Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 127991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
“Let’s talk specifics when you get here,” I said. “You might feel less anxious when you see how we’ve been running things. As far as I’m concerned, we’re well on track, thanks to your team setting up this tour, and our meeting tomorrow will be the cherry on top.”
“We’ll make sure it is,” she agreed. “Oh, before I go, will Reagan be taking care of his own travel arrangements back to the city, or should I ask my assistant to make them?”
I stretched my neck from side to side and tried not to catch the eyeballs McGee was giving me. “Those arrangements won’t be necessary. Reagan’s been a true asset, and I’d like him to stay and support the tour. You’ll be impressed with his ability to put people at ease and speak eloquently about PennCo and our products without sounding like a sales pitch. And I’d love for the three of us to discuss some future plans for our social media accounts. I’m seeing some good interaction on the content Reagan’s put out there already.”
There was silence for a few beats. The only sound was McGee’s cleaning spray and paper towels swishing over nearby surfaces.
“That’s… an option,” she said cautiously. “But Thatcher, we can discuss our social media accounts later, and there’s no reason to have three people on this tour. I’m more than capable of doing whatever Reagan’s been doing for you.”
You’re really not, I thought as Reagan’s teasing smile flashed through my brain.
“Three heads are better than one,” I said firmly. “If you’re worried about space, don’t. There’s plenty of room for both of you. If you need additional privacy, you’re welcome to take the bedroom, and I can sleep in a bunk.”
Her voice was tight but cordial when she responded. “That won’t be necessary. Won’t be my first time on the company coach. First time we’ll be together for this long, though. It’ll be nice, won’t it?”
The swish of paper towels stopped. McGee’s eyes met mine again as his eyebrow ring lifted. I waved him back to his task.
“Layla, I need to go. My next meeting is about to start. Let me know what happens with the flu test,” I said before disconnecting the call.
Well, that didn’t go as planned, I thought. Followed quickly by, Please let her still be testing positive. Which was a horrible thought.
McGee slid into Reagan’s empty booth seat and widened his eyes, not even pretending he hadn’t heard the entire conversation. “She’s intense, Thatcher. Too intense. It’s creepy.”
“Not creepy,” I argued, though his opinion about her intensity confirmed my own. “She’s objectively excellent at her job, and I’m fortunate she’s part of my team. She might be a bit opinionated, but only because she’s dedicated. Enthusiastic.”
I wasn’t sure which of us I was trying to convince, but McGee wasn’t buying it. “Enthusiastic about you, maybe. She’d like to be the next Mrs. Pennington.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. She knows that’s not a position I’m looking to fill, ever.” It was none of McGee’s business, but in an attempt to silence him, I added, “Look, Layla tried to start something once, years ago. I declined, and we both laughed it off. She’s not interested in me that way anymore.”
“Mmm, sure. The same way you’re not interested in the kid?”
It was too much to hope McGee hadn’t noticed. With one eyebrow popped, I stared him down. “If Reagan were here, he’d tell you meddling causes fine lines and wrinkles.”
McGee grinned unrepentantly and kicked my foot under the table. “You like him. I knew it from, like, minute one, even when you were trying to pretend you didn’t. He pissed you off. Got under your skin. But now you like him fine.”
I focused on my laptop again. “I like that he’s good for business. Because he’s my employee.”
He kicked me again, harder this time. “You like him. And don’t give me excuses about being his boss. There’s probably five levels of management between you two.”
In fact, there were only two managers between us: Layla, as head of the PennCo Fiber subsidiary, and Stephen Price, PennCo’s head of PR. In most other Pennington subsidiaries, there would have been more—four or five—but PennCo was small, and Layla liked to be closely involved with her teams. It worked well, so I’d never had reason to give the hierarchy any thought… until the morning after Reagan and I slept together.
“Besides,” McGee added, “that shit only matters if you’re taking advantage of a power imbalance. As far as I can see, the fact that his dad is well-connected evens the playing field.”
“Right. Obviously. Those two gigantic complications cancel each other out.” I rolled my eyes. “I had no idea I employed a certified relationship expert, McGee. How fortunate I am.”
“Hey, I read articles. Lots of articles,” McGee said loftily. “Aren’t you the one who told me education was the path to success back when I was younger?”