Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“I want to apologize for last week. I hope we can move past it?” I said, not wanting to get into the detail of it all over again.
“Sure”, she said. She was weighing me up, judging me, and I hadn’t the energy to care what she thought. How could I explain the situation I was in? The pressure I was under? And why should I? She was only my assistant, and her superior attitude was beginning to piss me off.
“I won’t put you in that position again. That was my mistake,” I said, realizing as I said it that I was undermining my own apology.
“Sure,” she smiled, and I was almost disappointed that she didn’t pull me up on my bullshit.
“We have a lot to get through before the Ireland trip, so I want us to be on good terms,” I added.
“Of course, I understand,” she nodded, her face open and friendly. Maybe she didn’t even understand that she was being treated unfairly. There was no trace of the attitude she had had when I had first hired her.
“Very good,” I smiled, and looked back down at my laptop, hoping she would leave because the atmosphere was unbearable.
“Ah, Keegan?” she asked. “Can I just check how you back up your files?”
“It all happens automatically,” I said, actually not entirely sure of the answer but wanting to save face.
“I just thought it might be good to fully back up everything before the trip,” she said, a flicker of uncertainty passing over her face. “I don’t mind doing it.”
“If you have time,” I nodded, grateful but confused.
I gave up trying to figure this girl out. Most of the time she got on with her job with all the efficiency – and personality – of a robot. Then every now and then I’d see this touch of fierceness in her, like she couldn’t give a fuck about me or Sean or what we thought. Yet now she was not only accepting my admittedly unfair treatment of her, but she was also volunteering to take on more work. My phone was beeping, and she took this as her cue to leave. I was relieved. She made me uncomfortable. I checked my phone. It was Lucy saying that she had found the ring that she thought she had left at my place. I tried to remember when I had last seen her, and couldn’t. That wasn’t a good sign. I knew where things were headed, but I wondered if one of us would actively break it off or if things would just dwindle away. It felt like I was wondering how a relationship in a movie would end, rather than my actual life. I despaired of ever understanding women, opened my laptop, and took a deep breath before downloading the latest shitload of spreadsheets that Sean had sent over. This week was going to drag.
Chapter 15
FREYA
THE WEEK FLEW by. I had been at Clover House for less than a month, but already I had access to Keegan’s files. It meant that either he trusted me, or he was too arrogant to believe I posed a threat to him. Either way, by the Thursday of my fourth week at the office, I had backed up Keegan’s files twice. One copy for him, one copy for Dynasty Games. While I was working in his office legitimately backing up his files, I realized that as long as I was working using his computer, I had access to tons of company files and reports, including the minutes of private meetings and draft copies of accounts. He had been sitting on the couch in his office reading over notes for a meeting when I worked out that I had access to it all, and I felt a hot flush of excitement and terror spread through me. Luckily, he didn’t like sharing an office for long, so I knew all I had to do was wait and I would be left alone long enough to properly dig through the files.
It was hot in the office, and Keegan had taken off his jacket and tie. Sitting where he was in the light of the window, I could make out the outline of tattoos on his arms and what seemed to be a long Celtic knot design along his arm underneath his crisp tight white shirt. I was surprised – he hadn’t seemed like the tattoo type – but then I thought back to when I met him in his motorcycle gear and felt a flush again, whether for embarrassment for how I had acted that day, or something else. I wasn’t sure.
“Keegan, would it be okay if I took an early lunch today?” I asked. He looked surprised.
“Yeah, of course,” he nodded, then added, “Hot date?” before looking like he wished he hadn’t said it.