Butterflies in Honey (Growing Pains #3)(43)

I just might hate this place.

“You’re drooling,” Marcus said with a laugh in his voice.

“They are the region to beat,” Sean stated, his voice tight.

“Blake didn’t seem to like you much,” Krista noted lightly as she buttered a piece of bread.

“No. I got the job he wanted. Tory likes to promote from within and I was completely unheard of before I took the open position. Blake is the same level you are, but has been so for about five years. He thought he was due to move up. His boss did, too. Luckily for me, Tory didn’t.”

“Hmm.” Krista was uninterested in business politics from a company that liked to ostracize women. Also, the pistons were firing in her groin and she needed to get laid. Badly.

She felt Sean looking at her, noticing her desire. “He’s your type,” he said slowly and with some hesitation.

Krista’s heart constricted before she realized his meaning. Her type. Dangerous. Her pistons sensed the thrill of danger. It was a bad sign.

“Oh,” was all she said before the soup came.

The dinner passed uneventfully. Food was adequate. Sean basically ignored her in his quest to chat up everyone else. Marcus, likewise. Krista had yet to see Phil, but apparently he had settled in quickly. He had already made improvements and his people loved him. Krista was happy for him.

She glanced at Blake a few times, and couldn’t help but notice he was regularly glancing back. She needed to stay away from him, yes. She knew that. She couldn’t trust herself around him and it would be career suicide to sleep with him. But she could look. He was hot.

Plus, her wine was boring to look at. It never changed facial expressions. Although, it was definitely talking to her. And if she wasn’t careful, later it might talk through her.

When dessert came, Sean rigidly said goodnight as he left for his room, probably worried she would go try to find Blake and wanting to get out of there so he wouldn’t see it, and then Marcus escorted her to her room so she could do no such thing. She felt like a prisoner between the two of them. She might have a soft spot for hot, confident a-holes, but it’s not like she’d act on it! Wasn’t it she who said Sean needed to stop peeing in the company pool? Well, Blake was that chemical that turned a person’s pee bright red so everyone would see it. Krista knew not to go there.

But a girl could look for heaven’s sake! Marcus of all people should know that!

The next morning Krista dressed in a plain black suit and was told to march straight back into her closet and get the suit the tailor in San Francisco made. Krista thought it was too dressy, but she was loudly outvoted.

In retaliation, Krista told Marcus to march back into his own closet, and stay there.

Marcus didn’t know whether to think that insulting, hilarious, or worth using on someone else. He settled with a stern, “Just hurry up.”

Sean showed up in a similar suit. He walked into the room and leaned against the bathroom door as Krista did her makeup. It was as far as he’d ever come into their room. Krista had a feeling Janice was hovering close by, monitoring for no hanky-panky in the girls’ dorms.

“Geegee,” Sean said, all business, “Good, I’m glad to see you wearing a suit. I instructed the other guys to dress well, too. I want to make an impression.”

“What will everyone else be wearing?”

“The admins will wear business casual and most of the managers will wear shirts and ties. VPs will all be in suits, as will the more serious managers. After lunch we’ll all dress down, I believe. That’s when the games start.”

“The games?”

“Team building. That’s where the competitions start.”

“Sean, why am I the only female manager?” Krista asked, her vulnerability peeping through.

Sean’s eyes softened and he straightened up. For a second, he wavered between stepping closer and staying put.

He stepped closer and put his hand on Krista’s shoulder. “I guess there haven’t been many women that could step up to the plate.”

Krista shook her head, leaning into his touch. “It sucks. It’s discouraging.”

“But look, where there’s one, there are bound to be more, right? Someday you’ll be a VP, and I’m sure you’ll steal Kate and Jasmine from me to be your managers.”

“I guess.”

He rubbed her back, wanting to step closer again, but this time refraining. She wasn’t sure if she was sad about it, or relieved.

“Hang in there, okay? Soon you’ll make your mark. I’m sure of it.”

She now wished he did take that step. That he did get a little closer. She was in turmoil and lonely. She didn’t belong in this world, but was too stubborn to back down. She could have used the increased contact. Instead, she fell back into her haze of depression, finished up, got her computer, and headed toward the door. She noticed he wasn’t following.

“You coming?”

Sean had a moment of indecision. Then said, “No, I need to speak to Janice before we head down.”

“Is Marcus coming, do you know?”

“I think he went down early to mingle.”

She would have to brave it alone. Not only was she the only female manager, which no one would talk to, but not even her own region wanted to hang out with her. She had an uphill climb, and she had to do it without support of any kind. This weekend just kept getting worse.