“Thanks for the ride today,” I say to Crystal as I get into her car. Luckily she lives even farther away from Blackwell than I do, and starts work earlier than me, so she’s the perfect candidate to give me a ride to work today, since my Mom needed the car this morning.

And I’ll be early to work by a solid hour, since I’m only normally supposed to be there by eight.

As I close the door, she turns the music down.

“Blasting Thomas Rhett already, eh?”

“Aw it’s never too early for a little bit of Tommy boy,” she says. “But I never got the chance to ask you how the rest of the night went.”

“Oh, it went fine. Sorry for ditching you. I…didn’t know I was going to be talking to him for so long. But he brought me in and once he did, I felt like I was…under his spell or something.”

“Yeah, I thought you were just going to tell him off.”

“Well, I gave him some space to explain himself. And I don’t know, maybe he’s not as big of an asshole as some people say he is.”

“No. Brett, just no. He’s a big, giant villain. Everyone knows that. He’s heartless. I heard he once fired someone just because they were five minutes late to their shift. He’s horrible.”

I recoil a little bit. “I haven’t heard that.”

“Just…be careful, okay? Although, just because he’s not an asshole doesn’t mean he’s not hot.” Her eyes get a little glazed over as she looks into the distance down my road, County Road D. “Speaking of hot, did you make any progress in finding inspiration for your book yet? Or are you still going to stick with...you know. Your potential boss?”

Pangs of nervous sweat begin to overtake me. “I think I’m going to stick with him. I wrote a chapter when I got home last night.”

Her jaw hangs open. “A whole chapter! What’s it about?”

“Uh,” I stumble. I can’t tell her who I was really fantasizing about last night. Can I? “It’s really silly. But…What you said about Sebastian got me thinking. He is really hot. And he is a pretty big asshole. But I think that’s a combination I want to write about. So I didn’t think of him, exactly. Just someone who is like him. Like a prototype.”

She nods, eyes still forward as she eats up the country road in front of us.

“I’m thinking of calling it…” I pause dramatically and move my hands across the window like I’m spelling out the words on a sign. “My Hot Restaurant Boss.”

With her lips parted, she looks over at me with crazy eyes. “Are you sure? That sounds like, really specific.”

“Watch out!” I yell, and help her swerve at the last second to barely miss a cow drifting into the middle of the road.

She shrieks, but luckily since there are no other cars in the road it’s fine when we veer off into the oncoming traffic lane.

“Phew,” she says as she slows and steadies the car.. “You’re distracting me with this ridiculous title! My Hot Restaurant Boss? Really? It sounds like the restaurant is hot, not the boss. And it’s also just...I don’t know. I think you can do better than that.”

We pull past the city limits of Blackwell, and the tallest building comes into view.

Finally we pull up in front of the Blackwell Industries building. I pop out the door.

“Have a good first day at school, honey,” Crystal waves. “Pick you up at four?”

“Yes, I think so. I’ll text you.”

I check my phone for the time. It’s still early, Not even seven a.m. yet. My father, rest his heart in peace, was the one who taught me that if you’re early, you’re on time, if you’re on time, you’re late, and if you’re late, don’t bother showing up.

And especially on a day like today, I’m excited I’m early. I go to Daily Grind, Blackwell’s local coffee shop, and pick up a latté.

When I get to the Blackwell building, I realize it’s been awhile since I woke up with adrenaline pumping through my veins as I enter the lobby.

“Hi,” I say to the gentleman at the front desk. “My name is Brett. It’s my first day.”

“Ah, Brett Blue,” he smiles. “I have your temporary ID right here. For now, take the elevator up the west wing on up to the seventeenth floor. Mr. Blackwell himself said he’s going to be going through your orientation today. Just head on up.”

As I step into the elevator and press the button for the seventeenth floor, I can feel my heart rate elevating.

I can say it’s because it’s the first day of a new job.

Or because I’m in the biggest building in Blackwell.

I’m stepping into Sebastian’s lair.

I’m not attracted to him.

I swear.

But as I ride up in the elevator, I think I can detect that manly, woodsy scent of his. It probably permeates the whole place twenty four hours a day seven days a week.

The elevator doors open, but floor seventeen is basically bare. I see a janitor walking around, but other than that, there’s no one.

I walk past the opening to Sebastian’s office, the door closed, and the lights dark. I wonder if he gets here early, too. The guy does seem like the workaholic type.

I turn right and pass through the archway to the main cubicles. The lights are dimly lit, though the morning sun is shining in and visibility is no problem.

Weird. When I cleared everything with Fiona yesterday, she said someone would be here to meet me between seven and eight, but there’s not a peep.

I head back to Sebastian’s office, and figure I’ll wait for him there. But now the door is cracked open just a smidge, and I can hear a strange noise coming from inside. It sounds like forced grunting.

“Oh yeah,” I hear the voice say, unmistakably his. “Just like that,” he says in a low murmur.

Holy shit.

Is someone...is he...having sex?

It’s the first day on the job, and I’m already about to catch my boss hooking up with someone.

I know I probably should just mind my own business based on the noise, and that there are some things the mind can’t unsee. But I don’t care. Like Tom Petty, I need to know.

After all the things Sebastian said yesterday to me, I was starting to think maybe he wasn’t so bad of a guy. But if he’s hooking up with like, one of the interns? Ew. Just no.

I set my latté on the secretary’s desk, and get on my hands and knees so I’m low to the ground. I push the door open ever so slightly, just enough so that I’m able to get my tiny head halfway into the doorframe into an angle that makes me able to see the source of the noise.

I prepare myself for the worst. He’s probably got the secretary facing the glass window of the wall overlooking the sun rise. And you know, I can’t say I blame her for wanting a little bit of Sebastian early in the morning.

But when I look in, I don’t see him hooking up with anyone. Instead, he’s doing the most boring thing I’ve ever seen a man do:

Pushups.

To be fair, he’s got his shirt off. After finishing one set, he jumps up to a pull up bar that is apparently installed on his wall.

“Oh yeah. Fuck yeah,” he growls as he reaches the top of a rep.

Animal.

The man is a total animal. And I’m completely mesmerized by it. Maybe it’s his six pack. Maybe it’s his ginormous arm muscles. Maybe it’s the way his manly musk fills my nostrils, and the fact that I can sense how much this man is half billionaire tycoon, half country boy.

But suddenly, at seven fifteen a.m. in the morning, on my hands and knees, I am getting worked up.

“Uh, Miss Blue?” someone says behind me, and I recognize Fiona’s voice. Instantly, I knock my head into the doorframe, jarring it and my head. I jump up to my feet, but I’m off kilter due to the hit I just took on the doorknob.

I resist muttering in pain.

Fiona doesn’t have to say a word. She’s wondering what the hell I am doing looking into my boss’s office. And I don’t blame her for being curious.

I think fast.

“I was just...looking for the cross on my cross necklace!” I say cheerily to Fiona. She looks back at me with curiosity. “Found it! And I already even reattached it to my necklace.” I hold up my necklace as proof.

Darn. Did I just lie? I hate lying. Now I know this is only a little white lie, but I don’t like those all the same.

My hand shakes as I go to grab my coffee, mustering a smile to flash at Fiona as she sits in her chair. I pick up my hot coffee and hold it in front of my chest, hoping it will steady me.

“Well, that’s a nice necklace,” Fiona says, her eyes examining me. “I’m glad you found it.”

I clam up. Shoot. I don’t think I’ve told a lie since high school. My nervousness makes my hands shake.

“Oh, I uh. Yeah. It’s hot out today.”

“Yes it is,” Fiona says calmly as she fires up her computer. “Hot for early September. Not as hot as August though.”

“Yeah--”

I don’t know where I am going with my sentence, but my hands--for no apparent reason--think I’m holding butter sandwiches and my latté spills right out onto my chest and my white blouse.

“Ahhh!” I scream, and the heat seeps slightly into my skin. “Oh my God. Oh my God.”

“Oh my God!” Fiona returns imitating me. She jumps up out of her chair. “Are you okay?”

“So hot!” I yell. I set my the cup down, and frantically try to whip off my blouse.

“What the hell--” booms a deep voice.

“Uff!” I utter as I run into what feels like a brick wall.

Of flesh. A brick wall of flesh.

Oh my God. My heart stops as reality hits me.

I just bumped into my boss, shirtless and with my hands lifted over my head.

Wearing only my bra.

“For the love of God, get in here,” Sebastian says, ushering me into his office. He helps me pull the shirt off, and then it’s as if he realizes the implications of what just happened, when he sees me in just a bra.

“I have an extra shirt.” He turns abruptly, heads to a closet in his room, and pulls down a blue button down.

My heart hammers against my chest, because this man is gorgeous in person. I stare at his six pack abs and the rest of his muscled body up close.

“Put this on for now,” he says. “I’ll have someone go out and get you a new shirt soon. Okay?”

I blink. “Do you...always work out shirtless in the morning?”

“Yes of course. It’s part of my office wellness routine.” He licks his lips, and our eyes linger together for just a little too long. He grabs his shirt, which is draped over his chair, and starts to button it.

“How about another coffee,” Sebastian asks me, putting his hand on my arm. “How do you take yours?”

“I had a vanilla latté.”

“Alright. I’ll tell Fiona.”

He buzzes Fiona through the intercom and tells her my coffee order.

“So,” I say as I reach the top button of my shirt and tuck it in. I’m going to look ridiculous in this, but I suppose it’s better than being naked. “You enjoyed the peep show?”

He buttons the top button of his collar, and begins to tie his tie.

“I should ask you the same question,” he winks, and leans in. “Looking for a cross my ass. Don’t pull your little white lies around here. Remember our little run-in in the restaurant? I see everything.”

A current of electricity runs through my body.

"Sorry. I didn’t mean to spy on you. I didn't think you would be here so early,” I groan, thinking of ways to change the subject. “Hey, I don't look too ridiculous in this thing, do I?" I do a 360 degree spin in his huge shirt.

"You wear it well," he says, then clears his throat. "We'll just spend this first week getting the hang of things. Maybe we'll save the field visits for next week."

Anxious as I am to get started, he's got a point.

Finally, I leave his office, and minutes later Fiona shows up with another coffee. She leads me to my desk, which is in the the middle of the floor between a couple of other cubicles. I'm flanked by a middle aged man whose name is Ted, and a girl, Jackie, who appears to be in her mid twenties.

"I've got to scoot,” Fiona says after introductions. “Plenty of work to be done this morning. You remember Kim Murphy right? She'll be giving you your full orientation this afternoon.

"Uh, so what should I work on until she gets here?"

"You could do some proactive research on the properties to the west of Blackwell. And I'm sure he'll have some more for you to do, soon. Mr. B's got a full schedule this morning though."

"You can do some of my work!" Jackie says chirpily with a wink.

Fiona walks away, and I get started on my first day.

I do a little research on the properties west of Blackwell, and find out what I had already suspected. Most owners are small farmers with a few residences mixed in as well. I recognize most of the names of the families with ownership. These are people who have been a part of the community for years.

My coworkers seem hard at work, but I have nothing to do. I glance over at Ted, and he’s rubbing his face in what appears to be maximum frustration.

Barely an hour into the morning, and I’m already bored.

A devilish idea hits me, and immediately, I dismiss it because it’s that bad. But the little voice keeps speaking in my ear.

Brett, why don’t you just write a romance novel right now, at work?

It’s a fair point. I don’t have much else better to do at the moment.

I wonder if Blackwell Industries is the kind of company that has software on our computers for tracking what we do?

Nah, I doubt it. It’s too much of a down home place. I decide I’ll just pull up google docs in a browser so I can save it to the cloud and not to my work desktop. If anyone asks me, well, I’ll just tell them I was sending a personal note to a friend.

A very dirty personal note.

I open the document and start writing chapter two of my story, which, incidentally, involves a boss, his young employee, and a coffee incident.

The words flow freely.

I’ll have this first novel done in no time.

Especially with my newfound inspiration.