1 MAEVE
Maybe I should’ve picked a different outfit. The thought belatedly passes through my head as I approach an upscale restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. I chose a simple blue skirt and flowy blouse, since trying to find the right colors to go with my flame-red hair can be tricky, especially with my color-blindness. But now I’m worried that I look too much like I’ve just come from work. I mean, I have come straight from work. God forbid my demanding bosses let me off at five o’clock like everyone else, although I guess I can’t complain too much. You don’t work as the assistant for one billionaire, never mind three, if you aren’t braced for long hours. But it sometimes feels like Hayden, Ford, and Gabriel derive a special kind of pleasure from piling work on my desk. Here goes nothing. Squaring my shoulders, I head inside the restaurant. It’s a little fancier than I would’ve chosen, but Kyle insisted he wanted to take me here. Maybe he’s hoping to make a good impression since it’s our first date, but honestly, I don’t need a man to spoil me to get my attention. I work for three men who could buy every castle in Europe if they felt like it, so wealth doesn’t impress me. In fact, it puts me on edge. Ever since… I shake those thoughts away. I’m not here to think about my ex-fiancé. In fact, I’m here specifically to forget about him. I’m here to move on. Entering the restaurant, I look around. I’ve only seen Kyle in photos before, and I can’t help but worry that maybe he made himself look better. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories about online dating and apps, even though everyone uses them nowadays. I wanted to meet someone naturally, get to know them, feel that spark. But it just hasn’t happened, and maybe it’s naive to wish for that anyway. Luckily, I spot him, and he does look exactly like his pictures. That’s a relief. Kyle sees me and raises his hand, and I wave, making my way through the tables. I can’t shake the feeling that people are staring at me as I walk past them. Probably wondering why a man like him is on a date with a woman like me: plus-sized and on the shorter side, with fiery red hair that I can never quite tame. Kyle stands to pull my chair out for me as I sit down. “Thanks,” I say breathlessly. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was a nightmare.” It wasn’t traffic, honestly, it was my bosses, but I don’t want to get into all of that. Work rules my life enough already. “Hey, no problem.” He chuckles. “It’s worth waiting for a beautiful girl like you.” The compliment feels practiced, more for show than from the heart, but I smile politely anyway. “That’s very sweet, thank you.” We’re given our menus and a wine list to peruse. I was so busy all day that I had barely had time for lunch, so I’m contemplating if I should give in and have some of the bread from the basket left for us when my phone buzzes. A familiar tension coils in my stomach. I should ignore it. I really should ignore it. My phone buzzes again. “What do you recommend to start?” Kyle asks the server. “And I’d like to speak with the sommelier, get the best wine recommendations.” While he’s distracted, I take a quick glance at my phone, even though I already know who’s been texting me. Hayden Russo. I have him saved in my phone as Grumpy Boss, a private joke that helps me survive working for three demanding billionaires—Hayden and his two best friends. I know it’s unprofessional, but at this point, I think if Hayden saw it he’d probably just get some kind of twisted amusement out of it. He definitely wouldn’t fire me. He can’t afford to. GRUMPY BOSS: Keller, where are you? GRUMPY BOSS: Your phone must be dead. Or maybe you’ve been hit by a car. I roll my eyes and respond to him. MAEVE: I’m off the clock, so it’s none of your business if I get hit by a car or not. GRUMPY BOSS: Pretty sure it’s still my business, since I pay for your health insurance. MAEVE: A lesser assistant would pretend you’re funny, but lucky for you I believe in honesty. “Thank you,” Kyle says, and I drop my phone into my lap to smile up at him. “I don’t know all that much about wine,” I admit. “You don’t have to go to any trouble.” That was one of the things that ate at me when I was with… doesn’t matter. Rich people are weird about wine. If you can’t talk about how you can taste the notes of oak in it then apparently you’re not well-bred or something. “No, no, I’ve been really getting into wine lately,” Kyle says earnestly. “And I did say I’d wine and dine you.” I laugh, because I think it’s supposed to be a joke, but I’m honestly not sure. My phone buzzes again and I can feel my jaw clench. I keep the phone in my lap and surreptitiously read the text as the sommelier approaches. I need to put the kibosh on this or Hayden will bother me all night, and I don’t want to ruin this date. GRUMPY BOSS: I also believe in honesty, Keller, which is why I’m going to be honest with you. I think you’re hiding something from me. Oh, for crying out loud. MAEVE: Yes. I’m hiding my nefarious plans to poison your coffee and stage a corporate takeover. You caught me. Put me in cuffs, officer. Kyle is chatting with the sommelier when I glance up from my phone, asking questions and pointing down at the lower end of the wine list. When I look down at the menu, I can feel my eyes go wide. Holy shit, these wines are insane. I can’t accept him buying one of these. “That’ll be perfect,” Kyle says, “thank you.” I take a deep breath. This is a first date, I don’t want to accidentally start an argument or embarrass the guy. If he wants to buy an expensive bottle of wine, then that’s his business. It’s just my weird hang-ups because of my financial situation. I give him a smile and glance down at my menu. “So, what did you hear is good? It all looks lovely to me.” “Well…” Kyle continues to chat about the menu, but my phone buzzes again. I keep smiling at him while I glance down to see what Hayden has said now. GRUMPY BOSS: Sarcasm doesn’t become you, Keller. There is really no pleasing this guy. I text him back. MAEVE: When I’m asked why I’m drinking an entire five-hundred-dollar bottle of wine I’m going to blame it on you. You drive me to it. He sends me back a list of local AA meetings, the asshole. I roll my eyes subtly, pursing my lips to hold back the tiny smile that tugs at one corner of my mouth. Hayden is one of those men who’s handsome, rich, charming, and unfortunately actually funny, so he thinks he can get away with anything. He’s amazing at his job, he’s smart, and he’s ruthless as hell in business. I’d die before I’d tell him this, but he has a right to think highly of himself. Beneath the infuriating layers, I respect the hell out of him. I wouldn’t have stuck it out this long at my job if I didn’t. But sometimes I swear he delights in driving me to the brink of insanity. Like right now. GRUMPY BOSS: So glad to know that you’re wasting the salary I give you on $500 wine. That comment makes me wince, although there’s no way that Hayden can know why it’s a low blow. My three bosses don’t know everything about my past. Not even Ford. But it twists in my stomach like a hot knife, so I text back again quickly. MAEVE: I would never waste money like that. It’s my date. He insisted. The moment I send the text, I know it’s a mistake. Hayden doesn’t need to know about me being out on a date with someone. It will just give him more incentive to meddle. I shove my phone under my napkin and shift my attention back to Kyle just in time for him to finish his monologue. It does make me worry a little that he doesn’t seem to have noticed I was texting somebody while he was talking. “I highly recommend the salmon,” he says. “Salmon sounds great.” At this point, I don’t even care about what I’m eating. That’s probably not a good sign. My phone vibrates again, and I can feel my smile turning brittle. I probably look like a serial killer. “So, Kyle, you said that you enjoy music as a hobby?” I glance down at my phone as it vibrates again. Grumpy Boss has informed me that there’s a piece of work he needs me to do. You’d think such a good businessman would be better at lying. MAEVE: No, there isn’t. I run your calendar. I know when things are due. Try a little harder next time. I don’t know why Hayden wants to pull me away from my nice evening. Maybe I made his coffee wrong this morning, and this is his revenge or something. Putting a smile back on my face, I look up and realize that Kyle has an odd look on his face. He must’ve noticed that I asked him a question and didn’t even hear the answer. “Everything okay?” He tilts his head to one side. “Everything’s fine,” I assure him. “My boss is just demanding sometimes. Even after hours.” “Ah. That’s so annoying,” Kyle says sympathetically. “Honestly, shitty bosses are one of the big reasons I quit and work for myself now.” “Oh?” Our wine arrives and the sommelier gives a little speech about it. I nod along and try to look interested, but I feel a bit bad. Kyle clearly cares about this and probably thinks he’s impressing me. He has no idea I’ve had to hear all kinds of speeches about fancy wine before, and that it just reminds me of a time when a man did all he could to make me feel small. The wine is poured, and Kyle holds up his glass. “A toast to a lovely evening.” I raise my glass. “I’ll drink to that.” A shadow looms over our table as we start to clink our glasses together, and I look up, expecting to see our server. But it’s not the server at all. It’s Hayden. He’s still dressed in the suit he wore at the office earlier. All black, a bespoke design that hugs his broad shoulders and whispers of quiet luxury. It’s classy and sophisticated while also making him look incredibly intimidating. Hayden never dresses in anything less than the most impeccable suits, the king of every room he walks into. I suppose it helps that he’s six foot four and handsome as sin, with neatly styled dark hair and rich brown eyes that miss nothing. “What are you doing here?” I blurt out without thinking. Hayden doesn’t look angry, exactly, but his expression barely shifts as he arches an eyebrow. “You might be in charge of my calendar, but I’m in charge of you, Keller. And you’re needed back at the office.” Kyle frowns. “You realize it’s seven at night, right?” Hayden gives Kyle a cutting glance that I’ve seen him give to dozens of people he considers idiots over the years. Everyone withers under that glare, and Kyle is no exception, although I can tell he tries to hide it. I exhale slowly, setting down my wine glass as I fix Hayden with an icy stare. “If you’re mysteriously late for meetings for a week and lose your reservation at restaurants, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.” Hayden shrugs. “Then you can kiss that Christmas vacation goodbye.” “And oops, you can kiss those filled-out contracts goodbye. Guess you’ll have to do the tedious work of initialing all those sections all over again.” Kyle glances back and forth between us, seeming annoyed. “Are you serious right now?” “Yes,” Hayden says calmly, as if he’s reminding Kyle that the sky is blue. He pulls out his wallet and drops a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills on the table—enough to cover the wine ten times over. “Now you won’t have to blow your entire paycheck on a bottle of wine to try and impress her. Not that it would work.” He’s right, the bottle Kyle ordered didn’t impress me at all, but I’m not going to let Hayden know that he’s read the situation correctly. This is what I get for trying to have a social life. I stand up, gripping my purse tightly. “You,” I hiss, “are impossible.” I glance over at Kyle. “I’m so sorry. I had a… a nice time. Maybe I’ll see you around.” “But don’t count on it.” With those words, Hayden’s hand settles at the small of my back, a firm, proprietary weight as he steers me away from the table and toward the door. “When I need you at the office, I need you now,” he murmurs as we walk. “You’d think after the fifth time or so, you’d have learned that.” I snort. “Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you learning to respect work-life boundaries.” Yeah, this isn’t the first date of mine that my boss has interrupted. I think what it is, honestly, is that Hayden works harder than everyone else. He’s always in the office before me, and always still there when I leave, and I tend to get there pretty early to make sure everything’s set up and I don’t leave until everything is perfect. The cleaning crew apparently all know him. He gets them personalized Christmas gifts every year. Hayden’s personal car is out front, taking up the valet spot. I grimace in apology at the valet, but then Hayden hands him a wad of cash, and I have to roll my eyes again. “You can’t just throw money at every problem,” I hiss at him as he herds me into the car. “Show me the person money can’t buy, Keller. I’m dying to meet them.” “You’re looking at her,” I inform him. Hayden might pay my bills but if he ever tried to openly bribe me for something I think I’d have to put arsenic in his morning coffee. Hayden’s on his phone the moment we’re in the car, his driver pulling smoothly away from the curb. “Hello, Maeve,” he says politely. “Hi, Gerry, good to see you.” I glare at Hayden. “You know that was a pretty nice restaurant that Kyle had to work hard to get a reservation at.” “Kyle?” Hayden is very good at packing a world of opinions into a single word. “I know that you can just buy out entire restaurants at your whim but most of us have to go through the reservation system like all the other plebians. He was really excited to try this place.” “He was excited to impress you.” “And is that a bad thing?” Hayden arches an eyebrow but keeps tapping away on his phone. I’m tempted to snatch it and throw it out the car window or at least keep it out of his reach, but I just dig my nails into my palms and maintain my composure. “He’s a really nice guy.” I need to try a new tactic. “I was so excited for this date.” Hayden snorts. “What?” “You have better taste, Keller.” “Wh—excuse me?” I’m flabbergasted. “You just met the guy! And you don’t know anything about my personal life!” “I know enough.” “You know what, that’s fair, seeing as you interrupt it constantly.” “Keller.” Hayden puts his phone down, his gaze pinning me to the seat. “I did you a favor.” “You don’t get to decide that.” Hayden smirks at me and goes back to his phone. I groan and slump back in the seat. I’m not going to keep fighting with a brick wall. Besides, as long as I work for him and his two partners, I know that this is how it’ll always be. At the end of the day he’s my boss. I’m going to give in. I hold in my sigh. Not for the first time I wonder if it wasn’t a mistake to take on this job. It was kind of Ford to offer it to me, even if it was out of pity. His brother had just dumped me, after all. I couldn’t say no at the time. I was still drowning in credit card debt and had no other options. Even now, though, I know in my heart I’m not going to quit. I’m good at my job and I enjoy being good at it. And the pay is far better than I’d get anywhere else. We pull up in front of the office and Hayden gets out, coming around to get the door for me. He insists on it. I’ve tried telling him to knock it off but like with everything else, it’s Hayden. He gets his way. “Goodnight, Gerry. Thank you again!” I get out with a wave and follow Hayden inside. “Gerry doesn’t pay your bills,” Hayden points out. “But he gets all that?” “Unlike you, Gerry is a decent and thoughtful human being.” The offices for the three founders of the company are on the top floor. There’s a central area with luxurious couches where clients can sit and be served snacks and drinks, to create a relaxed atmosphere. From there you can enter any of the three spacious offices with the names on gleaming silver plaques on the doors. My desk is sprawling, a big hunk of marble that intimidated the hell out of me when I first saw it. It’s right in front of the elevator so that anyone who wants to speak to Hayden, Gabriel, or Ford has to go through me. Now that I’ve been here a couple of years, I know that this desk is necessary. I need all the space otherwise I’d have no chance of being organized. Originally the founders each had his own assistant, but their schedules are so intertwined, and when Ford hired me I did it all so well, they just… let me handle all three of them. It’s flattering, honestly. Even if Hayden drives me nuts, I know it’s because his schedule would fall apart without me. Even if everything else in my life is a mess, I know that in this job, I’m doing great. The lights are all still on, unlike the rest of the building where it’s all dark and still. Everyone else has gone home. “Hayden,” Gabriel calls from his office, his rich baritone flooding the space. “That’d better be you, and you’d better have coffee.” “Even better,” Hayden calls back. “I have Keller.” Gabriel pokes his head out. “Maeve? What are you doing back here?” My second boss is French, charming, flirtatious, and stylish, with chestnut brown hair that he keeps just long enough to be rakish and striking amber eyes. He’s the boss that all the women fall all over themselves trying to date. Honestly, if you ask me, that’s a mistake. It means they’ve underestimated him. I’ve seen Gabriel in the boardroom, and he’s just as cutthroat as his two co-founders and best friends. He’s just the type to hide it behind a smile. It is a breathtakingly gorgeous smile, though, I’ll give him that. And his slight French accent has him saying my name in a way that makes it sound just a little obscene. “I was summoned, my liege,” I inform him. Gabriel gives Hayden a playful look. “People are going to start saying that our assistant is the one running the show.” “I wish. If she were, I could get a decent night’s sleep.” “You’re a real bunch of comedians around here,” I say as I go back to my desk. “Gabriel, is there anything I can get you before Hayden chains me to this hunk of rock again?” “If I could get another copy of the Pearson-Hardman contract, actually, that would be helpful. I was going to do it myself…” “See?” I look at Hayden. “Gabriel can do things himself. Like use the copier. I think I should start giving him gold star stickers.” “Try it.” Hayden heads for his office. “See what it gets you.” I roll my eyes. Those kinds of threats work on lawyers, other billionaires, even royalty, but they sure don’t work on me. Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only person in the world who’s impressed by Hayden but not intimidated by him. Perks of being the person who knows when his dentist appointments are, I suppose. There’s a light on in Ford’s office, but he doesn’t emerge. I’m not surprised. Ford’s very self-contained. I actually have him in my phone as Mr. Freeze. Like the Batman villain. I’ll die before I admit it, but between Ford and his brother, Ford is the more attractive one. That’s probably terrible of me to say since I was literally engaged to Liam, but it’s the truth. Ford is taller, with dark brown hair and light blue eyes that make me think of the sky on a cold winter day. Liam has blue eyes too, and a similar sharp jawline, but somehow on Ford it looks better. Maybe because he inhabits his body with much more confidence. Or maybe it’s just because I like Ford more. I don’t bother knocking on his door. I just make the copies for Gabriel quickly and then focus on the things Hayden wants from me. From inside all three offices, I can hear the sounds of work. Gabriel is speaking on the phone, I think. I hear a few phrases in Japanese, which makes sense with the time difference. Ford’s door is closed, but I can hear him moving about now and then. Hayden is typing almost nonstop on his computer and phone, like he’s on a timer. There’s something soothing about it all. Once I wrap everything up, it’s nine p.m. And I still haven’t had dinner. The elevator opens as I compose an email to Hayden sending him the attachments, and a delivery driver walks up to me. “Hi, for… Maeve Keller?” “That’s me.” I stand to take the food. One of the men must’ve ordered a late meal for them. But when I open it up, it’s not enough for three people. Instead, it’s a chicken tikka masala burrito from the Indian-Mexican fusion place around the corner that I adore. I get lunch from there when I can. It’s expensive, so that’s not often. I usually make my lunch at home to bring. I glance around, then take the chance and walk over to Gabriel’s office. “You didn’t have to do that.” Gabriel looks up from his desk, cocking his head to one side. In the soft lighting from the lamp on his desk, I can just barely make out the flecks of amber in his eyes. “Do what?” “Get me dinner.” “Maybe it was Hayden, apologizing.” “Hayden? Apologize? That’ll be the day.” “Well.” The corner of Gabriel’s mouth curves upward into a half-smirk. “It wasn’t me.” I walk back over to my desk. I know in my bones it wasn’t Hayden, but I see no reason for Gabriel to lie. That leaves… I walk over and knock on Ford’s office door. “Come in.” His voice is brisk, as always. I poke my head in. “Thank you. For the dinner.” Ford doesn’t even look up from where he’s taking a pen to a contract like he’s an English teacher and it’s a failed midterm essay. “Don’t mention it.” I retreat, closing the door softly behind me. I never know what to do about Ford when he gets like this. Hayden might drive me insane, but it’s Ford I can’t seem to get a read on. Self-contained and icy, he’s an enigma wrapped in bespoke suits and glacial calm. But he’s the one who offered me this job, and he sometimes does things like this. At first, I thought it was pity. Now I wonder if it’s just how he is. But either way, I don’t know what to make of it. I eat my dinner, which is delicious, damn it, and send Hayden the email to let him know the work is done.
