Rebecca Sinclair shrugged out of her lab coat and rolled her shoulders, working out the tension of a long day spent hunched over a microscope. She poked her head out the mailroom door and looked around the corner. Seeing nobody coming or going, she sneaked over to her coworker Stephanie’s mail cubby and placed a brightly wrapped gift inside. She was Stephanie’s Secret Santa, and now the first gift was successfully delivered.
Her covert mission complete, Rebecca checked her mailbox before leaving for the day, and found a small gift of her own. She opened the package, careful not to tear the beautiful paper, and gasped. Secret Santa gifts from coworkers were supposed to be fun or thoughtful little trinkets to celebrate the season. Whoever had drawn her name for Secret Santa was off to a great start. The beautiful bracelet she had unwrapped was exquisite, much too nice. Its baby blue beads matched her dress and caught the light when she twisted her wrist, lifting her spirits. Rebecca’s week had been long and frustrating, and Friday couldn’t have come soon enough. A pint of ice cream and a marathon of romantic comedy DVDs waited for her at home, unless Ben was free to hang out. Just thinking about leaving Morgan Confectioners and her impossible workload behind for the weekend lightened her mood and put a little skip in her step. Rebecca started texting her best friend Ben as she made her way towards his office in the legal department.
As she rounded the corner out of the research and development labs, an alluring scent of citrus and something spicy wound its way into her consciousness and she looked up from her phone. Her text was forgotten as she stared into the clear green eyes and impossibly handsome face of Richard Morgan, the company’s CEO and the subject of Rebecca’s wildly inappropriate crush.
“Oh, Mr. Morgan. I didn’t realize that you’d be on site today.” Rebecca stammered. A blush warmed her cheeks as she stood in front of him, wondering what to do with her hands.
“I was down the hall in legal for a meeting and just thought I’d pop over to see my favorite division. It’s not a formal visit.” His easy smile practically liquefied Rebecca’s bones. Surely, he was aware of the effect he had on women.
“I just locked up the lab for the weekend, but I’d be happy to take you back in if there’s anything you’d like to see.” Her work had been impossible all week, one failed trial after another, but Rebecca warmed to the idea of heading back to her workspace if it meant she’d be alone with the delectable Richard Morgan. His office at Morgan Enterprises’s headquarters was in Philadelphia while hers was in the confections division at Allentown, but his hands-on management approach dictated that he make the hour-long drive several times a month. She wasn’t accustomed to spending unscheduled time with him alone, however, and the prospect both thrilled and terrified her.
“Miss Sinclair, I wouldn’t dream of making you stay late on a Friday. I’ll just wander back to Jeff’s office and see what he can show me. You have a wonderful weekend.”
Jeff was her department head, and he had been none too pleased with her lack of progress lately. Her only hope was that he had either already left for the weekend or had bigger news to share with Mr. Morgan. Right now it would be in her best interest to lay low and try to stay off his radar.
Rebecca had developed the formula for the company’s biggest selling product, an effervescent champagne-flavored lollipop, and it was a disappointment to everyone that she hadn’t managed to come up with anything else that had the same appeal. Nothing she had developed since then had made it to the production line, and her frustration was mounting. Her anxiety levels were becoming a distraction at work. Her department head’s impatience was no secret, and it didn’t help Rebecca’s process to have him breathing down her neck. While it would be heavenly to spend time alone with Richard Morgan in the lab, Rebecca had to admit that she was relieved to be dismissed. He was out of her league, and the last thing she needed was more stress.
“You too, Mr. Morgan. Just let me know if you ever want to discuss candy. You know where to find me.” She gave him a jaunty little wave and headed out of the office. A cool whoosh of air greeted her as she left the quiet, sterile halls of her own department and walked the short distance through the complex to the legal offices to meet Ben.
Rebecca leaned on his doorframe and watched as he shut down his computer. Just the sight of him eased the stress out of her shoulders—wonderful, dependable Ben. Ben, who had been by her side since they met when they lived next door to one another during graduate school at Princeton. Ben, who had seen her through her turbulent early twenties, countless breakups, and professional ups and downs. Ben, whose smile gave her a little jolt when he looked up. Where did that come from?
“Hey, are you about ready to go?” She walked in and watched as he packed his bag and tidied up his desk. He had always been so much neater than her. The only thing keeping Rebecca’s workspace free from clutter was the sterile lab’s strict cleanliness standards.
“Yep. I had a meeting run a bit later than expected, but now I’m good to go.” He slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way around the desk to Rebecca. He dropped a chaste peck on her cheek, and she inhaled his warm, familiar scent, ignoring the tiny shiver that skittered down her back. The stress and frustration of the workday faded as she allowed herself to relax and look forward to the weekend.
“Was your meeting with my secret boyfriend?” She asked.
Ben laughed indulgently and guided her out of his office and into the hallway. “Yes, Richard Morgan was here. How did you guess?”
“I ran into him as I was leaving the lab. I tried to lure him back to my office, but he was going in to see Jeff.” She sighed dramatically, and Ben rolled his eyes playfully.
“You wouldn’t know what to do with him if you got him alone,” he teased.
She punched him on the shoulder. “Hey! I’m sure I could think of a few things. He’s so dreamy. You never know, maybe he’s The One.”
“I’m pretty sure he’s engaged,” Ben said, dryly.
“Keep your reality out of my fantasies. Just let me have a moment to imagine the possibilities.”
“Yeah, we all know how dreamy the amazing Mr. Morgan is,” Ben joked. “Can we please just leave? I think a happy hour is in order after the week we’ve had.”
“Are you buying?” She bumped her hip against his and fluttered her eyelashes.
Ben smiled down at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and placed a hand on the small of her back. He guided her through the doors leading out of Morgan Confectioners’ offices towards his waiting car. “Of course. First round is always on me. I want to go home and change, and then I want to park myself in a booth with a cold beer.”
“Lead the way, Mr. Redding.”