Catching Sam: Book 2 of 5: The MacDonald Brothers by Emily Matthews (best mystery novels of all time TXT) 📗

Technically, she hadn’t lied to him. He’d never asked about her new job or if she knew who he was. She wasn’t sure he would see it that way, though.

She’d thought about him over the weekend. A lot. He was so different from what she’d expected. She was embarrassed to admit that she’d pegged him as a handsome, rich asshole who thought he was better than everyone else because he had money and prestige.

It turned out he was much more down to earth and “normal” than she assumed. He didn’t flaunt who he was or that he was uber-rich, he was polite to the waitress and the taxi driver, and he either downplays or doesn’t realize how completely, drop-dead gorgeous he is.

She’d seen him speak a few times at company events, and he’d come across as larger than life. Magazine covers of him showed a powerful, verging on arrogant, multimillionaire. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that he was just a regular guy. When he called and left two messages, she’d panicked. Calling back was not an option. Once he found out she worked for him, he would probably see her actions as deceptive. She just hoped he was professional enough not to fire her on the spot.

She had to get her bitch face back on. Since this wasn’t a personality she was familiar with, she’d been pulling from things she’d seen on TV and in the movies. She’d have to rent some more this weekend and practice scowling in the mirror. Tamping down her natural inclination to smile at everyone was proving more difficult than she thought. If only she’d taken more acting classes. Mrs. Olson’s high school drama class hadn’t prepared her for this.

It was five minutes to one, and others started filtering in. Too engrossed in their phones or chatting with each other, no one noticed the new girl. She kept her head down, pretending to look through her notes. She had done her homework on this project and was very excited at the opportunity to be involved in it. If done right, it could take Samatrix to the next level.

She felt him walk in. Everyone did. The air in the room shifted, and all eyes turned to him. They greeted him with friendly hellos. He singled out a few and went to shake their hands. Everyone seemed to genuinely like him.

Right at one, Phil got everyone’s attention and began the meeting. Showtime. Annie sat ramrod straight, bitch face on, and waited.

“Hey, everybody. Glad you all could make it. It was quite a feat to get everyone here at the same time. Appreciate some of you shifting things around.

“The project is moving along nicely, and since we’re getting closer to launch, this will be the first of what will now be weekly meetings regarding this project. Not everyone will have to attend all of them, but please block the time from now on to make sure you’re available in case you’re needed. We’ll meet again with the entire group next month.

“Since Sam’s here, and we haven’t all been together in a while, let’s start by going around the table and giving an update on where you are on the project and, just for fun, maybe one awesome thing going on in your life right now. Bill, you want to start?”

“Sure. I—” Bill began.

“Oh, sorry, Bill,” Phil interrupted. “Just a sec. I forgot, I wanted to introduce the new graphic designer we brought up from the San Fran office. Annabelle, could you stand?”

Annie summoned courage she didn’t have, stood, and introduced herself.

“Hello. I’m Annabelle O’Neill. I’ve been with Samatrix for over six years and have been doing graphic design for almost ten. I’m good at what I do, and I work best alone,” she stated curtly, forcing a note of disdain in her voice. Smoothing her skirt, she sat primly and crossed her legs. She didn’t smile or look at anyone directly—especially not the angry man at the end of the table. She didn’t need to look at him to feel Sam’s eyes boring into her.

“Well, all right. Everyone, Annabelle.” Phil waved a hand in her direction without giving her a second thought. She’d obviously done a good job at putting him off.

A few mumbled hello or gave a half-hearted wave. Not exactly the red carpet, but that was okay. Keeping everyone at arm’s length was precisely what she wanted. If they didn’t talk to her, they couldn’t take advantage of her.

“Go ahead, Bill.”

“Well, you all know I’ve been waiting anxiously for my first grandbaby. She finally came last Tuesday. Weighed eight and a half pounds and is the cutest thing you’ll ever see.” Bill beamed with pride.

Everyone broke into applause and expressed heartfelt congratulations to the new grandpa. The men sitting next to Bill slapped him on the back and asked about cigars. They were clearly a close-knit group and all seemed to get along nicely.

During the commotion, Annie snuck a glance at Sam. He was staring directly at her, eyes narrowed. She looked away quickly and didn’t look back for the rest of the meeting.

Everyone took their turn giving updates and some bit of exciting news. Annie mentioned her move to Bellevue and reiterated her excitement for getting started on the project. She used the word “excited,” but made sure her manner screamed “bored out of my mind.”

Phil ran the meeting, deferring to Sam on only a few items. He was clearly Sam’s right-hand man and good at his job. He was light-hearted and funny but also kept everyone focused and on task.

Sam jotted down a note here and there as everyone took turns speaking, but no doubt the secretary behind him, who was typing furiously, was doing the heavy lifting.

Two hours later, everyone had given their updates and had their marching orders.

“Okay, guys. We said we’d finish by three, and we respect your time, so let’s wrap it up. Sam, any parting words?” Phil looked to