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“You think my shoes make me look gay?” He asked, feigning outrage. And I laughed again at his charismatic banter.
“I wouldn’t say they make you look gay, per-se.” I drawled on, “I also wouldn’t say I was getting straight vibes either though.” I looked back at the ticker.
Fifty-seventh floor and counting.
“Hmm.” He said and then turned to me. He held his large hand out to me, and I looked from it up to him. “Reid Haskins.” He introduced
I took his hand and tried to ignore the electricity that burned in my palm when he wrapped his long fingers around mine. Fingers that long could do certain things for a woman I thought devilishly.
Down girl.
It had been way too long since I’d had sex and clearly being stuck in close proximity to an attractive successful man like Reid was dangerous for my health.
“Nice to meet you Mr. Haskins.” I said and tried to ignore the purr that vibrated in my chest as I said it. I hadn’t meant to sound sexual but the sudden arousal in my blood left me unable to hide it.
“You didn’t tell me your name.” He said, still holding my hand and I didn’t miss the way he pulled it closer to his suit jacket as he stared down into my eyes.
“I didn’t?” I tilted my head to the side and hitched my hip out. Which was a mistake, because he dropped his gaze from my eyes and looked down my body with a slow perusal. “Hmm. Weird.” I said and slid my hand from his.
Right on time, the elevator doors opened and the lobby for Halo Optics and Tech sat before us, beckoning to me.
I stepped backwards from him until I was in the lobby, and he followed forward until he stood right inside the elevator doors. He looked past me to the office behind me and grinned.
“Halo suits you, because you’re angelic.” He dropped his eyes down my body again and then rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip as he shook his head. “I like a good game of cat and mouse as much as the next man. So game on new girl.”
I dropped my gaze demurely and nodded my head. “Have a nice day Mr. Haskins.” The doors to the elevator shut, but not before I heard the manly groan that came from his throat.
Damn!
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and turned to the reception desk where a woman my age sat. She had a fashionable short black hair style and a full face of makeup that made her look like a beautiful gothic pin up girl. She was watching me with her mouth open and a raised eyebrow.
“I desperately need to know what happened in that elevator before you got out and handed him his balls.” She said, leaning forward on her elbows and shaking her head as she looked past me to the elevator.
I laughed and wiped my forehead off like I was fatigued. “I don’t even know myself to be honest with you.”
She smirked and winked at me. “That’s exactly how it should be.” She shook her head again and fanned herself and got back to business. “How can I help you?”
“Oh right,” I took my badge and clipped it to the belt of my burgundy dress, “My name is Cora Valentine, today is my first day as PA to Mr. Peterson.”
“Ah! Cora! I’m Nat.” She said and stood up and walked around to me. “You’re just in time. They’re looking for you, frantically almost.”
My face fell and I looked at my watch. “Am I late?”
She put her hand on my arm, “Oh no, not at all. There was a mix up with scheduling or something and HR needs a PA to help out with the CEO upstairs this afternoon, so they wanted to get you on board and up to speed as fast as possible before you’re needed up there. He’s…” She paused and chewed on her cheek, “Demanding and kind of a hard ass to be honest with you.”
“Oh.” Was all I could say.
“If you handle him like you did his CFO Mr. Haskins at the elevator, you’ll be just fine.” She said with a wink and then nodded for me to follow her.
We walked through the maze of cubicles and offices on the main floor of Halo towards a large corner office where a middle-aged gentle man sat at an impressive desk looking out the glass walls over the city. He had silvering hair that was perfectly styled in a fashionable wave over his fifties styled glasses and polka dot bow tie. He looked so warm and approachable, and I hoped it would feel like that to work for him.
Nat knocked on the open door and walked in. “Mr. Peterson, this is Cora Valentine.”
The man turned and raised his eyebrows at me and stood up, coming around the desk. “Ms. Valentine! I’m so happy to meet you, and you couldn’t have picked a better day to start!” He said, he took my hand in both of his and shook it eagerly and then nodded to Nat. “Please let Sebastian know that she has arrived, and we will be ready in a few minutes.”
“Yes sir.” Nat answered and then patted my arm on her way out.
“Please have a seat Cora.” Mr. Peterson said and held his hand out towards one of the chairs at his desk and then walked around to his own seat and faced me. “I apologize about the rush you’re probably feeling, coincidentally we were approached by Jones Holding this morning to see if we had anyone with experience in Mandarin and of course we have no one. But then Sebastian in HR remembered being impressed that you were bilingual in Mandarin on your resume in your interview.” He paused for a moment as panic fell over his kind face. “You are fluent in Mandarin correct?”
