Page 5 of Snowbound with My Dad's Best Friend

I was shocked that she took the job, given our history, but I’m ecstatic that she will be here.

With an exaggerated sigh, I check my watch one last time, wondering why time seems to have stopped completely.

I feel stupid reacting like this, but what can I say? She brings it out of me.

Suddenly, my computer chimes, showing that I have a new message.

It’s from Alice, my lobby receptionist on the first floor, letting me know that my new assistant has arrived and should be waiting in the fourth-floor lobby.

My stomach drops, my nerves now flooding me.

I lean over my desk and see a glimpse of her sitting in one of the chairs by the water cooler.

She is nervously looking around with her hands pressed between her knees.

It’s comical to see that she still reacts this way when she is scared or nervous about something.

God…She’s even more beautiful than back in the day.

Standing, I clear my throat nervously and straighten my suit jacket before exiting my office.

As I turn the corner, I plaster on a smile, but her reaction is something I wasn’t prepared for.

She begins coughing roughly, choking on the drink of water in her mouth, and her eyes widen as she stares at me.

This isn’t the reaction of someone expecting to see me standing here. She looks as though she’s seen a ghost.

“Steven?” she asks, her voice sounding shocked as she looks me up and down. “Steven Ricci?”

Clearing my throat, I place my hands in my jacket pockets. “In the flesh,” I say, trying to sound cooler than I actually feel.

My skin is heating up, and I’m not sure if my body is reacting to seeing her again or if I’m just embarrassed.

It becomes painstakingly clear to me that she must not have known that I would be here, that I would be her boss.

But why didn’t Russell tell her?

Maybe he wanted her to be surprised.

If that were the case, he hit it right on the nose.

Not to mention, she and I didn’t really speak about jobs or the logistics of our personal lives much.

We were too busy tearing clothing and getting tangled together to get any real talking done.

“Um,” I say awkwardly. “Let’s go into my office so we can talk more about what the job entails.”

I step aside and urge her to come with me.

She is very reluctant, but she eventually grabs her purse and follows me into my spacious office that overlooks a good part of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

As I take my seat, Becca sits across from me at the desk, her body tense as she stares down at the dark blue carpet.

The silence between us is deafening.

I want to talk to her about so much, but I fear that I will scare her away again.

“So, Becca,” I start, and her eyes slowly trail up to mine. “How’ve you been? I mean, it’s been five years…”