Chapter 15

That Friday, I was running around the conference room with my clipboard, checking with the caterers and decorators to make sure everything was perfect for Logan’s welcome ceremony, which was set to start in…

I checked my watch. Ten minutes.

“This is in God’s hands now,” I said to myself, walking to my desk to drop my clipboard and pick up my purse.

I walked quickly to the bathroom to check my hair and makeup. Logan’s secretary had to look just as good as the rest of the ceremony. I touched up my lipstick and decided that I looked pretty decent for someone that had spent the bulk of the day running around the office and barking orders at everyone involved in the ceremony.

I returned to the conference room, giving it one more look-over.

“Looks great,” a deep voice said behind me. I turned and couldn’t help but gasp.

Logan stood behind me. He held his tux jacket over one shoulder and had his other hand in his pocket. Why did he always look like he was in a photoshoot?

“Thank you, sir,” I said once I’d recovered. “Do you have your speech ready?”

He patted his back pocket. “I have the notes right here.”

“Perfect. I’ll introduce you a few minutes after seven, give everyone a chance to arrive,” I smiled. “Anything else I can do for you?”

“Help me with my jacket,” he said, handing it to me. He turned to face away from me.

I helped him into it, careful not to touch him or get too close like I had when he tried on suits. I needed to keep a level head for at least the next hour and a half.

At 7:05 I stepped onto the small, temporary stage I’d had set up at the front of the conference room and pulled the mic down so I could speak into it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending our ceremony this evening to honor our newest CEO, Logan Hatfield. Let’s give him a warm welcome,” I said, clapping and stepping aside. The audience clapped along while Logan took the stage.

“Thank you, Hazel,” Logan pulled his notes from his back pocket and began giving the speech he prepared, outlining his vision for the company.

I stood next to the stage. Every so often I glanced around to see how the audience was responding. Several women that I recognized from the pantry were trying to inconspicuously snap photos of Logan. I even spotted Maria towards the back, turning to snap a selfie with Logan in the background. I smiled to myself. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t understand the obsession they had with him.

After his speech, Logan had requested that each candidate up for the position of his personal secretary introduce him to the guests. He asked me to go first.

Part of my research for the party had included some deep social media dives on everyone I had invited. I wanted to give Logan as much information as I could about each guest, so he could make some meaningful small talk with them.

I picked a woman in her mid-40s close to the drink table to introduce him to first.

“This is Doreen,” I whispered as I guided Logan over. “She’s an accountant, she’s been with the company for 20 years. Her miniature schnauzer Pete recently had surgery to have one of his back legs removed.”

Logan looked at me, stunned. “Got it, thank you.”

I reached Doreen first and placed a hand gently on her shoulder to get her attention. “Logan, I’d like you to meet Doreen.”

Doreen smiled and shook Logan’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, Doreen,” Logan said. “How’s Pete holding up?”

Doreen’s face went from shock to touched. “He’s doing great, thank you for asking.”

I led Logan to a man in his 50s next, a supervisor named Noel. “Noel, supervisor. Just joined the company last year, recently became a grandfather to his first granddaughter, Olivia.”

Noel was holding a plate of food and a fork when I came up behind him. Logan stood behind me.

“Noel?” I said gently. He jumped and dropped his fork.

“Oh, how clumsy of me,” he said, his cheeks turning red.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you a new one,” I said and bent over to pick up the dropped one. As I reached the fork, I heard a loud rip and my dress pants suddenly felt much looser in the rear. My eyes bulged and I jumped up, covering my freshly exposed underwear with my hands.

Thank God I didn’t go with the thong, I thought, my entire face growing hot.

Logan rushed to action. He stepped close to me and pulled off his jacket. He put it over my shoulders, the back of it covering my rear.

“You are shivering,” he said. “Here, take my jacket.”

“Oh, uh, yes. It is cold in here,” I said. I mouthed, “Thank you.”

He gave a small nod, then turned to Noel and stuck out his hand for him to shake. “Noel, is it? How is that grand baby Olivia?”

Noel and Logan chatted for a moment. I pulled Logan’s jacket tighter around my shoulders and caught a whiff of his cologne. Damn it smelled good.

I watched Logan walk away as Ethan took over introduction duties. I could not figure this man out.

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After the party ended, I found Logan alone in his office, gathering his things. I knocked on his door. He looked up.

“Ah, Hazel. Come in,” he said, returning his focus to his things.

“I just wanted to thank you again for…letting me borrow your jacket,” I said, starting to take it off.

“You can return it to me tomorrow,” he said, then gave a small smile. “And of course, it was just the bare minimum someone should do in that situation.”

I smiled back at him. There was an awkward pause while I struggled to come up with something else to say. “So…any other plans for your evening?”

“Yes actually,” he said, closing his briefcase. “I am headed out to see my wife. I have a gift and date planned for her.”

My heart sank. I had almost forgotten about her. “Well enjoy, I’m sure she’ll love whatever you have planned.” I pictured a nice, romantic candlelit dinner and grew jealous at the thought. Where was a man like that for me?

Logan thanked me and rushed out of the office. I returned to the rest area, where I had spent the last few nights. I removed Logan’s jacket and ditched my holey pants for another pair that I had worn the day before. I would need to return home eventually to gather more clothes, but for tonight I just wanted to relax and celebrate the successful welcome party I had thrown together.

“I need some champagne if I’m going to celebrate properly,” I told myself.

I went to the conference room, where the caterers were packing up the rest of the leftover food and drinks. I approached the leader of their group.

“Thank you again for such a wonderful evening,” I said. “You wouldn’t happen to have anything left that I could take off your hands, would you?

He smiled and pointed me in the direction of the cart they were stacking stuff on. I made myself a plate, grabbed a bottle of bubbly, and took it to my desk where I could finally sit and do nothing for a moment.

Just after I popped the cork on the champagne, the phone on my desk rang. I looked at my watch. 9pm. Who in the world would be calling at 9:00 on a Friday night?

“Must be a wrong number,” I said to myself. I picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Hazel, that’s not the phone greeting I asked you to use.”

“Logan?”

“Yes. Listen closely, I need you to do a few things for me.”

I inwardly groaned. Could he not just let me be for one night? “Yes, sir.”

“I need you to call my lawyer, Dylan. His information is in the address book on my desk. Then I need you to grab the emergency credit card that I keep taped to the underside of my desk.”

“What? Why?” I asked.

“I need you to come bail me out of jail.”