Page 85 of Too Good to Be True

“Right now.”

“Oh. I’m supposed to train Nick this morning.”

“He’s part of the meeting. He’s already waiting in my office.”

Uh-oh. Having her boss call an impromptu meeting was like being called down to the principal’s office as a kid. It had only happened to her a couple of times, and for innocent reasons, like her mom dropping off her lunch, but it still evoked the same unsettling reaction.

Convincing herself that she had nothing to worry about, she followed Fran out the door and down the hall to her office.

Nick smiled at her when they walked in. “Hey,” he said.

“Good morning,” she replied, using her business voice. She thought his greeting had sounded too familiar, and she hoped Fran hadn’t noticed.

She sat beside him, but the chairs were angled in such a way that their knees almost touched. She scooted the chair a couple inches away to put a more respectable distance between them. Not that it mattered, since she still smelled his cologne and felt his gaze burning into her.

Don’t look at him, she told herself as Fran began speaking.

“I’ll get right to the point. Are you ready to give up my nephew yet?”

Stacy’s eyes widened to mammoth proportions, and Nick chuckled.

“Um…”

“I’m referring to his training, of course. Do you think he’s ready to graduate?”

Stacy could have kicked herself for thinking this meeting was about anything other than business. “Oh. Yes. He’s ready.”

“Great, because the assistant manager of IT just gave his notice, and I’d like Nick to take his place.”

This was the first Stacy had heard of it, and she felt both happy for Nick and disappointed he’d no longer be her student. On the other hand, it would probably be easier for them this way.

“That’s great,” she said, turning toward him and smiling.

He smiled back. “I’m pretty happy about it.”

“I wanted to talk to you first before I tell Eric,” Fran said.

Hearing Eric’s name reminded Stacy of their almost date. She hadn’t seen him yet today, but she’d have to speak with him soon regarding the training he’d requested. How ironic that Eric and Nick would be working together. Hopefully, no bad feelings would erupt between them.

“Knock, knock. Did someone just say my name?”

Stacy hadn’t realized the door was open until she heard Eric’s voice.

“Yes. Come on in,” Fran said, unfazed by the interruption.

Nick started to get up, presumably to offer Eric his chair, but Eric waved him back down. “That’s okay. I’ll stand.”

Eric leaned against the wall closest to Stacy’s chair, and she caught eyes with him. He gave her a brief nod and then turned his attention to Fran.

“Nick is going to be joining IT,” Fran said without preamble.

“Oh, yeah? In what capacity?”

“He’s taking over as assistant manager.”

Stacy ventured a glance at Eric as Fran continued talking. He had a reputation as one of the most gregarious guys in the office, and certainly in his department. However, it was clear to her that he wasn’t pleased with the news. As happy as she was for Nick, she felt bad for Eric since he’d probably expected the position to go to him.

“I’ve already cleared this with Mark, and he said you’d be the one bringing Nick up to speed. Stacy just confirmed that he completed the basic training, so now you can take over.”