Page 39 of Savage Suit

Me:Are you okay? What happened?

Despite my sister’s gaggle of men, she formed attachments to those opposed to her lack of monogamy. Naturally, the end of those flings bummed Quinn out, especially when she cared as much as she did about Paul.

Quinn:He wanted us to be exclusive. I said I wasn’t ready, so he ended things.

Me:I thought you liked him, though.

Quinn:I’m still not ready to be exclusive.

I frowned at the screen, a sinking feeling in my gut. Paul and Quinn’s breakup left Sauncier hiring me a shaky possibility. If he was any bit the asshole I first thought him, his broken heart jeopardized my possible position. And with my interview in three days, that was the last thing I wanted on my mind.

Call me selfish because how the breakup affected me was my primary concern. Besides, I was used to Quinn’s revolving love life.

Swinging my feet out of bed, I grabbed my phone and drew in a breath, praying that the breakup wouldn’t cause issues. Sure, Paul had only given me a chance to interview because of my sister. But their parting of ways didn’t mean he’d snatch it away now.

Right?

I gnawed my lip, nervous at the thought of losing that opportunity. It would be a little insensitive voicing my fears to Quinn. Nor could I double-check with Paul, as that might appear unprofessional. So, waiting for Monday to roll around and hope for the best was my only choice.

My mind drifted to Noah and his offer. As promised, the next morning after our run-in, an email arrived from him, requesting we meet in his office Tuesday afternoon, the day after my interview withSauncier. Our first encounter made me hesitant. At the bar, he’d been pleasant,gorgeoussexydelicious,I added in a rush.His friendliness might cease if he snagged me for his company. Overhearing me mention his rival precipitated his invitation.

I’d done a credible job of pretending to ignore Noah at the bar. Ian was cute and charming, but he wasn’t Noah. Whatever that meant. My response to him just fucking galled me. Mr. Savage Suit played dirty fucking games, so he should’ve been the last person garnering my fascination.

He was gorgeous, with perfect symmetry to his face. His tanned skin offset those brilliant blue eyes and beautiful head of ebony hair. He had a straight nose, masculine jaw, and full lips that looked so fucking delicious I dreamed of tasting them. He was tall, muscled, and plain fuckinghawt. More than anything, he wasfamiliar. Maybe we’d been star-crossed lovers in another life. Perhaps that’s why I contemplated overlooking the first meeting at Keegan Enterprises and accepting his offer for another one.

Besides, scheduling another interview was good. Noah’s determination to best the competition gave me a safety net if Paul canceled.

There was also my reaction to Noah. He wasgorgeoussexydelicious.I grimaced at my insistence on mashing the three words together. To me, it was so much more palatable, especially now that I was considering going on the second interview. At this point, it might be myonlyinterview.

Standing, I tried to ward off any doubts as I went to my tiny kitchen to put on a pot of coffee and toast two slices of bread.

As my coffee brewed, I sat at the island separating my living room and kitchen and picked my phone up again, sending another message to my little sister.

Me:I have errands to run today. Wanna come with and talk about it?

Within seconds, she declined the invite, informing me she had other plans. I nodded to myself at her response and opened one of my news apps to scroll through the headlines. I wasn’t that disappointed about her turning down my invitation. In all honesty, the offer was out of generosity more than a genuine desire for her to tag along. While I loved my sister and enjoyed spending time with her, I didn’t want to hear her drone on about an asshole she was better off without. Fresh out of a fling, Quinn whined about dudes I’d never met. At least, I knew Paul.

The rich, smokey aroma of my favorite dark roast coffee filled my apartment, distracting me and watering my mouth. My morning cup of java wasn’t technically a part of a healthy breakfast, but that was usually the only sustenance I opted for in the mornings. And toast, of course. Each day I woke up looking forward to my daily mug of bold, chocolaty, caramelly cup of joe, which contrasted beautifully with the simple, buttery flavor of my toast.

At hearing my toast pop up, I put my phone aside and grabbed a plate from my cabinet to put the bread on and a mug for my coffee. By the time I finished buttering my toast, my coffee had brewed. I poured a cup, taking a sip straight away. Maybe I was a coffee purist, but I loved black coffee and couldn’t stomach it if it had more than cream. Now, I was out, and I couldn’t afford the luxury.

Returning to the island with my breakfast, I picked my phone back up and resumed my mindless browsing. This time, though, an article caught my attention. In large, bold font, a headline announced the CEO of Keegan Enterprises was...something. The name was too long for the article’s delegated space. I stared at the caption, wondering what Noah had done to make the news.

My curiosity getting the best of me, I clicked on the article, my eyebrows rising at the entire headline. Now, the attention was understandable.

The article’s opening boasted about the recent achievements of Keegan Enterprises and Keegan Media Group as one of the biggest advertising firms in New York City, and a very lucrative division of the corporation. However, the praise faded, and the author dove into the company’s antiquated views of women in the workplace. My eyes roamed the article, my gut twisting at the company’s history of sexual discrimination.Outside of secretaries and other low-level positions, women made up less than 10 percent of the company’s hires.

And, even worst, the number was very intentional. The author of the article got in touch with former employees and interviewees. Male or female, they all said the same thing. Noah and other higher-ups worked around legalities with tardiness for interviews or cancelations for women applying to the company.

Noah trying to stop my professional advancement because of my gender, boiled my blood. And the more I learned about Keegan Enterprises’ sexist pattern, the angrier I grew. At the conclusion of the exposé, red painted my vision.

The rumors surrounding Mr. Keegan were true. Disappointment overcame me, knowing he was indeed a sexist. It wasn’t a revelation, but I didn’t want to think the gorgeous man was a misogynist. My regret didn’t quell my anger he’d wasted my time during our first interview because I was a woman.

The article’s author proclaimed the man behind the company’s success was stuck in the 1960s, and after learning about their sexist work culture, I agreed.

Chapter Ten

Some weeks back, I wrote to you about my sister and the one-night stand she’d had with a stranger. You advised me to ‘woman up’. Well, I haven’t yet. Worse, I told her a bald-faced lie. She demanded I swear she hadn’t done anything. Since I wasn’tinthe room with her, technically, I might not have fibbed. I have a terrible feeling this is going to come up again. If I ever slip up, she’ll be furious. How do I make this right without losing her trust?