Wicked (Somerset University #2) - Ruby Vincent Page 0,74

office?” Gwen asked. “You’ll be on another floor, not in another town.”

“Meyer heard I took over the place and ordered me to clean it out.” I lifted Gwen’s feet off the table and pushed it out of the door. Bianca called dibs on it and my mini fridge and microwave. My loss was her gain like she said in her teasing goodbye. “I’ll have a cubicle that will more than suit my needs.”

She cringed. “A cubicle? That’s like a coffin for a guy like you. You should be out there. Scoping out bands. Going on tours—” Gwen dropped her eyes. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I held out my hand. She grabbed it and let me pull her off the chair. It was destined for the art department. “New Orleans was a shitshow and it was my fault. I’ve seen how fans can get and Chandler admitted Serena’s been assaulted before. We should’ve had security.”

“J, don’t do that.” She squeezed my forearm. “You can’t beat yourself up. No one could’ve predicted what happened. A lot of singers have overzealous fans, but most don’t have violent, psycho killer stalkers.”

I blew out a breath. “It’s a fucking mess. Serena is still in New Orleans and she can’t identify the attacker. The album is on hold—which doesn’t change anything for me since I’m out of A and R.”

“Would it help if I kicked the good demos your way every now and then? Sneak your headphones in and jam out while you’re filing.”

“It would. I know this was the rotation I agreed to, but it still feels like I’m getting demoted.”

Gwen helped me pack up the rest of my stuff and move it to their new locations. I helped Bianca put her food into the new mini fridge to delay the inevitable, then there was nothing left to stop me.

Suck it up. I zeroed in on the elevator numbers carrying me down to the pit of despairing, overworked, suited drones. Serena was attacked but she still kissed me. Working with her after that was impossible. Might as well check off the last stop in my internship and move on to pushing Papa VZ out of his office.

The elevator opened on Daniel Meyer. Arms folded. Straight-backed. Waiting for me.

“You’re late.”

“Good afternoon to you too,” I said, grinning. “How is the wife? Kids? By the way, that’s a badass suit. Where did you get it?”

The lines around his mouth deepened. “Bianca may have let you get away with whatever you wanted, but on my floor, you’re going to work. I expect you on time and properly dressed.”

“I was late packing up my office like you ordered me to. And what are you talking about properly dressed?” I glanced down at my low-slung jeans and band shirts. “I’m not an actual lawyer. You expect me to suit up for five weeks stuck in the file room?”

“This is my department. You will dress in appropriate attire or explain to your father why you failed this internship.”

I put two fingers to my temple. “Cool. I’ll run home and get changed.” Spinning on my heels, I made for the elevator and my reprieve out of this place.

“Stop,” he barked. “Tomorrow, Jaxson. You’ll wear a suit and tie tomorrow. Today, I want you in the file room. We’re changing the system from alphabetical to stored by year, band name, and then last names of the members. It’ll take you a while and you’re not leaving until it’s done. Better get started.”

A smile curled into my cheeks. “You’ve been waiting a long time for this, haven’t you, Meyer?”

He remained expressionless. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. You have two fifteen-minute breaks at ten and three. Lunch break at noon. Any questions?”

“Who do I report to?”

“Me.”

Repeat that for a joke. I wouldn’t come to you if my ass was on fire.

I glanced around at the silent workers tip-tapping on their keyboards. I’d find someone throwing me a less hostile look and go to them if I had questions.

“You know where the file room is,” said Meyer. “Get to it.”

I saved us more conversation and sidestepped him, passing through the cubicles for the hallway. At its end was the large, windowless room where I’d spend five entire weeks of my life.

Walking inside, I counted the five rows made up of four cabinets each, reaching as high as my head. And that was just in the middle of the room. Cabinets took up every inch of wall rounding out to thirty-eight cabinets and the hundreds of