The few weeksafter our meeting with the Armanellis passed by in a blur as I flew in and out of town. I managed some large mergers and handled other business matters. I lasered in on my company and handling my father’s loose ends. Every call turned into one more and every conference time extended. Business boomed, and we’d passed our stretch goals halfway through the month.
Gloria waltzed into my office to celebrate the excellent news with a bottle of champagne. A rare smile formed across her face, and I took in how symmetrical the woman was. She perfectly filled out her dress and had her hair pulled back in a tight pony. It emphasized the angles of her face, the slant of her eyes. “You’re staring, Jett.”
“You look good today.” I shrugged.
She eyed my privacy button, and I hit it without her having to ask. She slumped a little and swayed her hips as she walked over to my desk. “I’m tired today.”
“I see that.” I nodded at her now relaxed posture.
She scooted her ass up onto my desk, something she would never do if the windows weren’t tinted. Without eyes on us, though, Gloria relaxed much more. “Armanellis can be bitches to handle, and Levvetor is proving to be a big ass beast.”
“You knew that going in.”
“I knew that going in.” She tapped one finger on the bottle. “You’re working harder than usual. The goals being met attest to that.”
I straightened a paper she’d knocked askew when she sat down. “If I’m running the place, I’d better provide an impeccable example, right?”
Her hands slid to her thighs. “Agreed. I’ve been working harder under the knowledge that I’m now the assistant to the sole owner of Stonewood Enterprises. Your father resigning motivated me.”
I laughed. Her blatant honesty about slacking before could have rubbed someone else the wrong way, but Gloria’s silver was most anyone else’s gold. “You ready to quit yet?”
“No. I’m tired and wound up for sure.” When her eyes grew languid, I knew the question she would ask. “Care to unwind me now?”
My dick jumped a little at the prospect of fucking her on my desk. We were familiar, I’d had her in my office before and there had never been any mention of me not having her there again. Today, I would probably make that clear.
I glanced behind her to where I knew Victory Blakely sat even though she couldn’t see us through the darkened glass. I’d avoided her for weeks now, knowing my business would always come first and she needed someone to put her first instead.
My world didn’t match hers.
I saw the light and dark of the world and focused on where the light came from, how it energized itself, and how I could produce light in the dark. I thrived on making my city whole.
She focused on the color of it all. She burst into the office day after day in greens and blues and pinks and reds and one day orange. Bright-as-a-sunset orange. She announced it was the color of the ribbon for a specific leukemia, one that Levvetor produced a treatment for. That day she handed out orange wristbands and orange frosted cupcakes too. For no specific reason.
Just to make everyone happy, she’d said.
Her outright confidence in staying positive morphed our office into a workplace of energy. Enjoyment. Enthusiasm.
She claimed it was fun. And fun, according to her, was one of the best ways to motivate people.
I, no lie, looked it up. She was right.
“I’ve lost you.” Gloria slid off my desk and straightened her dress. “I’m glad.”
“Sorry, I’m distracted.” I rolled into my canned apology only to halt at her words. “What? You’re glad?” I stood from my chair and walked around the desk. I stopped just a few feet from her and glanced at my paperweights. Her eyes followed mine.
“Blue is still my favorite,” she offered.
“It’s a mesmerizing color.”
“And yet your gaze always wanders back to the explosion of color.”
I didn’t deny it. “They’re all beautiful.”
“Yes. You’re absolutely right. But …” She sighed and shrugged. “I’ve lost you to the explosion of color. I told you once before, we work well physically, but she can offer you so much more.”
“I’m not pursuing her.” I ran my hands through my hair, denying attraction to another woman as I let this one down easy.
She gave me a sideway glance. “I’m not too mad about it, actually. Just needed an outlet right now.” She tapped the blue paperweight and then smoothed her hand over the colorful one. “Ms. Blakely, huh?”