Relentless [Now on Radish Fiction}

Chapter 1

The young man of medium height, dressed in a smart gray suit, flicked his bloodshot eyes up when the elevator doors slid open. He looked mildly annoyed at the two women who came through. Suddenly, his disinterested gaze sharpened when his eyes roamed past the short, stout woman in a mustard yellow cardigan, to the younger woman in a black skirt suit. He stood up straight and puffed out his chest as he adjusted his blue silk tie.

The older woman, with a plastic coffee stirrer clamped between her teeth, used the manila folder in her hand to give him a half-wave. "Good morning Keith. Getting out?"

" 'Morning, Christine." Keith, his hazel eyes glued on the younger woman, replied in that tone that bordered on sarcasm. "Naw. They're going through my files, so I thought I'd ride the elevator for a bit while they."

Christine shook her head. That brown plastic straw between her teeth waved up and down.

"Looking for contraband huh?"

Keith smirked. "It does feel like we're in prison sometimes, doesn't it."

When the box started moving, it almost knocked the distracted Keith off balance. Face flushed, he glanced at the silent younger woman standing on the other side of Christine. His eyes made a slow perusal down that ill-fitted black blazer and pencil skirt to scuffed black pumps. This was the correct uniform for every newly minted graduate on the very first day of their very first job. Her dark hair scraped back into a tight ponytail, was intended to make her appear severe. But her face — her exquisite face— gave off a dewy glow. Yes, she was beautiful. Large, smokey gray eyes, pert nose, and luscious pink lips. He was quick to note that her ill-fitted clothes hid a very toned figure.

Christine was speaking to her. "Don't worry about memorizing everything. It's all in the handbook. And regarding Gabe's office, I guess you might be called to cover his desk if his other three assistants aren't available. Maybe that's why he asked to see you."

The younger woman glanced down at a notebook, all business. "And that's a separate billing code?" Her first words, feminine and lyrical, filled that small space.

Christine nodded. "We share the B&B name and offices with the holding company, but we operate independently of them. It can get pretty confusing even for me."

The young woman scribbled a few words into her notebook.

Christine looked self-satisfied as she gave the straw still clamped between her teeth a tug. "Of course, we still get the occasional call about Trisha Earhart. You know, from Endless Roads? Did you watch that show?"

"Oh yes! My college roommate and I —"

"Tabloids will try anything, use any tactic including going through the dumpsters out back. Oh yeah! That actually happened a few times. You're to tell anyone who asks we don't comment on Gabe's personal life no matter what they say to you."

"Wait!" Keith roused himself from his daydream. "You're going up to see Gabe? Now?"

Christine turned toward Keith and muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "For some reason, he wants to meet the new office assistant."

"Oh, I can think of a few reasons," he smirked in response.

She gave him a doubtful look. "He wouldn't."

While Keith gave Christine a meaningful look, the younger woman remained silent, staring straight ahead. If she heard their mutterings, she gave no sign of it.

"Why does she look so familiar?" Keith thought to himself. Realizing that he was gawking, he reached around Christine with his right hand. "I'm Keith, by the way. I'm over in research. My desk is in the cubicle farm across from yours."