Push

25. She Went to Work

GWEN

Day one and my personal assistant was terrified of me.

Cassidy was high-strung. Maybe her sleek blonde bun was cinched too tight. Maybe it was the skin-tight pencil skirt she wore. Who knew? That girl skittered about my office like a nervous mouse dodging the swipe of a hungry cat. Me. I was the cat.

I craned my neck and peeked over my computer monitors.

Cassidy was hovering by the filing cabinet. A stack of manila folders was dumped on top. She took a folder off the pile, flicked through the empty slots in the open drawer, and just as she was about to tuck the folder safely inside, she slid a cautious glance to the side. Our eyes met.

Cassidy snapped to attention, smoothing down her skirt. "Miss Crawford." Her smile shook at the edges. Nerves. Like she was praying I wouldn't rip her to shreds. "Can I get you another coffee?"

I arched my eyebrow. It was the sixth time she'd offered me a coffee in the last hour. I was one sip away from never leaving the bathroom.

"Thanks, but I'm all good." I lifted my cup and jiggled it so she could hear the cold coffee sloshing inside. "Still going with this one."

Cassidy nodded but just stood there. Staring at me. What was she waiting for? Orders? This was... weird.

A knock on my office door almost shot her through the ceiling.

Elias had barely managed to open the door before she scurried past him in a blaze of mumbled apologies to hide behind her desk outside.

I was relieved Elias seemed as confused as me. His dark eyebrows raised, and he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Is she okay?"

I blinked up at him. "I have literally no idea. She's been on edge all morning. Do you think I scared her somehow?" I leaned back in my chair, tapping my fingers on the armrest, thinking over everything I'd said that morning. I was coming up all blanks. I thought I'd been nice. "Do I have a resting bitch face I don't know about it?"

His dark eyes rounded. "Your face is—um—no." I almost had to do a double-take. His cheeks had flushed a bright pink. "You look very professional. Very... lawyer-y?"

I skimmed my fingers along the pinstriped lapel of my new jacket. "It's the suit, right?" I grinned. "Old school legal. Like a boss."

"The suit suits you." Elias's crooked smile made him look much more boyish than his years. "It's very different from the—um—you know—" He cleared his throat in his fist. "First outfit I saw you in."

I arched an eyebrow. "The first—" Oh.

Elias was referring to the yoga clothes I wore on Meltdown Day. I grimaced. Right about now, it'd be nice if a hole just appeared under my desk so I could vanish into the chaos of brokers and analysts on the floor below. What did this man think about me? He stood a little stiff and tugged at the cuff of his own expensive jacket. Uncomfortable. Yeah, I would be, too.

I covered my embarrassment with a nervous laugh. "Yeah... um... sorry again about all... that."

"Don't worry about it. We're all on this merry-go-round together. And even if you wanted to jump off, I'm not sure Liam would let you." He gave me another crooked smile. "So, how's the office?"

I hummed a happy sigh and spun around on the oversized leather chair. My office was excellent. Strangely cozy and accented with light oak and white, fluffy things. Did I need sheepskin-covered seats in front of my desk? Apparently, yes.