Nathan Wright walked away from the beautiful blond, forcing himself to ignore the fact that she was wearing his jacket and that she looked damn good in it. Typically, he always took the stairs to his office, but due to an injured knee 18 months earlier, he had switched to the elevator, and that was when he saw the beautiful blond for the first time. Nate had been captivated and done his best not to stare, but other than admiring her, he didn't think much about the incident because he believed it to be a one-time thing.
However, that wasn't the case. Day after day, she was there at the same time as him. He pretended to read his phone or the paper every day as he snuck covert glances at her. They would often be pushed together by other people, and he would inhale her delicious scent. It was something citrusy and warm and made him think of summertime.
When he arrived to take Corrina out to the fundraiser they had agreed to attend, he was shocked to see her in the apartment, and Nate was disappointed that he didn't get an introduction. Although it probably would have been awkward with ice cream dripping from her head. He smiled at the memory as he entered the entry room to his office.
"That's a nice sight so early in the morning," his secretary, Ellen Simpson, greeted with a smile of her own.
Ellen was a sweet brunette who was heavily pregnant and waddled when she walked. She was the best assistant he had ever had, and Nate was worried about what would happen when she left for maternity leave in two weeks. Time was running out, and they couldn't agree on her temporary replacement.
"What happened to your suit jacket?" Ellen asked with a frown.
"A damsel in distress," Nate said as he thought of the blond once more. He supposed he could get Ellen to find out her name for him, but something about the woman's beauty intimidated him, and he didn't want to fall back into old habits. Plus, as the head of Wright Financial, he didn't want to take advantage of the situation. He would like to know her name, but he wanted it to happen organically, not as a research project done by his secretary.
"Ah, the mysterious woman in the elevator." Ellen smiled as she nodded.
Nate had told Ellen once, when she had asked why he was distracted, that a beautiful woman could destroy a man's concentration, and Ellen hadn't left well enough alone and dug the truth out of him.
"There's a spare suit in the closet in your private bathroom. Do you want me to track the jacket down for you? The mysterious woman works in accounting, doesn't she?"
There was nothing wrong with Ellen's memory. It was like a steel trap.
"What am I going to do without you while you're gone?" Nate asked with a long-suffering sigh.
"Don't worry. I think I have everything worked out." Ellen picked up a piece of paper, cleared her throat, and then read. "Already employed by Wright with a BA in English, MBA with a focus on International Finance, speaks French, German, and Spanish, types 55 words a minute, and that's just the highlights."
Nate frowned. He had to admit that it was a great start. His hesitancy was because of the traveling that he would have to do over the next month. He and Ellen had a system, and he didn't want to drag another woman along and have her get the wrong idea.
"The name on the resume is Shayne Richards." Ellen was watching him closely. "Would you like me to set up an interview? If we can get the position filled this week, that will give me all next week to train the newbie."
Shane was a man's name. Had she found him a man? That would make things so much easier.
"Sure," he agreed. He had to hire someone, and pushing it back really wasn't an option, and as long as Shane wasn't like that girl on the elevator this morning, it should be fine.
He frowned as he thought of the girl who had spilled her coffee on the blond on purpose. He had little doubt that she knew who he was when she entered the elevator. He wasn't a vain man, but he knew that his name and position gained him more attention from the opposite sex than he would otherwise receive. He felt that the blond didn't know who he was, making her even more attractive.
Sometimes he had the feeling that she wanted to be there as little as he did. The only reason he worked at Wright Financial was because of family obligations. It wasn't his dream job.
"All right, I'll see what I can do. There might always be the chance that Richards won't want it," Ellen stated as she headed back into her office. "I should know something this afternoon, and I'll let you know."
Nate nodded as he made his way into his office and closed the door so he could change his suit. It wouldn't do for him to be underdressed as head of the company.
*******
Shay couldn't hide her grin as she saw Ellen waiting for her in the cafeteria.
"I missed you yesterday!" Shay greeted as she sat across from her friend. She was the only friend she had made at the company.
Ellen had admitted that until Shay had started at the company, she always had her lunches alone because no one wanted to eat with the big boss's assistant. They were afraid she was a spy.
Shay had nothing to hide and didn't mind in the least.
"I like the jacket. Is it a new look?" Ellen asked with a raised eyebrow.
Shay shook her head. "Do I have a story to tell you!"
"Please, take my mind off my fat feet and shrunken bladder." Ellen emphatically begged.
"Oh! How did your doctor's appointment go yesterday?" Shay asked, immediately feeling bad that she hadn't asked sooner.
"Fine, I would have told you if it hadn't gone well. He says the baby can come anytime now." Ellen sipped her water and grimaced. "I'm tired of so much water. I would kill for a great cup of coffee."
"Speaking of coffee..." Shay proceeded to tell Ellen about Elevator Man and the strawberry milkshake and then the coffee incident, telling her how she came to be wearing the suit jacket. Ellen knew all about Elevator Man. Shay had bored her on many occasions about her obsession with him.
"A real white knight," Ellen agreed with a nod. "Why don't you introduce yourself? Maybe you two would hit it off."
Shay shook her head. "You should have seen him with Corey. They were the perfect-looking couple. If he is dating women like her, I don't stand a chance."
"Shay, you are a beautiful woman. Don't sell yourself short." Ellen chastised.
"In another lifetime, maybe, I would have stood a chance." Shay gave a sad smile. "No, I'll live in my little dream world. It's much safer there." Shay hadn't had the best luck with men, and it didn't help that many of the men who asked her out were more interested in what her parents had to offer than what she did.
"I feel it will all work out the way it was supposed to in the end." Ellen gave a secret smile.
Shay smiled with her. "I hope I will be as happy as you are with your Bill."
"I have a feeling you will be." Ellen leaned forward and dropped her voice. "I have a favor to ask."
"Sure," Shay said, leaning forward too.
"I haven't been able to find my replacement. Nate and I can't agree on anyone. We both need someone I can trust for different reasons. I need someone willing to walk away after twelve weeks, and he needs someone who will respect his position and be discreet." Ellen met Shay's eyes. "It's a big ask, but would you do it?"
Shay's eyes grew wide at the thought. It was a huge step up in the company and not anything she had ever considered.
"I took it upon myself to pull your resume, and you are more than qualified." Ellen rushed to reassure her.
"I don't know, Ellen." Shay shook her head.
"It pays well," Ellen mentioned a sum that made Shay's mouth fall open in shock.
"That's three times what I make now!" Shay exclaimed, her mind whirling at the thought of all the bills she could catch up on with that money.
"Please, Shay. I really do need someone I can trust. It will be hard enough to return and leave the baby, but I can't do that and fight someone who will refuse to leave when the twelve weeks are up. With you there, I won't worry." Ellen was laying it on thick.
"What if Nathan Wright and I don't get along?" Shay asked as she seriously considered it.
"I thought you two could have an interview tomorrow and see if you would work well together." Ellen bit her lip as she looked at her watch. "I showed him your resume, and he was willing to meet you. Will you meet him tomorrow afternoon?"
"There is no way that The Dragon will let me." Shay sighed. It would be a way out, but she didn't want to lose the job she had while attempting to get a new one.
"That won't be a problem, I promise." Ellen stood. "I'll send you a message with a time."
Shay nodded, then watched her friend hurry away. It wouldn't hurt, and if she could help Ellen and make a little extra money, even better.
Shay made her way back to her cubicle. She had been so distracted that she was behind, and there was no way she would meet her daily quota. The Dragon had a special formula, and if the numbers weren't what they should be the following morning when she checked, there would be hell to pay. It meant that Shay had to leave at her regular time and wait in the lady's room until The Dragon left, then sneak back to finish her work.
It was half-past eight when she wearily made her way to the elevator. The door to the elevator was just about to close when a hand reached out and stopped it. Shay looked up and was surprised to see Elevator Man joining her.
Their eyes met as the door closed, but neither said a word. The air was charged, and Shay could feel her heart racing at the unexpectedness of seeing him. He had a five o'clock shadow on his jaw, and a lock of hair had fallen across his forehead. He wasn't wearing his glasses, so his green eyes were easier to see.
She noticed he was wearing another suit and she felt disappointed that he had changed. It felt as if their brief connection had been severed.
They hadn't started to move, and he reached past her and pushed the button for the lobby. Shay couldn't hide the blush of embarrassment that covered her cheeks as the elevator lurched into action and began its rapid descent.
His eyes raked her face, and then her body which was still encased in his jacket, and she felt it to her toes.
Still, nothing was said. It was as if neither one of them wanted to break the spell. When the elevator stopped, and the door opened, he held it with his hand and let her slip past him. As their bodies brushed, Shay took a shaky breath and forced herself to pass him. It was as if he had a force field around him that was pulling her toward him, and she had never felt such attraction in her life.
"Goodnight," she softly said as she passed.
He only nodded as he watched her go.
Shay had never realized so much could be said without a word being spoken.