The Boss Upstairs - Roya Carmen Page 0,2

glass of wine. Perhaps it was the little cat charm around the stem, the kind your glass wears to distinguish itself from others at a party. Or maybe he just couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact with me. I can’t, in a million years, imagine why. Someone like him would have no reason to be intimidated by little old me.

I already knew he was shy, but he seemed even more so, in this environment. He was clearly ill-at-ease, and I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him it would be okay. How could someone as beautiful and clearly successful as him be that bashful? It still baffles me.

“You live on the second floor, right?” he asked.

I smiled. “Yes. And you live in the penthouse.”

He blushed, and stared at the floor again. “Yes… I do.”

“You have two children, right?” I asked, curious.

He smiled proudly. “Yes. Ashton is fifteen and Elizabeth is thirteen,” he told me. “Their mother and I were divorced a few years ago,” he added, volunteering the information I so desperately seeked.

I nodded quietly.

“And you…” he went on. “You have a small son… Ethan.”

I smiled, impressed that he would know his name, but then again, he’d probably heard me say it. I was flattered that he remembered.

“Yes,” I said brightly. “He’s a lot of work.”

He nodded and studied me for the longest time as if he desperately wanted to know more, but didn’t dare ask.

“His father died in a car wreck a few years ago,” I explained, “before he was born.”

His face fell. “Oh… I’m so sorry.”

I could tell he was genuinely sorry, and I knew he didn’t know what else to say, so I was quick to change the subject. “Anyway, we’re doing all right. My mother-in-law is a lot of help, and I have my girlfriends.”

He smiled. “I know… I see the four of you together all the time.”

“I don’t know what I would do without them.”

His gaze fixed me for the longest time, full of longing, of appreciation. It made me slightly uncomfortable, but also gave me butterflies.

I hadn’t felt butterflies at the pit of my stomach since Donovan.

“You’re lucky to have them,” he finally said, and I wondered if he had any friends. He didn’t seem to. He definitely came off as the strong silent type, a real lone wolf.

I wanted to know everything there was to know about him. “So what do you do when you’re not riding the elevator,” I teased, curious. I knew he was well-off, and I wondered how he had gotten that way.

“I’m a developer,” he said. “Sustainable living condos. Semi-retired, philanthropist, and father of two teenagers, which is a full-time job in itself.”

I smiled, speechless.

“What about yourself?”

I stared at my feet. “Well… at the moment, I’m just a mom.”

He smiled. “There’s no such thing as ‘just a mom’. That’s a big job. Especially when you’re talking about a two year old. I’ve been there.”

I nodded, shy. “Well, I was thinking of getting back out there, back to the workforce.”

He drained his glass of white wine. “And what did you do before you were a full-time mom?”

I smiled at the recollection of a life which seemed so long ago. “I was a Graphic Designer,” I told him. “I’ve also worked as a Marketing Assistant and Communications Assistant. I studied Graphic Design and Marketing.”

His face lit up. “Really?”

I smiled. His reaction was funny. It wasn’t like I’d told him I was a heart surgeon or a marine biologist. Although fulfilling and creative, my profession is certainly not the most impressive. “Really. I make things look pretty and fun. I draw people in… that’s if I do my job well.”

“Did you love it?” he asked.

“Yes, I did,” I said honestly. “Which is one of the reasons I’d like to go back to it.”

He nodded, and suddenly became very animated. “Well, I should give you my card.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a card wallet, and handed me a card.

I blinked and stared at it a little too long, confused and speechless.

“We’re currently looking for a Designer to brand a new charity I’ve been wanting to start for years,” he clarified. “In fact, my assistant, Rosetta, is posting the job on Monday.”

I was in shock, not processing his words fast enough. “Really?”

“It’s just a six-month contract,” he explained. “But maybe it’s something you might be interested in?”

I nodded, still without words.

“If you are, you can just email your application to Rosetta. Her email is listed