Page 9 of Resisting the Temptation (Broken Shelves #3)
Emma
I turn to the side in the big gold mirror across from my bed, assessing the twentieth outfit I’ve tried on this morning.
At Kirkham Creatives, Daniel and Josh didn’t care much about what I wore. I always made sure to look professional, but some days called for a hot pink pleather mini skirt and off-shoulder, balloon sleeve top, while other days called for a pair of jeans and an old band shirt.
I don’t have a set style, I just wear whatever I like, and sometimes it can make for quite the eclectic outfit. Jordy calls it “dopamine dressing.” I call it “freedom after trauma since I was raised in a family where my dad had to approve every outfit.”
I want to make a good impression on my first day at Rossi Construction, so I opt for a pair of professional, light blue wide-leg pants made of a flowy material, and a white mock neck shirt.
I clasp a simple gold chain around my neck, slip a pair of gold hoops in my ears, and don my usual rings on my fingers before heading out of my room.
I could probably stand to wear something more conservative to hide my tattoos, but I promised myself a long time ago I would stop hiding myself to make others feel comfortable. If someone doesn’t think I’m qualified because of my tattoos or piercings, tough shit.
The smell of coffee and cinnamon rolls assaults my senses as I open my bedroom door, and I see Jordan at the counter meticulously frosting the fluffy cinnamon goodness.
“Good luck cinnamon rolls for your first day at your dream job!” They beam, rounding the counter and wrapping me in a hug. “I’m so proud of you, Mimi,” they whisper against my head.
“Thank you, Jojo. I’m nervous but excited. I just hope they like me, and I don’t mess things up.”
They scoff. “They’re going to love you. And you’re going to build so many cool buildings and make so many connections. You’ve got this in the bag.”
“I sure hope you’re right,” I sigh. “I’ve got to get going soon to fill out the HR paperwork, so let’s dig in.”
Jordan slides a plate with a cinnamon roll the size of my head over to me, as well as a travel coffee tumbler. “I made your latte with a protein shake because I know you get sleepy without protein in the mornings.”
“Thanks, babe. You’re the best house spouse.
” I give them an overdramatic wink, and they roll their eyes at me.
Jordy works from home as a therapist, so they take care of a lot of the domestic tasks like grocery shopping, while I make sure the bills get paid on time.
We trade off cooking dinner and have a cleaning schedule that helps us keep our place tidy with our busy schedules.
Jordy and I have been best friends since kindergarten, and even though we had a few fights in our teen years, we always made our way back to each other. We’ve been roommates since we graduated high school, but we’ve lived here for seven years.
Once I’m done with my breakfast, I take my coffee and drive over to my new place of employment. The building is a classic industrial structure you’d expect of a construction company. The outside is gray with the Rossi logo, big windows, and glass doors.
The floors inside are sleek, dark gray concrete, and the walls are white.
There’s a wall of tiles across from the reception desk that depict some of the projects Rossi has worked on.
I’m greeted by the receptionist, who shows me to the HR office, where I fill out all of the necessary new hire paperwork.
I didn’t even think to ask about the salary when I accepted this job, and my eyes bulge at the amount I’ll be paid.
It’s almost double what I was making at Kirkham Creatives.
“Is this number correct?” I ask Katrina, the Director of HR.
She chuckles. “Yes. The number is correct.
“That’s a lot of money. I feel like I’m dreaming.”
“I want to make sure my employees are well compensated for their efforts,” a familiar deep voice says from the doorway.
I turn in my chair to see a man with olive skin and dark hair streaked with gray leaning against the doorframe in a black polo with the Rossi logo on it. He looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t quite figure out why. The only interaction we’ve had was over the phone.
“Hi, Mr. Rossi.” I stand quickly and extend a hand to the man. “It’s so nice to meet you in person. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I’m excited to learn from one of the best.”
Mr. Rossi grins, grasping my hand with both of his. “ Ciao, Emma. It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Joshua and Daniel have nothing but good things to say about you.”
My cheeks heat under his praise. “Thank you, sir.”
He waves his hand in front of him. “No need to address me so formally, Emma. You can call me Enzo.”
“Thank you, Enzo.”
Enzo turns to Katrina, “If Emma is finished with her paperwork, I’d like to introduce her to the guys upstairs and show her her office.”
Katrina nods and takes the paperwork from me. I follow Mr. Rossi— Enzo —up a set of concrete stairs. At the top, I notice a long hallway of offices all encased in glass, and I hear laughter from a few different people coming from the office at the very end of the hall.
“This is my office right here, my door is always open should you need anything.” Enzo motions to an office that’s separate from all the rest, on the opposite side of the stairwell. “Across from it are the restrooms for this floor. There are restrooms downstairs as well.”
He leads me down the hall, telling me who occupies each space as we pass. Dave, the operations manager, then Alex and Drew, who are the other project managers .
“The last office is my son Ben’s. Your office is directly across from his. He’ll be in charge of training you and showing you the ropes,” Enzo says as we reach the end of the hall. “Oh great, they’re all here.”
“Hey, Enzo, this the new girl?” a man with blonde hair asks from the doorway to Ben’s office. I can’t see past him into the office as he greets me with a warm smile.
“Emma, this is Alex,” Enzo introduces us.
“Nice to meet you.” I give him my best confident smile, hoping my hands aren’t sweating.
Alex steps out of the way, and a man with cropped brown hair and black framed glasses steps forward. “I’m Drew.”
“Emma.”
When Drew steps out of the way to make room for the last man, my stomach flips, and my heart rate speeds up. Now I know why Enzo looked so familiar. Standing right next to each other, the resemblance is obvious.
“This is my son, Ben,” Enzo says, nudging Ben as if to push him forward, but he doesn’t budge. He stands there, scowling at me with his arms folded across his wide chest. His eyes, which were so full of heat and desire on Saturday, are now cold and stony.
His dad isn’t wrong. Ben was training me. We just never got to the ropes.
Mustering as much confidence as I can, I plaster on a smile and extend my hand to him. “Hello, Ben. Pleasure to meet you, I’m Emma.”