Taming the Boss

Part 1, Chapter 1

Four months later.

Alexi swore for the second time, this time she banged her fist on her desk and swore again as pain shot up her injured wrist. She’d forgotten that she’d fallen that morning on her bike ride. She picked up the phone on her desk and dialed the IT’s extension. Kris. The woman had been working for her for four months and she’s been able to avoid needing her help. For some reason, they’d gotten into the habit of locking eyes in the camera, even when there were other people with her on the elevator. Every morning, except when Alexi was late, she’d see her, and every morning Kris would look up, and smile at her. What the hell did she have to smile about? Dixon had reported that she was doing a great job and was kept busy with setting up new security for the company. Alexi had wanted to bulk at that idea, she’d even emailed Kris, who’d assured her that it was time, and their security was definitely not up to scratch, she’d proven her point by sending a huge smiley face that filled Alexi’s screen and had locked her out of her system. The woman unnerved her, something about the way she was unflustered about Alexi’s reputation for being a b***h, yes, she knew, and yes, she was. But Kris didn’t let that stop her from sending Alexi smiles.

“Yes?” The distracted and short answer rolled through Alexi. She held the phone away from her ear, looking at the receiver.

“You answer your phone like that?” Alexi asked curtly.

“Alexi?”

Alexi heard shuffling, then a bump, then a soft curse. “Yes. You should learn how to answer a phone properly.”

“Uh, okay.”

The click and then dialing tone left Alexi speechless she stabbed at the button that would link her back up with Kris.

“This is Kris Colt. How may I be of assistance to you?”

The prim tone and laughter not well hidden should have irritated Alexi, but instead, she found herself smiling. She bit it back and shook her head. “I need your help.”

“Yes, Miss Roan, I’ll be right there.” Kris tried to keep a straight face but couldn’t. Laughter bubbled out. But she swallowed it when silence met her. “Uh, I’m on my way.”

“Good,” Alexi said and hung up. How was it that this woman made her want to smile, she didn’t smile, smiles invited people to talk, smiles wanted people to tell you all about them, then pry into your business? She didn’t want anyone, especially not this woman in her business. She watched Kris hop into the elevator, she did hop, and then as always, her eyes moved to the camera, but this time, instead of a smile there was a frown. Alexi couldn’t explain why she felt disappointed. And didn’t want to think about it too much. The door opened and Kris strode toward her. She had on cream chinos and a white button-up shirt with the usual white sneakers. A white beanie on her head covered the messy hair. “That is not appropriate for the office.”

Kris felt her hand shoot up to her head before she could stop it. “This?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” She pulled it off, her messy hair pointing in all directions on her head. She popped the beany in her back pocket and walked forward. “What’s wrong, Miss Roan?” 

Alexi rubbed her thumb and forefinger on the bridge of her nose. She knew she’d been rude, and the curt ‘Miss Roan’ just proved it. “I changed my password this morning, and went down for lunch, now it won’t let me back in.”

“I see.” She gestured to the computer. “May I?”

“How else will you fix it?” Alexi snapped then closed her eyes and sat back. “God, I’m sorry.”

“No problem, let me see if I can sort you out.” Kris wanted to ask what had put the unhappy look in Alexi’s eyes, but she knew that wasn’t allowed, it would fall into the personal, and that was against the rules.

Alexi looked at Kris for a minute before standing and gesturing to her vacated seat. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Kris said and sat, she started typing and then looked up her face inches from Alexi’s. The woman was bent over her shoulder, watching everything she did. “Uh, could you give me some space?” She smelt like summer, soft, warm, clean. And a hint of pure Alexi. Their eyes met and Alexi swallowed. Her mouth was dry and her pulse jumped.

“Sorry, I’m a little protective of my computer.”

“I understand, but when you hover like that, you make me nervous, especially with that murderous look in your eyes.” Kris turned back to the computer and felt relief wash through her when she saw what the problem was and that she could fix it. She wasn’t joking about the murderous look. “I’d ask what put it there, but that falls under personal, so I won’t”

Alexi scoffed. “You just asked, without asking.” She ran a hand through her hair and went to sit down on the seat usually reserved for visitors. “Some asshole pushed me off the bike trail this morning, then didn’t even have the decency to stop and see if I was okay. I had to carry my bike all the way back to my car.” Alexi stopped. Why did she just tell Kris that?

“Ah, I see. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Alexi said and stood, uncomfortable and scared that she’d say more, just pour everything out to this woman. “Can you fix it?”

“Yes, just give me another minute.”

“What was wrong?”

Kris gave her a look from under her lashes and swallowed. “Well, you did the password change this morning, after I asked everyone not to do it before tonight. I emailed everyone.”

“You emailed?” Alexi asked, irritation in her voice. “And you told everyone this when you know the rule is to change the passwords, every, single, morning?” She threw the words at Kris.

“The upgrade of the security system was running the final stages this morning, I just finished it.” Kris shrugged as she stood. “But it’s easily fixable, and it is fixed. You can reset the password now.”

“Oh, thank you so much for letting me do that,” Alexi mumbled. “It’s not like I’m the boss.”

Kris threw her hands up. “Look, sorry, but it couldn’t be helped, you okayed the upgrade and I figured I didn’t have to run every single thing by you. I’d be on the phone with you every five minutes.” Kris back peddled to the elevator. “But from now on, I will.” She stabbed at the button to call the elevator, a little pissed off herself. The woman had no reason to be this rude to her.

“Kris?”

“Yes?” When there was only silence. Kris turned around to look at Alexi.

“Sorry.” She said it softly and went back to work, dismissing Kris. Kris got onto the elevator and waited for the door to close before looking up at the camera with a grin.