The Kane Cross (Cross 1)

Ivy studied herself in the mirror as she smoothed her skirt. She winced when she thought of her credit card debt just to buy two suits. Tate probably wore a different pair of shoes every day, but Ivy only had one pair. She looked down at her black leather pumps. At least, they were comfortable.

She resisted taking Tate's offer for as long as possible, but her resume would always be overlooked. Taking six years to get through law school raised red flags. She never dreamed she would get a plum assignment leading to the ideal job and become a judge someday. She had imagined herself arguing in a courtroom, but perhaps a boardroom was good enough. Her goal was to graduate and make enough money to pay for her new wardrobe. The internship could achieve both goals.

The one thing she didn't want to think about was working in the same building as Baxter. She hadn't seen him since the night at the bar, except for his photograph. He and Tate had attended some functions together. Since social media was still enthralled with the jilted bride, their faces were everywhere. Some ridiculed her because she was with her brother. Others were too busy commenting on how hot her brother was. She read a post comparing him and his younger brother. She had only met Kasper once and wasn't privy to his personal details. If the younger brother exceeded the older, he would walk with a limp. Even as the inferior brother, Baxter was trending, and he had to hate it. He never received social media attention before, but his friend Jimmy was a different story.

Tate hated the attention. When she wasn't wearing a gown which cost more than Ivy's car, she stayed in. Ivy was happy to join her for takeout and a movie. While eating steamed dumplings, Ivy pretended she knew nothing about trending social media. Meanwhile, Duncan was busy making a splash with his engagement to his former Great Race partner, the one he slept with the night before he was supposed to marry Tate.

With sweaty palms, Ivy pulled into the Kane building underground parking garage. She expected the security guard to send her and her clunker away. Tate had pulled strings to offer her a sweet deal complete with a parking pass. Otherwise she would have had to walk from the subway station after almost an hour on the train.

Every time her name got her past a security checkpoint, she breathed a little easier. As she walked across the lobby, she didn't dare look around. If she saw Baxter, it would be in the lobby or worse the elevator.

Once she stepped on the elevator with strangers, she breathed again. When the doors on the fourteenth floor opened, Tate was waiting for her with a big smile.

"Welcome to Kane Properties. This is Eleanor. She keeps us in line. This is our new intern Ivy Krasinski."

"Welcome Ms. Krasinski."

With a dry mouth, she managed a thank you to the tall, older woman. Tate led her to a small office just bigger than a supply closet. "Sorry, I can't give you a better office. They gave me this one as an intern too. I think it was my father's idea."

Ivy had never met the family patriarch. By reputation, he was a shrewd entrepreneur. Baxter's was the same, but Ivy knew the truth. Would she ever stop thinking of him?

After a busy morning of filling out forms in Human Resources and watching required videos, she returned to the legal department. Once again, she hoped he was tucked up in his office working. In a video, she learned they prohibited relationships between employees and their superior. Baxter was the entire companies' superior, so as she signed her name agreeing to the policy, she extinguished the last bit of false hope.

Tate appeared. "Time for lunch. There's a restaurant around the corner."

Ivy looked at her toes. Her gut had told her not to take the job, but she ignored it. "I brought lunch from home. I can't go out like you do."