Huge Deal - Lauren Layne Page 0,54
and not a minute before kind of guy. Instead, he’d beat her in.
“You must be Miss Henley.”
“Good God, did you just bow?” she asked good-naturedly, going to her desk and setting her bag in its usual spot.
The kid winced. “Sorry. I’ve just heard a lot about you. I’m sort of in awe.”
“Good things, I hope,” she murmured, her gaze skimming over her desk, relieved to see it was every bit as tidy as when she’d left. “Christian, right?”
He extended a hand. “Christian Loubin.”
She blinked. “As in . . . ?”
“Yeah. I know. It’s close to the designer. My dad had no idea; my mom definitely did. He finally caught on and gave her a pair of Christian Louboutins for my first birthday.”
“What’d you get?”
“My first taste of chocolate. I maintain I got the better end of the deal.”
“Totally,” Kate agreed, frowning when she saw him picking up his mug and bag. “What are you doing?”
“You’re back now. I thought . . .”
“What, that I’d make you sit on the floor? Stay. Actually . . .” She pointed at the computer. “Since you’re already logged in, let’s write an email to Tim in facilities and see about getting another desk up here.”
“Up . . . here? A second desk, just for the day?”
She crossed her arms and leaned against the desk. “Do you like it here?”
He nodded as he pulled his chair back in and brought up a new message. “I do. It’s fast-paced, but I love that. And I thought it’d be overwhelming to support three directors, and it can be, but they’re fair.”
“Yeah, they’re great.”
They also liked Christian. She’d texted with Ian and Matt over the weekend, and though they’d made it very clear they couldn’t wait to have her back, they’d also reassured her that the new guy had held down the fort quite well.
“Who’s your favorite?”
His already wide eyes went even bigger, and she laughed. “Kidding. We don’t know each other well enough for that.”
“Who’s your favorite?” he asked, surprising her.
“Oh, you know,” she said with a wave of her hand. “They’re like my brothers, which means I love them and hate them with equal intensity depending on the time of day.” She didn’t add that for one of the guys, the sentiment was only half-true. She had loved and hated Kennedy with intensity over the years, but she could safely say that he had never, ever felt like a brother.
Especially not now.
“You know what time he gets in?” Kate asked.
“Which one?”
Kate froze, then smiled to recover. “Sorry. All of them.”
Christian clicked open the calendar. “Average day for all of them. Should be any minute.” He looked over at her, then looked away. “Hey, I know we just met, but I’m sorry to hear about your loss.”
Kate forced a smile. Loss was such an insignificant word, but she appreciated the sentiment. “Thank you.” Desperate to change the subject, lest the tears start coming before her day even began, Kate leaned down to look at the screen. “Is there any time they’re all available today?”
“Let’s see . . . They’ve all got a gap at eleven.”
“Perfect. Can you put me on their calendars?”
“Sure thing. Whose office?”
“Matt’s. It’s the biggest.”
“Really?” Christian said as he typed. “I actually thought Kennedy’s had the most space.”
It did. But it was also Kennedy’s turf. And if Kate had any hope of surviving this day without a breakdown, she needed to keep as much emotional distance from Kennedy Dawson as possible.
“Have I mentioned it’s good to have you back?” Ian said, scooping Kate up off the floor, her flats dangling at about his shins.
“About ten times,” she said, patting his head. “Now put me down.”
“Or what?”
She kicked his shin in response, and he grunted, setting her back on her feet. “Fair enough.”
“I’m damn glad you’re back, too, but I have to give the new kid credit,” Matt said around a mouthful of potato chips that were apparently his prelunch. “He managed to keep my calendar in order. No easy task.”
“Understatement,” Kate said, glancing at her phone for the time. “Is Kennedy joining or what?”
“Or what? I’m thirty seconds early.”
She ordered herself not to tense up at the sound of his voice, and though she was pretty sure she succeeded, there was nothing she could do about her quickened heartbeat or slightly sweaty palms.
Kate forced herself to paste on the same bright smile she’d given the other guys. “Hey! Long time no see!”
His eyebrows went up. Really?
Kate looked away from his silent challenge.
“Good to have