I offer a tight-lipped smile. “Is it that obvious?”
“Well, you look like you’d prefer to swim in a pool of rattlesnakes than spend your day here.”
I grimace. “Perfect,” I say before walking away. How much does Marisa know about the man she works for?
I tap my fingers against my thighs the entire ride, glancing at myself in the mirror that covers the back wall. At the twentieth floor, I approach the office reception desk.
“Hi,” I say in the most cheerful voice I can muster.
A black-haired man in an expensive-looking suit, who can’t be much older than me, lifts his head and nods. “Good morning. Miss Marshall, I presume.”
“You presume correctly.” I try to stay pleasant.
“Wonderful,” he says, but something in his voice makes me think he feels the opposite.
I offer another smile. Keep smiling, I chant over and over in my head.
“Good morning, Miss Marshall.”
The smile drops right off my face.
I square my shoulders before turning toward the smooth, commanding sound of Tristan’s voice. Seeing him so clean and put together only reminds me of how broken he looked in that nightmare.
“You’re prompt. I appreciate that.”
I nod. My jaw is clenched so tight I couldn’t speak if I wanted to. This is a terrible mistake. I can’t do this.
“Why don’t you follow me, and I’ll show you to my office?” he suggests in a level tone. He’s strictly business right now, and I’m all for it.
We walk side by side down a long hallway with clear glass doors lining each side.
“Are you not going to speak?”
“You haven’t asked me a question.”
He arches a brow at me. “You don’t strike me as an ‘only speaks when spoken to’ type of woman.” He knows my personality already, and it makes my stomach flip. Tristan seems like the kind of man that demands attention and whose attention is craved. My body becomes almost hyperaware when he’s watching me, as if it doesn’t know whether it likes it or not. Maybe it’s a fae thing.
I almost laugh. “You’re perceptive. I’m sure that’s useful in your position.”
He nods. “Indeed.”
I jerk my thumb back toward the guy sitting behind the desk in the entrance. “Your receptionist is lovely, by the way,” I say with a touch of a smile.
He shrugs. “He’s not a morning person.” We have that in common.
“What are we doing today?” I shift the conversation as we continue down the hall to a set of glass double doors.
“We won’t be doing anything. I’m handing you off to my chief of staff for the day.”
“My first day, and you’re already rewarding me,” I say sweetly.
He smirks. “Good to know you’re smart-mouthed during all hours of the day.” He pushes the door open, holding it for me until I enter his office, and follows me inside.
The far wall is made of windows, letting in the natural light and giving the room an incredible view of downtown. Near the windows, there’s a massive oak desk, covered with papers and a computer. Off to one side, a couple of couches and arm chairs surround a coffee table that matches the desk and the bookshelves lining the opposite wall. A flat screen is mounted above the seating area, and under it is a huge fireplace.
Tristan walks over to the desk and sits before pressing a button on his phone. “Miss Chen, our business student has arrived. Would you be so kind as to come collect her from my office?”
There’s a brief pause. “You’re seriously making me do this?”
Tristan says nothing, just sits there with a ghost of a smile on his lips.
“Fine,” the female voice snaps. “I’ll be right there.”
I stand by the door, tapping my thighs until it flies open and the fae woman I met when I was kidnapped waltzes through, looking like she’s on her way to the Met Gala.
Tristan stands, fastening the button on his dark suit jacket. “Skylar, you remember Aurora. She’s a fourth year business student here to learn from my company. I would like you to mentor her.”
Skylar sighs before glancing at me. “You can’t stay away, can you, little human?”
I swallow. “I don’t have a choice. I need this to graduate.”
She looks me over, her eyes narrowed with judgment. “Lucky me.”
“Play nice, ladies.” Tristan chuckles from behind his desk.
We both shoot him dark looks.
“Follow me,” she growls and walks back out the door.
I walk quickly, worried she might leave me behind in hopes of getting rid of me. I catch up to her halfway down the hall. “Look, I know this isn’t ideal for you. I get that you don’t like me, and that’s fine. All I ask is that you don’t make this hell for me. To be honest, I’m relieved I don’t have to work with Tristan.”
Skylar stops dead and whirls to face me, forcing me back a couple of steps. “You think I’m going to make this easy for you?” She barks out a laugh. “Think again, Aurora. You might think you got off easy when Tristan stuck you with me, but you’re wrong. Piss me off once, and you will regret it. Is that clear?”
I nod. “Do you hate all humans?” I ask in a low voice.
She actually smiles. “Yes.”
“Okay.” I’m not surprised, but her response makes the dread in my chest weigh heavier.
“Now let’s go.” She pushes open one of the doors Tristan and I passed on our way in, and I follow her inside, letting the door close behind us. “I have meetings back to back until this afternoon. You can either stay here and do photocopying, or you can sit in on the meetings. I don’t care.”
I try to hide my shock that she’s giving me the option. “I’ll sit in on the meetings.” I pull out a notebook and pen from my bag.
“Fine.” She gives me a once over. “Let’s go.”
I spend the entire morning and most of the afternoon in meetings, scribbling notes as fast as I can with one fifteen minute break for lunch. Skylar leads a lot of the meetings, standing at the head of the long table. I keep my head down, my hair curtaining most of my face while I try to keep up from my spot at the far end of the table. I estimate at least half of the attendees are fae, several looking less than pleased to see me sitting with them.
I’m still writing a few things about social media marketing as the room empties.
“I’m surprised your hand still works.”
My pen stops moving, and I look over at Skylar. “You gave valuable information,” I say. “I want to remember it.”
She blinks at me, then opens the folder in her hand and drops some papers in front of me. “Don’t waste your time writing everything. Listen to what everyone is saying. Next time, I want you to offer an idea, comment, or opinion. Got it?”
“I . . . okay.” I flick a glance at the paper. She’s given me her meeting notes.
“See you next week, human,” Skylar says.
“Yeah. Thanks for—”
“Don’t,” she cuts in on her way out the door.
“Right,” I mumble to the empty room.
Leaning back in the chair, I sigh, tossing my notebook and pen onto the table. My eyes close, and I rest my head against the chair back for a couple of minutes.