Roll Against Regret (3d20) (10 page)
Read Roll Against Regret (3d20) Online
Authors: Allyson Lindt
“What?” Mr. Oliver laughed. “I’m sorry. I should have been clearer. After looking at this, I realized there was a terrible mistake made yesterday. More than one. I want you to come work for me, as an auditor.”
My eyes widened, and my jaw moved up and down, no sound coming out. I found my voice. “I’m, um…” Too bad I hadn’t found my brainpower to go with it. I gathered my thoughts. “I appreciate the consideration, but there’s a bit of bad blood between me and my former employer.”
“I understand, and I really am sorry about that. We have policies, and they keep us from making a lot of mistakes, but something may slip through the cracks.” His tone had relaxed. He almost sounded friendly. “Which is why we need more people with an eye like yours.”
“I… didn’t do this alone.” I didn’t want to admit that. I hope he didn’t make me give up names.
“I see. And I assumed. You spotted the original error, though?”
“Ryan—one of the other data analysts—told me something looked off. I figured out what it was and asked for another set of eyes to confirm it.” I could mention Ryan; they already knew he’d touched these files.
“That’s fine. None of us operates in a bubble, otherwise the system fails. I’m prepared to offer more than you were making before, not a lot, but this department does operate on a higher pay-scale. Do you have an hour today, to stop by and meet with me? I’m sure we can work something out.”
“Well…” I dragged out the word. Did I really want this opportunity? I was pissed they’d fired me, but I’d also never left before because, until yesterday, Kitner was the only thing I hated about the job. “I’m not working today, so I guess I can find time.”
“Excellent.” He sounded pleased. “Stop by around one and ask reception for me, and we’ll see what we can do for you.”
In comparison to that morning, the next few hours raced by and at the same time felt like they took forever to pass. I dressed in one of my nicer suits—though I was tempted to walk in wearing casual clothes, just to see how badly they really wanted me back—and paced my living room. I sent Jackson a text and a second to Carter, letting them know I had an interview. It felt natural to fill them both in. I left out the who details, though, wanting to get the meeting over with before I got their hopes up.
When I pulled into the parking lot, a police car sat in one of the front spots. Someone must have a friend or something who was a cop. Maybe they’d gone to lunch together. The logical scenario didn’t stop me from hoping they were there for Kitner. To deal with him now that they had enough evidence. I stepped through the front doors, and a cacophony assaulted me. People lingered chattering by the elevators, the front desk, and the waiting room couches.
I got the attention of the girl working reception. I wanted to ask for details, but in my nervous anticipation didn’t know if I could handle gossip right now. “I’m here for Greg Oliver.”
She glanced at me for the briefest moment, gaze not quite focusing. “Right.” She nodded at a conference room behind her. “He’s in there. Said you can go right in.”
The chatter died in an instant, and my ears rang with the sudden silence. I whirled to see what was going on, and shock poured through me. Two policemen led Mark Kitner toward the front door, hands cuffed behind his back.
“Wow.” The soft word slipped past my lips. I’d meant to think that.
“Right? Anyway. Mr. Oliver is waiting for you.”
And he was. He stood when I poked my head into the conference room, and shook my hand when I entered. “I’m so glad you agreed to meet with me. I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said.
“No, it’s okay.” The smug satisfaction I expected wasn’t there. Instead, I felt pity for the man who had let pettiness and greed drive him that way.
“Have a seat.” Mr. Oliver nodded to a chair near his paperwork.
We spent the next half hour or so going over benefits—some of it things I already knew and others meant to win me back and make sure I knew how sorry they were for their mistake. Greg—as he insisted I call him—made sure I knew that.
I thought I’d have doubts about signing the offer, but it felt right. I shook his hand and wandered out the front door after agreeing I’d start on Monday. That meant I had the rest of the afternoon free. I sent Carter another text.
Downstairs, outside. You have a minute?
He didn’t respond. I lingered near the entrance. How long should I wait?
“Hey, gorgeous.” Carter’s familiar voice made me smile. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and more of my concern about how we’d all fit together evaporated. If we could keep this up, we’d be fine. “You missed the fun earlier,” he said.
“No, I didn’t.” I filled him in on the insane happenings of the morning.
“That’s incredible.” He gave me a quick kiss. “Congratulations. You earned it.”
“With your help. Both of you.”
“That’s the way it works now. Right?” He grinned. “We do everything together?”
“Not everything.” I dragged out the word in a teasing tone.
“Zoe?”
I whirled, leaving Carter behind me, to find Ryan, watching us. “You two are…? Never would have guessed,” Ryan said.
“We weren’t.” Carter draped his arms over my shoulders and clasped his fingers together, resting his hands on my breastbone.
“So what about… I mean, I thought your guy had blond hair?”
“The other one does,” I said. “And I’ll clarify that for anyone who thinks otherwise.”
Ryan shook his head and reached for the door. “You’re a stronger person than I am. I hope that works out for you.”
I wasn’t worried about it.
Carter nuzzled my hair. “What was that about?”
“Some well-timed advice.” I leaned back into him. “You need to get back to work.”
His exaggerated sigh vibrated against my back. “But it’s so pretty out here. Gorgeous view.”
“It’s missing something.” I spun to face him and brushed my lips over his. “But it’s not bad. I’ll see you both tonight.”
As he headed back inside, a huge sense of relief settled in my bones. Life was only going to get more interesting now, and I was looking forward to every minute of it.
THE END
~*~If this is your first 3d20 book, and you want to see how Ryan, Tasha, and Seth ended up together, don’t forget to check out
Roll Against Trust
~*~
Please help this author's career by posting an honest review wherever you purchased this book.
Roll Against Trust
(3d20 Book 1)
The line between fantasy and reality blurs when a late night gaming session goes from playful to smoldering.
Tasha’s not looking for love, but she doesn’t mind just looking… and maybe a little fantasizing. Her two best friends and weekend AD& D buddies, Seth and Ryan, are the perfect guest stars in her fantasies. When a late night gaming session with the three goes from silly to verbally scorching in an instant, Tasha wonders if her imagination is enough to keep her satisfied long term.
Then her ex’s money mismanagement catches up to her in the form of draining her bank account, her job is threatened by a mistake that points to Ryan, and Seth takes his side. If Tasha can’t move past her trust issues long enough to uncover the truth—both with herself and the men she’s falling for—she’ll wind up broken-hearted and just plain broke.
What happens in Vegas… Can break hearts and destroy careers.
Years ago, heartbreak corrupted Jared Tippins’s outlook on love. He spun the betrayal into a rapid climb up the corporate ladder, and swore off any relationship with a morning after. Luckily, the playful siren who rescues him from singing a duet alone in a karaoke bar doesn’t want anything long term. If only he could stop fantasizing about ways to make her moan. Sure, she could’ve mentioned he works for the competition. At least she’s not behind the security concerns that have plagued his company for almost six months.
If she were, he’d be screwed on a whole new level.
Mikki Elford is determined to have the fun she missed out on when she fast-tracked her way through college. But school had its upside, too. She’s qualified to legally hack corporate networks. Best job ever. She also gained an appreciation for the legends in computing — Gates, Jobs, and Tippins. When she meets Jared Tippins and realizes he’s sexy and fluent in programming languages older than she is, no consequence will dissuade her from an impromptu fling. Fortunately, he doesn’t mind that six months ago she compromised his network to land her job.
Oh, crap! He doesn't know.
Marley’s already lost one job thanks to a boss who couldn't keep his hands to himself. She's not about to give up her new position just because she can't stop drooling over her sexy manager. As long as she remembers to keep the fantasies to herself, everything will be fine. And that shouldn't be too hard, right?
Eli’s spent eternity thwarting the same family curse that granted his brother, Loki, ever-lasting fame. Eli kind of got screwed in that one. His plan to stay single and detached has worked for several millennia. And then he meets Marley. She's making him abandon all his resolutions, except the one that never lets him forget the curse. Falling for her means her death, and he won’t let that happen.
Allyson Lindt is a full-time geek and a fuller-time contemporary romance author. She prefers that her geeky heroes come with the alpha expansion pack and adores a heroine who can hold her own in a boardroom. She loves a sexy happily-ever-after and helping deserving cubicle dwellers find their futures together.
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