The Design(18)

A friend. Were we friends? We were roommates, so I guess that made us friends by default?

“Oh, and let’s order some takeout later. Nothing like wonton soup to christen our new apartment!” she said, waggling her eyebrows playfully as she backed up toward her desk.

I nodded, letting my gaze slide back to Grayson’s door. If I wanted to know why he’d stepped in to be my mentor, why couldn’t I just ask him? Beatrice wasn’t back at her post yet. He was in his office alone and he’d left the door ajar. Everyone was too busy getting back to their desks to notice me, and even if they did see us talking, they’d just assume it was about him being my mentor, which, technically, it was.

With that thought, I walked directly to Grayson’s office, trying to contain my private smile. When I approached his door, I saw him sitting behind his desk, bent over his work and completely unaware of my presence. I tapped my knuckles on the open door, twice. It was a friendly kind of greeting, but when his steely gaze shifted from his work up to me, he didn’t appear to want a friendly conversation. No, he clearly would have preferred no conversation whatsoever. I ignored the warning signs and proceeded as planned.

“Looks like you’ll be my mentor then,” I said with a smile as I took a step into his office. He was never going to invite me in, so either I had to take the initiative or I’d just be stuck in the doorway wishing I was brave enough to enter the dragon’s lair.

He adjusted his tie and slid his hand down the material before finally speaking. “We’ll start tomorrow. There’s a job site I’d like you to see and it’s just a few blocks away from here.”

Well that was certainly faster than I’d expected.

“Sounds good,” I said, trying to think of something else to say that would keep me in his office longer. “Brooklyn told me you were coming to dinner with us.”

His left brow perked up. “Did she?”

I nodded and took another hesitant step toward his desk. His eyes shifted down to my feet; he knew what I was doing.

“Yes. She said she had to coerce you.”

He leaned back in his chair, running his finger along the edge of his desk. “I’m a busy guy, Cameron. I don’t get out too often.”

I crossed my arms and settled my weight onto my left leg. “But you’ll come out for me?”

He sighed and pointed to the door. “You realize that no one else comes into my office without an invitation. Yet you just wander in here like there’s a revolving door with your name on it.”

I glanced back at his door, standing wide open. It beckoned me forward, but I imagined that to everyone else, there was a giant red “X” warning them away.

“I like it in here,” I admitted, scanning the decor around the room. It was masculine with dark forest green wallpaper and built-in wooden bookcases spanning from floor to ceiling along an entire wall. “Besides, we have a history together.”

“I need to get back to my work,” he said, his tone gentle enough that I could have probably pulled another five minutes out of our encounter, but I didn’t want to annoy him, so I started back up toward the door.

“Tomorrow then,” I said.

His blue eyes locked onto my face and he nodded. “Tomorrow. Now shut the door.”

“Wait.” Do it, ask him. Do it. “How was lunch?”

“Cameron.” His voice was tired and annoyed. “Get out of my office.”

“She was pretty,” I said, pushing him even further out of his happy mood.

He narrowed his eyes.

“Yes and we had sex directly where you’re standing,” he spoke, his words like venomous talons. “Is that what you wanted to know?”

He didn’t have to ask me to leave again after that. I turned without a word and slammed his office door shut behind me. The hinges rattled and Beatrice gave me a curious glance as I passed by her desk.

“Nice of you to join us,” Alan snapped as I took my seat.

I didn’t bother offering an apology for my absence. For all he knew, Grayson was giving me an assignment as my mentor, but my silence must have pissed him off even more.

“Since you have time to bat your eyes at the CEO, I suppose you can stay late and finish drafting those bathrooms I need you to have done by tomorrow,” Alan continued with a harsh tone.

Stay late?

Peter shot me an apologetic smile.

I wanted to argue, but I wouldn’t give Alan the satisfaction of getting a rise out of me.

“Sounds great,” I said with false enthusiasm. The smile felt sour on my face.

Alan grunted and went back to work.

At 5:00 pm, the office started to empty as one by one employees picked up their bags and briefcases and headed for the elevators. I, on the other hand, stayed in my seat, drafting light fixtures for the bathrooms of some high-rise condominium. My hunger was gnawing away at me, but I didn’t want to have to ask Alan if I could grab dinner, so I stayed put. My first day on the job had taught me three things: Grayson was an arrogant bastard, Alan was a suckwad, and I needed to shove snacks into every free space around my desk if I had any hope of surviving at Cole Designs.

At 6:00 pm, Grayson left his office with his phone pressed to his ear. Goosebumps bloomed on the back of my neck as he walked behind my desk en route to the elevators. Would he stop and talk to me? I concentrated on the drafting pencil in my hand and pined to listen to the conversation he was having. Had the room been full, I wouldn’t have been able to hear him, but we were practically alone— save for Alan—so I could hear every word crystal clear.