2. The Bold Type

2

THE BOLD TYPE

“ H ave fun at your appointment,” Kelly said to Alex. Alex had returned to say she was leaving with Cade.

Kelly hated being late for anything but got stuck on a call and then rushed over only to find out that Alex was leaving for an appointment. Cade hadn’t told her that, but she didn’t always see him either.

He was a cool boss and let her and others in the department do their own thing. After years of working for him, she’d been given a lot more responsibility while Cade dealt more with legal issues and other arrangements between Fierce and local businesses.

She was the one handling most of the media, advertising and products with him signing off on it.

“I will,” Alex said, waving. “Let me know what you think of everything you see today and then we’ll get it ordered.”

Most people wouldn’t deal with the CEO and President of a company this big for ordering products, but since it was her husband and his family’s business, Alex always had her hand on it all.

“Let’s go to Alex’s office,” Michael said. “She told me where everything is there and then we’ll go to another room.”

“Sounds good,” she said. She didn’t want her eyes to fall on his ass, but she couldn’t help it.

Six feet four of scrumptious goodness in front of her was hard to look away from.

Not that he ever gave any indication he was interested in her, but the fact that she was so excited to be meeting with him alone had her putting her foot in her mouth and throwing out that challenge.

She’d known Michael for years. Since he’d moved here to work for Alex and been her right-hand man through their massive expansion.

She’d heard that some of the expansion had actually been Michael’s idea and he’d pushed for it when Alex had been nervous about it.

Seemed it was working out.

They walked out of the main office and then down a long hall and around the corner. There were a lot of offices they passed. Many doing customer service.

When they got to Alex’s office, Michael swiped a card at the door and opened it. She hadn’t realized it was locked when Alex wasn’t there.

“Is that normal?” she asked.

“If Alex is in the building, not always. But at night or when she’s out, it’s locked. Most of them are when the offices are closed. This is easier than carrying keys around.”

“I’m going to guess you can open all doors with that?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said. “Travis set it up that way. Me and a few others. I can’t tell you how many people come to work and forget their card.”

Travis McKinney owned a security company, did all the work for Fierce and was married to Ella Fierce.

Kelly snorted. “Not surprising. I don’t understand that. To me it’s like keys to your car. Just always keep them together.”

“I’ve learned not many people think that logically,” he said. “Here is the box that Alex told me about.”

He opened it up and pulled out multiple test items they were trying out with new designs that she’d worked on with some of the digital team here.

“These are fire. I love the water quenchers. This was a risk. Going with the trend and buying this brand and then putting our logo on it. But I think it’s going to be a big seller.”

“The cost upfront is a lot, but the red cups are nice. It catches the eye. I think the white lettering is sharper than the black.”

She took the other one out of the box that he’d had in front of her and looked at the black lettering. “I agree. White stands out much more. There are two hundred and twenty cups, right?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said. “Two hundred and eighteen left to print on.”

“This will be a hit. I’ll run it by Cade, but I’m positive the white is the way to go and then we’ll get the order. Do you know the turnaround time?”

“A week or so,” he said. “Guessing. But they always put a rush on it for you guys.”

“You want to smirk,” she said. “I should have added that to the smile or laugh.”

“I tend to smirk a lot,” he said. “So if you add that then it’s not much of a challenge.”

“Fair point,” she said. “Let’s see what else is in the box.”

He pulled out a few new shirts. One for staff that everyone got a few times a year. Others would be for sale. There were new hats added to the spring line. They tried to do new items for all seasons to keep it fresh, often throwing in a brand name with it.

“I like this coffee mug,” he said. It was red and white swirled ceramic with the black Fierce logo on it.

“These did come out great. I wasn’t sure about the design and worried it’d be too bold.”

“I picture you as the bold type,” he said.

“Are you flirting with me, Michael?” she asked playfully.

Why not, since she’d already thrown out about them going on a date? Might as well let him know she was into him.

“Do boring people know how to flirt?” he asked dryly.

She wasn’t going to take offense to that either. She’d gotten used to his tone. Which led one to ask why she was interested in someone like him when she was normally out for those willing to have as much fun as her.

But here she was at thirty-one and still single so it’s not like her normal choice of men was doing much for her.

The one she had like her was long gone and she’d never been able to find it again. Brian and she had so much fun together at one point. But fun didn’t hold it together. Nothing could have.

Trying to recreate any of that was silly and stupid on her part.

She was sick of being silly and stupid too.

Time to grow up and look at life differently.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m not boring. I don’t think you are either. Are you? I believe I said stable, not boring.”

“I don’t think I’m boring,” he said. “Just depends on who I’m around.”

“Then we need to wiggle some of what you’re hiding out of your little toe to start.” Her eyes traveled down the length of his long legs in his jeans to his big feet in a pair of Nikes. “Not sure there is much little on you.”

He let out a funny sound and she looked up to see if there was a smile on his face. Nope. Still serious so it was probably a snort.

“I’ve been told that a time or two.”

His dark eyes were staring into hers. There was a heat there to match what was flowing through her body.

Damn. This was working out well.

“I bet you have,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows. No smile yet. “Tough crowd today.”

“Been told that too,” he said.

She looked at his face, still no smile. Not even a tiny crack of one. Good lord, she wanted to say she was going to lose, but was she losing since she was getting the drink with him anyway?

When she thought of that, she smiled huge.

“Let’s see the rest of what you’ve got. It’s in another room, right?”

“It is,” he said. “Why the big smile?”

“Oh,” she said. “Just thought about what makes a champion.”

He lifted one eyebrow at her. “Do you want to explain that?”

“Nah,” she said, waving her hand. “I think you’ll figure it out at some point. You’re a pretty smart guy.”

“Now you’re just trying to butter me up.”

She grinned. “I might be if I was trying, but I’m not. Just stating facts. I tend to do that. Not many like it, but I’ve learned in life that you have to be upfront. I’m sick of guessing about things.”

“That we can agree on,” he said.

“See, stable is a good thing,” she said.

“That has nothing to do with being stable and more about being burned.”

She knew he was a single father but didn’t know the details around it all.

She’d never asked and wouldn’t. It was just bits and pieces over the years.

“Been there and done that too,” she said. “Maybe not like you are saying, but I think everyone could say they’ve made some poor dating choices.”

And decisions in her life.

She was still dealing with that to this day.

What should have been a nice sweet thing in her youth turned into something ugly that she’d always have to live with.

She’d been told she had no reason to feel the way she did now, but what Brian’s parents did had harmed her mentally, compounding with what she was already going through.

Then add all the other bad dates and boyfriends over the years.

Yeah, trying to push it aside for now.

He snorted again. “Yep.”

“How is Ty doing?” she asked. “Your son, right?”

“He’s good,” he said. “Thanks for asking.”

“He’s four?”

“Yep.”

“Is he off limits to talk about?” she asked. It was the short answers he was giving. “I’m fine either way. Just saying we’ve got a date coming out of this short time together and I’d like to know what I can and can’t say to you.”

“Sorry,” he said. They’d gotten into the other room with items he was going to show her. “It’s not off limits. I’m not used to talking about him much more than saying he’s fine. I guess you know I’ve got a son so that takes that awkward conversation off the table. I’m sure you know how I ended up with custody too.”

“Not really,” she said. “I don’t pry. I’ve only heard tiny bits and pieces. I might be outspoken and like to talk, but I don’t share a lot of my personal life with my coworkers either. Maybe there are things that I don’t want others to know.”

“Bad things?” he asked.

“I don’t think so,” she said. “But others might. And I don’t think right now is the time or even one date in.”

“Date instead of a drink?” he asked. There was that smirk again.

She pointed her finger. “I’m getting close to a smile.”

His eyes lightened some and she knew he was actually holding the smile back from his lips because there was a sparkle in his gaze.

“Maybe,” he said.

She let out a little giggle and wiggle of her shoulders. In the process her hips moved some too and his eyes lowered. “That’s my little victory dance.”

“Just a little one?”

“I can make it a bigger dance if I win,” she said.

He laughed. Then she could see he hadn’t meant to. “Well then, I guess the bet is over.”

“I was winning whether you smiled or not,” she said. “But now I can see how much more attractive you are.”

“I’ve been seeing it with you all along,” he said.

Her smile dropped and he laughed even harder. “You got the last word in. Do you do that often?”

“I don’t try to,” he said. “But it was fun.”

At least she knew he found her attractive. Winning again.