Despite having made light of the situation earlier, I doubted very much I’d be kept on at Prosper for my useless talent of being able to pick stuff up with my feet. Kari was right about how stressed I was. I just didn’t really know what to do about it.
Having a backup option was a good place to start, but a candy dancer? I almost laughed out loud when I tried to imagine myself in some of the get-ups I’d seen on their website.
Some of those skirts wouldn’t even fit one of my thighs, never mind my entire body. For cash tips if I lost my job, though, I might just be willing to give it a shot. Provided the company didn’t insist on being reimbursed for torn zippers on their skirts.
Still laughing quietly to myself, I gave my head a slow shake and exhaled deeply. A month ago, I’d never have believed I’d ever be seriously considering an opportunity like this. But a lot had happened in this last month, and the next one would determine whether taking it would be a necessity or merely something I tried to pay off my loans faster.
Either way, I was in for an interesting festive season. I just didn’t know if it would end up being festive at all.
Chapter 4
BEN
Carl sat across from me at a nice restaurant not far away from our offices. The place was expensive, but their steaks made the price more than worth it. If we decided to go out for lunch instead of ordering in from the deli, we ended up here at least once a month.
Even if we had left the office, though, we were still working. There was no time to waste, especially because the finalization of our takeover of Prosper was creeping closer and we hadn’t even started going through the employee profiles put together by our own HR department yet.
With that thought in mind, we’d stopped on our way out of the building to collect the profiles in order to discuss them over lunch. It was unlikely that we’d get through everyone, but I hoped we’d at least be able to narrow it down a little.
Since I only wanted to keep the key players that we actually needed, it shouldn’t have been too hard to start with the weeding out. Unfortunately, now that Carl had names and faces in front of him, he wasn’t quite as willing to trim the fat as he’d been in my office the other day.
One of the big differences between us was Carl had a good heart and he still possessed a soul. I was pretty sure my heart had turned into a lump of coal when I got divorced, and my soul had been stolen by me doing what had to be done in order to get to where I was professionally.
We were both looking at the same profiles, but I didn’t feel a thing when I stared down at them. The ones who didn’t make the cut would simply have to find new jobs. If they were good at what they did, it shouldn’t be a problem. If they weren’t, well, then I certainly wasn’t going to get stuck with them on my payroll.
“No, axe him,” I said when Carl tried to make a case for some computer guy. So far, he’d tried the same thing with each and every employee we’d vetted. “We have one of the best tech teams in the state. There’s no space for additional members on it.”
He ran his hands through his sandy hair while blowing out a heavy breath, his gaze intent on mine. “You’re feeling particularly ruthless today, aren’t you? Have I mentioned that we’re not playing with poker chips here? We’re talking about real people with real lives.”
“I know, but it’s best that these people get on with those lives instead of stagnating in one place.” I cut into my perfectly cooked filet mignon, nearly drooling at the scent of the classic garlic butter melting on top of it. “Let’s get this straight. I’m focusing on our bottom line, and that’s it. I only employ the best. The rest of them can find mediocre companies to fleece. They won’t have any luck with me.”
“He was an excellent track runner in high school,” Carl said, looking up from the file and peering at me over the top of his reading glasses. “You never know. That might come in handy if we’re ever challenged to another charity race by one of our competitors.”
“I’m not carrying him for who knows how long just in case we get challenged again. Besides, we have plenty of good athletes.”
He sighed but moved the file to the getting-fired pile. “Next up is one Ms. Wendy Knox. She’s an assistant with twenty years experience, a killer smile, and she never eats lunch. What do you say? It’d be nice having someone in the office when everyone else storms the deli.”
“We’ve been getting along just fine with people who have normal eating habits. She’s out. Who’s next?”
“Are you kidding me?” He frowned and glanced down at the file again. “You don’t know anything about her capabilities yet, and you’re comfortable getting rid of her just because we’ve gotten used to not having assistants around during lunchtime? That’s a bit of a flimsy reason, if you ask me.”
“It’s a good thing I didn’t ask you then. Wanting to keep her on just because she claims never to go out for lunch is outrageous. We have an army of very capable assistants. We don’t need any more.”
Reluctantly placing her file on top of the computer guy’s, he perked up when he read the cover page of the next file. “This one looks promising. He finished second in his class at business school, is teaching his grandson how to golf, and—”
“Nope. I hate golf. It’s a waste of time.”
“He won’t be golfing on company time.” Carl let out an exaggerated huff. “His academic record is admirable. We should be focusing on that.”
“Admirable but ancient by the sounds of it. So no.” I ate between answers, and Carl took bites of his own meal while talking.
He put his fork down with a clatter, pressing a cloth napkin to his mouth before shaking his head at me. “You can’t discriminate against him just because he’s older. He looks like a solid guy.”
“I’m not discriminating against him because of his age. I just don’t like golf and I don’t see what his academic record has to do with anything. If he’s still using that as a hook, he can’t have much relevant experience to bank on instead.”
“He’s been with the company for thirty-three years.” He turned the page before wriggling his nose. “It seems he stayed on top of things until about twelve years ago. There’s no record of him updating his skills after that, but he was religious about attending training sessions and such before then.”
“Well, then he should’ve spoken to me thirteen years ago when he was still making an effort, not now. If he’s essentially been out of the loop for twelve years, I’m not taking responsibility for bringing him back in.”
“This one’s favorite color is navy blue,” he said after we’d debated a few more candidates. “Isn’t your favorite color navy blue? Seems like a match made in heaven to me.”
“We don’t run a matchmaking company, and we’re not looking for someone to date me. Favorite colors hardly matter. In fact, having too many things in common with employees makes me uncomfortable. It makes them think I’m approachable.” I shuddered at the thought of the many attempts there had been to make small talk with me in the past. “Moving along swiftly.”
Before he could start making his case for the next person, our waitress appeared to take our empty plates. I looked away from Carl and the papers spread out in front of us for what seemed like the first time since we’d gotten here.
Carl ordered a coffee, but I didn’t say anything. As I was looking around, blinking when I fully remembered that we weren’t in the office, my gaze landed on a woman sitting diagonally across from us.
It had been a long time since I’d noticed a woman in this way, but she was too gorgeous not to. I usually went for more petite girls, but there was something about the busty brunette that entranced me. She was dressed to impress in a button-up shirt and suit jacket, the cut of her shirt and jacket accentuating her curvy upper body before it disappeared underneath the table.
Her lips were full and red, her eyes an almost lilac shade of blue from this distance. When she laughed at something one of the staff members said when she passed, it was like the whole ro
om around her lit up.
My body reacted to her almost like I’d been electrified, my heart suddenly racing and my spine shooting straight. My shoulders squared and my chest puffed out like I was some sort of peacock trying to vie for the attention of a potential mate.
Realizing how completely ridiculous my train of thought had become, I yanked my gaze away from her to find our waitress staring at me. It seemed she was waiting for an answer to a question I hadn’t even heard her ask.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I said, assuming she’d wanted to know if I wanted to order anything else. “Could you send your finest dessert over to that lady over there? Just add it to our bill.”
I flicked a hand in the direction of the captivating woman, figuring I owed her at least that much for the way I’d just ogled her. The waitress looked at me funny but then smiled and rushed off.
Carl’s expression matched hers, but he didn’t ask why I’d just ordered a fancy dessert for a complete stranger. We got back to work, but I couldn’t focus as completely as I had been before.
A few minutes later, I saw the waitress carrying out an elaborate dessert covered by a sugar dome lined in gold leaf. Oh, fuck. That probably just set me back three figures.
The money didn’t bother me, but the girl was going to think I was either insane or coming on way too strong. Regardless, I couldn’t help but watch her when the waitress delivered the plate to her table.
She blinked in surprise when it was placed in front of her, her eyes widening before a stormy look entered them and a deep frown settled between her eyebrows. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought she looked upset.
Without even glancing in my direction, she stood up with a scrape of chair against the tiles as she shoved it back and marched in the direction of the kitchen. The waitress looked alarmed at the sudden turn of the woman’s mood, staring after her with big eyes before hurrying to catch up.
I grimaced when I watched the waitress trying to wind her way around the tables without dropping the dessert. The woman I’d sent it to was almost to the kitchen doors, her figure even more curvy than I’d thought now that I saw her without my view being partially obstructed by the table.
Her ass was perfectly round, the globes looking about the right size to fill my hands. Her waist was narrower than her hips, hugged by the fitted jacket she was wearing.
That luscious ass swayed while she walked, but I had a feeling it wasn’t intentional. She didn’t move in that way that spoke of a woman trying to steal attention. It was more like this one just naturally demanded it. There was no need for her to try stealing it under the circumstances.
A dull thud reached my ears when she shoved the double doors leading to the kitchen open, not pausing for so much as a second to get permission. She simply stormed in like she owned the place, the scowl on her beautiful features pronounced when she did a half-turn to face someone inside.
I didn’t know what was going on or why she seemed offended by the dessert, but what I did know was that it hadn’t been the reaction I’d expected when I’d sent it over. That’s just what I get for trying to show interest in a female, I guess.
There had been a time when I’d had game, heaps of it even. But I’d been out of said game for so long that I didn’t really know how to play anymore and I wasn’t all too interested in learning again. Apparently, sending something over when you spotted a pretty girl in a restaurant wasn’t the way things were done anymore.
Fucking millennials. There was probably some app or something one was supposed to use instead of actual human signals.
Meanwhile, Carl sipped from the cup the waitress had delivered and watched me like he was afraid I was having a stroke or something.
“I’m fine,” I snapped, even though he hadn’t asked, mentally shaking myself out of it and putting the woman out of my mind. There was a reason I’d only been focusing on work for so long, and the events of the last couple of minutes had just reminded me of it. “Speak to me about the next candidate. We don’t have all day. I need to be back at the office for my next meeting in twenty minutes. I’d like to make at least a little more progress while we’re paying the bill.”
Chapter 5
TORI
Maybe I was overreacting, but even knowing it was a possibility didn’t make me slow down. Enough was enough, and it was time to set the record straight once and for all.
“Where’s Eliot?” I asked no one in particular when I stormed into the kitchen. A guy with a piping bag in his hand pointed in the direction of the office, opening his mouth, but I didn’t give him a chance to ask me why I wanted to know.
I simply nodded and kept going. Having had coffee with Kari and her manager in his office on occasion, I knew where to go. When I walked in through his open door, Eliot looked up with mild surprise crossing his features to see me there.
“Tori! Hi.” He smiled, but his face dropped fast when he realized from my expression that I wasn’t dropping in for a friendly chat. “Are you okay?”
“No.” I blew out a breath, squeezing my eyes shut as I buried one hand in my hair and tried to collect my thoughts. “I thought I told you to stop with the over-the-top comps. This is too much, Eliot.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, the confusion in his tone making me open my eyes to glare at him.
I jutted my hand out and pointed in the general direction of the dining room. “That dessert. I know the Golden Dome when I see it. It costs three hundred dollars. Are you insane?”
To my surprise, he burst out laughing. “I know. That’s probably why no one ever orders it, including me. What’s the problem here, Tori?”
Kari came stumbling into the office behind me, still clutching the tray with the decadent dessert on it. I jerked my head at it, my eyes narrowing further on his as I parked my hands on my hips. “Just because I’m okay with taking a free lunch every now and then doesn’t mean I’m okay with this. Even the lunches sometimes feel too much like charity. Don’t you think I feel guilty enough already? This is crossing a line.”
He gaze flicked to Kari and the dessert before he brought it back to mine and frowned. “I’m sorry you feel guilty. You really don’t have to, but even so, I didn’t send that to you.”
My sister moved farther into the office, looking like she was about to say something before I cut her off. It wasn’t something I did often, but I didn’t want to hear his excuses or what she was about to say to cover for her boss.
It was time to put my foot down and make him understand that I wouldn’t be coming back if he kept pulling stunts like this. I knew it sounded like I was lecturing him, but I was beyond caring.
As it was, my career was probably going up in smoke. I didn’t need my personal life imploding too, and Eliot was someone I thought of as a friend. I didn’t want to lose that because he felt like I was leading him on.
“I’m sorry, Eliot. I’ve told you before that I like you but only as a friend. I just don’t feel the same way about you as you feel about me. Sending me fancy desserts isn’t the way to my heart.”
His cheeks visibly paled, but I was on a roll. This had been a long time coming, and I needed to get it all out there now that I’d started. “Just because I’m plump doesn’t automatically mean that I overdose on chocolate or that I inhale ice cream. I—”
Kari jumped in before I could get another word out, shooting an apologetic look at Eliot before swinging her exasperated gaze to mine. “Down girl. Eliot didn’t send you that dessert. A guy at one of the other tables did.”
All the fight fled from my body in one long, embarrassed rush. Heat flooded my face from my chin to my hair, and I silently cursed myself for jumping to conclusions. In my defense, it was only ever Eliot who sent anything to me here, but that didn’t really make me feel like any less of a fool.
I covered my face with my hands, peeking at Eliot between my fingers while wishing that the ground would just cooperate by opening up and swallowing me whole. “I’m so sorry. I
didn’t mean to jump down your throat for something you didn’t even do. I should’ve asked who sent it before coming in here to yell at you.”
He chuckled, but he was still looking a little paler than usual. “It’s okay, Tori. I know you’re going through a tough time. I don’t blame you for thinking it was from me.”
“Going through a tough time isn’t an excuse,” I mumbled, pulling my hands away from my face. I didn’t deserve to hide behind anything when I was the asshole in this scenario. “I’m really sorry about everything I just said to you.”
“For the record, I don’t think you inhale ice cream, but even if you did, it wouldn’t make you any less beautiful.” The way he looked at me while he was saying it was nothing short of adoring. I sighed internally, realizing that despite what I’d just said, his crush wasn’t going away anytime soon.
I couldn’t deny that I’d just acted like a total witch to him, but it didn’t seem to have made any difference. Kari liked teasing me about her manager’s affections, which had been a big part of my determination to tell him off over the extravagant dessert, but it seemed like no matter what I said or did, he wasn’t ready to accept that my feelings for him weren’t going to change.
It didn’t give me an excuse to be rude to him, though. I gave him a smile that I hoped was apologetic without being overly friendly, and then said my goodbyes.
As I was walking out through the kitchen, I heard the soft clink of Kari setting the tray down before she followed me. She caught up just as I was about to walk back into the dining room, reaching out and touching my shoulder to prompt me to stop and look at her.
“Way to go, fiery McGee,” she teased, but I saw the real concern clouding the light in her eyes. “Just rip his heart out, why don’t you?”
I groaned. “I didn’t mean to, but maybe it was for the best. At least he knows I’m still standing firmly on the side of friendship. Where’s the real culprit then?”
Love Your Moves: A Billionaire Valentine's Romantic Comedy Page 3
