Free Beyond Ruin by Crystal Cierlak Page B

up and nodded, lips pursed together. "If it's anything like the contract they had with Brighton, then I imagine Graham Martin is shitting in his golf shorts right about now."
    Natalie hadn't thought about Graham Martin since the day he essentially offered to save her job if she made sure James wouldn't pull his account from Brighton New Media. Once again Brighton looked to be the biggest loser in the failed relationship of Natalie Harlow and James Fitzgerald.
    "That good, huh?" she mused between sips of water.
    "Natalie how did you manage Fitson and all of your other accounts while at Brighton?" Joe asked.
    She shrugged. "I had a large team helping me at Brighton."
    "We're going to need more than just a few interns to handle all of this new work," Joe sighed, mostly to himself. "We'll also need someone experienced to come in and handle accounts receivable," he said as he looked up at Natalie. "And we should have at least one other account manager." He looked up at the sound of the landline ringing, and moved to answer it.
    "Do we have a job description we can push out across our social media today? We could probably get a few applications before Monday, which would help start the process."
    "I have a template version in our internal docs here," Quinn responded, setting to work on her laptop. “Though if you really want to get the word out I know there are a few former and current Brighton employees who would probably be interested."
    Natalie nodded. "Sure. But let's keep Fitson on the down-low for now. I don't want any rumors circulating that we're poaching Brighton clients or talent. We can start figuring out how we're going to expand when I get back from lunch," she said as she checked the time display on her phone.
    "Who was that?" Quinn asked when Joe returned to the kitchen island with an ashen look of surprise on his face.
    "Uh, that was Scott downstairs at the front desk." He looked to Natalie. "James Fitzgerald just pulled up to valet in a white Bugatti Veyron."
    Natalie and Quinn exchanged looks, each of them gasping audibly in tandem. As if on cue the doorbell rang, and Natalie found her legs were shaking as she walked to the front door. She didn't even bother checking the peep hole.
    James Fitzgerald looked casual in a white cotton tee shirt that Natalie knew from experience was the $300 designer version, and a pair of jeans in the perfect shade of dark rinse. He looked, as always, like the world's most sought after male model.
    "Good morning," he greeted with a smile before leaning in to kiss her cheek. In her equally expensive footwear she was nearly as tall as him, a fact that, for some reason, delighted her.
    "You didn't really come pick me up for the world's earliest lunch in a white Bugatti Veyron, did you?" were the first words out of her mouth. She'd joked in the past about wanting one, but knew there was no way in hell he'd actually buy her one.
    "I only said I'd pick you up at this time, not that we'd be eating right away."
    Curiosity got the better of her. "Where are we going?"
    "You'll see," he said, his eyes glimmering, his lips curled into a charming smile. "Ready to go?"
     
     
     
    Heads turned. People stared. From the moment they stepped out of the building they had the attention of every single person they came across. On the freeway people moved out of their way and slowed down just to see what was arguably the world's sexiest supercar driving past.
    "You're pretty quiet over there," James mused as he expediently transitioned onto the 101. ' Over there ' was an understatement. The vehicle's interior was like being in a spaceship, and Natalie never felt more comfortable hugged in the supple leather of her seat. But it was small, small enough to imbue her senses with the scent of his cologne and freshly washed hair.
    "I'm debating how impolite it would be to ask if this is a rental or if you actually bought this Bugatti Veyron." Natalie side glanced at James, admiring how utterly relaxed and cool