one at the top of my list was Beth’s Bakery.My phone lit up with emails the second I stepped outside. My driver, Constantine, was standing by the car waiting for me. The cold breeze chilled me and I hustled to the car.“Good morning, Constantine.”He tipped his hat to me. “Hello, Mr. Carrin
MichaelThe traffic downtown was heavier at this hour, but I wasn’t in a rush. I still had plenty of time before the first interview. And I ate the bagel slower than normal to extend the experience.While driving around Bar Harbor, the people smiled and waved as you passed. In New York, everyone’s heads were down, focused on where they needed to go. The friendly faces were nice, but I felt more at ease with the scowling New Yorkers. This city was full of businessmen and no one bothered to notice another suit or luxury car.Even in the traffic, Constantine managed to get me to my building by eight-thirty.He opened the door for me as I was dusting bagel crumbs from my coat. I stood up and took my briefcase from him.“Have a great day, Constantine,” I said, adjusting my overcoat.“You too, Sir. Six o’clock pickup?”“Yes. I will have Sandra call you if that changes.”“Have a good day, Mr. Carrington.”I nodded and headed toward my building. Another perk of showing up later was less traff
RaineyI couldn’t stop staring at the gorgeous man walking away from me. That was Michael Carrington? My almost-future boss? I remember seeing a small picture of him in the article I read and he was classically handsome, but he was even more attractive in person. And genuinely nice. His dark hair barely touched his shoulders and it looked incredibly soft. His eyes were so blue, like the ocean. He had seriously lucked out in the genetics department.Hell. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to apply for the job. He was dreamy on a level I wasn’t used to contending with. He’d be professional, right? I wasn’t at all his type. I was homely. Comely. Just me. My thoughts shifted and I realized I’d pushed on his receptionist in front of him.How long had he been standing there listening to me? I tried to think about what I said to the poor woman that had to put up with me. I hoped I didn’t say anything rude. Although if I had been rude, I doubted he would have given me the interview. Why did he give
RaineyMy mouth dropped open as I looked down. He’d spilled his coffee all over my coat. The liquid moved down my chest and I knew it had soaked through my brand new white shirt.“If I could be even sorrier than I already was, I would be,” he said, equally as stunned.Shit! I had no time for this. I picked up the two last pieces of mail from the ground and headed for the doorway.“Here’s a napkin,” he said, fishing in his bag for one.“I have to go,” I said.“Are you sure?” he asked. “Again, I’m so, so sorry. I can pay for the dry cleaning.” He was sincere but I didn’t have the time to get his number for him to pay. I had to go if I was going to pay for anything in the future. “It’s fine. It was an accident.”I pushed through the door and the cold air stung at my already tearful eyes. I couldn’t believe this happened to me! And before an interview that could change me and Tanner’s life. I steadied my breath while keeping a brisk pace to the building. If I had been paying attention to
MichaelEvery ounce of relaxation my body felt after Bar Harbor had been completely obliterated after the three interviews that morning. I wanted to have hope that at least one of them would be qualified but I didn’t get that impression from them. The first two were kiss-asses and while I didn’t normally care for a stroke of my ego, I didn’t need that from an assistant. We were to be in close quarters with each other on a daily basis, so I needed to feel comfortable with them instead of hiring a yes-man.Admittedly, I had been slightly distracted during all three, constantly thinking of Rainey and our meeting earlier that morning. She was able to carry herself professionally with a determination I didn’t see in many women. She had something driving her and I wanted to know her motivation for this job. Coming down to the office to fight for an interview impressed the hell out of me.Though selfishly, I offered her the interview having no intention of hiring a woman as my assistant. At
MichaelI knew I wasn’t supposed to ask her age, but I didn’t intend on hiring a woman. If I offended her, she could drop out of the running herself.“How old are you?” I asked.She flinched and I had to hold back a smile. I wiped my hand over my mouth to erase it and waited for her answer. Watching her hesitation at revealing her age created a thrill inside of me. I casually leaned against the front of my desk thrumming my fingers on the surface, patiently waiting for her answer.“I’m twenty-nine,” she answered.I couldn’t help the surprise from my face. She barely looked twenty-five. There was no way in hell I should have asked her that, but I had to know. Would it come back to bite me in the ass? Maybe. “And you just graduated?”She let out an exasperated breath. “Yes. Are you set on repeat?”A bark of laughter spilled out of me. She was a little firecracker. I smiled broadly and straightened my spine, looking over her resume again. “Why did it take so long for you to get your degr
RaineyIt wasn’t until I was seated on the train, after going to the post office for the second time, that I finally felt like I could breathe. Even though the interview had been over for some time, I still felt the weight of it on my chest. The interview wasn’t like the rest. Mr. Carrington—Michael—made me nervous but not for the job. Would I be able to work for a man like that? He broke a lot of rules during the interview but it was also his company. Maybe he had offered me the interview because he pitied me. And then I was late, ruining his lunch plans. Which is probably why he asked me to lunch. He felt bad for me. I did mention school loans, was I his charity case?As the train started out of the station, I leaned my head against the cool glass. I wondered what happened with the other candidates. The woman I’d seen in the bathroom seemed very confident in her interview. Had he given her strange signals too, making her think that he wanted to sleep with her? It made sense. She was