The Boss Project by Vi Keeland

“Are you sure I’m the one who’s twenty-nine?” I asked.

“Age is just a number, my dear. What are you doing for excitement lately?”

“Well, I did cross against the light the other day.”

Kitty tsked. “Child, you need to rejoin the world. I know that moron ex of yours threw you for a loop, but there’s a big world out there just waiting to make you smile. Take what today has to offer. Don’t dwell on what yesterday has taken away.”

I sighed. “I know. You’re right. It’s just… I’m not sure how to start fresh again. It’s like I’m weighed down with so much resentment, I’m struggling to keep my head above water.”

“Well, that’s a problem. But there’s a simple solution.”

“There is?”

“Mmm-hmmm. You need to make a decision to be happy and let it guide your future. Then make a left instead of a right, zig instead of zag. Sometimes that’s the only way to find a new path.”

“How do I do that?”

“You do the opposite of what you would normally do. I don’t mean you say yes to a date with a guy who just got out of prison for murder. Or you dive into a pool without water. Because those are just dumb. But if a handsome, sixty-eight-year-old man asks you to go ziplining? Go for it. Your life course has been changed, and you’re never going to find out where you should go next by sitting home. Believe it can happen, and it will. Take some chances.”

The idea sounded good, though I felt more stuck in place than stuck deliberating over turning one way or the other. But Kitty was trying to help, so I didn’t want her to feel bad. “Thanks, Kitty. You’re right. I’ll give it a try.”

“That’s my girl. Now, what’s new on the job front? Did you get the job with my grandson?”

“I did, actually. Though I haven’t accepted it yet. I’m not sure I’m the right person for the position.”

“Do you have any other prospects?”

I frowned. “No, I don’t.”

“Welp. You do what you want, but I think maybe your first opportunity to zag instead of zig is staring you in the face.”

She had a point... But I still wasn’t sure.

After we hung up, I sat in the living room for a little while. Greer and her husband were out to dinner with some friends, so the apartment was quiet. I pondered what Kitty had said—not so much her suggestion about zigging and zagging, but about what I might tell a patient who was struggling with change. I would tell them to focus on the opportunities, not the loss. And isn’t that what the job at Kitty’s grandson’s firm was? An opportunity? One I believed I could excel at. So why was I struggling to make this decision so much? It all came down to one thing…or one man, that is: Merrick Crawford. He was a challenge. Could I rise to conquer The Boss Project?

I chewed on my lip as I opened my laptop. I had to give Joan Davis an answer one way or another, and staring at the screen wasn’t going to help bring about the clarity I was searching for. Yet I spent another twenty minutes doing it anyway. Then I opened my email, took a deep breath, and decided to zag instead of zig.





CHAPTER 6

Evie



A week later, I arrived at my new office with a belly full of first-day jitters.

Was the building this tall when I came for my interviews?

I stood at the front entrance, staring up at the skyscraper, feeling as tiny as an ant. It was still dark, but as the old saying goes, New York never sleeps, so the block was almost as lit up as it would be midday. People in suits were already rushing all around me, even though it was a little before six AM.

I’d wanted to be early, but now that I was here, maybe this was a smidge too early. I debated going back to the coffee shop where I’d stopped for my caffeine fix on the way from the train. Perhaps I could sit at the table and watch some TikToks to pass the time until seven, but then a man jogged past me. I didn’t give it much thought until he stopped a few paces later and backed up.

“Evie?”

I blinked. “Merrick?”

He plucked an earbud from one ear and looked me up and down. “Are you coming to work this early?”

“Ummm… Yeah, I thought it would be good to get an early start.”

My new boss looked at his watch. “It’s five fifty.”

“I guess I was a little overeager.”

He smiled. Damn, he really was good looking. I’d always had a weakness for a man who wore a suit well, but today he was dressed in running gear—black shorts and a body-hugging, long-sleeved Under Armour shirt. His forehead was damp with sweat, and his thick neck glistened in the overhead lights.

“The office doesn’t open until seven.”

“Oh. I’ll just go get some coffee or something.”

Merrick eyed the large cup in my hand. “Why don’t I show you where your office is, and you can get situated.”

“Oh, no. That’s okay. I don’t want to interrupt your run.”

“It was my last lap, anyway.” He tilted his head toward the door. “Come on.”

In the lobby, Merrick stopped at the security desk.

“Hey, Joe. This is Evie Vaughn. Dr. Everly Vaughn.” He turned to me and winked. “I’m sure HR will be sending down the paperwork to get her building cards later today. Just figured I’d introduce you and tell you not to forget the Doctor part before her name.”