CHAPTER 2 The Boss Who Remembered Me

At 4:47 p.m., Posy Marin received an email that made her forget all about the chocolate cupcake waiting in her handbag.

FROM: HUMAN RESOURCES

SUBJECT: Temporary Assignment Update

Dear Ms. Marin,

Due to current staffing requirements, you have been selected for a temporary assignment with the Executive Operations Team. Please report to the thirty-first floor at 8:00 p.m. this evening for instructions regarding your duties.

Kind regards,

Human Resources.

Posy read the message once.

Then twice.

Then she turned her phone toward Chloe, who was arranging strawberry-shaped chocolates on a display tray.

"Please tell me this is good news, because I'm trying very hard to be a responsible adult who doesn't panic every time an unexpected email arrives, but the words 'executive operations' are making my stomach behave as though I've swallowed an entire box of butterflies."

Chloe wiped her hands and read the message.

"Posy, this could be a wonderful opportunity! You're only on your first day, and you're already being assigned to the executive team. Do you know how much experience you could gain from working directly with senior management?"

"I know, and I'm excited, honestly, but there's just one tiny problem. The last time I visited the executive floor, I accidentally met a man who looked as though he could reject a person's entire existence with one raised eyebrow, and I'm beginning to suspect that my new assignment might have something to do with him."

Chloe looked up sharply.

"You mean the man with the red hair?"

"Yes! The one who rescued me from the elevator and then informed me that I looked threatening. I was wearing a cardigan with little pink flowers on it, Chloe. If that counts as threatening attire, I don't know what I'm supposed to wear to look friendly."

Chloe laughed, nearly upsetting the tray.

"That was Rafe Fitzgerald, our CEO! You really didn't recognise him?"

"I recognised him eventually, but only after you'd informed me that I'd been making jokes at the expense of the man who signs everyone's paychecks." Posy pressed her phone to her chest. "I promise you, if I ever become CEO of anything, I'm going to make sure my employees know who I am before I allow them to embarrass themselves in front of me."

"That's a very generous policy."

"I think so too. Nobody should have to discover that they've insulted their boss while standing in an elevator that has apparently decided to become their personal enemy."

Chloe smiled and handed her a small box of chocolates.

"Take these with you. You'll feel better if you have something sweet in your bag."

Posy's eyes lit up.

"You're an angel, and if I ever become a very important executive, I'm going to put your name on a plaque and hang it somewhere expensive."

"Just make sure you remember me when you're famous."

"Of course! I'll send you chocolates every Christmas, your birthday, and any day that ends in a letter that deserves celebrating."

Chloe shook her head, laughing.

Posy slipped the chocolates into her handbag beside her cupcake. Whatever happened upstairs, at least she wouldn't face it hungry.

And if she was going to be working with Rafe Fitzgerald, she had a feeling she'd need every bit of sweetness she could carry.

At precisely eight o'clock, Posy stood outside the CEO's office.

She had changed into a cream blouse and a pink skirt, brushed her hair until it behaved, and rehearsed a professional greeting in her head.

Good evening, Mr. Fitzgerald. Thank you for this opportunity. I'm looking forward to contributing to the team.

Simple. Polite. Perfectly respectable.

She knocked.

"Come in."

Posy opened the door and stepped inside.

Rafe was seated behind his desk, reviewing a document. He looked up, and recognition flickered across his face.

"Miss Marin."

Posy stopped.

He remembered her.

Of course he remembered her. She'd been the pink-haired stranger who had wandered onto his restricted floor and treated his elevator problem like a family dispute.

She clasped her notebook to her chest.

"Good evening, Mr. Fitzgerald."

Rafe put down his pen.

"I've managed to endure the afternoon without another confrontation with the elevator problem, although I can't say the same for the elevator. Maintenance has informed me that it was working perfectly well before you arrived."

Posy gasped softly.

"Are you suggesting that I somehow offended the elevator's delicate mechanical feelings? Because I was perfectly polite to it, and I even gave it several opportunities to redeem itself before I began questioning its character."

"Perhaps it objected to being treated like a member of your family."

"That's impossible. My family is much more difficult to negotiate with, and at least the elevator eventually listened when you spoke to it."

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Posy felt a small, ridiculous burst of triumph.

There it was again—that tiny glimpse of amusement beneath his serious expression. She was beginning to suspect that making Rafe Fitzgerald smile was a rare achievement, and she wasn't entirely opposed to collecting a few more.

He gestured toward the chair opposite him.

"Please, sit down. We have something more important to discuss than the emotional well-being of the elevators."

"Of course." Posy settled into the chair and opened her notebook. "I'm ready to be serious now, although I should warn you that my seriousness sometimes comes with questions, and my questions occasionally come with more questions when the first answers are particularly interesting."

"That sounds exhausting."

"Only for people who don't enjoy learning new things."

He looked at her for a moment.

Then he picked up a printed schedule and slid it across the desk.

"Human Resources has assigned you to Executive Operations for a temporary period. You'll be working the evening shift, from eight until midnight, assisting with administrative tasks, meeting records, scheduling, and document preparation."

Posy glanced at the schedule.

"Midnight? Every weekday?"

"Monday through Friday, for now. Your daytime internship will be adjusted to accommodate the assignment, and your supervisor will review your workload regularly. If the hours become difficult to manage, you should raise the issue rather than allowing your performance to suffer."

She looked up, pleasantly surprised by the practical consideration.

"Thank you for explaining that. I was prepared to be brave and pretend I could work until midnight, attend a morning meeting at seven, and still look like a cheerful little strawberry the following day, but I suspect even my hair ribbon has its limits."

Rafe's eyes briefly settled on the pink ribbon in her hair.

"I imagine your ribbon will survive."

"That's reassuring. I'll make sure to inform it that the CEO has expressed confidence in its ability to withstand the working conditions."

He shook his head, but his expression had softened.

"You're welcome to keep the humour, Miss Marin, provided the paperwork is completed correctly and you understand when a situation requires your full attention."

"Absolutely. I can be very serious when necessary, and I promise I won't decorate your confidential reports with little strawberry drawings, no matter how tempting the empty corners might be."

"I hadn't considered that a possibility until you mentioned it."

"Then I'm glad we had this conversation. We've prevented a potential administrative disaster before it even began."

Rafe leaned back in his chair, regarding her with an expression that suggested he was reconsidering several assumptions he'd made about the young woman sitting across from him.

"Your application mentioned that you had experience organising records for a small family business. You also performed well on the administrative assessment. Those were the reasons you were selected."

Posy blinked.

"You actually read my application?"

"I prefer to know something about the people handling confidential information in my office."

"That's fair. I just wasn't expecting you to remember anything about an intern you met by accident on a floor where she wasn't supposed to be."

"I remember people who manage to turn a simple elevator malfunction into an entire conversation."

Her cheeks warmed, but her smile remained.

"Well, I hope you'll remember that I'm also capable of doing useful work, because I'd very much like to be known for something besides my questionable relationship with company machinery."

"That will depend on the quality of your work."

"Then I'll do my best to make a good impression. Although, if you happen to hear a mysterious noise coming from the stationery cupboard, please don't assume I've broken anything. I sometimes talk to objects when I'm nervous, and I haven't quite worked out how to stop doing that."

Rafe's eyebrows rose.

"You talk to objects?"

"Only when they appear to need encouragement. Pens are particularly troublesome; they always stop working when someone important is waiting for me to write something, which I think is a very inconsiderate habit."

"I'll be sure to warn the stationery."

"Thank you. I think they'll appreciate being taken seriously."

For a moment, the office was quiet except for the distant hum of the building.

Then Rafe handed her a black access card.

"This will give you entry to the authorised areas on this floor. Evelyn Shaw, my executive assistant, will show you the filing system and explain the procedures you'll need to follow. Don't enter locked offices or handle documents outside your assigned duties without permission."

Posy accepted the card carefully.

"Understood. I'll follow the rules, ask questions when I'm unsure, and try not to get into another argument with the building before the end of the week."

"That would be a sensible start."

She rose, tucking the card into her notebook.

Then she remembered something and paused beside the desk.

"Mr. Fitzgerald, may I ask you one more thing?"

"Go ahead."

"Would it be all right if I brought snacks to work? I don't mean anything messy or distracting, and I promise I won't leave chocolate fingerprints on your important documents. I simply find that having something sweet nearby makes long hours feel a little less lonely."

Rafe glanced at the handbag hanging from her shoulder.

A corner of a pink chocolate box was visible through the open zipper.

"Provided you keep your food away from the paperwork, I don't see a problem with it."

Posy's face brightened.

"Thank you! That's genuinely very kind of you. I was worried that working on the executive floor meant I'd have to become the sort of person who drinks black coffee and survives entirely on ambition."

"Some people manage perfectly well on both."

"Then I admire their determination, but I think I'll stick to strawberry tea and chocolate. It seems a much more pleasant way to survive a long evening."

Rafe looked down at the document on his desk, though the faint smile remained.

"Good night, Miss Marin. Evelyn is waiting for you."

"Good night, Mr. Fitzgerald. I'll try to make sure your stationery has a peaceful evening."

"Please do."

Posy left the office smiling.

Behind her, Rafe waited until the door closed before allowing himself another brief smile.

The girl was certainly unusual.

And he was beginning to suspect that his quiet evenings were about to become considerably less quiet.

Evelyn Shaw was everything Posy had expected an executive assistant to be: organised, composed, efficient, and capable of locating a document in a filing system that looked to Posy like a maze designed by someone who had a personal grudge against paper.

Fortunately, Evelyn was also kind.

She showed Posy how to organise meeting folders, prepare correspondence, and enter schedule changes into the company's system. Whenever Posy asked a question, Evelyn answered patiently, and whenever Posy made a small mistake, she explained how to correct it without making her feel foolish.

By ten-thirty, Posy had completed her first set of assignments.

Evelyn reviewed the documents and nodded.

"This is excellent work. You've caught two scheduling conflicts and corrected a formatting issue in the meeting notes. You're very thorough."

Posy beamed.

"Thank you! I checked everything twice because I wanted to make sure I hadn't accidentally moved a meeting to a day when half the people involved would be on another continent. I know it sounds like a small thing, but I'd hate to be responsible for making an important executive miss a flight because I couldn't tell Tuesday from Thursday."

Evelyn laughed softly.

"That kind of attention to detail will serve you well here. You can take a short break before we move on to the remaining files. There's tea in the kitchen, and I believe someone left a fresh box of biscuits beside the kettle."

Posy pressed a hand to her heart.

"This office has tea, biscuits, and a patient supervisor. I might have to reconsider every negative thing I've ever thought about working late."

"Let's wait until you've seen the month-end reports before you make that decision."

"That's fair. I reserve the right to complain affectionately about the paperwork once I've met it properly."

She went to the kitchen, made herself a cup of strawberry tea, and returned with a biscuit balanced on a napkin.

The corridor was quiet now.

Most of the office lights had been dimmed, and the city beyond the windows glittered beneath the night sky. Posy had always liked evenings, especially when the world seemed to settle down enough for her to hear her own thoughts.

She was halfway through her tea when Evelyn brought her another folder.

"These documents are for tomorrow's executive meeting. Please arrange them according to the index, and I'll review everything before you leave."

"Of course. I'll take care of them."

Posy opened the folder and began sorting the papers.

Most of the documents were straightforward, but one sheet caught her attention. A small crimson crescent had been printed in the corner, and unlike the other pages, it had no reference number or departmental heading.

She checked the index.

Nothing.

She checked the filing instructions.

Still nothing.

Rather than guess, she carried the page to Evelyn.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I couldn't find a category for this document. It has a red crescent symbol in the corner, and I don't want to file it incorrectly. Would you happen to know where it belongs?"

Evelyn studied the page.

Her expression changed slightly.

"I'll take this to Mr. Fitzgerald. Please continue with the rest of the folder."

Posy nodded and returned to her desk.

A few minutes later, Rafe appeared at the doorway.

"Miss Marin, Evelyn tells me you found an unmarked page in the meeting documents."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry if I've caused any inconvenience, but I checked the index twice and couldn't find a place for it. I thought it would be better to ask than to put it somewhere and make your morning more complicated."

"You did the right thing. Thank you for bringing it to our attention."

He took the page from her.

His fingers were cool against hers, and for the briefest moment, Posy wondered whether the office air-conditioning had been turned up too high.

She tucked her hands around her teacup.

"You're welcome. I hope the rest of the folder is behaving itself. I've been very polite to the paperwork tonight, so I'm expecting it to return the favour."

Rafe glanced at the neatly arranged documents on her desk.

"It appears to be cooperating."

"We've reached a professional understanding. I don't crease its pages, and it doesn't try to ruin my career."

"An arrangement worth maintaining."

He looked as though he might say something else, but his attention shifted to the crimson symbol.

Then he placed the page inside his own folder.

"Finish the remaining documents, and Evelyn will check them before you leave. You should be able to go home on time tonight."

Posy smiled up at him.

"Thank you. I appreciate that. I'm still learning my way around the building, so I'd rather not spend my first week here discovering which elevators operate after midnight and which ones have decided they no longer recognise me as a friend."

"I'll have Maintenance check the system."

"That's very kind of you, although I should warn them that the elevator and I have a complicated history. It may take more than a quick inspection to repair our relationship."

Rafe gave her a look of quiet amusement.

"Then I'll advise them to proceed carefully."

He turned to leave, but Posy's voice stopped him.

"Mr. Fitzgerald?"

He looked back.

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I know I'm new, and I know I have plenty to learn, but I really do want to do well here. I promise I'll work hard, and if I make a mistake, I'll own up to it and do my best to put things right."

Rafe regarded her for a moment.

"I expect you to work hard, Miss Marin. I don't expect you to know everything on your first day. If you need help, ask for it."

The simple answer warmed her more than she'd expected.

"I will. And I'll try to keep my accidental adventures to a minimum."

"That would be appreciated."

His tone was dry, but his eyes held that same quiet amusement she'd noticed in the elevator.

Posy returned to her desk, feeling that perhaps her new boss wasn't quite as frightening as his reputation suggested.

She still thought he was intimidating.

She still suspected he could silence an entire boardroom simply by looking at it.

But he'd listened to her questions, explained her assignment, and thanked her for being careful with the paperwork.

For a first day, she decided, that wasn't bad at all.

At eleven fifty-five, Posy finished the last file and handed it to Evelyn for review.

Everything was in order.

She packed her notebook, slipped her remaining strawberry candies into her handbag, and checked that she'd taken her access card.

Then she looked toward Rafe's office.

The door was closed, but a thin line of light shone beneath it.

He was still working.

She hesitated before taking a small, wrapped strawberry chocolate from her bag. It was one of the treats Chloe had given her, shaped like a tiny heart and covered in a glossy red shell.

Posy found a clean piece of paper and wrote a short note.

For a long evening. Everyone deserves something sweet after working so hard. Thank you for the opportunity.

She placed the chocolate and note in a small paper bag, then left it with Evelyn.

"Would you mind giving this to Mr. Fitzgerald when he has a moment? It's just a little thank-you gift. Nothing expensive or fancy, I promise."

Evelyn glanced inside the bag and smiled.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate the gesture."

"I hope so. Please tell him it isn't an attempt to bribe the CEO into giving me easier paperwork. I'd never be so obvious about it."

Evelyn laughed.

"I'll pass along the message."

Posy waved goodbye and headed for the elevator.

This time, it took her to the lobby without a single complaint.

She considered that a very promising development.

Upstairs, Evelyn carried the small bag into Rafe's office and placed it beside his documents.

"From Miss Marin, sir. She wanted to thank you for the assignment."

Rafe looked at the bag.

Inside lay a heart-shaped strawberry chocolate and a note written in rounded pink handwriting.

He read the message once.

Then he read it again.

He should have returned it. He rarely accepted gifts from employees, and he had no intention of encouraging a new intern to think that kindness would earn her special treatment.

But the gift was inexpensive, the note was sincere, and the thought behind it was unexpectedly sweet.

He opened the wrapper.

The chocolate smelled of ripe strawberries and sugar.

For reasons he couldn't immediately explain, the scent lingered in the air around his desk.

Rafe went still.

The familiar hunger beneath his ribs, usually a constant and unwelcome presence, quieted for a moment.

Only a moment.

But it was enough to make him look at the empty doorway.

Downstairs, Posy Marin was probably on her way home, pleased that she'd survived her first night on the executive floor.

She had no idea that a simple strawberry chocolate had just interrupted something Rafe had spent years learning to control.

And Rafe, who had spent centuries being careful about the things he allowed himself to want, found himself wondering what other surprises the cheerful little intern might bring into his carefully ordered life.

He folded her note and placed it inside his desk drawer.

Then he returned to work.

The chocolate remained beside his hand, its red wrapper catching the light.

For the rest of the night, he didn't touch it.

But he didn't throw it away, either.