CHAPTER TWO
Mandy
I looked in the mirror with a nervous smile, checking my auburn waves. I was starting at a property management company today and sighed slowly. I loved my volunteer job teaching tennis and anything having to do with the outdoors, but my parents thought an office job would be better for me. That was the responsible thing to do, and since my whole family was so fucking logical about everything, I went with it. I played tennis for a casual sport but never pursued it as a career, despite being good enough for a lot of people to notice my skills.
I looked at my green sheath dress, slipping my feet into some black heels. I fixed a tall travel cup of coffee to take with me and started the engine to my old Corolla. I took a deep breath of the cool morning air, rolling down the window as a song that I liked played over the radio.
I thought about Morton Properties as I drove the short distance to the office. I took finance classes in college and initially thought about working for an accounting firm or something along those lines. I saw a job on LinkedIn and thought that it sounded interesting, maybe a little fun. The interview was great, and I liked the boss a lot. He was kind and seemed to care about his staff, and they laughed a lot when I was talking to them. The finance manager that I would be assisting was Stephen, and he was gorgeous but looked so serious. Not that I wanted to mix business with pleasure to begin with, but he was the typical accountant type that I imagined in my mind.
I pulled into the parking lot and looked at the large office building, feeling the nerves kick in all over again. I looked in the mirror, adding some gloss to my plum-stained lips. I didn’t wear a lot of makeup, since my light green eyes were already bright, but a little mascara seemed to make them pop. I grabbed my purse out of the car and walked inside, taking the elevator to the second floor to meet Martin for a tour.
He showed me two large break rooms that were equipped with multiple Keurig machines as well as various vending machines. They offered kitchenettes, and there were several restaurants within walking distance too. I followed him as he showed me the offices where the managers worked, smiling and waving as we were introduced. I knew that I wouldn’t initially remember names, but once I settled in, everything would be fine.
He took me to the third floor where there was a gym for the building to use. We were allowed access two hours before or after work to use it, which brightened me up after the boring aspects of the business. I could get some stress out that way when I was at work and break things up a bit. I enjoyed working out, since I didn’t play sports every day like I did in college. I looked over the guys and girls that were in there, feeling a little self-conscious about the curves that I had. I’d gained a few pounds over the last few years that I’d like to lose.
He took me to my small office, and I glanced around with a smile. It was my own space, and I watched as he showed me the software that I’d be using, before settling at my desk.
I looked over some of the spreadsheets that I would be working with to get familiar with them for a while before lunch rolled around. It seemed like everybody had a role here, and from what I heard through my cracked door, there was a lot of talking between the offices. I licked my lips and grabbed my purse to see what I could find for lunch, seeing a pretty blonde in the elevator that I recognized. “Mandy, right?” she asked, and I nodded. “I’m Stella. I’m in charge of purchasing.” She reached out her hand, and I shook it, telling her that it was nice to see her again. “Are you going for lunch?”
“I was going to walk around and find something to eat. I saw a few places when I was here for the interview,” I replied as she smiled brightly.
“If you like pasta, there’s this cute little place on the corner. Want to join me?” Her blue eyes twinkled, and I nodded “Great. How is your first day going?”
“I like the building, and everyone seems real nice. I just haven’t gotten to know anybody yet,” I replied as she chuckled.
“Everybody is nice.” She led the way to a small brick building and looked back at me with a secret smile. “Martin is the best boss I’ve ever had. You’ll meet his wife and kids soon, and they’re a joy. I think he’s the only guy that’s married here, but that doesn’t mean you should think about dating within the building, if you’re single. That’s brutal in an office setting.”
“I wasn’t planning on that,” I assured with a chuckle her as she walked through the doors. I wasn’t about to tell anyone how hot I thought my boss was. I sensed that Stella was a bit of a gossip and reminded myself to keep my business to myself.
“Paul will hit on you as soon as he has the chance, and he’s cute. He’s a total player, though. Stephen is gorgeous and keeps this place going, but he is so antirelationship. He’s a single dad, and I think that he spends all his time working or at home.” She shook her head and followed the hostess to a table. “From what I’ve heard, his girlfriend walked out on him when the baby was just a year old. He doesn’t even seem to notice that women work in the building.”
“Wow. That must be hard,” I remarked as I picked up the menu.
“Yeah. I can barely handle a job and an apartment,” she joked as we both laughed. We got to know each other a bit over lunch, and I felt like I was making a friend. I meant to go to the gym on lunch but got caught up in the conversation, deciding to go before or after work tomorrow.
I heard my phone chiming in my purse as I walked into my office, setting it down on the desk as I got settled. I checked the screen to see my ex, Chase, was trying to reach me, rolling my eyes.
C: Want to go to dinner tonight?
M: I’m busy, Chase.
C: Come on. I miss you.
Goodness. He was a nice guy, but I found the relationship to be so boring. It was so typical when it started, and then when I thought the sex might make up for his boring personality, I was wrong.
Chase was a missionary kind of man, and that seemed to be it. I gave him a few chances and suggested spicing things up. Once we were together for four months, I knew that I needed to end it and used finals as an excuse. He seemed to buy it, and we both graduated. Why was he back?
M: I am working right now, and I don’t really want to start things back up with you. It didn’t work then.
I figured that since we’d already had the breakup talk back then, it was better to just jump into it. Chase seemed to accept that and left me alone, and it made me think how I never met a man that aroused me the way the ones in the books did. Some of those guys were so dominant and alpha male and, let’s be honest, hot.
I glanced at my office door and thought about the guys that I’d seen here. There were the typical kinds you see at offices, but they seemed to all be older and friendly. I thought back to my interview when I met Stephen for just a moment and how much he’d struck me as just what I might be looking for. He didn’t even notice me, though. He looked tired and distracted. If I didn’t make an impression on him then, and Stella told me that he never dated at work, then it was a silly thought to begin with.
I was here to work. I’d settle into that, and the rest of my life would fall into place. Sure, I wasn’t doing what I loved here, but the salary was great, and I’d learn a lot. I could promote down the line and make something of myself. It would make my family happy, and eventually I’d meet a guy and have a relationship—maybe get married and have kids.
I laughed at the idea. I couldn’t wait to get home to the apartment that I shared with my best friend from all the way back to high school, Vanessa. That seemed like a long time, and I supposed that it was. Our apartment was the one place that I felt safe. I could be my true self there, and she would still love me all the same.