Gerard notices. “They’re working dogs,” he explains. “Since 9/11 we’ve added twelve canine teams and the same x-ray technology you see at airports. Everyone who enters the building automatically receives a full-body scan at the door. Mr. King himself ordered the technology installed and sometimes personally reviews the image streams. He’s a bit of a security stickler.”
“Sounds like it,” I say, self-consciously folding my arms over my chest. I try not to think about the fact that Mr. King has maybe seen through my clothes. “Quite impressive.”
Gerard is all business as we settle into a small cubby-like room with a camera, desk, and a security guard who hands me a clipboard with a form and pen. “Please fill this out, and we’ll go ahead and take your picture and print your company identification and security pass.”
The ID process is straightforward and pretty soon I am photographed, labeled, and ready to go. Gerard nods crisply at the security guards and escorts me back to the elevators.
“The main thing for you to keep in mind is that you are here to be Mr. King’s right hand in and out of the office,” says Gerard. “You’ll want to familiarize yourself as quickly as possible with Skollz Corp policies and procedures, I’ll give you the manual. Remember, you always have the procedures and policies to fall back on when in doubt. The system can be your best friend if you know it well. With Mr. King you’ll never know what to expect. Change comes fast and furious here. You’ll need to be prepared for anything.”
There’s an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, like Gerard is trying to warn me about something. I’m probably being silly, though. Chalk it up to first-day jitters.
“Well, I’ve lived in New York for two years,” I say blithely. “If that hasn’t prepared me for anything, nothing will.”
Gerard smiles again, an expression that crinkles the corners of his wide mouth but doesn’t reach his eyes. “I hope so.”
Yikes. Something is definitely up. Or maybe this is normal in the corporate world, a shadowy place of intrigue and competition—right? That’s normal?
“I know so.” My voice is confident, even if my gut is confused.
Gerard falls silent.
He mechanically shows me the café, gym floor, nap pods. They even have a lap pool and sauna—for crying out loud—to offset the long hours, I suppose. We go up and down every elevator bank, my vertigo building. In rapid succession I meet the Executive Director, Managing Director, Accounting Director, Finance Director, Chief Logistics Officer, Global Business Unit Manager, Marketing Coordinator, Executive Secretary, Public Relations Officer.
Surprisingly, not all of them are redheads.
Just as my brain is about to explode, Gerard takes me up to the sixty-sixth floor and sits me down in a quiet conference room with a giant book.
“The Skollz Corp policy and procedures manual,” he announces. “I’ll leave you two alone for a while. Feel free to visit the café. After lunch we’ll join Mr. King.”
The door clicks closed behind him and I am alone, staring at the giant book.
It’s at least four inches thick.
“That’s what she said,” I mutter in response to my own thoughts, laughing at myself.
“Something amusing, Miss Clark?”
“Jesus!”
I nearly jump out of my skin and spin around in my seat. I immediately recognize the voice but god damn it I hate surprises. Though room is still empty, I can hear the cackle of feedback in a speaker system. And then I notice the etched glass mirror behind me, shaped suspiciously like a door. It has to be a two-way.
The CEO of Skollz Corp was spying on me?! Heart hammering, I squint directly past the reflection of my own face.
“You definitely have a flair for the dramatic, Mr. King.” I inspect the edges of the mirror curiously, and think I see the ridge in the wall that it can slide into. “Was this another pet security project of yours? Isolate and inspect? I’d rather be sniffed by the dogs.”
“You’re a fast thinker, Clark.”
The glass slides into the wall, revealing a sprawling office on the other side. All of the walls of the office are windows offering a panoramic, panic-inducing view of the New York skyline. I forcefully pull my gaze away from the reminder of our precarious height and see a large white desk. Seated behind it in a throne-chair is Mr. Mysterious Multi-Millionaire himself.
“Half my victims never find the door,” he says. His voice is heavy and sultry. “Come on in. Don’t be shy.”
Collecting my things I approach, feeling like Dorothy in Oz. The glass panel slides back in place behind me. Not scary or sexy. Not scary or sexy at all.
I know there’s no way back to Kansas.
“Have a seat Miss Clark.”
I do, and can’t help but notice that Mr. King looks devastating in his tailored gray suit and open collar.
“Aw, we’re twins today, sir,” I say before I can stop myself.
He blinks at me in mild confusion, then looks down at his suit and laughs. “Indeed. I knew there was some sort of connection between us.”
“Ginger telepathy, maybe.”
“I’ll take it as a good omen.” He leans back in his chair watching me with an almost playful expression, exposing his relaxed but chiseled chest. There’s a little bit of hair peeking between the buttons of his collar. I try not to stare. “How are you faring so far? Not overwhelmed by the tour? I wanted you to have a good understanding of the scale of your position.”
Swallowing, I paint on my best confident smile and force myself to look up. Eyes up here. “So far so good, thank you sir. Hopefully I’ll remember everyone’s names by Friday.”
“That’s the spirit,” he says. Those blue eyes twinkle, full of trouble.
He looks me up and down. Silence draws out and I feel my cheeks grow hot under his frank perusal.
“I’m not going to break you in gentle, Miss Clark, but I think you can take it. I want you to keep your evening clear on Friday for a private event. Next Tuesday, you’ll accompany me to Australia. Some negotiations over a merger require my presence, and I’ll benefit from an extra pair of freckled hands.”
“I don’t have freckles,” I point out, holding up my hands. I am trying but failing to downplay my excitement over the mention of Australia, and I can feel my smile widening. “You’re on your own there. But I have seen Crocodile Dundee, so I’m ready to go.”