“Thank you.” I cleared the last bit of sniffles out of my nose and cupped the coffee with both hands.
Brogan cleared his throat and shifted restlessly on the couch. “I’m sorry to hear about your mom.”
I frowned, staring into the coffee. “Me, too. She’s my best friend.” I blinked back a few rogue tears that were trying their best to escape. What would I do if she didn’t make it through? I’d have Zoey, but my father was living his own life now, and my grandparents were long passed. I’d be a twenty-four-year-old orphan. Did that even count if you were past eighteen? “I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
He cut his eyes to me and said, “I hope it doesn’t come to that, but if it did, you’d be fine.” A small, comforting smile formed at the edge of his lips, and without the expensive business suits and corporate environment, he seemed so much younger than his work persona. His gaze softened, and for the first time since I’d met him, Brogan didn’t look like he minded being in the same room as me.
I smoothed my thumb over the rim of the coffee mug, wisps of steam curling into the air. How could he be so sure when I felt like the life I’d built was being ripped out like the pages of a story. “How do you know that? You don’t even know me.”
He placed his mug down on the coffee table and turned to me, his expression serious.
“Because if you were the type to give up, you wouldn’t come to work for me, and you certainly wouldn’t put up with a bunch of rules.” He used air quotes for emphasis.
Damn me putting my foot in my mouth. I really had no self-preservation whatsoever when it came to keeping this job. “That came out a little harsh, didn’t it?”
He smiled. “Yeah, but I understand. I know it’s not easy on a lot of people, but it’s how Starr Media runs.”
“Then why do you put all these ridiculous rules into effect?”
He let out a heavy sigh, and for a split second I could feel the weight of Brogan’s world heavy in my chest. The hundreds of calls every day. The thousands of questions. I loved working at a big corporation, but I would never want to run one. “Because if I didn’t, I leave myself open to the possibility of hurting my company. Starr Media means everything to me, and I’d never do anything to risk that.”
I tilted my head and did my best to hold back the sarcasm in my question. “How is a garlic breadstick going to hurt Starr Media?”
“You obviously haven’t been on the receiving end of a garlic-eating mouth-breather client.”
I blanched. “Can’t say I have.”
He leaned back and spread his arms across the top of the couch, making himself comfortable. “I used to play racquetball with a client who would eat Italian before playing, and he’d literally sweat garlic.” He shuddered.
“Gotcha. Personal vendetta against Italian.”
“My cross to bear. Although, I really do love Italian food. Just not on other people.”
I decided not to share that I knew this little tidbit from my perusal of his fridge the other week.
“Nice to know you get out of the office at some point. It’s good to get exercise and fresh air.”
“I usually run along the waterfront. Racquetball is only for clients.”
“Me, too. Funny we haven’t run into each other.” Besides the bush-hiding incident that I’d take to my grave.
“You mean besides that one time a few weeks ago?” His voice held a playfulness that I’d never heard in the office. Brogan was always congenial and charismatic at work, but this felt different, slightly more intimate. “Or was I not supposed to bring that one up?” He winked.
My jaw dropped. Was there anything this guy didn’t know? I swore I’d hidden before he even had the chance to notice I was in the vicinity. “How did you—”
“Can’t say many people jump into bushes when they see me coming. Or have leaves in their hair when they come to work. You leave quite a lasting impression, Taylor, I’ll give you that.”
Heat trickled to my neck and cheeks, and if the sofa happened to swallow me up, I’d be thankful right about now. “Yeah, I don’t even want to try to explain that one.”
He nodded and a smile played at his lips, but after a few moments his expression turned serious. “All joking aside, this company is my life, and the first few years are always the toughest with any business. I know these rules may seem a little”—he searched for the right word—“tough, but I have to do whatever it takes.”