She sighs but doesn’t raise any more concerns.
“Good.”
I walk to the table. She follows silently. We place our orders—mushrooms, lamb and a glass of wine for me, salad and a cup of coffee for her. As we wait for them to arrive, Violet takes out her phone and focuses her attention on it in a clear effort to avoid talking to me or even looking at me.
I don’t know why she hates me so much. It’s like she took one look at me and slammed the door in my face. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
Well, that woman with the black curls did slam the door in my face, too. And with her, I never got another chance—but with Violet, I’ll have plenty. Now that we’re going to be in the same country, in the same building, on the same floor, she won’t be able to run away or hide from me. I just have to keep knocking on her door.
“Do you miss Switzerland already?” I ask her as I pick up my glass of wine.
“A little,” Violet answers without looking up from her phone.
“What do you think you’ll miss the most about it?”
“The fact that people there mind their own business.”
In other words, she wants me to shut up. But I’m not going to. I don’t get what I want, she doesn’t get what she wants.
“Have you lived there all your life? Are your parents Swiss?”
She narrows her eyes at me.
“What?” I ask her.
“My God, you really don’t have a clue, do you?”
I’m still confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
For a moment, Violet falls silent. Then, to my surprise, she bursts out laughing.
I’m glad I finally heard her laugh. I want to laugh with her. But something tells me the joke’s on me.
“I’m sorry, but what’s funny, exactly?”
“You,” she answers after she calms down and takes a sip of her coffee. “But not in a good way.”
I shake my head. “I still don’t get it.”
She grins. “Nothing new.”
What does that mean? Does it mean we’ve met before? When? Where?
“I don’t understand,” I tell her.
“And you never will,” she replies.
Just then, the waiter arrives with my mushrooms and her salad. Violet places her napkin on her lap and picks up her fork. I’m still at a loss.
“I thought we were here to eat,” Violet says before stuffing some greens inside her mouth. “Mm. You’re right. The food here is good.”
Finally, something out of her mouth that I can comprehend. And that isn’t an insult.
I grab my napkin and my utensils. I still don’t know what Violet was talking about earlier, and that infuriates me, but for now I guess I’ll just enjoy eating with her.
“I thought you weren’t hungry,” I remark before eating a mushroom.
“I guess I am,” she confesses. “Maybe it’s because I’m in a better mood now.”
At my expense. But if that’s the price of her company, then fine. I’ll shoulder it this time.
“Just eat. You’re going to need a good amount of energy for the VIP tour of HQ I’m going to give you.”
~
“And here we are, back at your office,” I say at the end of the tour. “I hope you liked everything you saw.”
“I think I did,” Violet tells me. “And I learned a lot, apart from the fact that the CFO apparently has too much time on his hands.”
I grin. “Don’t worry. I’ll catch up on work tomorrow, especially with your help.”
She lets out a breath. “I was afraid of that.”
“Just kidding. I already finished my work for the day this morning. So…” I sit on the edge of her desk and rub my hands together. “Any final questions? Anything you want changed in your office?”
“I’d love it if it was a bit farther from yours,” she answers.
I shake my head. “Nope. I’m afraid this is the only office we can spare on this part of the floor.”
“Of course.” She steps forward. “What about not having you sitting on my desk? Think that’s too much to ask?”
“No.” I get off her desk.
“Thanks. It looks much better now.”
She sits behind her desk.
“You look better behind your desk,” I tell her. “Like a boss.”
She does. Back at the restaurant, she changed into a black dress, so she looks more professional now. I saw how she commanded respect during the tour. I even saw a few jaws drop. I can already tell that things are going to be more interesting around here with her around.
“Maybe I’ll take your job someday,” Violet says.
The look on her face tells me she’s serious, but I chuckle.
“Nice try. But nope. Not happening.”
“Because you’re the CEO’s little brother?”
“Because I’m very good at what I do.”
“Better than me?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll see.” She taps her fingers on the table. “I’d be more careful from now on if I were you, Mr. Hawthorne.”
A declaration of war. Is that what all this is about? Her wanting my job? No. I can sense this is all too personal. Plus I can’t just forget about that comment she made earlier.
“Tell me why,” I demand.
Enough with the clues and the guessing games.
Violet leans back in her chair. “Why what?”
“Why do you see me as a bug that needs to be squished?”
“I don’t squish bugs,” she says. “I’m not afraid of bugs.”
“But you’re afraid of me.”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“You just find me disgusting?”
“Pretty much.”
“Because?”
She draws a deep breath but doesn’t give me an answer.
I put my hands on her desk. “I need a reason, Violet. I’m not going to force you to like me or get along with me, but if you’re going to fight me at every turn, I at least need to know why.”
Violet nods. “Fine. I think I’ve had enough fun anyway.”
Fun?
“Give me a minute,” she says. “Oh, and it’s best if you turn around.”
My eyebrows crease. Turn around? Do I have to?
I realize I do once she starts to take off her contact lens. I turn away immediately. I’m not the least bit squeamish, but I swear I’ll never understand how people can stand to put plastic in their eyes.
“Done,” Violet says several seconds later. “You can turn around now.”
As soon as I do, our gazes meet. My eyes grow wide as I see the color of hers.
Blue. Like sapphires.
“Is that your natural eye color?”
“Yes,” she answers. “I have blue eyes and black, curly hair. Believe me, I tried to change that, too, but my hair is just stubborn and the dye irritates my scalp. Anyway, yeah, blue eyes, black hair. Rare combination. Does that ring a bell?”
Fuck.
Violet grins. “Based on that horrified look on your face, I’m guessing it does.”
I point a finger at her. “You’re that woman.”