Page 56 of Enchanted Hero (The Secret Enchanters #1)

“You’re not suggesting I recruit someone from the office?” Adrianna gaped. “How would I face him afterwards? Plus, who would want to do that?”

“You’d be surprised.” Chloe pivoted, yet her frown deepened with every man. “You’re leaving the company, so who cares what they think? Plus, the office is closed all next week, so you know they’ll have the time.”

“I’m not quitting yet,” Adrianna returned. “If my venture takes longer than expected, I don’t want to run into my ex fake date by the water cooler.”

“We don’t have a water cooler anymore. Dobbs said it was superfluous, remember?” Chloe stopped, her lips curving into a slow, wide smile. “What about the new temp?”

“New temp?” Knight Technology didn’t use temps. Whenever someone quit, the other employees just picked up the extra work. “I hadn’t noticed him.”

“Then you’d be the only one.”

Adrianna followed her friend’s pointed finger. Then she stopped…

And stared.

And stared some more.

And stared just a little more, simply because… wow.

The e-mail must have unbalanced her more than she realized to miss this man.

Several inches above six feet, he was massive in a very, very, very (a hundred more verys) good way.

His clothing was baggy, yet it couldn’t hide broad shoulders, muscular arms or the backside that was as tight as– She cleared her throat.

He had a beard, tousled hair and glasses he’d clearly stolen from someone’s grandpa, yet despite it all, he was… “Gorgeous.”

“Isn’t he?” Chloe grinned. “It’s like he’s trying to hide behind those big glasses and that outfit. Yet somehow chic geek works for him. Actually a paper bag would work for him. Or better yet, nothing at–”

“Chloe!”

Her friend’s smile only deepened. “All the ladies are eyeing him. He would definitely light up your celebration.”

Yes, he would. “What should I do?” she mumbled. “Walk up to him and ask if he wants to be my fake boyfriend for the week?”

Chloe nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

“It’s not a plan,” Adrianna refuted. “He’ll think I’m crazy.”

“Probably.”

“He’ll laugh at me.”

“That’s a definite chance.”

“He’ll say no.”

“Perhaps…” Chloe rubbed her hands together. “Or perhaps not. A free vacation is pretty attractive. He’s new, so he probably wasn’t expecting the time off. He might even consider it an adventure.”

Adrianna peered closer. The man was adjusting and readjusting his seat, as if he couldn’t quite discern how to fit on something so small. “He doesn’t seem the sort who goes on adventures.”

“Even better.” Chloe gestured to the other employees. “He doesn’t know anyone here, so he’s unlikely to gossip, and he’ll be gone in a relatively short time. He’s perfect.”

Could she really do this? In the end, it was the outfit that convinced her.

No one who dressed like that could be anything other than he seemed.

The outfit had been a mistake.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. He certainly couldn’t wear his five-thousand-dollar Armani suit, and he wanted to look as different as possible from Dominick Knight.

So he found clothing two sizes too big and two decades too old, eschewed the products to style his hair and tried to blend into the background.

In the end, he may not have been noticeable as the boss, but he was noticeable as something .

He squirmed in the rolling Frisbee that paraded as a chair. It felt like he was in a cheesy horror flick, complete with useless modern furnishings and fluorescent embellishments. His eyes hurt from staring at the neon walls, and his backside ached from a chair that didn’t cover half his–

“Mr. Walters.”

He looked into the beady eyes of the man who’d been introduced as his boss, Mr. Dobbs.

He was not familiar with him, as hiring decisions at this level were well below CEO responsibility.

He wore a designer suit, an expensive smartwatch and a consistent scowl.

“I need you to clean the break room. There’s a huge mess. ”

Dominick narrowed his eyes. The temp job was a relatively low one, yet it entailed only technical responsibilities. “Is that part of my position?” he asked carefully.

“Your position is whatever I tell you,” Dobbs snapped. “If you want to last more than an hour, get that kitchen clean. There’s a rag under the sink.”

The urge to reveal his true identity was almost more than he could resist, yet somehow he grumbled an affirmative as he lifted himself up.

How could this be a Knight Technology office?

Once, he’d managed every office, yet with thousands of employees spread across four continents, such attention had become impossible.

Still, this never should’ve been allowed to happen.

Two men emerged from the break room as he approached. “I can’t believe Dobbs was looking through my food again,” one hissed. “What is wrong with the man?”

The other’s expression was far more thunderous. “At least he didn’t spill yours everywhere, then pretend it was his food. I wrote my name in three-inch letters.”

So Dobbs rummaged through employees’ food, spilled it and then asked someone else to clean it?

Yeah, he was so fired.

To call it a break room was as much a stretch as calling the rolling Frisbee a chair.

It was the size of his college dorm room, or perhaps its attached closet, or perhaps the shoebox in the closet.

It contained a half-size refrigerator, miniature microwave and several stools along a narrow counter.

Oh, yes, and a plate of lasagna smeared across the floor.

It didn’t make sense. Each Knight Technology office planned for a generous lounge with more than enough refrigeration, appliances and seating for all.

Yet fresh drywall cut the room to a sliver, no doubt to the benefit of Dobbs’ already large office on the other side.

There was no need to guess where the complimentary assortment of snacks, coffees and pastries was located.

Was there a way to fire someone twice?

Dominick breathed deeply, choking as the overpowering odor of tomatoes and oregano coated his throat.

He reached for the rag, stopped just before he touched the blackened scrap of filth.

He grabbed the thin roll of paper towels instead, doubled them, and used the first to deposit the rag into the overfilling garbage.

Then he used a dozen more to start cleaning the floor.

How many good employees had they lost because of Dobbs?

How many more would they lose? Yet the rumored problems weren’t limited to this office, with numerous Knight Technology locations reporting issues.

Despite few official complaints, the rumors had gotten louder, amidst higher than expected turnover, especially considering the generous pay. Something was very, very wrong.

He tossed the red-soaked paper into the garbage, just as his telephone buzzed. He’d asked Carlyle not to call during work hours unless there was an emergency.

“Is everything all right?” Keeping his voice low, Dominick edged to the back of the room. Hopefully the lasagna explosion would keep others away.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but our newest software is showing some glitches. I have the CIO on the line.”

“Of course.” Dominick stayed silent as the executive outlined the problem. They traded various ideas, and, in a flurry of technical jargon, the problem was quickly resolved. “If you have any problems, let me know.”

Carlyle returned to the phone. “There’s one last thing. I want to confirm your satisfaction with the new cyber-security program. The final cost is nine point eight million.”

“Under ten million dollars?” Dominick smiled. “That’s a bargain. Go for it.”

“Perfect. How are matters progressing there?”

Dominick took a step and almost slipped on a lasagna noodle. He grasped the counter to keep from falling. “It could be better.”

For a moment, there was silence. “You found something?”

“Something disgusting.” He threw the slimy remnants of a tomato into the garbage. “Literally. I will be making significant changes when I return. At least, the disguise worked perfectly. No one suspects who I really am.”

A gasp sounded.

He froze. Swallowed. “I have to go.”

Slowly, he pivoted. A woman stood watching him, as still and serious as midnight in the arctic winter.

She was one of the mid-level software solutions technicians, a common position in the company, and yet she was anything but typical.

He’d looked at her once when he arrived, then twice and three times.

With a petite frame, generous curves and alluring features, she was lovely, and he’d had to stop himself from approaching her.

Now she stared at him, her deep black hair gleaming in the stark florescent lighting, her cat green eyes burning with intelligence and suspicion.

What had she heard? What had she realized? Most of all…