Take Two: An Erotic Romance (Book 1) by Maddie Bennett Read Free Book Online

fortune. It’s a
golden opportunity to focus more on your writing,” Sharon urged.
     
    “Maybe you’re right,” I sighed. “It’s just… what if I don’t
succeed? I don’t have any excuse to fall back on any more.”
     
    “Just do what you can,” Sharon said. “Focus on this training and
learn everything you need to know about these investments of yours, and then
you can quit your boring job and spend as much time as you need working out
which direction you want to take your writing in.”
     
    “I guess,” I said uncertainly.
     
    “Don’t guess – know! You’re a brilliant writer, Amanda. You
shouldn’t need to have other people’s approval to tell you that. You know you
are – you’ve been writing seriously ever since we were in college. Let yourself
pursue what you really want to do now that you have the chance.”
     
    “You’re right,” I agreed. “I need to dedicate my time to this
training and… I’ll see what happens with my writing.”
     
    “That’s the spirit,” smiled Sharon. She looked down at her phone.
“Listen, I’d better go – I promised I’d go with the bride to meet her
mother-in-law. God knows I don’t get paid enough for this.” She stood from her
chair.
     
    “Good thing you’re awesome at your job!” I quickly got up and
hugged her. “Take care and good luck!” I said as she smiled and pulled on her
elegant rose jacket.
     
    “Thanks. You too – be careful around this Mathis guy,” Sharon
added. “He’s bad news, Amanda. You should make sure you don’t get caught up in
his net.”
     
    “Don’t worry,” I assured her with a heavy heart, “there’s no
chance of that. I’m no celebrity.”

Chapter 7
     
    My second appointment with Mathis began similarly to my first.
This time, as I waited in the lobby, I watched a different secretary. Well, I
think she was a secretary. Tall and willowy with enormous breasts and a very
low-cut shirt. She was polishing her nails and flipping through a fashion
magazine. After about twenty minutes of watching her blonde hair swish over her
shoulders and wondering how it could possibly be that bouncy, she sent me a
toothy grin and said, “Mathis will see you now.”
     
    “Thanks,” I said, wondering whether it was normal etiquette to
call your boss by his first name. I walked to Mathis’ door and knocked. Today I
was dressed a little more informally in a pair of slacks and a sleeveless, very
pale turquoise blouse. It was a little cold in the air-conditioned building,
and I shivered slightly as Mathis opened the door of his office, ushering me
inside.
     
    I looked up at his face, and was surprised to see that his jaw was
clenched tight and his fist was still clasped around his cell phone in a
vice-like grip. He looked stressed, bordering on angry.
     
    “A-Are you okay?” I hesitated. “Not a good time maybe?”
     
    “I’m fine,” Mathis brushed me off. “Just a business phone call.
Have a seat.”
     
    I took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs and watched as
Mathis crossed over to a miniature fridge, drawing out a bottle of water and
pouring some into a glass. He seemed to calm down a little as he took a long
gulp of water.
     
    “Did you want something?” he asked as he put down his glass.
“Coffee? Water?”
     
    “No, thanks,” I said. I shivered a little as the cold air from the
fridge reached me.
     
    “Are you cold?” he asked me, noticing my shiver, his light blue
eyes sweeping over my gooseflesh.
     
    “A little,” I said. “Silly of me to go around without a jacket in
March.”
     
    “I’ll turn the air conditioning down,” he said, in a chivalrous
gesture which reminded me of the old Mathis.
     
    “Thanks,” I said. For a moment it looked as if he wanted to say
something else after changing the thermostat, but he seemed to stop himself,
and instead crossed the office in a few long strides, seating himself opposite
me.
     
    “Alright, let’s get started. I thought that the