Page 9 of Miss Typed

We’d learned Delmont Security included a multitude of specialties. My ex-boss, Tom, had been a physical building consultant who worked in securing doors, windows, elevators, and the server rooms of commercial buildings. George, Teagan’s current boss, did security advising for celebrities, providing bodyguards and vetting everything from their kids’ schools to where they shopped for groceries. All I knew about Aiden Samuels was that he held the title of Director, Security. It was as vague and mysterious as he was.

“I have no clue what he does. But he’s new, so that might explain why his picture and bio may not be available yet.”

“Read his emails. The messages should give you a clue as to what he does.”

“He won’t give me access. I see his calendar, but all of his meetings are coded. Initials only. No company names or clients.”

Her big green eyes widened. “Huh. Sounds mysterious. You know anything about his background?”

“Not a lot. He’s American. Seems former military based on his haircut and demeanor. Doesn’t like chitchat or personal stuff. He has a slight limp, but it could be he strained something at the gym.”

She pressed her lips together. “I do appreciate a man who stays in shape. Speaking of not staying in shape because he’s probably too busy juggling a girlfriend and a wife, have you seen Tom since the whole pussygate scandal?”

I laughed at her coined term for my embarrassment with my former boss. “Nope. I assume he believes I’m fired and gone. Hopefully, my being on another floor will keep me from running into him. I’m so grateful Reid gave me a second chance.”

She exhaled a swoony sigh, batting her eyelashes as she did whenever her crush’s name was mentioned. “My hero. I hope his fiancée is worthy.”

Although Teagan would insist it was a harmless little crush, something told me her infatuation with Reid went a bit further than was healthy.

“I saw the photo of them together on his desk when I was in his office.”

Her eyes rolled. “Yeah. Yeah. She’s beautiful. They seem happy together. Blah, blah. But why isn’t she here, Chloe? If I had a man like Reid all the way in the desert alone, my ass wouldn’t be in New Hampshire. It would be here with him.”

“Perhaps she has a job there?”

Teagan shook her head. “Nope. It doesn’t appear she works. According to her Instagram, she spends a lot of time shopping in New York City. She must come from a rich family.”

A sigh left my lips. The type you give your friend when you sympathized with her plight but thought she might be a tad crazy. The type that meant you still loved her but needed to call her out on her shit because it’s what friends do. “You should stay off her Instagram, Teag.”

Her lips morphed into a frown. “Probably. But she posts everything as public. Anyhow, I get this bad vibe from her. The bitchy, selfish kind.”

“You’ve only met her the one time?”

“Yes, in the lobby a few months ago when she was visiting. And she was dismissive, with a smile as fake as her boobs. Do you know when I ran into Reid in the parking garage a couple weeks ago and asked about his wedding date, he told me they were still working on it? Doesn’t that strike you as odd? Why don’t they have a date when he proposed months ago.”

I shrugged, not knowing how to respond. I had no clue about romantic relationships, let alone a long-distance engagement. I’d only begun living my own life in LA last year when that had been ripped away by my brother’s poor life choices. At this point, I was simply looking forward to the day I could make my own decisions, independent of anyone and anything else. To take control of my life and have the freedom to do anything I desired sounded like a dream.

“Anyhoo, enough of my stupid crush.” Teagan tapped her bottle of water with mine. “Cheers to you for keeping your job. See ya at five. I’ve gotta get back and organize George’s retirement party for next month. I can’t believe he’s flying me out for it.”

Teagan’s boss was generous and kind to fly her out to Los Angeles, knowing her sister lived nearby. He was a good man who often thought of Teagan as a surrogate granddaughter. Although I was sincerely happy for her to visit her sister and niece over Christmas, I’d miss her terribly over the holidays.

I glanced at my watch. “It’s wonderful he thought of you. I’d best return, too. See ya after work.”

Chapter Four

Aiden

The next couple days were busy with a number of appointments around town. Although I hated socialization, it was critical for earning new business for the company. This morning’s meeting was with top-level security for the US embassy here in the UAE. They needed monitoring of correspondence between some officials. That’s what I did. Monitored confidential correspondence to ensure it was compliant with the rules of whatever organization employed us.

In addition, I audited the correspondence of individuals a company might believe were acting inappropriately or violating security. Nothing like the exciting world of cybersecurity. Frankly, most of the work was done by the software, and I was just the guy pressing the buttons and gathering the evidence to present.

Now, driving back to the office, I was grateful it was the end of the week. I was also thankful my new assistant was working out. Chloe was pleasant without being chatty, efficient without being nosey, hard-working without any prodding, and way too fucking attractive for me not to notice.

I preferred her hair down, noticed that she pronounced her o’s like a Canadian, had the cutest blush, and rotated exactly nine outfits in her business wardrobe over the last two weeks.

Discipline. It was the reason I would never act on my attraction to her. I could thank the Marine Corps for that particular trait. It had turned me from a spoiled college kid into something more. My friends and family had been shocked when I’d told them I’d decided to join the Marine Corps officer’s program after obtaining my degree from Harvard. In their minds, I should’ve simply taken a job with my father’s company and been content to live in a spoiled bubble of nepotism, outrageously priced sports cars, mansions, and yachts.

But I’d craved something I could call my own. Something I could earn. Even though it had almost cost me everything, I could honestly say I had no regrets about joining the Corps. My biggest challenge now was finding out who I was without it. I wasn’t Aiden Samuels of New Hampshire. I wasn’t Captain Aiden Samuels of the Marine Corps. Was I Aiden Samuels, Director of Security? I didn’t think so.