“Maybe a little short, but good. I was able to get some much needed cleaning done at the house and was able to take the kids to the pool for a little while yesterday. It was such a beautiful day. Tommy and I actually had a date night on Saturday, too. Definitely a fantastic weekend.”
Logan laughed. Deanna was known for her ability to talk. She was also known for her always upbeat attitude. How she juggled fifty or so hours in the office with a husband and three kids was beyond him.
For himself, he had all but given up on having a family. At thirty nine, Logan didn’t think those things were meant for him. That didn’t mean he didn’t respect those who did have the family thing going for them, because he did.
“Glad to hear it.” Before stepping into his large corner office, illuminated by the rising Texas sun, he asked the question that had plagued him all weekend. “Any word on Ms. Kielty’s arrival?”
Although Logan said there were no formalities in the office, he knew Deanna liked to refer to each person formally, and with her, he managed to do the same.
“Yes, sir. I spoke with her on Friday and I was able to book her hotel room for her. She arrived yesterday afternoon and will remain through Wednesday. Would you like to be notified when she arrives this morning?”
Yes. “No need. I’m sure I’ll see her at some point this morning.” Logan hadn’t been able to get the woman out of his head since the moment he hung up with her on Friday. He had even begun to wonder if he was making the right decision in hiring her.
His reaction to her was too sudden and too intense – especially since it had been a single, video conference call – and he knew deep down hiring her might lead to something he wasn’t quite ready for. Or maybe she wasn’t quite ready for him.
Shit, this was probably really bad. He could almost see the HR violation looming overhead.
When Deanna nodded, Logan proceeded to his office. Shutting the door behind him, he headed for the coffee maker on the counter. He’d already been up for two hours, and as usual, he was anxious for his morning caffeine fix.
As he waited for the coffee to brew, he logged into his computer. It would require considerable restraint for him to make it through the day without getting distracted. Somewhere in the building, he was certain there was a woman he desperately wanted to talk to. He was also convinced his thoughts were straying toward the very unprofessional, and he had yet to meet her face to face.
Logan knew how to keep business separated from his personal life, yet for some reason, he had the damnedest time when it came to Samantha Kielty.
Logan forced himself to engage in his email. He would worry about Sam later. He had some business to attend to which included several back to back meetings.
~*~*~
Sam felt as though she just walked into a museum or something. Standing in the large, open foyer, she took in the modern decor, the warm tones on the wall, the oversized plush rug that sat perfectly straight in front of what appeared to be a security desk. The sounds of people talking, greeting one another after the weekend was comforting.
She watched as swarms of people came and went from the coffee shop located just inside the main doors. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and breakfast pastries had her remembering she had bypassed breakfast on her way out of the hotel.
The differences between the posh Dallas offices and that of her small San Antonio branch were vast. This was the hub of the company, scattered with thousands of people amongst the three buildings, each with three floors. That was probably the biggest difference between here and San Antonio, with the fifty or so employees in total. Hell, there were probably as many people at the coffee shop at that moment as there were in the entire office back home.
With a few minutes to spare, Sam opted to join the rest of the caffeine deprived, and stood in line to order a small coffee before she headed up to the third floor, where Deanna, Logan’s uncommonly hyper assistant, had instructed her to go. Since her stomach was still churning with nerves, she decided to skip the temptation of blueberry muffins though.
Her last conversation with Deanna had been on Sunday, shortly after she arrived at the hotel. The brief phone call lasted for nearly half an hour as Deanna gave her an overview of what was what within the Dallas offices.
According to the overly charming woman, many people were overwhelmed on their first visit and Deanna wanted Sam to be fully prepared. She was thankful for the assistant’s foresight, even if the other woman insisted on calling her Ms. Kielty.
With coffee in hand, Sam headed for the staircase on the north side of the front entrance. As she took the stairs slowly, realizing she was a few minutes early still, she was relieved to be back at work.