A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I'm just playing mix and match with her characters.

1. Hi to all! I wrote this story as a one-shot for the 'Fandom Fights Hurricane Sandy' compilation; many thanks to all who donated. I've decided to post and expand New Business Guy here.

2. New Business Guy is completely new and unrelated to my Wednesday Dinner stories.

3. I've broken the one-shot from the compilation into 3 chapters as it's quite long. New material will begin with Chapter 4.

4. Beta Thanks: Many thanks to emmettsmate for taking the time to beta the one-shot! I appreciate your thoughts, encouragement, and support ;0)


New Business Guy, Chapter 1

BPOV

Professional Writer wanted. Must be experienced, tough, and tenacious.

When I answered that inconsequential, cryptic little ad on Craigslist two weeks ago, I never thought I'd actually receive a reply. I certainly didn't think I'd receive one the next day.

But three interviews later, I stood in front of my full-length mirror examining my outfit for work. Caius Cullen, Chief Executive Officer of Aro Technology Solutions, decided that I was indeed the professional he sought as the new writer for his firm. I started today.

I brushed my long hair one final time, loving the way the natural red undertones shone through the brown under the light. I decided to add a little makeup: my bright brown eyes and pouty lips had always been among my best features, so why not highlight them on my first day?

"Wow, lipstick and eyeliner," Angie said. "You must really want to impress these people."

"Ha ha," I said as she laughed. "Tell the truth. Is this okay?"

She stood back and carefully perused me from head to toe.

"You look great," she said. "But I still can't get used to these." She brazenly squeezed my breasts, causing us both to fall over each other laughing.

Still chuckling, I slapped her hands. "Don't hate," I said. "Now that I'm pushing 30, my Granny Swan genes kicked in. All tits, no ass."

Again, she cackled. "You look really good. We were like twigs when we were kids. Too skinny."

That was definitely true. Angela and I had been friends since childhood, and while we weren't exactly overweight now, we'd both picked up a few pounds over the years. Hers appeared evenly distributed over her tall frame, but mine settled in my breasts and stomach, just like my grandmother.

Still, I liked my appearance and felt very comfortable in my skin. I wouldn't call myself perfect by any stretch, but overall, I enjoyed being me.

"I'm just glad you're here," Angie said as she continued to stare at me. "I can't thank you enough for doing this."

"No problem," I replied. "Nothing much was happening for me in Phoenix anyway. It was time for a change."

"I couldn't afford this place without Eric, and I really didn't want to move," she said.

"I think it's a great situation," I said. "And he'll probably finish sooner than you think."

Angie and her boyfriend, Eric, had been dating since high school; they'd been together for nearly 10 years. A month ago, she asked me if I would consider moving to Seattle to live with her. Eric wanted to pursue a PhD at Duke University in North Carolina, completely across the country from their lives in Seattle. Angie asked if I'd stay until he completed his studies. It hadn't taken much for me to pack my bags and move out of my mother's home in Phoenix.

"Then," I continued, "when Eric comes back, I'll probably get a condo or townhouse or something for me and the 57 cats I'll have."

"You're insane," she said, chuckling. "You better get going. I don't want you to be late on your first day. Good luck."

"Thank you, Miss Weber," I said in a sing-songy voice like one of the first-graders in her class would use.

"Ugh. Don't remind me," she said as she nudged me down the hall. "I've still got a few weeks of freedom left before school starts again. Go."

With a final look in the mirror, I grabbed my purse and sweater and headed for the tenth floor of the sleek office building where I'd be earning my living for the foreseeable future.


I followed the Human Resources Director, Jasper Whitlock, down the hall and through the lobby and reception area. He stopped outside of the first office we reached; its door and outer wall were made entirely of floor-to-ceiling framed glass panels.

"Okay. It's starting to freak me out that I haven't seen any other people yet," I said.

"Don't worry," Jasper said with a grin. "They're here. Enjoy the silence while you can."

When I'd spoken with Jasper and Caius for my interviews, they'd both been explicit in their instructions for what I should do if I encountered any employees in my visits: I was to say that I'd come to meet with Jasper and Caius. Under no circumstances was I to use the word interview. Even today, they told me not to come until 9:45, even though my workday would start at 8:30 in the future. I was told to text Jasper when I arrived, which I did. He came down to the building lobby to meet me, then ushered me upstairs and straight to his office.

"Caius is meeting with them right now. We're going down there soon, but he wanted you set up in your office first."

My mouth actually fell open when he pulled out a small metal plate that read Bella Swan and slid it into a frame to the right of the door. This was my office. Holy shit!

"Sorry this is kind of out in the open, and so near the lobby, but this is where Caius wants you." He took out a key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. I tentatively stepped inside.

"This is really mine?" I asked, still in a state of disbelief.

"It is. This is your door key, obviously," Jasper said as he handed it to me. "There should be keys to the desk and file cabinet in the drawers."

"Um, I actually can't believe this."

He laughed. "Believe it. It's all yours. Because you report to Caius, you'll be handling sensitive information and he wants you to have some privacy."

At this point, I basically tuned him out so that I could take in my surroundings. The modern furnishings in my office looked brand new. I had two computers, a desktop and a laptop, in addition to a massive desk. At the far end of the space, a large bookcase and a tall file cabinet bookended a round table with two chairs. I tried not to stare out of the glass back wall which offered a distracting, though amazing, view of downtown Seattle.

"This job is starting to feel too good to be true," I said as I sank into my ridiculously comfortable ergonomic desk chair. I bit my lip to keep from moaning.

"Trust me, you might be singing a different tune once you meet everyone," Jasper replied.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're warning me?" I asked with a smirk.

"Cuz I am," he said as he chuckled. "We have some... personalities... around here."

"Is that why you and Caius have been hiding me?"

"Something like that," he replied before he checked his cell phone. "We better get down to the conference room."

Instead of being nervous or wary like I probably should have been, I felt intrigued at the prospect of meeting my coworkers. I was beyond excited about this job as outlined by Caius, and I was not going to let anyone stand in the way of my success. I'd been thrilled to land a job so soon after my arrival in Seattle. I could walk here from the apartment I shared with Angie if I wanted to; it would be a long walk, but a little exercise wouldn't kill me. I loved to write, and I was making almost double what I earned at my job as office manager in Phoenix. I was not giving up this job without a fight, no matter what kind of asshats Jasper and Caius were about to unleash on me.

"After the meeting, we'll do all your paperwork and get you logged in to the system," Jasper said as we walked down the hall.

"Sounds good."

"We interviewed a few other people," he said. "You seemed like the best fit by far. Not everyone can handle it here, but Caius and I think you'll do great."

I didn't have time to really think through his comment because we reached our destination: a large meeting room where what looked to be about 50 people sat in several rows of chairs. Most of the unhappy looking group appeared about my age or a little older, late 20s to early 30s.

"We're going to start operating like a real business around here, whether you like it or not," Caius was saying to my assembled coworkers.

I smiled as I watched him. He appeared as dapper as each of the other times I'd met him, looking every part the successful business man from his perfectly tailored gray suit to the giant watch on his wrist. He wore his white hair cropped, allowing the focus to rest on his chiseled face where stylish glasses framed his sharp brown eyes. The man oozed confidence from every pore; I found him quite attractive.

I didn't know whether I should just go in, but Jasper didn't, so I just stayed with him right outside of the door. That didn't stop most everyone inside from turning and gawking at me, whispering and pointing in some cases. Caius turned when they all did; he smiled and motioned for me to come into the room.

"You know what they say," Jasper whispered. "Never let 'em see ya sweat."

I smiled at him, took a deep breath, and strode into the room to stand next to Caius.

"Welcome, Bella," he said.

"Glad to be here, Caius," I replied as he turned to the group.

"Everyone, this is Bella Swan, our newest associate."

"Hello," I said as I gave a little wave. I bit the inside of my lip to keep from smirking at their stunned faces. Expressions varied from annoyed to confused to downright pissed.

"Bella's our new writer, and she'll be reporting directly to me," Caius said.

"A writer?" yelled a very attractive man sitting near the front. "To write what?"

So far, of everyone here, he looked the most put out by my presence. Though I found him too pretty for my tastes, I couldn't deny that he was gorgeous, with bronze-colored hair and dreamy green eyes. However, I could already tell that he knew exactly how attractive he was.

"Careful, Edward," said Caius in a sharp tone that instantly put pretty boy back in his place.

A blonde sitting next to him seemed almost as annoyed, but she was currently too preoccupied with visibly judging my outfit to voice her disdain like Edward did. A more sensitive person than me might have quailed under the glare of her cold blue eyes, but I held my ground and stared back at her with confidence. I did not give one shit whatsoever whether she found my belted gray dress, thin black sweater, and black wedges acceptable. I looked professional, especially considering that most of my everyday wardrobe consisted of casual attire.

"As I said earlier, we've grown too fast," Caius added. "We have more business than we can currently handle."

"Can you ever have too much business?" asked a guy sitting right in front of me. He smirked a little as he stared at Caius, who without a doubt was his father. He was the image of Caius, only younger and blond.

Caius chuckled. "You can if you're not properly staffed," he said. "And that's where we are right now. You know that, Carlisle."

"And how is a writer supposed to help us?" asked the blonde next to Edward. Again, she openly glared at me. I wanted to roll my eyes so badly in reply but I managed to control myself.

"Rose, I'd watch that tone if I were you," Caius replied sharply.

Like Edward, she seemed chastened by his words; they clearly respected Caius whether they agreed with him or not.

"We can't improve until we take a closer look at what we're doing," Caius said. "That's where Bella comes in. Basically, she's going to document our entire business process."

Several people whispered to each other.

"We obviously need more help," Caius said. "I've tried to work with all of you to figure out why and where, but I'm constantly met with resistance. For whatever reasons, you won't be honest with me or Jasper. I decided that a fresh pair of eyes was the best way to figure out what the hell is really going on around here."

There were many more whispers around the room now, much louder than before.

"That's enough," Caius shouted over the din. Instantly, the room fell silent.

"Over the course of the next two weeks, starting tomorrow," Caius said, "Bella will be meeting with each and every ATS employee, including me. She'll be documenting all of our duties and responsibilities in great detail. Then, when she's finished, I'll use her assessments to figure out if we really need more people, or if we can shift things around. Some of you are doing far too much, while others aren't doing nearly enough."

Some people gasped and rolled their eyes when he said that last part. Again, I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"Alice will make a schedule this afternoon," Caius said.

He turned and looked toward a tiny woman with short dark hair and large gray eyes. She radiated energy as she smiled at me; it looked like it pained her to sit still.

"We will meet with Bella, and we will answer her questions," Caius added, looking around the room sternly. "Do I make myself clear?"

I heard many mumbled "Yes" and "Yes, sirs" around the room. I couldn't help but feel a little powerful; after all, he basically brought me in here to get tough on their asses. I couldn't wait to begin.

"Bella has experience as a professional writer," Caius said in a much softer tone as he looked at me. "She did something very similar to what I want in her previous job. Her boss raved about the work that she did for them, and I have every confidence that she'll do the same for us."

I thought that was a bit of an exaggeration, but Caius spoke the truth to some extent. Back in Phoenix, since college, I'd worked at a funeral home owned by my neighbor. My title had been office manager, but as the youngest person on staff by far, I'd worn many hats, particularly when it came to anything having to do with computers and technology.

I created the website they still used, and I wrote ever word of content for it. I'd also put together a procedure manual for the owner's daughter when she took over a few years ago; in it, I wrote detailed job descriptions and outlines of the home's operations. And honestly, having all that stuff in writing had helped immensely. Clearly, those were the selling points for Caius in hiring me.

"I think bringing Bella onboard can only help," said a pleasant-seeming woman sitting next to Carlisle. She had wavy light-brown hair and stunning hazel eyes. "Is her position just temporary, until she writes up her assessments?"

"Excellent question, Esme," said Caius with a smile. "The writer position is permanent. The assessments will be Bella's first project."

No one was happier to hear this than me. Caius continued.

"In the future, I'd like to have her attend some of the tech conferences and sit in on some client meetings to write up summaries from those as well. Eventually, I want her to write better copy for our website and marketing materials. And soon, I want the chiefs to start writing weekly reports. You'll send them to Bella, and she'll put them into a simple document for me."

I didn't know who the "chiefs" were, but Edward and Rose had to be two of them because both of their mouths dropped open and they looked at each other with barely contained fury.

"So, those are just some of my plans for Bella, if you all don't run her off first."

I laughed, as did many other people in the room.

"Don't worry," I said. "I'm excited to be here, and I don't have plans on leaving anytime soon."

Someone snorted derisively and I heard more whispering.

"I'll remember you said that," Caius replied, causing much more laughter.

"I know Emmett has to leave," he said, "so we'll start the introductions with him." He turned to the door where an absolute mountain of a man filled the frame; he must have come in after I'd walked inside. He was easily 6'3" or 6'4", with a muscular, athletic build. Because my dad, Charlie, and my stepdad, Phil, were both sports nuts, I knew a thing or two about football, and this guy could easily fit right in on any team. He marched confidently toward me with his hand outstretched.

"Hey. I'm Emmett McCarty, New Business Director."

"Hi. Bella Swan," I replied as I shook his large, warm hand. "Nice to meet you."

For the first time in my life, I might have swooned a little. I found Mr. New Business Guy rather good-looking. His short dark hair was slightly curly and provided a stark contrast to his twinkling aqua-blue eyes. He wore a light gray suit with a black tie, and expensive-looking leather shoes on his gigantic feet. I never really had a thing for guys in suits before, but maybe that was because I never knew men who wore suits on a regular basis back home.

And I'd certainly never met any man who looked like this.

"Alice," he said, "I just sent you some changes to my schedule, so just let me know when it's my turn to meet with Bella. Edward, I'll call you this afternoon."

"Good luck, Emmett," Caius said warmly. "Not that you need it."

"I don't," he replied, "but Bella might."

Many people in the room laughed yet again. With a wink and smile at me, Emmett left and jogged down the hall toward the elevator. On top of the rest of his entire... package, dude had the deepest dimples I'd ever seen. Yeah, I was definitely swooning.

"Emmett travels quite a bit," Caius said. "Client meetings and all. He's very good at his job. He brings in plenty of new clients for Edward, our Chief Sales Officer."

He pointed to the attitudinal GQ guy.

"Welcome, Bella," he said in a syrupy sweet tone. "Edward Masen."

"Thanks, Edward," I replied. "Nice to meet you."

"Edward keeps the money coming in," Caius said with a big grin.

They all laughed like this was the funniest thing they'd ever heard. I'd only just arrived, but having common sense, I knew that Emmett needed to bring in new clients first, before any money could come in, but Edward seemed more than happy to accept all the credit and praise for the whole process. I would try to keep an open mind, but my first impression of Edward was not a good one.

"Welcome, Bella," said the woman next to Carlisle. "I'm Esme Platt, Chief Operating Officer."

"Nice to meet you, Esme," I replied. Caius's son was next.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen," he said. "Chief Finance Officer."

"Hi," I replied. "There's so many chiefs around here."

Everyone laughed, some a little too loudly, but I was serious. If all the people in this company could fit in this one room, then why did they need so many Chief of This and Chief of Thats?

"There's one more," Caius said, pointing toward the icy blonde. "Rosalie Hale, Chief Information Officer." She stood and walked toward me.

"Welcome, Bella," she said tightly.

"Nice to meet you," I replied. "Do you prefer Rosalie or Rose?" I asked, recalling how Caius referred to her earlier.

She narrowed her eyes at me a bit before she glanced at Caius and hitched a fake smile on her face. "Rose is fine," she said as she returned to her seat. I had no idea what her problem was, but I knew in time I'd find out whether I wanted to or not.

"Okay, we're running a little long here," Caius said with a clap of his hands. "I think each group should come up and meet Bella, then you can get back to work. Let's start with I.T."

Caius introduced me to the remaining staff one by one; some seemed pleased to meet me while others looked like they wanted me to catch a disease. I learned that Carlisle was indeed Caius's son. Rose and Edward were Caius's niece and nephew; they were cousins, not brother and sister. Esme had been friends with Carlisle since childhood. No wonder they all had such important titles; they were Caius's family.

When all the introductions had been made and people began filtering back to their departments, I had a clearer understanding of the company's structure.

Rose led the most important unit here by nature of the company: the information technology, or I.T., group. While I was pleased to see so many women in her unit, I was not amused by how catty some of them already seemed to be. It was like high school back in Phoenix all over again.

Edward's sales team was probably next on the pecking order. They were a confident bunch, to say the least.

Carlisle headed up finance and accounting. His group seemed the most like a team: unified and professional.

Esme's operations unit was sort of the umbrella over everything else: administration, human resources, marketing, and legal. They were hands down the friendliest group.

I could absolutely see why Jasper had warned me, and why Caius had kept my hiring a secret. Most of my colleagues seemed threatened by the mere sight of me. I could only imagine what they would have done to keep me from getting hired if they'd known Caius's intentions in the first place.

When the last person left, Caius closed the door and motioned for me to sit down. Jasper sat beside me.

"Your thoughts?" Caius asked, barely able to keep from laughing.

"That's quite a group of... special... people," I said.

He looked at Jasper and the two of them clutched their stomachs as they laughed.

"I hope you weren't overwhelmed by meeting everyone all at once like that," Caius said when he settled down.

"It was the best way," Jasper said.

"I didn't want to put the question of hiring you up to a committee, or field a bunch of comments from the chiefs," Caius said.

I looked out into the hallway where the four chiefs - Edward, Rose, Carlisle, and Esme - stood together whispering furiously.

"Don't worry about me," I said. "I can handle whatever they throw at me."

"Interesting choice of words," Jasper said. "They just might throw something."

We laughed together a little more until a thought occurred to me.

"So there's no customer service team?" I asked.

Jasper shook his head and Caius sighed.

"Right now, the sales and I.T. reps are assigned to specific clients," he said. "They handle all questions and concerns for those clients."

"The sales and I.T. people I just met?" I asked incredulously.

"Exactly," Jasper said as he and Caius laughed.

"Okay," I replied, not wanting to verbalize what I was really thinking. I could guess how the arrogant sales and I.T. reps "handled" customer concerns and complaints.

"You just got here, and you see why I needed someone like you," Caius said. "I want your honest opinions and recommendations. I was serious about starting the meetings tomorrow, so today, I'd like you to come up with the questions you want to ask."

"I have all the current job descriptions," Jasper said. "I'll give them to you when we get done here."

"And here I thought you'd cut me some slack on my first day," I said with a grin.

"Sorry," Caius said, smiling broadly. "Around here, we hit the ground running. Jasper's going to give you a tour now, then I'd like to meet with you at 1:30 after you have lunch."

"Sounds good," I said. "Thank you, Caius."

Having essentially been dismissed, Jasper and I stepped outside of the room. The chiefs immediately stopped whispering and stared at me. I thought it best that I say something.

"I look forward to meeting with each one of you," I said. "I'm only here to help."

They seemed stunned that I dared voice an opinion, so I merely turned and followed Jasper as they filed back into the conference room to meet with Caius.

"Quit now or forever hold your peace," Jasper said.

"Nope. You're stuck with me," I replied, chuckling.

"Bella, I think you'll do just fine around here," he said as we walked into a very large kitchen and break room with food and drink machines lining the walls.

"Just fine."


By the end of my first week, I understood exactly why Caius had used the words "tough" and "tenacious" in that Craigslist ad. My coworkers ran the emotional gamut from paranoid, anxious, and sensitive to self-important, obnoxious, and obstinate. Not one person felt secure in his or her job and most of them remained suspicious of me. Wheedling information from them required careful listening, pointed questions, a quick wit, and, all too often, a sharp tongue.

I hadn't completed all of the meetings yet, but the company only comprised about 40 people in total and we worked on the same floor, so I encountered most all of them in day-to-day interaction. As such, I noticed that the teams took on the personalities of their leaders. I'd grouped them in my head accordingly.

Edward's sales group - Team Asshole as I thought of them- included sales representatives Paul, Felix, Tanya, Heidi, and Tyler. Each rep gave off a slick, smarmy vibe as did Edward's annoying assistant, Jessica. The only tolerable members of the sales team, Emmett and his assistant, Seth, behaved nothing like the others.

"I don't blame you for taking this job, Bella," Edward said smugly when it was his turn to meet. "A beautiful woman like yourself was probably very taken with my uncle. There's a reason why he's on his fourth wife, you know. The thing is, yeah, our little ATS family is dysfunctional. So fucking what? Our clients are happy for the most part and that's all that matters."

After that session, I'd added sexual harassment training to my recommendations list.

The nicest people here could primarily be found on Esme's operations team. I thought of them as the Brady Bunch, and not just because Brady was the name of Esme's assistant. From Jasper and Bree in human resources, to Chelsea the receptionist, Peter and Jared from the marketing department, and the legal team of Sam, Charlotte, and Garrett, they tried their hardest to encourage teamwork among the other groups.

"I'm doing the best I can," said Esme nervously when I met with her. "But honestly, I'm a designer, not an executive. Carlisle asked me to design the office. Then, he asked me to help run the admin team. I never left. I haven't been able to leave. It's a nightmare sometimes."

While I understood Esme's position, I found her admission more than a little irritating. All of the chiefs were my age, and I had yet to see where any of the four of them deserved their big-shit titles. I suspected they were earning a ridiculous amount of money too, which was also aggravating though none of my business.

I called Carlisle's finance and accounting team the Grindstone Group. They kept to themselves and did their work. From Kate, Carlisle's mega-organized assistant, to Jake, Carmen, Ben, and Shelly who made up the rest of the group, they were consummate professionals.

"I'm going to offer you some advice," Carlisle said testily as he stood to leave my office after our meeting. "My father is not the caring man he presents himself to be. We asked him to help us get started, not take over the whole company. Bringing you on behind our backs was unnecessary and uncalled for; we would've worked out the issues around here eventually. If he'd undermine his own family, he wouldn't hesitate to do it to you. You'd be wise to watch yourself around him."

I thanked Carlisle for the warning, even if I thought it ridiculous and overdramatic. By all accounts, Caius had funded this whole operation. He was well within his rights to do whatever he felt necessary to make sure he got a return on his investment and then some. Clearly, the chiefs expected Daddy and Uncle Caius to write them a check and wash his hands of their business; he fooled them by taking a more active role and they were livid.

I could barely tolerate Rose's I.T. group, Team Bitchface as I thought of them collectively. The I.T. associates in charge of in-house systems, Jane and Alec, were nasty pieces of work, just foul human beings. Lauren, Rose's assistant, was worst of all; at least Jane and Alec tried to give the appearance of being civil, Lauren didn't even do that.

The remainder of the I.T. associates - Laurent, James, Victoria, Leah, Riley, Demetri, Maria, and Irina - worked on client web projects. They were opinionated, loud, and argumentative but they knew their shit when it came to technology, I'd give them that.

"My job is managing a tech team that keeps this whole place running," Rose said nastily as we met. "And I'm damn good at it. I don't need some stranger from who-knows-where sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong."

After meeting with her, I'd included some recommendations for group anger management in my notes to Caius.

One constant had emerged from all of my meetings and interactions with my coworkers: most everyone liked Emmett. He returned from his sales trip several days after I first met him, and even now, I found myself smiling at the memory of my few interactions with him.

I noticed in passing that people almost always seemed to be repeating something he'd said, laughing at something he'd done, or discussing the new clients he was wooing or had successfully landed. Laughter and levity followed Emmett everywhere. I wanted to get to know him better; I hoped we could become friends.


"You survived your first week," Caius said. "I'm impressed."

"Thank you," I said. "I think it's going well. I really like it here."

"I think we're a little more lively than the funeral home," he quipped. "Pun intended."

I laughed so hard I snorted. "Yes, I think so," I replied as he laughed along with me.

"I love the write-ups you've sent me so far," he said warmly. "Very helpful, and just what I was looking for. I can't wait until you meet with the rest of the team."

"Yes, I'm so looking forward to it," I replied sarcastically.

"I'm glad," he said with a warm chuckle. "You can take off now. Please come back on Monday."

"I promise," I said, laughing again. "Have a good weekend."

I prayed I wouldn't get sucked into long conversation with Alice, Caius's assistant, but she wasn't at her desk. I hurried to my office before she could catch me. I really liked Alice and I could tell we'd probably grow to become good friends, but that woman loved to talk and I wanted to hurry home and celebrate my first week by crawling into bed with a good book.

Back in my office, I shut down my computers, locked up my notes, and gathered up my belongings. I couldn't help the smile on my face, a result of Caius appreciating my work. I'd put a lot of time into the reports I'd given him thus far and his praise meant a lot to me.

I'd just grabbed my purse when the phone in my office rang. I didn't want to answer, but curiosity got the better of me.

"Bella Swan, Aro Technology Solutions. How can I help you?"

"So professional," Angie said as she chuckled into the phone. "I'm impressed."

Smiling, I sat back down.

"What do you want?" I asked. "I'm on my way home now."

"Why did they spell Aro like that in the company name?" she asked, completely ignoring my question. She must have used my business card to call me. I had no idea why I needed them, but Jasper gave me a stack of them yesterday and I'd given one to Angie.

"Because it's not 'arrow' like bow and arrow," I replied. "Aro is a person. He was my boss's father, and the grandfather of three of the chiefs. They named the company after him."

"Interesting," she said. "Listen, do you wanna go to the movies tonight? My treat. I thought I'd ask you before you got home and locked yourself in your room with a book."

"You're a very wise woman because that's exactly what I planned to do," I replied as I smiled. "After a hot bubble bath, of course."

"Of course," said a deep voice filled with mirth that was not Angie's.

I looked up, startled to find Emmett, standing in my doorway with a huge smirk.

"So do you want to?" Angie asked.

"Sure," I replied, unable to look away from Emmett.

"Okay," she said. "See ya soon."

I ended the call and stared at Emmett who stared back at me. "Did you need something?" I asked eventually.

"No," he replied, still smirking, as he continued to stand there and stare. "I just can't figure it out."

"Figure what out?" I asked, unable to stop smiling myself.

"Whether you're crazy or just bad-ass," he replied as I cackled.

"You gotta be one or the other to still be here after a week with these jackasses. I don't even have to work with all of them, but you do. That takes... I don't know what it takes. "

"Well, New Business, you can stand here and try to figure it out," I said as I picked up my purse and keys. "I'm outta here."

Still smirking, he stepped out of the room and watched as I locked the door.

"Think I'm gonna go with bad-ass," he said when I turned to leave. "Definitely bad-ass."

I couldn't help but grin stupidly at him as I made my way down the hall. What a perfect way to end my first week at ATS.


By the end of week two, I'd completed my assessment meetings with all of my colleagues, except for two: Emmett and Lauren. Rose's assistant sat before me now and I'd given up trying to be nice. I just wanted her out of here.

"I don't see how you're qualified to be doing performance reviews," said Lauren. "That's HR's job."

"This is an evaluation of job responsibilities, not a performance review," I said. "And if you'd answered the questions I sent you in the e-mail, we'd be done by now."

To minimize the time I'd "waste" out of everyone's day, I'd sent e-mails to them all prior to our meetings, asking them to describe what they did in the normal course of a day in as much detail as possible. The responses so far had been telling to say the least: some people took the time and thought to really give an in-depth analysis of their duties, while a few others, like Lauren, had given me nothing to work with at all.

"I'm swamped," she snapped. "I manage Rose's schedule, and she's very busy. And I have to do all the admin stuff for the whole I.T. team. Maybe I didn't have time to fill out your little twenty-questions game."

"That's exactly why we're here," I said calmly. "Caius wants to find out where we need more help. Sounds like you could use some."

"I do a great job," she shouted. "Not many people could handle everything I do."

"So, you couldn't use an assistant of your own, to handle the little things that take up your time: answering phones, responding to routine e-mails, setting up conference rooms?"

I couldn't help but smirk because I knew I had her. Lauren needed more help than anyone I'd talked with so far. However, in her mind, admitting that would betray Rose who should have gotten help for her a long time ago.

"Then, you could focus on the more important tasks like making presentations and putting together reports for Rose and the team," I said. "Are you telling me you don't need help?"

"That's not what I said at all," she said after a few moments. "Don't go twisting my words around."

I chuckled to myself, but the tone of our meeting improved considerably then; in less than half an hour, I was able to get Lauren and all her attitude on her way.

As I typed up my notes from the session with Lauren, a sharp rap on the door drew my attention.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked a grinning Emmett.

"Here for my turn," he replied with a wiggle of his eyebrows. I raised an eyebrow at the him in return. He just laughed and sat down in the chair in front of my desk, draping one of his long legs over a taut thigh. Not that I was staring at his body or anything.

"Have a seat why don't you," I said.

He smiled a huge dimple-showing grin.

"How'd you hear about this job anyway?" he asked. "I didn't know they were looking for a writer."

"Excuse you," I said. "I ask the questions around here."

"My apologies, Ms. Bad-Ass," he replied as I cackled.

"I saw the ad on Craigslist," I said when I stopped laughing.

"I've never known them to put ads on Craigslist," he said seriously.

"I think that's why Caius put it there," I replied. "It was very cryptic too. Didn't mention the company by name until I replied."

He stared at me for a bit before he spoke. "Big C made a point of keeping you a secret from his fam. There's gotta be a reason for that, don't ya think?"

"I've wondered about that too."

"Why do you think he did that?"

"I have no idea," I said. "I'm just happy to have a job."

"I hear that," he said with a dark chuckle. "All jokes aside, how do you like it so far?"

It took a moment for me to collect myself because his deep blue eyes intensified, disarming me completely.

"So far, I'm loving the challenge," I said after I looked down at my desk to break away from his gaze. "It's way more interesting than my last job."

"Which was?"

"Office manager at a funeral home back in Phoenix," I replied.

"There's so much material for me to work with in that one statement," he said as I laughed again.

"At first, I didn't understand what Caius saw in me that made him pick me," I said. "But now I kind of do. I made the website for the funeral home. It was pretty basic, but I did all the staff bios and wrote all the content for it and did all the graphics."

"Sounds like he should have hired you for the tech team," Emmett said.

"Uh, no," I said as I chuckled. "I know enough to know that I need to know a lot more, but I knew more about all that stuff than anyone at my job, so it all fell to me."

He nodded, never breaking his gaze, but didn't speak. I had to literally shut my eyes to collect my thoughts. I noticed that around Emmett, my thoughts strayed easily.

"Um, yeah, so," I stammered as he grinned. "A few years ago, the owner's daughter took over and I had to write up all the procedures and processes. That part was really similar to what I'm doing here."

"I'm sure that's not the only reason you were chosen," he said seriously. "You're tough, I can tell. I'm sure Caius could too."

I didn't know what to say to that and it was getting kind of hot in the office with the intense way he kept looking at me, so I changed the subject.

"Could I ask you something since you're clearly not interested in talking to me about your job duties yet?"

He guffawed. "Shoot."

"What exactly does this company do? I've been learning about the individual jobs, but I can't get a real handle on what the company in general does."

I meant that too. Caius wanted me to come up with a mission statement for the company, and I couldn't even figure out what the hell they really did.

"Basically, companies hire us to position themselves online," he said. "We evaluate their web presence, their websites, if they even have them, and talk to them about maximizing their business through the internet. A lot of companies are completely clueless about it all. You wouldn't think so, but I see it every day."

I had no time to respond because I was furiously typing up his fuck-awesome explanation.

"Who would've thought you'd actually know what you're talking about?" I remarked when I finished typing. Again, he cracked up laughing before he continued.

"Like for your funeral home," he said. "You got them started with the website. But there's so much more they could do, if they were interested in increasing business online. I go out and show prospectives what we can do. Then, if they sign on with us, the sales team works out the specifics of what they need and the pricing. They close the deal, then the I.T. group implements the terms of the agreement."

"Thank you," I said when I finished typing. "I've been here two weeks and not one person has been able to give me a straight answer on that."

"That's why you're here I guess," he said flippantly. "To put it all in writing."

"Could I ask you something else?"

"You already are," he said, flashing those dimples again.

"Did you always want to work in business? I know I don't know you, but you seem like this lively, free-wheeling guy. You seem almost... confined... in an office. You look the part, of course, but in my head, I see you in sweats, working out somewhere. You in a suit seems... off."

What in the hell possessed me to ask him that was a mystery to me, but I'd said it now and I was curious about his answer.

He cocked his head to the side and grinned. "Not really a question that relates to my job responsibilities, now is it, Miss Swan?"

"No, and I'm sorry," I replied. "It's just something I've been wondering about since I met you."

"So, I've been on your mind is what you're saying?" Again, he grinned. I had to clean up my word vomit.

"Yes, you have. Everyone I talk to mentions you at some point," I said, pleased with my quick recovery. "You're very well regarded around here. I've wondered why that is. Having met you, I can't really see what all the fuss is about."

He threw back his head and laughed deeply. The sound traveled through my entire body, and I felt myself growing warm. What was this guy doing to me?

"Sorry I haven't made more of an impression on you," he said with a huge smirk. I grinned back at him.

"People have always looked at me and said, 'Dumb jock'," he replied in a much more serious tone. "They didn't always say it to my face, but I could tell by their looks and how they treated me. I guess I like using my brain instead of this pretty face and great body to make my way through life."

"Good answer," I said as I laughed.

Further conversation was halted by Rose who knocked once before brazenly stepping into my office.

"Hey, Em," she said without a glance in my direction. "Didn't know you were back."

"Just got in," he replied with a quick look to her. "I'll stop by."

"Do," she said before looking up at me and giving me a tight smile.

Even after I shut and locked the door and started questioning Emmett about his job, Rose lingered outside in the lobby staring at him longingly. Seemed that the Ice Princess wanted her some New Business. I wondered if they had a past or if she just wanted them to have a future. Either way, it was certainly none of my business. I couldn't be anything more than friends with him. We worked together, and I couldn't afford to become involved in any sort of office shenanigans, no matter how much I might want to. And though it pained me to admit it, I could see myself wanting something more with New Business.


My meeting with Emmett lasted the rest of the afternoon, and as much as I enjoyed talking with him, I'd been thrilled to leave work and come home to unwind. Last Saturday, I drove to Forks to visit my dad, Charlie. I stayed with him until Monday morning, then drove straight to work from his place. The entire week had been busy and mentally taxing; I'd fallen into bed exhausted each night. This weekend, I vowed to relax, and by relax I meant reading some new books.

I'd just showered and climbed into bed, book in hand, when my phone rang.

"We miss you, baby," my mom, Renée, said through the phone. "It's too quiet around here with you gone."

"Yeah, because I made so much noise," I said as she laughed. I was a comparative churchmouse next to my boisterous mother.

"How's the job?" she asked. "It must be good; you haven't complained about it once."

"It is," I said. "I feel really lucky to have it. So far, so good."

"Any hot guys?" she asked.

"How old are you? Twelve?" I asked as she howled with laughter. "Seriously though, everybody in that place is abnormally attractive. Like it's in the job description or something."

And in my opinion, New Business topped the ATS Hot List, but my mother didn't need to know that information.

"I'll take that as a yes," she replied, still chuckling. "How was Charlie when you saw him?"

"Good. I'm glad he's dating Sue. He seems a little happier."

"If grumpy old Charlie can find someone, there's hope for you yet," she said.

"Ouch," I replied. "I do have feelings, you know."

"You moving there happened for a reason," she said. "Your prince will come a lot sooner than you think. I can feel it."

"At this point, I'd settle for the court jester," I replied. Again, she laughed.

I talked with my crazy mom for quite a while until I cut the call short when I started to fall asleep.

Before I nodded off completely, I took a moment to reflect on the current state of my life. This tended to happen after my chats with Renée, which always left me in soul-searching mode.

I moved to Seattle a little over a month ago and I didn't regret my decision at all. I agreed with my mom: the move happened for a reason. At 28, I needed to start thinking about the future and I felt good here, I felt "right." For the first time as an adult, I truly felt excited about life. I hadn't spoken with Eric yet, but I owed him a great deal. His pursuit of higher education gave me a chance at a better overall life.


A/N: Hope you enjoyed Chapter 1. I'm going to try to post weekly; we'll see how that goes lol.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think!