I shook my head. It couldn't have been Eden. Eden had a degree in finance. She'd have no business in public relations. My attention was immediately taken from my thoughts of Eden when Gina, the main receptionist for the building, greeted me.
"You're late. Is everything okay?" Crystal-clear blue eyes, decorated with smile lines that showed her age, met mine, and in them, I saw deep concern. Yet another reminder of how off-kilter my morning had started.
I checked my watch and glanced back up at her with exaggerated distress. "I'm not late, Gina." I waited until she cocked her head, confusion marring her slightly aged face. "You must've gotten here really early this morning. Just for that, I'll make sure to bring you flowers twice this week."
Her cheeks brightened as she swatted the air between us. "The ones you brought me last week are still very much alive. You spoil me, Mr. Kauffmann."
I peered over both shoulders, taking in the lobby behind me, and then leaned over the desk toward her. I lowered my voice and said, "My dad's here? Where? Tell him I'm in a meeting." When she giggled, I leaned back and winked. "One of these days, Gina, you'll learn to call me Dane. Mr. Kauffmann is my father."
I smiled and carried on down the hall toward my office with slightly less weight on my shoulders than when I'd walked in.
I had about seventy emails waiting in my inbox when I turned on my computer, but I ignored them and logged right into the applicant database. I needed a peek. Just one quick look to ease my mind. I only needed to prove to myself it hadn't been her in the lobby.
But then I found it.
Eden Lesley Clare, twenty-five years old.
It had all her credentials: her schooling, majors, minors-which were quite impressive-and recommendations from her professors at NYU. Her résumé was flawless, and it was clear she'd come to the right company. However, she had an interview for a receptionist position in public relations. I couldn't fathom why she would waste her talents in the wrong department.
I picked up the phone and dialed the number to find out the answers I sought. After a few questions, my suspicions were verified. Eden Clare had an interview with them. For the receptionist position. I hadn't even hung up the phone before standing from my chair, my decision made.
I don't remember leaving my office or flying down the hall. I don't remember passing the building's receptionist counter or making my way into the lobby of the PR department. Even the cold door handle didn't register. Everything was a blur until I found her sitting alone in the waiting area.
Eden Lesley Clare, age twenty-five.
She was as gorgeous during the day as she was at night.
And all I could do was stare.
Luckily, she didn't notice me. She kept her head down, reading a magazine in her lap, so I took the time to admire her and put myself in check. She had her hair up in a sleek bun. Her makeup was soft and natural, not at all like last night. Her lips were glossy, though not a hint of color to them. However, I found her equally as stunning as before.
I should've left.
I should've gone back to my office.
But I didn't.
Instead, I closed the space between us until I stood only a few feet away. I waited until she glanced up, taking notice of me. Her striking eyes widened, a gasp piercing the silence.
Another step prompted her to stand until we found ourselves face to face, the scent of gardenia filling the air around us. It consumed me and reminded me of happier times.
"What are you doing here?" Her words were quiet and restrained. Her big eyes stayed with mine as she waited for my response. Those eyes. They were a dark green, a really dark green. I had never seen anything like them before.
Rather than answering her question, I said, "Come with me." I shouldn't have taken her hand, or dragged her down the hall, or led her into my office. I definitely shouldn't have closed the door behind us.
But I did.
"What's going on?" Her shaky voice ran through me, making me feel every ounce of her fear as if it were my own. She should've been scared. Lord knew I was.
I turned to face her, but we maintained our distance. "Why did you apply with PR? You have a degree in finance. Why wouldn't you use it? A receptionist? Why? I don't understand."
"No, I'm the one who doesn't understand. What are you even doing here? How do you know where I applied? Are you stalking me?" Her gaze darted around my office as if she was able to take everything in with one quick glance. "Do you work here?"
I simply nodded and stuck my hands into my pockets, rocking on the balls of my feet. It had seemed like such a great idea to go and steal her from PR, but now I didn't know how to get out of the situation gracefully.
"I cannot believe you work here," she whispered under her breath.
I finally caught her attention when I once again asked, "Why PR?"
She stood in the middle of the large room, twisting her fingers together in front of her. "It was the only department hiring, so I figured I could at least get my foot in the door and then look into transferring."
"That's a lie. There are always positions available."
Eden shrugged and stared at the floor.
It was enough to draw me closer to her, but I had to stop before I ate up the distance that separated us. "You don't belong in public relations. It's a waste of your talent."
"Then where should I be, Dane?"
I glanced around the room, noticing the closed door on one wall. It led to an office that hadn't been used in years, no one ever qualified enough to fill it, and that's when it hit me. A thought I should've pushed away. But I didn't.
"I need an assistant, someone to help me come up with business plans, cost sheets, risk charts, and execution plans. If this sounds interesting to you, I'd like to interview you for it." The words rushed out in a tidal wave before I could stop them. My brain took over the conversation and I had no control.
Her eyes widened. Even though she didn't have on much makeup, and her clothes were way more conservative than what she wore last night, she still managed to have the same effect on me. I craved her company, even though I knew I shouldn't.
"The pay is better, the position is better, and at least you'll be able to do what you went to school for."
She nodded and mumbled, "Okay."
I moved around my desk and sat in the chair, extending an arm to offer her one of the seats across from me. After she timidly sat down, I began the impromptu interview.
"What made you choose Kauffmann Investments?"
Her spine straightened, her eyes finally meeting mine. In an instant, something changed and her confidence took over. "It's an amazing company. I appreciate and value the care they take when handling the future of other businesses. I really admire the work and efforts made to save establishments from going under. I once read an article about one of the first ventures Mr. Kauffmann made. He took on this small business, but he couldn't save it. He felt horrible about leaving employees without income, so he hired the ones willing to relocate and paid the others out of his own pocket. It convinced me I wanted to work for him."
"How much do you know about him?"
"Who? Mr. Kauffmann? Almost nothing at all. It was the business as a whole that got to me. I wouldn't be working for him, so to speak. I'd be working for his corporation, but ultimately, I'd work for the people who need saving."
Her answers impressed me and nearly had me hiring her that second, but I had to continue with this for the sake of appearances. "I get very busy and I need a lot of help. I don't need someone to fetch my mail or make me coffee. I have a receptionist to handle the basics-phone calls and faxes. I wouldn't require my assistant to handle those things. I need someone who has the ability to make split-second decisions, someone who has corporate perception. Is this something you think you'd be interested in?"
She bit her lip, contemplative almost.
"Is there a problem?" My voice came out harsher than I intended. I held my breath until she answered.
She sat straighter in her chair, resuming the confidence she'd sat down with. "Well, sir … "
"Dane. You can call me Dane."
"Okay, Dane … you asked me a question I'm not sure how to answer. I mean, you've only explained the things you don't need me to do. I would definitely be interested in not fetching your mail or coffee or answering phones and faxes." Her smirk nearly rendered me speechless.
And then my own lips curled, reigniting the burn in my cheeks that had started last night. "You're absolutely correct, Eden. I apologize. Your job would include compiling lists of possible acquisitions, researching all those possibilities, and rejecting the ones I shouldn't bother with to save me time. I may ask you to gather additional background information, or attend a meeting in my place … that sort of thing. Your job would pretty much be to make my life easier."