The Risk of Falling

Chapter Four: The Real First Meeting

“So, moving up the ladder, huh?” the girl spoke up beside me, her tone snide. “From Ryan Wilcott to Luke Hedenby. Atta girl. You surely must know how to please ‘em.”

I probably should’ve kept my mouth shut about my meeting with Luke within earshot of other people but it was too late for that now. Besides, suspicions aside, there was nothing actually wrong about a meeting with a company leader. We wouldn’t be having this snarky conversation if I had balls between my legs but since I didn’t, it just cast a bit of shade to the whole thing. And this woman who didn’t know me from Adam, was heaping on the presumptions.

I turned to her with an arched brow. “You know something?”

She pursed her lips at me. “What?”

“You are so not worth it,” I said before turning away and starting to hum under my breath.

I could feel her seething—it was practically broiling inside the elevator—but I ignored it and secretly enjoyed her predicament.

A few seconds later, the elevator stopped and opened to her floor and she bolted out of there in a huff. Cool breeze blew into the boxed space, I swear.

A couple minutes later, I reached Luke’s floor.

The interior was airy, bright and minimalistic, featuring an entire glass wall that looked out to the ocean.

An older woman in a tweed suit and a friendly smile greeted me as I approached her desk.

“Ms. Moss, I assume,” she said as she stood up to shake my hand. “My name’s Peggy Bernardson, Luke’s secretary and personal assistant.”

I returned her smile. “Hello, Peggy. Nice to meet you. I’m here for my meeting with Mr. Hedenby at ten-forty-five.”

I was surprised at meeting Peggy, actually. For some reason—probably prejudice—I expected Luke Hedenby to have a bombshell of a secretary especially after the spectacle with the woman at the hotel this morning and the bits of gossip here and there after the general meeting. Although I never looked him up myself, I got the impression that he was a bit of a playboy, always spotted with some arm candy or the flavor of the month. I didn’t give a lot of credit to office gossip usually but it was hard to miss the pictures and articles people were looking up online and murmuring about, especially when they weren’t attempting the slightest level of discretion.

Meeting a sweet, almost motherly older woman—not that Peggy wasn’t lovely—as his secretary caught me off guard but I appreciated the fact. 

“Yes, yes. I’ve been expecting you,” she said as she led me toward his office door. “Just walk right in. He should be finishing up his call.”

I hesitated. “I can just wait out here until he’s ready. Um, I don’t want to intrude on anything.”

She waved her hand dismissively as if I were being silly. “You’re not at all intruding. He said to tell you to make yourself comfortable. If he’s not done quite yet, have a snack or a cup of coffee. There’s a snack bar inside and I always stock it full with good stuff. Just let me know if you need anything.”

And before I knew it, I was through the door and standing awkwardly in front of Luke whose desk was on the other side of the room, the panoramic view of the harbor spread out behind him on the epic glass window. 

Damn, the man looked good. He could give that view a run for its money.

He was leaning over the desk, talking on the speaker phone.

Looking up at my arrival, he grinned and gestured to a cushy leather arm chair in front of him.

I could make out some of the things they were discussing in the conference call and they sounded important so I just gave him a small smile and cocked my head toward the snack bar.