Pressure Point (Point #2) by Olivia Luck Read Free Book Online

until my stomach hurts.
    Violet’s face drops a little. She’s upset. No, no, that’s not what I want.
    “I’m so sorry, Violet. I’m not laughing at you. I’ve been wound so tight this last week that the drop of a feather would send me into a panic attack. Thank you for that. This is my first big girl job out of college and you took away some of my tension. If that doesn’t qualify you for work best friend status, I don’t know what will. What are you doing after hours today?”
    Violet beams at me and plops down into her desk chair before tapping furiously on the keyboard. “Colin’s on his way out here to get you set up and the only plans I have when we close up shop tonight is a bottle of red and The Bachelor . By all means, save me from the solitude.”
    “Stella, right on time just like I knew you would be.”
    Portly would be a kind way to describe my new boss, Colin. He’s a jolly, Santa Claus type with a plentiful gut and rosy red cheeks. A mop of straw-colored hair flies in every which direction and only half of his blue polo shirt is tucked into the waistband of his shorts. At least he’s not intimidating.
    “Here I am, ready for my first day.”
    “Good luck. Let’s do lunch,” Violet calls when I toss a little wave and a wobbly smile in her direction. She discreetly gives me thumbs up, raising her eyebrows comically. What luck to meet someone this friendly on my first day.
    Colin leads us through Speck’s open office plan. The small technology firm has been around for less than four years and the Chicago office has only been open for one of them. I fought for the job when I read the advertisement online because the technology sounded promising. Speck is a mobile messaging application that provides businesses with technology to communicate with their employees. Managers can contact their employees through voice and text messaging, relay mass messages, and it syncs with timecard and human resource systems. The biggest catch for Speck to date is a massive logistics company and its rapid expansion into Europe. My job will be working one-on-one with Speck’s clients. I’ll help them implement the tool and make changes as necessary.
    Mom says I wanted to go into client services because I’m a nurturer. To me, it’s about working with people and achieving business goals.
    “Katya’s in from the New York office. We have a meeting with her first thing. I’m afraid you won’t be able to set up at your desk until after that. Drop your stuff for now.” We’re walking and talking like an episode of the West Wing , and I have to move my legs quickly to keep his pace after I toss my purse underneath what I presume to be my workstation.
    The conference room we enter has one wall of glass windows, though the middle is frosted to avoid prying eyes. Katya Monroe, the Global Director of Client Management, thumbs through something on her smartphone, not pausing to greet Colin and me. We sit opposite her and Colin stays silent, giving me the distinct impression that he’s not comfortable speaking up to the commanding woman.
    Mental note made.
    When her thumbs finish flying across the screen, Katya snaps her head up, baring her teeth in a smile that a shark would be wary of. “Good morning, Stella. Pleasure to have you as part of the team.”
    “Thank you for this opportunity to work at Speck, Katya. I’m thrilled to be here.”
    “I’m sure you are.” Katya exudes confidence, looking down at me by way of her nose.
    Awkward. Silence.
    “What’s the training procedure, Colin?”
    My boss snaps to attention, though he can’t hide his nerves as he fumbles with the keyboard and mouse on the conference table. With a few clicks, he pulls up a color-coded spreadsheet. “First two weeks with customer service learning the ropes, next two weeks are intensive client training, I’ll shadow her for one more, and then we’ll set her loose.”
    “Clients?” she demands abruptly.
    “Morgan Trucking and