Push, p.1
Push, page 1
PUSH
Copyright© 2021 by Sadie Rose
Cover Design: CT Cover Creations
Editor: Erica H. Testani
Formatting: Champagne Book Design
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, including photocopying, recording or by information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locations is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products, brands, and/or restaurants referenced in the work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
About the Author
For my husband who tells me daily, he loves me.
For my mother who tells me I can do anything I set my mind to.
Don’t underestimate the things that I will do.
—Adele
I looked down at my phone one last time and scrolled through my messages. There were no new messages. The last message I had was earlier in the morning from my mother. I smiled at the thought of her back home in Sacramento, nervous and excited for me. I checked my call log—no missed calls, no voicemails and with that, I dropped it back into my bag. Damn him. Why do I let him do this to me? He told me he missed me, so I had come here this morning hoping to surprise him and talk it out. We hadn’t seen each other for over two weeks but he had been relentlessly sending text messages. When I walked away from him, I told myself it would be the last time I let him step on my heart. Yet here I was sitting in his favorite morning coffee spot. I even got up early to surprise him. I shouldn’t have made the effort. I don’t even drink coffee. I picked up the remnants of my pomegranate iced tea and headed for the door. I wasn’t going to waste any more of my time on that asshole.
That’s when he walked through the door. He was gorgeous, his dirty blonde hair falling slightly on his forehead. His sun-kissed skin glowed like he had just come back from a weekend of surfing. He was wearing a navy blue suit that I remember helping him pick out one afternoon while we were shopping in the Embarcadero district. His crisp white dress shirt caught the sun sending more light to his face. His eyes were on fire, the blue of his eyes showed the tiny flecks of green that I loved to stare into for hours. His strong hand held the door, as a woman coming in behind walked through. I started to walk near him, but my steps slowed as I realized the woman behind him knew him. I watched as he took her hand in his and quickly brushed her knuckles up to his mouth, brushing his lips up against them. She smiled and giggled. Actually giggled. What the hell!?!
My feet felt trapped mid-step. I tightened my hold on my purse strap and my tea and quickly turned around. I didn’t want him to see me. Didn’t want them to see me. Why? Oh, why did I come here? I knew I shouldn’t have believed anything he said. Now I was in this mess and had to get out of this coffee shop as fast as possible without being seen. I only needed to make it about ten feet to get out the door. I turned around and started walking as fast as I could without bringing attention to myself. I reached out for the door but it swung in and collided with my cup; Pomegranate tea splashing onto my shirt as my cup fell to the ground. I put my foot out to take a step as I started to slip, I suddenly felt two strong hands hold me up, grasping my shoulders to hold me steady.
“I’m terribly sorry. Are you alright?” A deep voice asked.
“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you.” I left out the fact that I was embarrassed, keeping my eyes on the ground looking at the spilled tea. The shop was small and I could feel everyone staring. I knew instantly that I wasn’t getting out of there unnoticed.
His hands slowly fell from my shoulders. “I think I’ve ruined your blouse.”
I looked down at my cream-colored blouse that was now covered in red stains. I also noticed how it clung to my breasts now that it was wet. I felt the heat in my cheeks, my face beginning to match my now red-stained shirt. “Oh no, I have a meeting at nine a m. and I don’t have time to change.” I wished I had brought a sweater with me. Offices tended to make me cold and I was usually prepared, but I ran out of my apartment without thinking. I was only thinking of getting here to pull off my surprise. What a surprise that turned out to be.
“Here”, he put down his briefcase and pulled out a Louis Vuitton money clip. He quickly pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and extended it to me. I let my eyes wander to his face. It looked like he had stepped out of a magazine. He looked incredible. He was ruggedly handsome and sophisticated, his dark hair wet and looked like he had just run his hands through it. His jawbone was sharp and there was a dimple in his left cheek. He was tall, taller than my 5’8” with eyes as dark as his hair that were staring directly into mine. My heart slammed into my chest.
“No, you don’t need to do that. I can’t take your money.” I laughed uneasily. “I’ll figure it out but thank you.” I moved to the side to let him pass me. He was blocking the door and I needed to get out of there. He was so handsome and I was even more awkward than usual.
His lips parted like he was going to say something, but then they closed. I smiled gratefully at him but my cheeks still felt flushed. I just needed to get past him and out the door. But any remaining luck I had run out at that moment.
“Ollie, is that you?” I heard from behind me. OhmyGod, OhmyGod.
Why, Why did I come here? Can the ground open and swallow me whole right now. I never broke eye contact with Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome as I said, “Hi, Jeff. I didn’t see you over there.” Must stop talking. The heat in my face was making my blood pound in my ears. I needed to get out of there now. Sensing my embarrassment, Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome shoved his money back into his pocket and slowly turned his gaze to Jeff as he approached us.
“Ollie, it is you! What are you doing here this morning?” Jeff exclaimed as he came over to us. I started to open my mouth and stammered, “Well… I.. umm…” Before I knew it, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome cut off my words.
“Sweetheart, there you are, I was sure I had missed you,” he cooed. I didn’t even know what to think. Was this a joke? Was I in some alternate universe? Did he understand the situation that he just unwillingly walked into? I was frozen in place, my mouth hung open and slack making a perfect O shape. He stuck his hand out to Jeff. “I’m Roman, we haven’t had the pleasure.”
Jeff’s face had a flash of annoyance before it shifted, his mask firmly back in place. Then the woman linked her arm into his. Jeff ignored her and continued to silently stare at Roman. I saw his eyes turn down toward my shirt, shrugging the woman off his arm to remove his jacket and extend it to me. Roman placed a hand out to halt his actions. “No need, we were just leaving.”
If I could bottle the look on Jeff’s face, I would have drunk it up for a month. Roman was definitely aware of what was happening. I looked up and his eyes sparkled with mischief. He extended his strong hand out to me again and I didn’t even hesitate to take it as he turned to walk us out of the coffee shop.
We walked down the sidewalk until the coffee shop was out of view and he politely let go of my hand. I turned to him and shyly looked up into his eyes. “Thank you for that back there. I was so embarrassed”.
He smirked, “You don’t have to thank me. It was the least I could do since I caused it.”
He must have assumed my appearance was the cause of my embarrassment. It didn’t matter what he thought of the situation; he was kind enough to get me out of it. I felt the heat returning to my cheeks and lowered my eyes back to the sidewalk. “Thank you for everything you don’t understand how much you helped me,” I said and started to quickly walk away.
I heard him call out, “I’m the one who should be apologizing, I’m the one who ruined your shirt!”
I knew I must look ridiculous.
I looked down at my schedule, double-checking my meeting calendar to make sure I was going to the right conference room. After my first day yesterday, I couldn’t have a repeat of it on my second day or I might not get a third. I was thirty minutes late yesterday due to my horribly embarrassing morning. I had rushed to the nearest open store but everything was too expensive, cursing myself that I should have taken the hundred dollars Roman had offered. My new boss had chastised me for almost the same length of my absence but let me have a reprieve after I explained the tea stains on my shirt. I didn’t want to make myself look like a fool again so soon.
I was one of the first ones to arrive, so I made my way to the back. I pulled out one of the chairs and sat down, pulling out my notebook and pen and staring out the window next to me. My dreams had been filled with my coffee shop encounter with Roman. I wish I hadn’t been so awkward or had at least thought of getting his last name or number. “Forget about Jeff,” my roommate Madison had said when I recounted the story of the coffee shop to her. “I like the sound of this new guy, Roman.” Even thinking about him now I could feel the beginnings of a blush. I wish I could be more like Madison, she was never afraid to speak her mind or be forward with men.
I went through the notes that I took yesterday and I’m confident I know what today will bring. Today is known as introduction day on my schedule. As I wait for the room to fill up, I let my eyes wander back to the window and take in the view of the city. Yesterday had been all about getting acclimated to our new surroundings and going through the mundane tasks like getting our IDs made and taking the walking tour of Devereaux Industries. The property itself was overwhelming to take in; 42 floors set in the heart of San Francisco equipped with a full-service cafeteria for staff, a gym, steam room, and an indoor running track all free of charge to staff. They even had an onsite nurse and convenience store. Too bad they didn’t sell clothing, I smiled. At least working here would help out with my budget; I could eat all my meals for free and save on groceries. I worked my ass off to get where I was at. I loved it, every minute. Tours were usually a grueling first day of work fixture to be endured, but this was my dream, and I soaked in every detail, committing it all to memory. The application, the interviews, the writing essay—it was all worth it. This is where I want to be and with yesterday’s misstep of being late, I know I have to prove myself.
“Hello, I’m Roman Devereaux and I’m happy to welcome all of you to Devereaux Industries.” He paused in his introduction and I whipped my head towards him. He was staring directly at me. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. It was him. He cleared his throat and looked away. “I know that most of you are new here and excited to be a part of the team. I know that the interview process and the hoops that we make you jump through to get here aren’t easy but hey, you can’t blame me for being selective.”
Light laughter broke out amongst the room. I just stared at him in horror with what I’m sure were red cheeks. My bosses bosses boss was the coffee shop guy! The same man I had dreams about last night. The same man who saw me humiliating myself.
“Seriously, being one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the country if not in the world brings in all kinds of applicants. Here we narrow them down and select only the best. I thank you for putting in the dedication to join our team. I’ve spent the better part of a decade making this company into what it is and I still insist on meeting all of our new hires. I’m sure you know all of this already so let’s jump right in. When I call your name please stand and tell me something fun and interesting about yourself. Then after everyone is done you’ll be free to take advantage of our cafeteria. Not too bad for a morning meeting right? Okay, perfect. First up Annabel Asher.”
“Hi, I’m Annabel. Hmmm, one fun thing about myself? Well, I have been known to be the life of the party.” She smiled at Mr. Devereaux in a flirtatious way and I cringed at the exchange.
“Well, I can tell we’ll all be waiting for the Christmas party then. Next… Paul Dalton.”
A man stood up a few feet in front of me but I tuned him out. My heart is beating so loudly I can feel my pulse. I barely like saying more than “yes” to people when called out in meetings. Instead, I stare at Mr. Devereaux as he listens to the answers my coworkers give him. Every now and then a smile would break over his handsome face.
“Matt Gregor?” Mr. Devereaux called. He was getting close to my name. I looked down at my notes in front of me and tried to focus. “Olivia Monroe?”
My throat instantly closed. Silence filled the room as I slowly stood up. “Good Morning everyone, I’m Olivia.” I could feel my cheeks turning tomato red. I willed my eyes to look around the room. “I enjoy pomegranate tea and awkward situations.” I sat back down in my chair. Why did I just say that?
A few people giggled and snickered around me. When I looked up at Mr. Devereaux a smile had spread across his face. “I’ll have to remember that drink choice. Susan Owens?”
I exhaled the breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. I tuned out Susan’s answer as I attempted to get my heart rate and breathing under control. A few others stood and introduced themselves but I never heard any of them. The room began to clear out and the man beside me leaned over, “Don’t worry you aren’t the only one who likes awkward moments. I’m getting together with friends Friday night at this great place called Trifecta in the Market district. You should come.”
“What’s your name?”
“Raymond Thomas.” I nod at him politely, knowing I should have already known his name from his introduction and his fun fact. I stay silent as he gathers up his things. “Just think about it okay? We will be there around eight and I promise it’ll be fun, maybe even a little awkward.” He grins and gives me a wink as he gets up and heads out the door.
I put my notebook and pen back in my bag. Mr. Devereaux’s eyes tracked Raymond as he left the room and then his eyes fell on me. I gave him a small smile and then looked down as I passed him to go out the door. His fingers lightly grazed my arm, and I trembled at his touch.
“Miss Monroe, I’m sorry again about your blouse.”
I folded my arm over to touch the arm he had just touched. “Oh, no, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been there.”
He was quiet for a moment, a look of bewilderment on his face. “Why are you sorry? When I was the one who hit you with the door?”
I didn’t want to tell him the reason why I was there and I had a habit of rambling when I got nervous—which I was. I need to get out of this room. “ I just meant, I should have been watching where I was going.”
The air conditioning kicked on and it sent a wave of his cologne my way. I looked up at him, recalling my dreams from the previous night. I had a strong desire to be bold but boldness was only in my dreams. “I didn’t realize you were my boss”, I blurted out.
He smiled. “I’m not. Helen is technically your boss.”
That wasn’t what I had meant. I meant that I had no idea he was the Roman of Devereaux Industries. I suddenly found myself wondering how old he was. I realized too late that I was staring at him and shook my head, silently cursing myself. “Um… I should get going for that free snack. I’m sure I’ll see you around Mr. Devereaux.” God what a dumb thing to say.
He lowered his eyebrows slightly to me when I said his name as if he were deep in thought. He nodded, “See you soon Ollie.”
“Please! Come on, it’s Friday night!” Madison said as she rummaged through my closet.
“Yes, which means I can stay in and relax and not have to get up early in the morning .” I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I thought of walking into work on Monday. I had been walking on eggshells the rest of the week after my run-in with Roman on Tuesday. I wasn’t sure I could handle turning a corner in the building and him being there. Why did he have to be the head of Devereaux Industries? Oh, wait because he is Devereaux Industries. Madison had talked me down from a panic attack on Tuesday when I got home and regaled her with the story of how Hot Coffee Shop Roman was the founder of one of the hottest Fortune 500 companies. Madison didn’t know that I was having dirty dreams every night about Roman, though.
“You need to go out and have fun. You’ve had a crazy first week at your new job. Treat yourself!”
“No, it means I need to stay in and be refreshed for what’s to come on Monday,” I protested. “You’ll have tons of fun without me. You don’t need me.”
“Stop moping around, Ollie. Yes, Jeff was a douche who played you. Yes, mystery coffee shop man is some uber-rich genius who happens to be your boss and therefore undateable. But you’re forgetting about the third guy. The one from the meeting—Raymond. He sounds cute and fun.”
“I don’t want him to get the wrong impression. I don’t want to start anything.” Even as I said the words out loud, I knew I didn’t mean them. I would love to start something, anything right now, but with Roman. Madison just didn’t know he was consuming my thoughts. I’m sure if she did, she would give me her famous eye roll and tell me to toughen up and get back out there.
