I stare at Damon, too stunned to speak. One week. One entire week I’ve been in this office, doing all that was asked of me, seeing myself making it through a year, but one word from Damon Penrose and I already feel like quitting.
“Excuse me?” I say.
“You heard me. It’s against the company’s policy to fraternize with coworkers.”
I take a deep breath, telling myself to stay calm. You know this man. He’s just trying to bait you, to prove you’re some Cinderella who can’t keep her shoes on at the slightest inconvenience. Stay cool, Claire. Play nice.
“I do apologize, sir, if that’s what it looked like,” I say, with just the right amount of professionalism. “But Stephen and I were just trying out the coffee machine.”
His brow quirks slightly, and I can swear he’s hiding his surprise. “Tryin
