The 5-Year Plan (Friends to Lovers Romance Book 1) Read Free Page A

better to present a coup de grace . She could imagine his admiration when she offered Peter not only the name of the criminal but also firm evidence. Wetting her lips, she shook her head. “No idea, sir.”
    Eyes narrowing, Peter looked at her. “It would be a shame if it turned out to be a member of my team. I’ve asked Rose to scan the security tapes. We can’t afford to not take this matter seriously.”
    Rose headed up security at the office, and Victoria could imagine she wasn’t very happy right now. She was as much to blame as the thief since her security team had allowed the leaks to happen. She gave her boss a nod. “I surely hope so, sir.”
    With a last glance at her, Peter strode back to his corner office. Victoria headed back to her desk. She had one of the smaller offices, but it had a window. She’d filled one wall with plants and had files stacked on a credenza opposite the greenery. Unlike Trent, she had stacks of papers covering every surface. She flopped into her chair and pulled out the Cooper files. Time to dive into a new project. Before she started, Victoria picked up one of the photo frames on her desk. She stared at the four neat squares. Each space contained one picture. Her mom and dad stood in one. The second contained a picture of her with her mom, and the third held a photo of her dad in his captain’s uniform. The fourth picture was a blast from the past. Her ninth grade picture showed her standing with her arm around her best friend, Trent. Even though this photo had been taken years ago, nothing much had changed. He was smiling in the photo and had a goofy look on his face. She was frowning and poking him in the side with one hand. Someday his attitude would land him in a lot of trouble. If he lost his job, she would miss seeing him in office. On the other hand, maybe it could be the jolt he needed to take things seriously.
    At some point, Trent would have to change gears. When he did, she would be as proud of him as he was of her own achievements. Like it or not, he was her best friend and her biggest supporter – and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
     

Chapter Two
     
    Striding out to lunch, Victoria mentally reviewed the work she was supposed to finish this week. She had two contracts to draft, three vendors to review, monthly reports to finish, and she was hatching a new scheme to catch whoever was stealing company secrets. The wind whipped her hair around her face and she raised her head to enjoy the breeze. It had been two weeks since she’d last allowed herself the luxury of lunch outside the office. Usually, she wolfed down a sandwich at her desk. She knew she was a border-line workaholic, but the busier she was, the more energized she felt. But it was nice to get out today, and she was looking forward to trying the new café that had just opened down the block. Maybe Trent was right about all work and no play. She hadn’t been on a date in the past three months. Of course, that could be partly due to her parting with Bob. That hadn’t ended well. But did she really need a man in her life?
    Who even had the time to look at men when she just about touch the big shining goal she’d set for herself. Once she had a title on her card, and all the perks that went with the position, she could relax a little. It was fine if Trent wanted to laugh at her dreams, but she knew that she was headed in the right direction. She still had time to meet the right man, and it would be more than enough if she did and got pregnant before the year was out.
    When she entered the restaurant, Victoria stretched up and saw Sue already in a corner booth. She gave a wave and headed there. She’d made a pact with Sue to meet up for lunch twice a month. Sue had worked in the same office until she’d gotten married, had a baby, and had decided to take a couple of years off work so she could spend time with her child. For Sue, their lunches were a connection back to the business world. For