Chapter 4 : Working Conditions

There was no way I could go to work now. I clutched my chest, still breathing hard. The name "Luke" had been familiar, but I hadn't even considered it. I mean, what were the odds? Groaning, I leaned against the side of the hotel and forced myself to take deep, calming breaths. This was a nightmare. The only thing I had left was my job, and there was no way I could take it, now. I needed to pack up my bags and get the h*ll out of here. Resign before I even started. But I'd be giving up the best chance I had to build my career. I'd lose everything I had worked for and probably end up back with my mother. It made me shudder to even think it. Unfortunately, that was my only option. I turned to go back inside. "Catherine? Catherine Walker?" a female voice called. It sounded somewhat familiar. I froze, my spine going rigid. "Y-yes?" I asked, turning slowly. I didn't recognize the woman walking toward me. She had brown hair in a ponytail and horn-rimmed glasses. Her business suit was burgundy, with a pencil skirt, and she wore a dark blue blouse under her blazer. On her feet sat a shiny pair of dark blue, stylish pumps. "Do I know you?" I asked, creasing my brow. "I know we only spoke on the phone, but I got your picture from your personelle file. I'm Hannah, the HR representative who interviewed you," she said. She held her hand out to me. "Right, Hannah, of course," I said, shaking her hand. So much for my quick getaway. "I'm so glad that I caught you. Come with me. We've got a lot to go over," Hannah said. She looped her arm through mine and pulled me back into the hotel. "O-okay," I stuttered. I didn't even have a chance to get away. "The company elevator is over here. We operate out of the top several floors of the hotel. They've been converted for our purposes. Mr. Carter likes them because we get a full view of the city," she explained in a rushed voice. I cringed when she referred to Luke. This was going to get awkward. Hannah tugged me to an elevator down a secluded hallway, away from the lobby. Secluded, but the elevator was still packed full of people. My new coworkers. "We have so much to go over. I'll show you your office first, and you can get settled in. I'm sure Mr. Carter would love to meet you, too," she babbled on. I stared at my warped reflection in the shiny, elevator doors. My cheeks were beet red. I felt like everyone in the elevator was staring at me, that they all knew I'd slept with Luke. What if they found out? Would I be punished for sleeping with the boss? Would people think that was the only reason I had my job? I hadn't even known he was Luke Carter. Chewing my lower lip, a new thought occurred to me. Had he known that I was his new employee? If he hadn't, when we "met" for the first time, it was going to be a pretty big shock to him. The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Most of the passengers started to shuffle off, but Hannah held my arm. "This isn't our floor, hon. This is where the 'grunt' workers go. We are two floors up, where all the real magic happens," she explained. We were the only two left in the elevator as the doors closed again. "So, are you settling in?" she asked. "You said that you and your fiance had bought a house right?" My stomach lurched. "We did. Unfortunately… well, that didn't pan out." "Hmm, well, you just let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Through Mr. Carter, I am very well connected," she gushed. I was glad she didn't pry for details. She didn't even ask if it was the house or the fiance that didn't work out. My chest swelled with hope. Maybe I would have a good friend here, after all. The elevator dinged again, and the doors opened. Hannah stepped out, pulling me along. I froze, pulling her to a stop too, and glanced around. The entire floor had been outfitted with big, glass windows that were floor to ceiling. It was like being inside an ice cube. Every direction I looked, I could see the entire city, all the way to the horizon line. Even the office cubicles' doors were clear, although, when we walked by a few, I could tell they were soundproofed. People were talking on the phone and I couldn't hear anything. "This is our base of operations," Hannah said, smiling at a few employees that walked by. Suddenly, I noticed that everyone was wearing business suits. I glanced down at my own outfit - a yellow sweater and a plaid skirt. It was a nice, professional outfit, but not the right style for these people. Boy, did I look out of place. "Hannah, is this the new secretary?" a man in a suit asked, looking down his nose at me. "Back off, Charlie! This is our newest architect," Hannah said, moving in front of me protectively. Charlie sniffed and turned his nose up. "Looks more like a secretary to me." "Then why did she get the office right next to Mr. Carter's, while you're still against the back wall?" Hannah asked snidely. Charlie scoffed and walked off, muttering to himself. "Wait… why do I have the office so close to Mr. Carter's?" I asked, forgetting my outfit. "I'm sure there are other senior employees that would…" Hannah nudged me down a hallway. "It doesn't matter. You're our promising new talent. Mr. Carter wants to keep an eye on you, help you flourish," she told me. "Right," I nodded. Hannah led me to the southern corner of the floor. Luke's office was the corner office where he had a full panorama view of the city. I could see his view through the glass door to his office. It didn't look like he was inside, thankfully. "Well, here you go," Hannah said. She unlocked the glass door to my office, right next to Luke's, and handed me the key. Fortunately, there was a solid wall between Luke's office and mine. It was a plain office, for now. The wall on the exterior of the building was glass, giving me a beautiful view of the city. There was a desk, chair, computer, and an empty bookshelf. "You can personalize your office however you'd like. This one has been empty for a while," Hannah said. "Why don't you take a minute to settle in. I'll be right back with the plans for the development project you'll be starting with." "Yeah, sure," I said dismissively. The moment I was alone, I flopped down in the chair and groaned. I should have left when I'd had the chance! This was ridiculous. When Luke found out he'd slept with me, he'd have no choice but to fire me, anyway. I couldn't be seen as getting preferential treatment. I went to the wall between our offices and pressed my forehead to it. What was I actually doing here? Why did Luke want me in an office right next to his? Did he want to keep an eye on me? I started pacing back and forth, rubbing my hands on my thighs. I needed to get out of here before Luke saw me. When Hannah returned, I could quit. I could just tell her I'd made a mistake. This was more responsibility than I was ready for. She'd understand, right? It wasn't like I'd even started on a project. I hadn't seen any of the plans. I'd just have to tell her that I wasn't cut out for this before she talked about development plans. I ran my hand down my face and groaned again. What had I gotten myself into? I went back to the desk and sat down. Pushing my foot off the floor, I pivoted the chair back and forth. When I spun toward the window, I stopped. I got up again and went to look at the cityscape. It was absolutely gorgeous. This was the kind of place I'd always wanted to live, pretty much since things with my mom got strange. I'd worked my a*s off to get here. Was I really willing to give it all up because Aaron turned out to be a d*ck, and the one time I'd given into temptation to sleep with a man I hardly knew, he happened to be my new boss? There had to be a better option. Was I really going to admit defeat? I'd studied hard, gotten good grades, crushed my thesis, and gotten the job right out of college. Was I really going to give up? What other choice did I have? Sighing, I flopped down in the chair again and turned away from the view. If I kept looking at those lush skyscrapers and the shiny buildings, I'd never walk away. It wasn't up for debate, though. There was no way I could keep working here after everything that happened. When I got home to my mom, I could just look for a new job. Preferably in a city far, far away from Aaron and Luke. I rested my elbow on the desk and leaned my head against my propped up hand. I blew a sharp breath out of the corner of my mouth and looked through my glass office door. There was a woman walking toward my office. It wasn't Hannah. She wasn't dressed the same, and she wasn't carrying a huge architecture portfolio, as I imagined Hannah would be. There was something familiar about her. I hadn't met many people since coming to the city. Actually, I'd just met Luke and Hannah, so I didn't know why I thought she looked familiar. She was wearing a yellow sundress and big, round, black sunglasses. She even had a straw sunhat over her bouncing, blond, curly hair. I doubted she worked here. If Charlie had had a problem with my outfit, hers definitely was not okay in this setting. A few men poked their heads out of their offices as she strolled by. Someone whistled at her, and the woman took her sunglasses off. She winked at the guy who called to her and bit the stem of her sunglasses delicately in her teeth. A master at flirtation. She was gorgeous and seemed to be familiar to the staff enough that they felt confident in teasing her this way, even though it was unprofessional. So, where had I seen her? She kept her sunglasses off as she got closer to my office. I had no idea what a woman I only thought I'd met would want with me, seeing as she didn't work here and I couldn't place her in my mind. She was just a few offices away when she stopped and met my stare. Smirking, she winked at me, too. My mind reeled and a flash of her naked on a bed sprang in front of my eyes. I pushed off my desk, nearly tipping over in my chair. That was the woman who had slept with my fiance, Aaron!