Years ago, when she was a swooning teen, Lexi had innocently wished Vincent would ask her to go with him to the local pizza joint after a football game. But now, as an adult with very real womanly desires, she watched him stand before her, exuding confidence and power, and Lexi wished he’d ask her for something very different than pizza. And she knew she’d enjoy every minute of it. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as the naughty thoughts flashed through her mind, but she was pulled from her daydream when she heard the deep rumbling of his voice.
Vincent scanned his messages, and then began barking orders without even bothering to make eye contact with her. “I also need you to go down to the production office and tell that asshole Tony I want the mockups for the Maximillian photo shoot—now. If they aren’t ready the moment you ask for them, you can also inform him that he’s fired. Hold my calls for the next hour. I need to get settled and look a few things over.” He turned on his heel and walked toward his office door. That was when everything began happening in slow motion.
Vincent was about to walk into his office.
Lexi had been so overwhelmed with seeing him again that she forgot about his possible reaction to his newly cleaned office. Each step he took
brought him closer to the big reveal, and that knowledge made Lexi’s head spin. She once again leapt to her feet, her mind now in overdrive trying to figure out exactly what to say to prepare him for what was waiting on the other side of the door.
Out of nowhere, Sean came screaming down the hallway. His booming voice thundered. “Wait!”
Vincent froze mid-step and turned back to his friend, annoyed and confused. Sean jogged toward him, and then collapsed into the nearest chair.
“Damn, that’s a long run.” Sean’s chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath. He glanced over at Lexi and winked. With a grin, he held his fingers up to his ear like he was talking on a telephone. “Leigh.”
Oh, sure, she calls him about Vincent’s arrival, but not me? Great. Lexi rolled her eyes at Sean, then looked straight at the floor, nervously wringing her hands together.
“Sean. To what do I owe this warm welcome?” Vincent seemed unamused by the lively entrance.
“Can’t I just come welcome my dear friend and business associate back from his vacation without raising suspicion?” Sean put on his most innocent face while Lexi silently peeked up from under her eyelashes and watched Vincent’s glare become even more critical, his crappy mood definitely still on the downslide.
“Lexi, tell Vincent here that I come in peace.”
Caught completely off guard, Lexi’s mouth stopped functioning, and she began sputtering, “I—I—I d-don’t …”
“Sean, do you need something?” Vincent’s patience was obviously evaporating quickly. A pissed off Vincent was not who she wanted walking through that office door.
Sean picked up on Lexi’s tension and ended his cryptic jokes. “Nope, just saying hello. Glad you’re back, Vince. Looks like you got a little sun while you were gone.”
“Yes, there was sun. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I do have paperwork to get to. Alexandra, I’m still waiting on that coffee and the mockups.” His hands grasped the doorknob and gave it a turn as a panicked Lexi remained frozen in place. “Can you handle those two simple tasks?” Without waiting for her answer, he turned to his friend. “Sean, I’ll talk to you later.”
Lexi covered her face when the door swung open. Sean, however, sat back in his chair with a grin and waited patiently for the fireworks.
“What the hell happened to my office?” Vincent’s furious voice roared.
Without a word, Lexi’s head fell, and she went to her desk and began packing up her things. She cringed as she heard drawers opening and slamming shut and Vincent’s furious cursing. The leather desk chair rolled across his office and crashed into the bookcase as he continued his rampage. Lexi laid her BlackBerry on top of her desk next to her computer. As she started getting her purse out, Sean put his hand on her arm.
“What are you doing?” he managed to get out between his chuckles. Every time Vincent slammed a drawer and yelled “Goddamn it!” he started laughing again.
“Please just let me get out of here.”
“I’ve got your back,” he whispered just as the heavy door swung open to reveal an irate Vincent.
“Who did that to my office?” Immediately his eyes fixed on Sean, who threw up his hands defensively.
“Not me, man. I’m innocent.”
Vincent’s stunned gaze fell on Lexi. The hostility rolled off him in waves, and she couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye. “Ms. White?”
“I’m sorry, Vincent. I was just packing my things. I’ll be gone in five minutes.”
“Vince, wait. The girl was just trying to help.” Sean stepped in front of Lexi. “They’ve been telling you for months to clean up that shit hole. Lexi here just saved you the trouble. You should be thanking her.”
“Thanking her? Are you insane? I have no idea where anything is. Her incompetence will cost us not only clients but time as well. Do you have any idea how long it will take me to find anything now?”
“It’s fine. I’ll go,” Lexi barely whispered. Mortified beyond words, with her eyes still fixed on the floor, she made her way out from behind her desk
and took her coat off the elegant rack in the corner. “Sorry about the office, Vincent. Sean, thanks for all your help this week. It was great meeting you.” She raised her chin slightly, tucked her jacket over her arm and started to walk down the hall.
Lexi tipped her head back, desperately trying to keep the tears that had welled up in her eyes from falling until after she was safely hidden inside the elevator. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. With each step down the hall, the sounds of Sean’s and Vincent’s arguing voices became softer. Guilt riddled her body as she made her hasty retreat, and the elevator doors gleamed like a beacon a few feet ahead of her. Once behind those thick, steel panels, she would be free to release the sobs that threatened to spill from her mouth. Just a few more steps and a push of a button and it would all be over.
“Cutting out early?” Leigh smiled warmly as Lexi repeatedly pressed the small button, silently willing the elevator to move faster.
“Something like that,” Lexi offered with a sad smile. Luckily for her, Leigh was distracted by the ringing phone and looked away. Lexi immediately turned her attention back to the elevator doors, begging them to open so she could dive inside. As the elevator chimed, she felt a hand on her shoulder.