Black: Part 1 (4 page)

I give her a confused stare for a brief moment before everything clicks into place. In an instant, my eyes bulge and my heart begins pounding hard in my chest.

“Oh shit!” I exclaim, nearly shouting it out loud for the entire office to hear. “The Accounting Regulations Update Seminar!”

How could I be so stupid? The seminar is the one big thing that I have going on this week, and somehow I managed to even mess that up, too. I know people say it all the time, but I’m pretty convinced that I would forget my head if it wasn’t screwed on. Maybe I’m just not cut out for this corporate life?

My mind races, thinking frantically about what all I need to do. I grab a notepad and stuff it into my purse. It’s a quarter after eight and the seminar doesn’t start until nine. If I hurry, it’s possible that I won’t be too embarrassingly late.

Aimee doesn’t make any move to help me. She just watches me with an amused smile on her face.

“Are you just going to stand there all morning?” I ask, the question coming out more annoyed than I’d intended.

She doesn’t answer, though. She extends her fingers and inspects her new nail polish, as though she doesn’t have a care in the world. Under normal circumstances I might take the opportunity to tell her how the mauve color she chose looks beautiful with her skin tone, but I don’t have time for small talk. I’m running late enough as it is.

“Relax,” she says, calmly, over her nails. “What’s this meeting for, anyway?”

I let out a frustrated sigh.

“It’s just some technical accounting stuff,” I say. “Mostly a bunch of stuff that I’ll never need to know about.”

She switches hands, inspecting the polish on the other.

“Then why do you even have to go? It sounds like a waste of time, maybe we should go get massages, instead?”

God, I wish. A massage sounds wonderful right now. But I’d probably figure out a way to make a mess out of that, too.

“It’s for CPE,” I say. Then quickly clarify, “Continuing Professional Education. I need a certain number of hours every year for my license.”

She gives me a flat look over her beautiful, perfect nails. I wish my nails looked that good. Maybe I’ll treat myself to a mani-pedi this weekend?

“I’m not
that
blonde, I know what CPE means.” Her brow pulls together. “Besides, you don’t even have your license, yet. So what’s the big deal?”

The reproach makes me wince. Sometimes Aimee’s sorority-girl good looks can catch me off guard, making me forget that she graduated from NYU’s business school and has a very well paying job for a reason.
 

“I don’t have it, yet, but I do plan on sitting for my exams this year. I’m going to need the CPE either way, so I might as well get it while the company is picking up the tab…”

The corner of her lip hooks backward in a sideways leer.
 

“You think there will be any hot guys there?”

“Probably not, it’s going to be a room full of accountants, after all.” The disgusted look on her face makes me smile. “And besides, it’s a work function, not a social gathering…”

Aimee’s hand drops to her side, forgotten, as she fixes me with a familiar look.

“Sofe! You’re never going to meet anyone if you don’t put yourself out there.”

It’s not the first time she’s said something like that to me—we’ve had this conversation before. It usually ends with both of us getting stubborn and agreeing to disagree.

“Aimee, you know I’m not in the mood to get into a relationship. Between work and studying for my exams there just isn’t any time for stuff like that.”

She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, fixing me with a hard look.

“Sofie, I’ve known you for a full year, and in that time I’ve never seen you go out on a single date. Honestly, I’m starting to get worried about you… You
have
had a boyfriend before, right?”

My stomach gives a lurch as my mind instantly flashes to a particular time in my past. My mouth suddenly feels drier than the Sahara Desert.

“Yes, I’ve had a boyfriend before,” I say, quickly. “But I don’t want to talk about it.”

Aimee is usually feisty about the subject of men, so it must be something in my tone that lets her know not to push this particular topic of conversation. She hesitates, looking away in a brief moment of awkwardness before her eyes come back to me.

“Well, even if you don’t want a serious relationship, there’s no harm in having some fun. It’s good for the body, and I’m willing to bet that your body is
seriously
deprived.”

I let out an awkward laugh, swatting at her in disbelief. She laughs along with me. It isn’t the first time Aimee has suggested having some no-strings-attached fun. And, if I’m honest, the idea sounds more and more appealing each time she brings it up. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to have a little fling? Maybe that’s exactly what I need to spice up my rather boring life?

“Perhaps…” I pause, considering, then let out an exasperated sigh. “Anyway, I really need to get going. I’m running really late for this seminar.”

Aimee gives me a
fine, have it your way
look and shifts to the side to let me out of my cubicle. But just as I go to step around her, her eyes widen and she lets out a gasp.

“What is it?” I ask.

Her eyes are locked on a spot out over the rows of cubicles. I follow her gaze to see what caught her by surprise, and immediately know what she’s looking at. Or, rather,
who
she’s looking at.

Standing on the far end of my row of cubicles is a tall man in an expensive suit with light brown hair, styled in that messy way that makes it look like he’s just rolled out of bed when he’s actually probably spent a lot of time on it. I’ve never seen him before, but he’s engaged in what looks like an important conversation with Tim Matthews, my boss. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s what Aimee is staring at. He’s definitely her type.

If I’m being honest he might even be a little bit of my type, too. But I try not to let myself get caught up in such things.

“Who is that?” I ask, my brow furrowing in curiosity.

“You
can’t
be serious,” Aimee says, giving me an incredulous look. “That’s Wade Foster, the new Vice President of North American Operations. You know… your boss’s boss’s boss…

The furrow in my brow deepens, and I shake my head.

“I’ve never heard of him.”

Her eyes widen even more and she looks at me like I’ve just said the stupidest thing she’s ever heard.

“How could you not know about him? What do you girls gossip about down here in accounting? He’s the only thing the ladies in marketing have been talking about for the last two weeks…” She leans in a little closer and lowers her voice while her eyes track back over to him, again. “Rumor has it that he’s some kind of serial bachelor. You know, a new girl on his arm every week, that kind of thing. Look at him—he even
looks
like he knows how to please a girl. I’d kill to have him all to myself for a night.”

I roll my eyes and give her a bemused half-smile.

“Well, he’s standing right there. Go talk to him. I’ve got to get to this seminar.”

I try to step around her again when Aimee grabs my arm and holds me in place.

“Wait,” she says, her voice sounding urgent.

“What is it now?” I say, annoyed. “I have to get going…”

“You can’t go…”

“What do you mean? I
have
to!”

She shakes her head, quickly. The almost panicked look on her face is unsettling.

“I mean you can’t go, because he’s coming over here!”

She points down the row of cubicles and I whip my head around to see what she’s talking about. And sure enough, she’s right. Wade Foster is walking right towards us.

And his eyes are locked on me.

I freeze in place. I’m not sure why, but having Wade’s eyes on me makes my heart pound even harder in my chest. It’s like the whole world is moving in slow motion as his long legs bring him closer to us. There’s a charming smile pulled across his face, and he has a way of tilting his head down when he walks that makes it look like he’s looking at me through his messy brown hair. It reminds me of George Clooney from when he was on
ER
.

I have to admit, with him looking at me that way, and getting closer, he really is an attractive man.

He slows and comes to a stop in front of us. Aimee has an excited look on her face, and I think she actually lets out a little squeak when he glances at her. The three of us stand there in a tiny circle, an awkward silence looming over us for a moment.

Wade darts a glance between us, but it’s clear that most of his attention is resting on me. I know I should say
something
to end this horrible first impression I’m giving him, but no words seem to want to form themselves on my lips.

Speaking of lips, Wade’s are rather appealing.

“Hi, I’m Wade Foster,” he says, cutting through the moment with an air of confidence. Another long second passes before he inclines his head toward me, his eyebrows rising as he does. “And you are?”

I give myself a quick shake, finally finding the sensibility to shrug off whatever tension has been holding my tongue still.

“Sofie,” I say. Then quickly add, “Bennett. Sofie Bennett. Accounts Payable.”

“I can see that,” he says, giving a quick glance back at my cubicle.

Heat blossoms on my cheeks when I realize the stupidity of my response. Of course he knows I work in Accounts Payable—he’s standing in my department, after all.

“Oh, right,” I say, shaking my head and feeling like an idiot.

“I’m Aimee Watson,” Aimee says. She takes a tiny half-step forward, as though trying to remind us that she’s standing there, too.

Wade flashes her another quick smile. Aimee is so naturally beautiful that I’m surprised when his attention comes quickly back to me. I’m not used to guys completely disregarding her like that. And, despite the fact that she claims guys never approach her, I don’t think she’s used to it either.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” he says. His voice is steady and calm. It’s obvious that he’s very assured of himself. “I’m still a bit new around here, so I’m still trying to get a feel for things. So, what kinds of exciting things happen in Accounts Payable on a Friday morning?”

An even bigger smile spreads across my face despite myself. But Aimee responds to the question before I can say anything.

“Oh, I work in Marketing, not Accounting,” she says. “Trust me, you don’t want me trying to handle the books. Let’s just say that God invented calculators because of people like me…”

She lets out a tiny giggle, afterward. She’s trying to flirt with him but, judging by his reaction, he doesn’t even seem to notice it. Wade flashes her another brief smile before his gaze returns to me. He remains silent while watching me, waiting for an answer to the question he asked.

“Well, today, nothing exciting is happening in Accounts Payable,” I say, barely biting back a cringe. “I actually have to get going—I’m running late for a seminar.”

His eyes perk up.

“A seminar? It’s not the accounting update one, is it?”

I frown at him, surprised by his response.

“Um, yeah, actually it is. How do
you
know about it?”

The smile on his face broadens.

“Well, it must be my lucky day,” he says. “I’m going to that seminar, too.”

“You’re lying,” I say, without even thinking about it.

My lips purse, tightly. Did I really just call my boss’s boss’s boss a liar? I guess getting fired might be one way of getting out of having to go to this seminar. I doubt the company would want to pay for the seminar if I’m not working here anymore.

Wade’s eyes narrow and he gives me a bemused, suspicious look. I can only imagine what he must be thinking about the frazzled girl in front of him.

“So, do you think all men are liars, or is it just me?” he asks.

My stomach squeezes into a tight knot. Yep, that’s it. I’m done. Time to start throwing my personal belongings into a brown box.

But the nervous tension is released when he winks at me and stretches another wide smile across his face.

“No, it’s not that… I mean… I’m sorry, it’s been a long morning already.”

Aimee lets out a groan and shakes her head. I can imagine what she’s thinking without her even saying anything. She should be used to my awkwardness by now. No one’s ever accused me of being well put together.

“Come on…” Wade begins, apparently not noticing the exchange between Aimee and myself, “Let’s share a cab. You can tell me all about your long morning on the way to the seminar.”

“Oh, no… I don’t want to be an inconvenience,” I say, quickly.

“It’s no inconvenience. I insist—it’s my treat.”

He flashes me another of those cool smiles as he tilts his head in a gesture toward the exit. I shoot Aimee a nervous look. Her brow furrows and she nods her head, as though wondering why I even have to think twice about accepting his offer.

“Okay, maybe that will work,” I say, still not certain that it’s the best idea.

I follow Wade down the hallway to the exit while a tiny pit of dread forms in my stomach. I risk a quick, nervous look at Aimee over my shoulder before we round the corner. The last image I’m left with is the mischievous, little smile on her face. I can’t help but wonder if I’ve made some huge mistake.

Maybe I should have taken her up on her offer to go get massages, instead?

Wade makes hailing a cab look easy. It must be some kind of trick they teach guys, because it usually takes me at least ten minutes to get a cabbie’s attention outside of our building. Wade manages to make one appear in front of him nearly before his hand is even fully extended to flag one down.

Thankfully, the seminar is being held at a nearby hotel. I don’t think I could trust myself to be in the cab with Wade for too long. Stupid thoughts come tumbling out of my mouth pretty frequently, and I’d rather not have him thinking I’m a complete idiot.

We’re silent for a time as the cab pulls away from the curb. I face forward, trying to ignore the dank, musty smell of the cab's interior, but can feel Wade's eyes on me, the whole time. Is he studying me or something? Knowing my luck, there's probably a snag in my pants, or I probably spilled coffee on myself and didn’t even realize it.