CHAPTER 1
ERIN RACED DOWN THE busy street trying to avoid colliding with any unsuspecting pedestrians. She decided on moving to San Francisco to make a fresh start. After her ex, Brad cheated on her with his secretary and one of her close friends Erin needed to get away. They had known each other since middle school, and they shared the same circle of friends. All except one. Lillian, her best friend who had moved away from Portland, Oregon during her sophomore year in high school. Lillian had never liked Brad and never made a secret of it. As soon as Erin caught Brad cheating, she called Lillian who convinced her to move to San Francisco and apply for a marketing job there. It was a big town full of new opportunity. She landed a dream marketing job at the number one advertising company in the bay area, O’Connell Advertising.
Erin checked her watch for the hundredth time as she hastened down the street. She was so engrossed in what time it was she didn’t see the cyclist cross in front her. His sudden appearance caused her to stumble back and spill her overpriced caramel macchiato with a double shot down the front of her white dress. “Are you kidding me?” She growled shaking the hot liquid from her hand.
“Not my fault you weren’t paying attention, lady.” The cyclist grumbled and kept speeding by.
Erin would have kept arguing, but he was right. She had been so concerned about time she hadn’t been paying attention. Ushering a quick apology, Erin started sprinting down the street in her six-inch heels. It wasn’t the first time, and she doubted it would be the last. No matter how much time she planned for anything she could never be on time. Her mother once told her it was a birth defect when she was two weeks late when being born. She didn’t mean to always be late. It just happened.
Erin sailed into the building with only one minute to spare and went straight for the elevator. She hardly paid attention to the lone desk with the security guard watching her questionably. She didn’t care about running down the street but racing up six flights of stairs would be suicide. Erin listened to the droning ping on the floors she passed as she tried to calm her breathing. It wouldn’t do to be introduced to her boss when she couldn’t breathe, little lone speak.
The door opened, and Erin sailed into the room with confidence. She approached the front desk and pasted her brightest smile she could muster. “Hi-” She looked down at the nameplate in front of her. “Cynthia. I’m Erin Andrews. I’m scheduled to start working today under Henry Sheridan.” Cynthia barely looked away from her computer screen as Erin spoke. Erin could tell they were not going to be fast friends by any means. You don’t become the number one company in the western hemisphere by playing nice, right?
“You’re late,” Cynthia stated in a monotone voice.
Erin looked up at the clock. Sure enough, she was five minutes late. Who knew the elevator ride was going to take so long? “I apologize I’ve had a rough morning.” She indicated with a sweeping of the front of her half brown and white dress. Cynthia didn’t bother to look up from her screen. Erin wondered what was so enthralling on that screen. Curiosity got the better of her, and she started leaning forward to see. Cynthia’s blue eyes snapped at hers, freezing her in place. Cynthia cleared her throat and handed her a packet of papers and an ID badge with a white lanyard on it.
“Fill out the forms and turn them back in by the end of the day. Wear your badge
