The Design(10)

My mouth hung open. He couldn’t have possibly said those words. My brain must have been processing his speech wrong. Right? RIGHT?!

“Excuse me. I’m sorry. What?”

He shook his head. “I don’t intend on acting on those feelings.” He said the word like it was disgusting. “So there’s no point in discussing it. I don’t have relationships with employees and I won’t be having a relationship with you,” he said, leaning his elbows onto his desk and effectively cutting off any further discussion. “The job is yours if you want it.”

Only Grayson Cole could confidently admit his attraction to someone one moment and then completely move on to work.

I thought about asking him to clarify. How long had he felt an attraction for me? Was it in the past or present? Was he confusing me with someone else? It seemed unfathomable that a man like him had even noticed me. And for good reason: let’s not forget that he’d completely ignored me up until a few days ago for Christ’s sake.

“Cameron?” he asked, clearly irritated with my silence.

Regardless of my desire to press the subject of his feelings, I needed this job. Everything else could wait.

“So, you’re hiring me?” I asked.

He narrowed his brows as he considered my question. “It would seem so.”

“Yes. Okay,” I spoke, surprised by the confidence in my voice. “I accept.”

He nodded and stood up, clearly indicating that our ninety-second interview was over.

“You’ll start in Kelly’s old position.”

It took me a moment to comprehend his statement. Kelly had been the office’s receptionist. She wasn’t an architect. Hell, she probably didn’t even have a college degree. I mean, she stole a stapler… how stable could she be?

“Kelly’s position?” I asked, annoyed at how small I felt as he stood over me. I stood from my chair to even the playing field, but he was still a good deal taller than me, despite my high heels.

“There’s no better way to learn the company,” he countered. “You’ll get a feel for how we operate and how we treat our clients.”

I leaned forward over the desk so that he’d hear me loud and clear. “I have a master’s degree in architecture, Grayson. Hire a monkey to answer your damn phones.”

His brows arched in shock at my little outburst and his gaze held mine for three long seconds. Then finally, his hand reached to press the intercom button on his office phone. “Beatrice, hire a temp for Kelly’s position and have her here by this afternoon.”

I smiled, proud of myself for standing up against him.

“Yes sir,” Beatrice spoke through the intercom before Grayson removed his finger from the button, silencing his office once again.

“Go find Kate in HR. She’ll give you a new employee packet.”

“Thank you, Grayson,” I said with a bright smile.

I couldn’t believe it. I was hired. What my actual position would be? I couldn’t tell. At that point, I was just glad I wouldn’t be forced to answer phones for nine hours a day.

I gathered my things and checked to make sure nothing had fallen out of my pad folio onto his floor. He stayed behind his desk as I walked toward the door, skipping over the customary handshake. I yearned for him to say something, to go back to describing his feelings about me. I knew that once I left his office, I’d never hear him speak of it again. I’d probably convince myself that I’d made the whole thing up in a week’s time.

“And Cameron,” he spoke, forcing me to pause as my hand hit the doorknob. I turned my head to look back at him, hope brimming through every pore. “It’s not Grayson. It’s Mr. Cole. I’m not your friend while you’re here.”

I bristled at his reprimand. There he was. The formal prick. He wanted to put me in my place, but I knew his secret now. You can’t just turn attraction off like a light switch. I may have had skinned knees and smudged makeup, but I was the same girl I’d been for the last twenty-two years, which meant—deep down—Grayson was still attracted to me. A small smirk unfolded across my lips as I realized the power that knowledge gave me.

“And what about when I’m not here?” I asked, tilting my head to the side and staring into his blue eyes with more confidence than I’d felt all morning.

He studied me for a moment, unmoving, then he pressed his finger back onto his phone’s intercom button. “Beatrice, please escort Ms. Heart out of my office and then get Mitch back on the line.”

I laughed at his obvious choice to ignore my question and then turned and saw myself out of his office. No need for the escort. Beatrice gave me a knowing glance as I passed by her desk, and I smiled.

As I rode the elevator down to the first floor, I thought of the deal I’d made with myself. I had a very clear outline: concentrate on work, save up, and then fly away to Paris forever. But… maybe, there was room for an amendment to the plan? The end goal would remain the same, but what did it matter if I had a little fun before I left?

After all, I’d just landed my dream job, so it looked like I was onto the newest item on my to-do list:

Grayson Cole.





Chapter Four





I left Cole Designs and took a cab directly to Brooklyn’s condo. No passing go. No collecting two hundred dollars. She opened the door for me and stared wide-eyed at my disheveled ensemble before ushering me inside.