The Night Before I Knew Him (June and Hermes) novel Chapter 2

June

Two days and twelve hours.

That's how long it's been since I did the thing I said I'll never do. Again which is: sleep with a stranger.

It's hard getting 'em off your mind when you're done with 'em.

I try not to think about it, I just shove it down where all my bad decisions lives. Rent-free.

Because, I am here now... In front of my dream company — The building is so tall, it feels like it’s leaning over me.

Apex Corporation — A.C. in thirty-foot chrome letters, gleams above the entrance like it owns the sky. Which, technically, it might. The glass exterior mirrors everything: traffic, tourists, pedestrians, the massive LED screen that loops corporate ads like digital worship. But all I can see is my own face, small and wide-eyed.

I pause on the sidewalk and inhale. Once. Twice. Again.

"Calm down, breathe." I tell myself.

I clutch my leather folder tighter to my chest. It's the first day, a new start. Internship at the biggest enterprise in Las Vegas. It’s everything I worked for. Everything I need right now and the thing I can’t afford to screw up.

I swipe my newly acquired ID at the front security panel. It blinks green. It's game on.

The inside of Apex is whole different world. It's cold and lighting with breathtaking marble floors. People in neutral colored suits moving like blood through veins fast, efficient, and without hesitation. I already feel behind.

A woman with sleek black hair and an Apple headset greets me in the lobby. "You’re June Pearl Alexander?"

"Yes," I reply, trying not to sound like I just stepped out of a dream.

She offers a tight smile. "I’m Brenna. You’re assigned to the Strategy & Innovation team on Floor 39. Follow me."

The elevator ride is fast. Very fast.

I smooth my hair in the reflection of the polished walls. It feels like everyone in this building knows something I don’t. Like they were born wearing pinstripes and I’m still figuring out how not to sweat through my blouse.

When we reach the 39th floor, the doors open to a wide, open workspace featuring chrome desks, massive touchscreen boards, a floor-to-ceiling window view of the city that makes my knees a little weak.

A man in a navy suit walks toward us with a tablet tucked under his arm. He looks like he's in late thirties, has efficient energy with a business smile.

"June?" he asks.

"Yes. That’s me." I answer, almost too quickly.

"I’m David Scott, head of Strategy. Welcome aboard. We’re thrilled to have you."

"Thank you so much," I say, my voice just a touch too high. "I’m really excited to be here."

He nods and gestures toward the team bullpen. "Let me introduce you around."

As we walk, he points out departments: Market Analytics, Product Forecasting, Risk Oversight — and it all spins in my head like I’ve stepped into a live-action case study.

We reach a semicircle of desks where a few team members are mid-discussion.

"This is June, our new intern," David introduces with a clap of his hand.

I smile nervously, "Hi. I am June Alexander."

They all turn, polite and curious.

"June will be shadowing some of you this quarter,” he continues, "learning how Apex moves in fast and—"

The door bursts open.

A tall, thin man in a black vest, clearly senior in rank, strides in with the kind of urgency that makes everyone shut up.

"Scott. Sorry to interrupt."

David straightens. "Of course, Mr. Paul."

Mr. Paul doesn’t smile. "The CEO just dismissed his secretary. We need a temporary replacement now. Someone sharp, quick, discreet."

David blinks. "Uh… well…"

His eyes flick to me. I blink back.

“You’re June, right?” Paul asks, already assessing me like a file he doesn’t have time to read.

"Yes?" I answer, half-answer, half-question.

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