7

SHE WAS MORE than a little relieved when lunchtime came and she hadn’t had to see or talk to her boss once all morning, although she had to admit to herself that she was also a little disappointed. Every call she put through to his office had been answered by Sheila, and there had obviously not been any reason for him to come to the reception desk.

The afternoon was different though, and by the end of the day it was starting to feel as though Dawson was making any and every excuse under the sun to have to come and see her. Her nerves were on edge every time the phone rang in case it was somebody asking to be put through to his office, because he would answer the calls himself. It quickly became apparent that her reaction to him the day before wasn’t going to be a one-off occurrence, and Alexa was starting to get on her own nerves because of it.

For God’s sake, Lexi, will you get a grip on yourself? This is probably how it’s always been here, so stop feeling as though there may be an ulterior motive or that he’s seeking you out. She felt better after her pep talk to herself, and at the end of the day, she made her way home feeling a little more positive.

She became even more convinced that he wasn’t giving her any kind of special treatment as the following days progressed and she settled into the office routine. She discovered that during the morning hours, Sheila would deal with all of Dawson’s business. Then, during the afternoon, the man himself would take over. He was always friendly and courteous to her, and if on occasion she had the feeling he was flirting with her, she would just put it down to her overactive imagination and her lack of experience in dealing with men in general.

She ended the week feeling really good about her job and looking forward to the next few months there. She was actually a little disappointed that it was only a temporary position, but she was going to enjoy it while she could and make the most of the experiences and new skills she was learning.

She was finishing up her final task of the day on Friday just as Dawson came up to the reception desk.

“Hey there, Mr. James. Was there something you needed me for?” Her heart skipped its usual beat, but she ignored it because it happened every time she saw him.

“Are you ever going to drop the Mr. James crap and call me Dawson?” He gave her a mocking scowl that almost made her laugh out loud. “You always make me feel as though you’re talking to my father when you call me Mr. James, and I hate feeling that old.” He grinned at her this time, and Alexa couldn’t help but smile back at him as he joked with her.

She shook her head as she answered his question. “Probably not, in all honesty. Old habits are hard to break, and I was always taught to respect my elders and address them correctly.”

Oh my God, I did not just say that to him, she thought to herself as she realized what had come out of her mouth.

Dawson threw back his head and laughed out loud, much to her relief and mixed embarrassment as a few other employees turned to look. “Respect your elders, huh? I’ll have to remember that, young lady.” Alexa blushed beet red at his joke, but thankfully, he kept on talking before she could say anything else to embarrass herself further. “So, how did your first week go for you? I’ve been hearing some good things about you, but I just wanted to make sure that there were no issues or problems that you were having and that you’re getting any help you need.”

Alexa was pretty amazed that he’d actually thought to check on her like that. She was sure that not many employers did that to new staff – especially those on the lowest rung of the corporate ladder, and especially when they were billionaires who could get anyone to carry out the seemingly simple task of checking up on someone.

“I’m getting plenty of help. Mr. James, but thank you for asking.” Well that’s one for the books, she thought.

“You know I will break you of that eventually,” he said.

She raised her eyebrows inquisitively.

“You using my last name instead of my first.” He explained. “One of these days you’ll be calling me Dawson.”

Hell, one of these days, I hope you’ll be screaming ‘Dawson,’ he mused, before cutting off the errant thought and letting his imagination make him say something he’d regret. He had the feeling that she didn’t have much experience when it came to men, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare her off before he’d had a chance to break through the invisible barrier she’d erected around herself. Starting from next week, Sheila wasn’t going to be around as much while she made plans for her upcoming wedding, and Dawson fully intended to use that to his advantage with Alexa.

“Anyway, you have a great weekend, and don’t forget to ask if there’s anything I can do to help. I’ll see you on Monday,” he said.

“You have a great weekend too, Mr. James.” She needn’t have bothered replying because he’d already turned and walked away, so her cheekiness was completely lost on him. She watched him exit the building and then turned her concentration back to finishing up her last task of the day before shutting down her computer and leaving herself.