Page 66 of A Win-Win Situation
He shakes his head. "Nothing. I'm going to get dressed, and then we'll leave for the new office."
"New?" I ask, curiously.
"They’re doing some renovations to the old one, so we have to work at a temporary location for a while," he explains while getting up from his seat. "I'll be ready in five minutes." With that, he heads toward his room, leaving me to finish my coffee and gather my wits.
Stepping out of the car,I look up at the towering building before us. Sleek and modern, it presents a stark contrast to the historic architecture of the city.
He grabs my hand and leads the way, his long strides easily eating up the pavement. I try to keep up while taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling street.
We step into the lobby—it's grand and opulent, with chandeliers and marble floors. It’s busy with people, but Lucas expertly navigates us through it. We walk past the elevator and I stop, pulling on his arm.
A puzzled expression crosses his face. "What's wrong?"
"Aren’t we going up?"
"No, this way." Lucas leads me to a grand staircase at the end of the lobby. We begin our ascent, only climbing up two flights of stairs before arriving at our destination.
As Lucas pushes open the door, I step into a spacious, airy office with high ceilings and large windows that let in plenty of natural light. The walls are painted in a soft shade of beige, with a few colorful accents in the form of artwork and plants scattered throughout the space. The floor is made of polished concrete, adding to the modern feel of the office. All the employees are already at their desks, working away. They glance up as we enter, and I sense their curiosity and interest in me as they try to sneak glances.
Lucas turns to me with a dazzling smile. "Welcome to our new office space, wife." The last word reminds me of who I am to him in public, and I wrap the hand that isn’t interlocked with his around his bicep.
"Listen up everyone. I’m very excited to introduce you to your new Marketing Manager, Leora Davis." He pauses to gauge everyone’s reaction, before continuing. "I truly believe that she will do wonders with all of your expertise. Additionally, some of you might already be aware of this, but Leora isn’t only your Marketing Manager, she’s also my wife. So, take care of her." He ends with a wink.
I’m really enjoying seeing his different sides and learning about him. This side is confident and in control—it's clear that he's respected by his employees, but he’s also more relaxed around them, which makes me feel more at ease.
I feel a wave of excitement and a hint of nervousness as all eyes turn to me. "I'm thrilled to be joining this talented team as your new Marketing Manager," I say, trying to project confidence. "I may be Lucas's wife but I can assure you that will not interfere with my ability to lead this team."
I see some surprised and curious expressions in the crowd, but also a few friendly smiles and nods of welcome.
"Also, know that everything you say to me will stay between us. I won’t tell the big guy over here," I say in, what I think, is a playful tone while elbowing Lucas next to me. However, no one laughs or even dares to breathe.
Why am I like this?
I catch Lucas watching me with a confused look, the corner of his lips almost tugging up, before he continues, changing the focus. "Our first priority is to finish planning the hotel opening, and I'm confident that Leora's expertise will be invaluable in making it a success. So, let's get to work."
"Leora."
I recognize the voice and follow the sound to find one of the few people I've met before. A blonde bombshell runs toward me, her arms spread wide before they wrap around me.
Camille.
The hug is warm and familiar. "I'm so happy you're here!" she exclaims in her French accent before she pulls away and looks at my face with a big smile.
"What do you think of the new office? It’s better without elevators, no? Lucas told me that you don’t?—"
The man in question clears his throat, interrupting her just as she’s about to tell me something interesting, "How about we introduce her to Simon?"
My eyes narrow at Lucas, knowing he's trying to divert attention away from what Camille was about to say, but I want to know what he told her.
I look back at her, trying to give her the "tell-me-later"look, but she only purses her lips while directing a lingering gaze at Lucas.
"Okay, follow me," she huffs and turns her back leading us toward a sweet looking man wearing round glasses.
"Leora, this is Simon, our marketing coordinator. You two will probably be working close together."
I regard Simon with a warm smile and extend my hand to shake his. "Nice to meet you, Simon. I'm Leora."
Simon takes my hand in his. "Nice to meet you too, Leora."
