I finished up my phone call with Melissa right as I rounded the corner to the Cavenaugh building. Seeing it rise into the Manhattan summer skyline didn’t feel nearly as intimidating today.

Spending the evening with my new boss had given me a bit of purpose in this place, and finally, I felt like I might actually belong—even if only for a little while.

Bypassing the judgy receptionist at the front desk, I went directly to the private elevator that led up to the executive wing. Still dressed in my bargain labels and holding my Goodwill purse, I held my head up high as I pressed in the key code and waited as the elevator rose.

Nothing was going to disrupt my happy mood today.

Before Melissa and I had said our good-byes after I’d voiced my concerns over whether I’d made the right choice moving here, Melissa had said, “Don’t be like every other Midwestern girl who moves to a big city and loses her sense of self, showing back up here at Christmastime, looking like a trashy version of a runway model. Live your new life the way you want to, not the way everyone expects you to.”

She was so right.

I had spent the last few weeks comparing myself to everyone and feeling nothing but inadequate. From my budget haircut to the less-than-stylish clothes I wore, I’d already singled myself out before anyone else had a chance to.

And why? So that I could prove to myself that I wasn’t ready to live here? To take this step?

Well, screw that.

I’d second-guessed myself and my entire relationship with Tyler in the blink of an eye, all because my self-confidence had dropped to an all-time low.

Like my mom had said, it was time to grow up.

If Melissa could make it through the grueling hours of med school, barely catching an hour of sleep, then I could handle moving to a new city with a frigid boss.

Without even realizing it, I’d already made waves—well, maybe tiny baby waves—in that department. Getting Roman Cavenaugh to acknowledge my presence yesterday had been a small triumph, and I just knew, if I kept at it, I could make a difference.

I’d go crazy otherwise.

After a quick stop at the break room, I made my way to my desk, ready to start my day. With coffee in hand, I was a force to be reckoned with.

Or at least, I thought I was…until I saw the door to Roman’s office firmly in place and a note on my desk.

No interruptions. No exceptions.

So much for waves.

I’d been staring at the door for hours, days maybe.

What had happened between last night and this morning to cause this sudden change? Had I misinterpreted what I thought was the beginning of a happy working relationship between us?