Page 34 of Making Home with You

“Sarah?”she asks, “I’m Lauren Atkins.I was Andrew’s assistant a while back.”She extends a hand to me and we shake, smiling back at each other.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I reply, excited by the prospect of meeting someone closer to my age and someone who has done this job before.

“How’s it going so far?”she asks, taking a seat at one the chairs positioned in front of my desk.“The view from the office is just amazing.I forgot what it was like.”She pushes up a little from the chair and takes in the view.“I’m one floor below you now, but my view is of the side of a building.”She rolls her eyes and shrugs her shoulders.

“It’s going okay,” I answer, not sure what more I can say.I haven’t really encountered anything within the job that would warrant asking her any questions.“What is your role at the company now?”I ask her.

“I spent about a year as Andrew’s assistant before I was moved to a sales role and then from there I moved to a sales director role.That’s my current title.”

“That’s awesome.”

Looking at this put together woman sitting across from me, I can’t help but hope that I end up like her.Taking this job is just my starting point.

“I owe a lot of it to Andrew,” she says, flicking her thumb in the direction of our adjoining doors.“He helped me move up quickly.”

I nod my head, but make a note to myself not to mention his overly friendly personality or how uncomfortable he made me.They are clearly close if she owes most her success to him.

“Has he hit on you yet?”she asks abruptly, seemingly out of nowhere.I’m taken aback and I’m not sure how to respond.I wouldn’t say he’s hit on me, but I can sense it will lead there.

When I don’t answer immediately she adds, “If he hasn’t yet he will.Just giving you fair warning.He can be a bit handsy too,” she says, holding up her hands and wiggling her fingers, her nose crinkling up in response to her own words.

I take a deep breath.It’s my first day and the last thing I want is people to think I’m a gossip, let alone my boss getting wind that I was taking about him.

I stay silent for a second longer and then say, “He’s friendly, but nothing I can’t handle.”

“Good response,” Lauren says, smirking at me.“Just hold out.I promise you it will be worth it.”

Handsy I can handle; I’ve been there.You don’t work at a bar for six months without being touched by some drunken guy.I just hope it doesn’t extend beyond that.

We chat for a bit with Lauren leaving her extension number for me and telling me to call if I need help with anything.

The next time I check the clock, it’s well after six and I realize I’ve missed my regularly scheduled train back to Rockport.

I poke my head into Andrew’s office to let him know I’m leaving for the day and to check if he needs me to do anything before I go.

“All good, Sarah,” he says, standing up and walking into my office.“Great first day, don’t you think?”

“Yes, thank you.”

I return to my desk and begin packing up my things and switching back into my snow boots as Andrew stays awkwardly in my office.

“We need to get the office decorated,” he states as he glances around this room.“Why don’t you add that to your list of things to do tomorrow.I want to make sure you like it here.Maybe bring in some pictures of your own.You and your boyfriend?”he adds, and I want to laugh at his completely unsubtle attempt to ask if I have a boyfriend.

“Will do,” I tell him, as I grab my bag and walk to the door.

“So you have a boyfriend then, I take it?”

“Yes, I do.”I say nothing more, but as I step through the doorway Andrew places his hand on my back guiding me through the door.He slides his hand down and for a split second I think he’s going to grab my ass.I shuffle away from him quickly, and call out, “Have a nice night.”

“You too, Sarah.I’ll see you tomorrow,” he replies, and my whole body stiffens in response.

Lauren’s words replay in my head:Just hold out.I promise you it will be worth it.

She better be right because this is only day one.

Chapter Ten

Finn