Professional Boundaries (2 page)

When she noticed me approach, she smiled. “Good morning, you hot little thing.”

Did I mention how much I loved this woman? I posed, movie star style. “Do you love the new dress?”

“Yes, if only I could fit into it,” she replied.

I laughed at her and rolled my eyes. She looked great. I could only hope to look so good in my forties. I noticed Boss’ door was closed. That was odd. “Is Boss here?”

She gave me a funny look. “Yes, he’s meeting with some gentleman that wasn’t on the appointment calendar.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Huh. Did you catch a name?”

“No, but he asked about you?”

“Really?”

She grinned mischievously. “He was quite attractive. Is there someone you’re not telling me about?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Delfia, I’m trying a new tactic. I thought I would have Boss interview all potential new suitors at seven-thirty in the morning. This way he can weed out all the morons and save me the trouble.”

She laughed at my sarcasm, but honestly, it wasn’t a bad idea. I should consider it. “So, no name, huh?”

“No ma’am, but he seemed anxious to see you. He kept asking when you would be in.”

More and more curious.

“Well … ok.”

I walked into my office, and the door between mine and Boss’ offices was closed too. Just for curiosity’s sake, I checked to see if it was locked, and to my surprise, it was. He never locked that door. I was more than intrigued to know who he might be meeting with at such an early hour. Maybe he was interviewing him to take my current position.

That made sense, so I relaxed a little and began to think of anyone I knew that would be a good candidate. While I thought, I started up my laptop and scrolled my phone for any new messages. There weren’t any messages and I couldn’t come up with any ideas of who it might be, so I walked back out to ask Delfia what he looked like; maybe I could guess then.

But before I could say anything, Delfia beat me to the punch. “Are you still taking the belly dancing class at the Y?”

I smiled. “Yes.” I turned to show her my backside. “Can’t you tell by the way my butt looks?”

It was then I noticed, too late, that Delfia wasn’t my only audience. While she laughed, I stood there mortified. I no longer needed to gather any more clues as to who Boss was meeting with. It was someone I thought I once knew very well, someone I thought I would never see again. It was the one person I didn’t need to think about this morning.

“Ian,” I practically gasped.

I could feel my face redden and my heart rate increase. I couldn’t believe he was here and that he’d just heard me tell Delfia to check out my butt. Could someone please shoot me now?

He cleared his throat. “Kelli.”

I stood up straighter and tried to gain my composure, but that was a little difficult under the circumstances. Had it been Boss that just witnessed my headiness, we would all be laughing right now, but no, it had to have been Ian. I was sure the man upstairs hated me, or I was just such a good source of entertainment he couldn’t help it. It didn’t help matters either that Ian looked, um … let’s just say freaking amazing. I wasn’t sure what he had been doing for the last twelve-and-a-half years, but it looked like a stylist had gotten a hold of him. He was in a tailored black suit that fit him to the tee, the glasses were gone, and he’d grown out his hair slightly. It looked even more deserving of fingers running through it.

All he needed was a runway.

“What are you doing here?” I spluttered.

Just as he started to answer, Boss walked out. “Kelli, my girl, you’re already here. Good, I see you’ve met Ian.” Boss sounded unusually nervous.

It was making
me
nervous. I looked at Ian and raised my eyebrow. He, too, looked nervous. I wondered why Boss thought this was our first meeting.
Fine, I’ll play along,
I thought. “No, I haven’t had the pleasure yet.” I walked toward Ian with an evil grin on my face.

He was looking a little panicked now.

I held out my hand. “I’m Kelli Bryant.” I wanted to throw in, “Remember me, the girl who loved you? But since that wasn’t in your plans, you decided to just walk away and pretend like I never existed?”

He held out his hand, but he looked wary.

I kept up the act and shook it. I didn’t want to touch him, but what else could I do under the circumstances? As soon as we touched, I felt a surge of warmth. Not good. While we shook hands, I tried to dismiss my conditioned reaction to him.

He stared into my confused eyes. “Ian Greyson. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I smirked at his mock sincerity. For a moment, I thought he was going to smile, but that was very un-Ian like. He did squeeze my hand once before letting it go, though. I took the opportunity to look toward Boss. I wanted to know what the heck Ian Greyson was doing here. Boss looked redder than a chili pepper, and his balding head had beads of perspiration on it.

“So what are you gentleman up to this morning?” I was never one to stand on ceremony.

They looked at each other before they looked at me. Why did I feel like this didn’t bode well for me?

“Kelli, can I talk to you in my office, dear?”

Yeah, this wasn’t good. He never called me dear; honey yes, but never dear. I looked back at Delfia, and she knew too. Boss looked at Delfia too. “Delfia, could you please get Ian some coffee.”

He was staying?

“Gary, is there somewhere I could set up my laptop?” Ian asked.

“Delfia, please show Ian to the conference room and give him access to the Wi-Fi,” Gary directed.

I couldn’t believe this. My head was spinning.

Before Ian followed Delfia, he directed his attention to me, or at least I thought it was to me. “I look forward to meeting with you later.”

Was he talking to me or Boss? There was no reason for us to meet later, and I had no intention of doing so. I looked at Boss to respond to him.

Boss was rubbing the back of his neck now. Whoa, he was on edge. “We’ll all meet together after I’ve talked to Kelli. Then there will be plenty of time for you and Kelli to meet together.”

What was this? I was absolutely not meeting with that man. Boss couldn’t make me, either. What could we possibly have to meet about anyway? I stared at Boss blankly. He wouldn’t make eye contact, and I refused to look back at Ian. I just marched right into Boss’ office and sat down in one of the leather seats in front of his desk. I heard him mumble something to the moron before he walked in and shut the door. He didn’t sit at his desk, instead he sat next to me. This wasn’t good at all.

Chapter 2

Boss took my hands in his. Before anyone thinks this is inappropriate work place behavior, think again. I had known Boss my whole life, and he was like a father to me, especially the last several years since my own sweet dad passed away.

He finally looked me in the eye, but his palms were sweaty. “Kelli, my girl, you know it’s time for me to try out retirement. At least that’s what Holly says.”

I smiled. “I think you will be great at it.” Then presumptuously I added, “And you know I’ll take good care of things here. You won’t have to worry.”

He smiled too, but it was subdued. That’s when my heart sank and a sudden realization hit me. “You’re not making me Director are you?”

He squeezed my hands. “Kelli, there’s no question you’re the most talented and dedicated employee that has graced these walls in the last twenty-five plus years, and there’s no doubt in my mind that you would be an excellent Director.”

“But …” I said.

“There is no but, Kelli. You would be excellent. This has been perhaps the toughest decision of my career, but I feel like it’s the right one, and I think you will too once you understand what Ian has to bring to the table.”

I jumped up; it was a knee jerk reaction. “You’re making
him
the Director?”

Boss was definitely surprised by my reaction. I forgot he didn’t know that Ian and I had a history. And believe me, that ticked me off. Ian should have told him he knew me and how he knew me. Maybe then Boss would have thought twice about his asinine decision.
Maybe I should tell him
, I thought.
Or maybe I should quit
.
I can’t and won’t work for Ian
.

Boss looked up at me with confusion. “I know you’re disappointed, and rightly so, but this isn’t a reflection on your capabilities. Look at this as a new opportunity.”

“How?” I asked.

“Ian has extensive contacts in the technology sector. He just sold his own technology company for millions.” Boss was desperately trying to sell the idea to me.

That sounded like Ian. Looked like his plan was right on schedule. That meant he was married now, too, with two-point-five kids.

Boss stood up and took my hand again. “Your digital ad design needs him. He can take this product national, maybe even global. Not only is he a master businessman, but he knows development.”

I wanted to say,
Tell me something I don’t know
. I knew Ian had a degree in software development, in addition to his business undergrad and graduate degrees.

I pulled away from him and began pacing back and forth, running my fingers through my perfectly curled new-Director hair. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier, and when did you even meet him?”

“I met him at that Marketing Technology conference in Denver last fall. And I didn’t tell you because, like I said, he’s a savvy business man.” Boss laughed. “He made me sign an NDA before we even began discussions to explore this idea.”

I rolled my eyes. That sounded like Ian—always cautious and in control.

Boss approached me again and led me back to my chair. “Kelli, please sit down.”

I sighed and reluctantly complied.

Boss took my hands right back as soon as we sat down. “Kelli, look at this like a partnership. Without you on board, this isn’t going to work. The office staff loves you too much.”

“It’s too late to butter me up.”

He laughed nervously. “That sounds like my girl.”

I didn’t find this humorous at all. “I’m going to have to think about this. There are other factors to take into account.” I stood up. “I’m going home for the day.”

His face dropped.

I got up and walked toward the door that joined our offices together.

“I’ll give you a raise,” Boss yelled out.

I didn’t even bother looking at him. I opened the door. “If I stay, you bet you will.”

I didn’t know if any increase in pay was worth working with Ian. I just couldn’t believe Ian was going to be the Director. The big question was why he wanted to be. It sounded like he had plenty of money now, and he darn well knew I worked there. Ian always did his homework; I bet he already knew every employee’s name and his or her vital statistics.

I walked over to my desk and looked around my office lovingly. It was spacious and stylishly decorated; I even had a private bathroom. The view was great too. It overlooked a small lake and walking path. It was going to really suck to give it all up, especially for the man that did some pretty major damage to my heart all those years ago. It had taken me a long time to get over him, but you never forget your first love, especially when you felt the way I felt about Ian.

As a precaution, I placed the pictures of my nieces and cat from my desk in my satchel, and then I threw on my long overcoat. I wasn’t sure I was ever coming back. The thought made my stomach roll. How did this happen? I was expecting a promotion this morning, not a figurative slap in the face.

When I walked out of my office, Delfia looked up from her computer. She smiled tentatively. “Should I transfer your calls to your mobile?” she asked with trepidation.

I held back the tears. “That won’t be necessary.” I tried to smile at her, but I couldn’t. I just kept on walking. I passed the conference room on the way to the stairs, and it was like Ian was waiting for me.

“Kelli,” he called out.

I ignored him and walked as fast as my high heels would allow. Unfortunately, it wasn’t fast enough.

He easily caught up with me on the stairs. “Please stop.”

I stopped on the landing. Looking at him invoked a deep hatred and an overwhelming desire to slap him, but I decided lashing out verbally would probably be more appropriate. “Why? So you can gloat about stealing my job?”

He walked down the stairs like he really was on a runway, and he met me on the landing.

It kind of took my breath away. 

“I would never do that. I didn’t know you were being considered for it until this morning.”

“Oh, so this was just a perk for you?”

His brows furrowed. “You know I’m not that kind of a person.”

“No, you’re wrong. I don’t know what kind of person you are; I don’t think I ever did. You already lied to Gary. You should have told him you knew me and how you knew me.”

“I didn’t lie to him,” he said flatly.

“Still using the Greyson white lie, I see.”

He was great at not telling the truth, all while telling the truth.

“He never asked, and I didn’t see why it was important to bring it up. This is business. It has nothing do with the fact that you and I knew each other previously.”

I just shook my head at him. I knew it shouldn’t bother me, but that was a little cold. We more than just knew each other, but I had to remind myself that our relationship had meant more to me than it had to him. He obviously didn’t even regard it as a relationship. This wasn’t going to work; maybe it was just business to him, but for me, it was personal.

“You can make this your first order of business then. As of this moment, I resign.” I turned and flew down the stairs. By this time, the foyer was alive with activity. I tried to remain calm and unemotional as a plethora of people wished me good morning. I faked it the best I could, but once I hit the parking lot, the tears came as well as a strong urge to throw a rock through his pristine, white Infiniti. I refrained from acting on that particular violent thought. Instead, I just took off in my car like a bat out of Hades.

Instead of heading home, I headed for my sister, Amanda’s, home. Hopefully the kiddos were already off to school. I loved my nieces, Courtney and Samantha, to pieces, but I needed their mommy this morning. She was only five years older than me, but she had been mothering me since I was little, especially after our own mother walked out on our family when I was just six. Once in a while Joan, our mother, would contact us, but for the most part we didn’t have any kind of a relationship with her. It was sad, but we had dealt with it for so long, we just considered it our life. We’ve never expected anything from her. Besides, our dad was the greatest, and he made sure we turned out alright.