Page 6 of Unwrapping Romance
“There has to be rumors,” I said.
“No rumors. We'd all be fired if Mr. Atlas even caught wind of us talking about it. That man doesn’t play around.”
“And what is it you do around here?”
“I’m Mr. Quinn’s assistant.”
“Is he anti-holiday too?”
“No. Not at all. Every year, he writes me a personal check for a holiday bonus and tells me to keep it between ourselves. He’s a good man to work for.”
After showing me around, I left the building and headed home. Walking down the hall to my apartment, I saw a paper taped to the door. Pulling it off, I looked at it. It was an eviction notice.
“Shit.” I shook my head, went down to my landlord’s apartment, and knocked on his door. “Really, Mr. Joseph?” I cocked my head, holding up the paper.
“Sorry, Sierra. I’m still waiting on last month’s rent. You promised you’d have it. I don’t have a choice.”
“And I will. I just came from an interview and got the job. Just give me a couple of weeks. I promise I’ll get it to you. Please, Mr. Joseph. It’s not my fault the CEO of my former company embezzled millions, and they shut down. It’s brutal out there in this economy. But all is good now. I got a job that pays more than I was earning at my last job. I start tomorrow morning. If you don’t believe me, you can call my employer.”
He stared at me momentarily and then took the eviction notice from my hand and tore it up.
“Thank you, Mr. Joseph.” I hugged him.
“You better get that rent to me. You have one week, Sierra.”
“I will.”
Stepping inside my apartment, I set my purse down, grabbed a bottle of wine, and poured it into a glass. I was all set to call Yvonne after I left Atlas Enterprises to tell her I changed my mind and didn’t want the job until I came home and saw the eviction notice. There was no way I could work for Jack Atlas, not because of the rumors about his reputation. I could handle his grumpiness. What I didn’t think I could handle was seeing him all day, every day, because he was so damn sexy. The fantasies swirling in my head about him during my interview were too hot, causing me to keep my legs tightly crossed. His six-foot-three stature gave a commanding presence. His short, dark hair was neatly styled, just tousled enough to give an effortless look. The sharp angles of his jawline were accentuated by a subtle five o’clock shadow, giving him a rugged but polished edge. His broad shoulders filled out his shirt and suit coat perfectly. But his eyes stood out the most—a striking blue with such intensity that could send someone into a hypnotic state.
My phone rang, pulling me out of my Jack Atlas fantasy. Grabbing it from my purse, I saw Becca was Facetiming me.
“Hi,” I answered, tipping the glass to my lips.
“How did the interview go?”
“I got the job.”
“That’s great, Sierra. Congrats. When do you start?”
“Tomorrow morning. I also came home to an eviction notice.”
“Oh shit. Did you talk to Mr. Joseph?”
“Yeah. He’s giving me one more week to pay the rent.”
“I’m not sure you’ll get your first check next week.” Her face twisted.
“I know,” I said, sighing and pouring another glass of wine. “I’ll figure something out.”
“You know I’d lend it to you if I could.”
“I know.” I smiled.
“I have to go. My next client just walked in. I’ll talk to you later.”
When I opened my refrigerator, I stared at the carton of eggs, almond milk, expired yogurt, and two apples in a plastic bag.
“Shit,” I said.