Chapter Three

Tally needed to stop thinking about it or she will look even worse by the time she got back to the office. Tally couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever find solace amidst the shattered fragments of her heart. What was she going to do after work?

She could book herself into a hotel for a few nights at least or stay at the apartment in the office building where she worked. Ryan had told her to stay there before, after working late on projects in the past. She just had never taken him up on it. For one thing, she only lived fifteen minutes away and for another, Blake had never liked Ryan. Staying at the office would have caused a fight she didn’t want to endure.

Blake and Ryan had met at last year’s Christmas party. It had been like two fighters sizing each other up before a fight. She found it ridiculous. Perhaps that’s how alpha males behaved. She had seen her father size men up when she had lived at home. 

She knew Ryan wasn’t in competition with Blake. One reason they hired her as his secretary was because she was in a relationship. At that time, it had not been said to her. The feeling arose from a few office comments. About it was lucky that she had been engaged.

Ryan was a very attractive, successful man in his early 30s. Tally had found out over the last year that Ryan had some trouble with previous secretaries keeping their mind on the job and their hands to themselves. It hadn’t been the only reason they had moved her within the company to work for Ryan. She was also very good at her job. Ryan didn’t suffer fools lightly and was very demanding as a boss. On his bad days, she would occasionally mutter “asshole” under her breath.

Overall, she found he liked to keep his work and private life very separate. Unfortunately for him, some women he dated just didn’t get that. Turning up at the office or calling the office line when they could not reach him at a moment’s notice. Tally blamed it on the type of woman he dated. If only he selected a woman interested in her career rather than just her appearance. He may endure a bit longer with them than just a few months. Tally always handled the aftermath of his breakups.

The cab pulled up outside her office. She looked up at the building. She had been glad of her silent pondering of her bosses love life or lack thereof, because it took her mind off her own problems. Taking a deep breath, Tally paid the cab driver and exited the cab. 

Her phone was on vibrate and she had heard it ring at least a dozen times on the brief trip. Pulling it out, Tally saw that Blake had called multiple times and sent text messages. She ignored everything from Blake, but opened the text message from Ryan. 

“Where the fuck are you?” Short and to the point, that was her boss. Tally didn’t reply. She would head to his office momentarily.

Quickly, she entered the building, heading straight to the restrooms in the lobby. Before going back upstairs, Tally simply needed a moment. She preferred not to be seen in this state. She didn’t want to be pitied. 

Tally put her bag on the vanity in the bathroom, pulling out her always present makeup case. Before she looked in the mirror. She didn’t look that bad. Holding it together at the house had been difficult, but growing up, she had always made sure not to show her father any weakness.

Tally was sure that once it had all sunk in, the floodgates would open. Fixing her makeup quickly, Tally saw her blue eyes still looked a little watery. Fixing her chocolate colored hair was just a matter of patting the fly aways down. Plastering a smile on her face, she exited the restroom. 

Taking the lift to her floor as she passed reception, Holly leaned over the counter to say, “Ryan is on a warpath! Is everything ok?” 

Tally just nodded her head as she headed to their corner offices. Tally didn’t gossip with the other staff. Taking a deep breath, she entered her outer office and stored her handbag and headed into the lion’s den. Knocking on his open door, she walked in without waiting for him to invite her to do so. She knew his calender. Ryan didn’t have any meetings now.

As she walked through his door, he turned away from his position by the windows that surrounded his office. The sight of him always took her breath away, despite his reputation as a ladies’ man.

To be fair, he was honest with women, clarifying from the start that he wasn’t seeking commitment. Unlike her dickhead ex-fiancé, he only dated one woman at a time. It was one thing he had going for him. The person most knowledgeable about his dating habits would be her.

However, his lack of interest and short-lived relationships were his own problem. But his attractiveness was undeniable, drawing women to him and making it hard for them to say no.

Furthermore, many women were drawn to assholes, and Ryan fit that description perfectly. He exuded arrogance and demanded attention, putting everything before the current woman in his life. There was an aura of power and security around him that made women feel like his personal slaves.

Regularly appearing in the society pages, he attracted a different type of woman as well. Women that wanted a ladder to climb, they saw Ryan as the perfect stepping stone. If they couldn’t capture his heart, then someone in his social circle would do. The camera loved him, with his thick, almost black hair and amber eyes. He cut a fine figure in his custom-made suits with his imposing height of 6.3.

His muscles didn’t come from working out in a gym. Ryan had a personal trainer come into the office 4 times a week. Unless he was traveling, Ryan always scheduled Marty in his diary. Her boss wasn’t someone she thought about very much, but she was trying to skirt around her own problems and focus on something else. When she thought of him, the only thing that came to mind was him being an asshole.

“I’m sorry Ryan.” Stepping forward, Tally laid the file on his desk. Ryan didn’t like excuses, so she didn’t offer one. Just apologized for her error. She waited for him to tear strips off her hide. Instead, he just eyed her intently. Before reaching to pick up the file, without taking his eyes from her.

He said at last, “Is everything ok?” Shocking her.