To say that Gray’s life had been disorderly for the past couple of months was an understatement. His once-calm routine had been turned upside down, and no matter how carefully he planned his days, fate continued to throw him one curveball after another.
And he knew exactly when the turn from comfortable to chaos had occurred.
Right about the time he’d encountered a certain blonde firework in an elevator. He no longer thought it was coincidence. Fate had apparently delivered Sophie as some sort of trial, and the woman was turning out to be absolute hell on his nerves.
She’d become both invaluable and intolerable as an assistant. She anticipated his every need before he asked. Her cheerful social skills on the phone easily smoothed over any feathers he inadvertently ruffled by his lack of inane social niceties. And she’d apparently read Martin’s secretary’s notes cover to cover, because in addition to her intuition about every single business deal, she now knew staff birthdays and the names of potential clients’ children and had memorized the menus of every business caterer in Seattle.
But as much as he relied on her, most of the time her presence soured his mood. Sophie was just too much. Too much energy, too many smiles, too Goddamn infuriating.
As if all that weren’t enough, he had yet another frustrating woman to reckon with.
Jenna was due at the Seattle airport in an hour, and Gray hadn’t a clue how he was going to pick up his little sister and manage his meeting with the Blackwells. Hell, he didn’t even know how he’d double booked himself in the first place, other than that he’d avoided giving Sophie access to his calendar after she’d begun booking thirty-minute “mental breaks” into his work schedule.
“Sophie!” he barked.
She threw him an arch look through the glass and took her precious time strutting into his office. She was wearing some sort of dress that looked like cotton candy and her shoes had bows on them. Bows.
“Why are you yelling?” she asked.
“I don’t yell.”
“Your voice was raised.”
“I had to raise my voice to get your attention,” he ground out.
“You’ve never raised your voice before to get my attention when I’m at my desk. I can hear you just fine with your normal voice-of-doom volume.”
“Sophie.”
“Gray.”
“You are possibly the most annoying assistant ever. I should fire you.”
Her blue eyes narrowed as if daring him to try. “Did you call me in here just because you’re cranky?” she asked.
Her impertinence should have rankled him, but instead he felt the odd urge to smile. But smiling would only encourage her, so he scowled instead.
“I need a town car.”
“Has Seattle driving become too much for you?” She studied her fingernails.
“It’s not for me. I need it sent to the airport to pick up my sister.”
She stared at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Your sister is coming to visit, and you’re having her picked up in a town car instead of meeting her yourself?”
He flinched. “I’m busy.”
“With what, world domination? Practicing your glare? Take an hour off, for God’s sake. I’ll clear your calendar.”
“I would, but it’s the Blackwells. Remember them? You had them eating out of your palm and now they’re coming back to discuss a potential deal. Today, of all days.”
“Don’t get pissy with me. If you’d let me manage your calendar like assistants are paid to do, you wouldn’t be in this pickle,” she said primly.
“I’m not in a pickle. Just get the damn town car, would you?”
“Is this sister your only sister?”
“Yes,” he said wearily.
“Your baby sister, right?”
“Yes, she and Jack are twins. I can sketch you a family tree later, but for now I just need you to get me the car.”
“Doesn’t Jack live around here? Why can’t he pick her up?”
“Because he has an exam today. She’s twenty-four, not in junior high. She can manage to get home from the airport without a big brother escorting her.”
Even as he said it, his gut gave a sharp twist of guilt. Of course Jenna would be fine in a town car, but he wished he could pick her up personally. Their relationship was cordial, but he’d never had the closeness with the twins that they had with each other. Something he’d been meaning to rectify for years, but could never quite find the time. Or the method. He just didn’t have the ability to easily converse in the way that came so naturally to Jack and Jenna.
Sophie got that assessing look that Gray now knew meant trouble. He wished for the hundredth time that the assistant assigned to him was someone uncomplicated and professional. Someone like Brynn.
Although if Brynn had been his assistant, he wouldn’t have been able to date her. Because CEOs did not date their assistants unless they wanted a lawsuit on their hands. Something he’d nearly forgotten the previous Friday night. It was amazing what months of celibacy could do to a man. He’d almost pulled a page from the How to Be a Sleaze handbook and made a play for his secretary.
Thinking about how close he’d come to kissing Sophie made him uneasy.