Chapter 26

I'm running lateto work this morning and Barron is going to have my ass. While he will likely be okay with it, I absolutely despise being late. I slept through my alarm, which rarely happens, but with everything going on lately, I've been exhausted.

The red light down the block from Howards seemed to stretch on for an eternity, making me more frustrated by the second. It"s a strange phenomenon—whenever you"re in a hurry, stoplights seem to stretch out their red phase just to test your patience. As my phone rings and a message comes through simultaneously, the traffic light turns green and I swiftly accelerate through the intersection.

In my morning haste, I neglected to enable Bluetooth on my phone, leaving the caller to wait. I refuse to drive and text. My cousin"s death in high school left a lasting impact, leading me to adopt a strict mindset regarding the matter. I'll check it when I get in the building; it's either Steel or Draco and both can hold their horses.

Pulling into a parking spot, I hastily retrieve my phone and bag, step out of the car, and hurriedly enter the building. Howards opens in twenty and I was supposed to be here forty minutes ago. The associates are all counting their drawers as I hurry by to the elevator. The doors slide open instantly after I press the button to go up, surprising me.

Thank God for small miracles.

I step in and hit the floor number the offices are on. The doors start to slide shut, but right at the last second, a hand sticks between them, stopping them.

"Ignatius. Hi. I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

This day couldn"t get any worse. "Hi, Nancy. I'm good." I don't ask how she is because I want this conversation to end or the doors to open and let me off on my floor.

"I miss you downstairs," she says, her voice filled with longing as she steps closer. I take a step back, feeling a sudden unease. "Do you miss me? We always had such a good time together."

"I have been so busy with everything I haven't had time to even think about downstairs."

For the first time today, the world smiles down on me. The doors slide open and I move past Nancy out of the elevator and hurry to my office. As her heels click behind me, the sound reverberates, making my skin crawl. I have no idea why she"s following me, but I know I need to reach my door quickly.

Once inside, I quickly turn and lock it. I then reach out and close the blinds to the wall of windows. The door knob jingles for a few seconds but then stops and there's silence. I wonder if Nancy knows her behavior gives off the impression of a complete psycho, resembling an obsessed stalker from a Lifetime movie?

Sighing, I move over to my desk and settle into my soft chair, ready to begin my daily tasks. My goal for Christmas is done since I got the tree and gifts delivered, but I'd like to start on next year's ideas and brainstorm how to get more of the employees involved. While it was amazing for Hell's Mayhem to help, they didn't have to, and they really saved my ass.

I also just learned last week that Howards gives a scholarship each year to a local high school student who plans to pursue a business degree. I'm in charge of going over the applications, pulling the top ten candidates, and presenting them to the Howards so they can pick a winner.

Since it"s December, and school ends in May, I need to start working on it. An email I received mentioned a scholarship ceremony in April, where we"ll announce the winner in front of a big audience.

I haven"t mentioned it to Barron yet, but I"m considering planning some public events to raise funds for another scholarship. Given that business remains predominantly male-oriented, I aim to award two scholarships in April—one for a male and one for a female—to promote gender diversity in the field. I'm thinking of a bowling event and a dance.

The unexpected knock on my door makes me jump, my heart racing. I get up nervously and part the blinds, holding my breath. It"s not Nancy. Sighing in relief, I unlock the door and swing it open with a smile. "What can I do for you, Barron?"

"I was hoping to talk to you about an idea I had. You did an impressive job in a short time for the holidays, single-handedly. My idea might help raise spirits around here so more people help in future signups."

"Perfect. Come in." I step to the side, holding the door open as he moves past me into my office. With it closed, I settle back into my chair, feeling its comforting embrace as I lean back and cross my legs.

"Hit me with it." I chuckle.

Barron"s smirk grows wider as he casually leans against the door, exuding confidence. "So when I was little, my grandpa used to throw an employee dance. I remember it was fancy—a black-tie affair—and I used to beg to go with my parents. We served dinner and danced. It was just one night when everyone came together and had fun. No bosses or guidelines, just fun."

"So like a company Christmas party, but not at Christmas. I like it." I nod, my brain already running wild with ideas.

"You would bring it back to Christmas. It really is your favorite day, huh?" He laughs while shaking his head.

"Leave me be," I joke. "Okay, so when are you thinking you want to do this and any ideas on the venue or anything else? Or do I have free rein? Oh, and I'll need a budget."

"I was thinking, June, so the weather is nice and we don't have to worry about roads, and that gives you almost six months of planning. Is that enough time?"

"It'll be tight, but I can make it happen. Let me get to work. First, we'll need a venue and date so I'll look up a few places and see what they have open for this summer." I turn to my computer, wake up the screen, and begin to type.

"Well, alright then. I'll leave you to it. Try to keep it under seventy-five," Barron says, knocking on my door once as he leaves.

Searching for places large enough for our employees and a plus one is the first goal, then I'll narrow it down to dates and prices.

I'm clicking and writing down numbers and places to call like a madman. Now it's time to actually start calling and seeing what everyone can offer me. Dialing the first place, I speak to a man who has no dates until September, so that won't work. The next is a snobbish-sounding woman who has June dates but wants the entire rental fee in full since it's ‘last minute'. So that's going to be a no as well.

The next name on my list is in a huge barn that someone has turned into a winery and venue.

"Hello," an older lady answers on the second ring.

"Hi. My name is Ignatius, and I work at Howards. We are looking for a place to host our first annual employee ball. Can you tell me about your price packages?"

"Of course. Of course, we have the upstairs for a more formal dinner party setting, while the downstairs serves as a bar and party area. We can hold up to five hundred guests with the fire code, so that"s tight. For a full night's rental, you're looking at ten thousand."

"Okay, and can we come in the night before and set up? Do you have an approved catering and bartending list, or can we use our own found services?" I ask, hoping there aren't a lot of hoops to jump through because that's an amazing price for what I'm looking for.

"We have an approved catering list, but it's pretty long. We've worked with almost everyone in the area. As for bartenders, we have a bartender who comes in and works our events, which just makes it safer for our liquor license. Usually, she's twenty an hour, but I used to work at Howards as a teenager, so I'll cover her night's wages."

"Oh, my gosh! That's so kind of you! Tell me you have June weekend dates available or I might cry," I joke.

"I do. A bride just called and canceled, so I have June twenty-ninth open."

"Perfect! I'll take it. Can you send me the invoice? My email is [emailprotected] and I'll get that paid immediately. If you could send the approved catering list too, that would be amazing."

"Sure thing. Thank you, Ignatius. I'll have my granddaughter send that invoice now. I'm not too tech savvy."

"Sounds good." I chuckle and hang up.

* * *

I suddenly hearmy phone beeping, signaling it"s time to clock out. Where did today go? The moment I finished the conversation with the barn, I hurried down the hall to Barron"s office, eager to let him know we had secured a date and place. To say he was excited that it"s a sure thing is an understatement—he practically jumped for joy when he heard the news.

In a rush, I reach for my phone in the desk drawer. With a swipe, I turn off the alarm and immediately notice a text and a series of missed calls. All from Steel. It was him calling this morning, and I completely forgot to check my phone after I got here. Nancy"s stalking took me by surprise, causing me to completely space out.

I"m not worried though because I"m meeting him in under an hour at Brew Me, just a few blocks over. I pack my bag, carefully placing my lunch container inside and tucking in the folder with the information Tammy from the barn sent. I regret not asking her name when we were on the phone, and now I can"t help but feel guilty. Her signature on the contract made me realize it just now. I was just so excited when I found out they were affordable and could host us.

Next time we speak, I"ll make sure to apologize.

As I open my office door, I glance down the hall, ensuring that Nancy is not lurking nearby. Given her tendency to leave early, I highly doubt she"s still here, but her behavior this morning has made me nervous.

When I don't see anyone, I close my door and walk toward the elevator. Pressing the button to go down, I listen for the mechanical hum—the anticipation building the longer I wait. Finally, with a soft whoosh, the doors slide open, and I step inside, hitting the button for the main floor. I swiftly retrieve my phone from my pocket and text Steel.

Me- Hey sorry I missed you this morning. I got busy and forgot I had a missed call. I'll tell you about it when I see you.

Me- I'm on my way

The doors open again,and I quickly put my phone away before stepping out of the elevator. As much as I adore winter, I"m looking forward to nicer weather. I miss the sensation of walking outside without fear of freezing to death, and the idea of sipping a cocktail on the patio only intensifies that longing.

With the sun already set, the temperature has dropped significantly from this morning, leaving me shivering as I make my way to the parking lot. "Have a good night!" I call to Bernie, the night security guard.

"Have a good one, Ignatius." I watch as he locks the door behind me and starts another patrol lap of the lower level.

The biting cold makes me shiver involuntarily, and I quickly tuck my hands into my pockets. The parking lot only has my sedan left, and I"m disappointed that I didn"t park in the better lot at the back of the building. The one that has cameras and working lights. Unfortunately, I was running late and settled for the first available spot.

Walking quickly to my car, I begin digging through my belongings, looking for my keys, but they seem to have vanished. "What the hell?" I mumble aloud. If I left them in my office and have to call Bernie to go up and get them, I'm going to be absolutely furious. I thought I grabbed them this morning, but now I"m not so sure.

Before I bother Bernie, I cautiously reach for the door handle, hoping it"s unlocked and the keys are in the car. Sure enough, the door opens with ease and I shake my head, sending up a prayer that I just had a moment of idiocy and left them in the ignition.

I toss my bag into the empty passenger seat and slide into the driver"s seat, my eyes immediately searching.

Nothing.

Fuck.

I sigh deeply, feeling the exhaustion weighing on me, and sink back into my seat, resting my head against the headrest. Closing my eyes, I blow out a breath.

When I open them, I am startled by a fleeting figure reflected in the rearview mirror. The adrenaline rushes through my veins, causing my heart to speed up and my breath to quicken. Doubting my senses, I start to glance behind me to examine the backseat, but before I can fully turn, a figure suddenly springs up from the floor and tightens a slender, unknown object around my throat.

Panic consumes me as I kick at the floorboards, my hands pulling at whatever this rope-like thing is so I can breathe. The gap between them is so narrow that I can"t even slip my fingers through, causing my lungs to ache.

Everything around me darkens, and I can"t wrap my head around the fact that this is really happening. I should have known better—should have gone and got Bernie and had him look for my keys and made sure all was good with my car.

Right before the world disappears, the person choking me loosens their hold, and I strain to make out the faint sound of a whisper. "Don't worry, baby. We're together now."