by J. P. Comeau
“Your apology is accepted,” I told her, smiling.
But all she did was stare at me.
She stood there, straight-faced with her resume clutched in her hand.
13
Karina
How did I miss this? How in the world did I not know this? So many things crashed through my mind as Brenden slipped by me, brushing his shoulder against my own. How had I not caught the man’s last name? How had I glossed over asking him about the name of his company? I felt like an idiot. And the only saving grace I had was that Zane looked just as shocked and idiotic as I felt.
He put out his hand. “Please. Take a seat.”
The office door closed behind me, and I jumped. Then I whipped around, staring at the thick wooden door before I let out the breath I didn’t know I had been holding. I slowly turned to face Zane, and I watched him sit down in his own chair, his eyes imploring me to move closer to him.
You need this job, Karina. Come on.
With one foot in front of the other, I moved to the chair in front of his desk. I handed him my resume before taking a seat, but I had a hard time taking my eyes off him. He looked spectacular, as always. And I prayed to God, hoping he was listening, that my past with Zane wouldn't affect the interview.
But, he was only human.
Just do your best. That’s all you can do.
Zane’s eyes studied my resume. “Everything all right?”
I nodded. “Yes, sir. Why do you ask?”
He shook his head. “No, ‘sir.’ Zane’s fine.”
“I can do that.”
His eyes met mine. “Are you all right?”
His question seemed genuine enough.
“I am now, thank you.”
“What happened?”
I looked up from my clenched hands. “Huh?”
“The emergency. What happened?”
I paused. “It’s kind of personal.”
“Oh, I see. Understood.”
His eyes fell back to my resume, and I worried that not answering the question would count against me. “My father took a spill back home and had to go to the hospital.”
His eyes slid back to mine. “Is he okay?”
“He is now. But, I knew I’d never be able to do this interview with a clear head without knowing he was going to be alright.”
“Well, I’m glad he’s okay. And I’m glad you’re self-aware enough to understand that about yourself.”
I took that as a good thing and leaned against the cushion of the chair.
I really hoped this was one of those situations where they were looking for someone genuine and not just a pretty face. Because if the girls I passed on the way up here were any indication of what Zane was looking for…well… I certainly didn’t fit the bill. Still, I sat there in the silence of his office while he read my resume. My eyes danced around at the bookshelves built into the side walls. The shades on the tinted window behind Zane allowed only muted light into the room. I watched him reach for the golden chord of a green lamp, and it clicked on, filling his desk with a harsh white light.
I much preferred the dull ambiance of warm white lights.
“You have an enormous operation here,” I said.
Zane nodded mindlessly. “Yes. We do.”
“I know you’re probably searching for real estate experience, but--.”
“Rule one. Never assume what I’m thinking or doing at any given moment.”
Well. “Yes, sir. I mean, Zane. Yes, Zane.”
His eyes flickered back to mine. “Thank you.”
I nodded. “You’re welcome.”
“It says here you’re a systematic person.”
“I am yes. And quite organized.”
“You’ll need those skills at peak efforts at all times around here. You think that’s something you can keep up with?”
I swallowed hard. “I think I’ll need some time to adjust like all new people do. But, once I get adjusted, yes. I know that’s something I can keep up with.”
He grinned. “I like the confidence.”
I shrugged. “Some people say it’s my best attribute.”
He chuckled before his stare dropped back to my resume. Then, he tossed it onto his desk. Uh oh. A toss was never good. Had I already bombed the interview?
14
Zane
If I wanted to be cocky about the situation, Karina’s answer to my question swiftly shot that urge down. I had to admit when I first saw her walk into my office, pride bubbled in my chest. Obviously, she had taken some of my advice. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been there interviewing with me. Then again, Brenden was the one that booked all of the interviews for me. His only requirement was that the person hired was female. As I sat there with her resume on my desk, I couldn't deny how impressive it was.
And how catchy the language that she used was.
Yep. She took my advice.
I leaned back into my chair and crossed my leg over my knee. I didn’t know if Karina would be a smart hire, especially after what happened between the two of us the other night. I knew I could keep things professional. But could she? She was the one that abandoned me at her place. She was the one that kicked the storm of drama up in the first place. And clearly, she hadn’t done enough research on the company to know who even ran it.
Not smart on her part.
I watched her anxiously wiggle around in the seat in front of my desk. I still didn’t know whether to interview her or not. I didn’t really have a choice, though. I had a strict policy of not sleeping with my co-workers, including my secretary. Did that kind of thing account for any interactions before her hiring, though? I didn’t know. I’d never been put in that kind of situation before. And I knew if I asked Brenden, the only thing he'd want would be details of our night together.
Not going down that road. Ever.
Plus, Karina had a lot going for her. She wasn’t merely qualified for the job, but she had a good head on her shoulders. She wasn’t self-absorbed or addicted to makeup and clothes. She knew how to dress for a job simply judging by how she dressed for that interview. She was still beautiful, but it was tasteful. Less distracting. And she held herself with poise.
During a tense moment like that one, she hadn’t batted an awkward eyelash.
And I wanted to take that into consideration.
“That’s the most refreshing answer I’ve been given all day,” I said.
She let out a long breath. “Really?”
I nodded. “Really.”
“Well, that’s good. Because the look on your face tells me you didn’t like it at all.”
The corner of my mouth curved up. “That’s my thinking face.”
“Your thinking face?”
I nodded. “Mhm. My face gets stern as I think.”
“Are you wondering if our past actions are going to affect my employment here?”
Blunt. But I liked that.
“Among other things,” I said.
She licked her lips. “Understandable.”
“Before we continue, I want to say that I know what it feels like to need a fresh start. I know how much something like that can mean to someone. So, from this point on, I’ll be treating you as if we haven’t met before.”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
My eyes flickered to the picture on my desk. To the woman that had been with me every day since the inception of that journey. She smiled at me from the picture, her blonde hair cascading well past her shoulders. Her brown eyes twinkled back at me with a thirst for life that I knew I’d never forget. Her smile would never cease to warm my heart.
I need a fresh start, too.
I cleared my throat. “Your resume is impressive. You handled a great deal of responsibility outside of H.R. duties in your old position.”
Karina nodded. “Yes, I did. I was always working overtime or staying late. If things needed to be done, I made sure they got done.”
“Were you ever paid for that overtime?
”
She paused. “I’m not sure I can talk about that.”
“The company’s long since dissolved. You can, now. At least, it’s more socially appropriate now.”
She drew in a deep breath. “Well, then, no. I wasn’t.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Well, the first thing I want you to know is that, here, you're paid for any overtime you might accrue. Time and a half, actually. But, this job comes with a lot of overtime. There are expectations beyond the required forty full-time hours for this job. It’s simply the nature of the business.”
She sat taller. “I understand completely.”
“Are you willing to take on a job like that?”
She nodded. “The hours don’t sound much different than my other job, to be honest.”
“Good. Next question. Do you have an updated passport?”
She tried not to twist her face in confusion. “A what?”
“An updated passport. One you can travel with.”
She shrugged. “I mean, I’d have to check the date on it. I haven’t really touched my passport since a trip I took to Romania back in college.”
I furrowed my brow. “You took a trip to Romania in college?”
“I did, yes.”
“What in the world was in Romania for a college student?”
She grinned. “Is this pertinent to my interview?”
“To my curiosity, yes. Which, right now, is pertinent to your interview.”
She took in a deep breath. “Fair enough. I took an obscure language class in basic Romanian at the college I attended. At the end of the year was a rigorous test. But, the teacher gave us the option of traveling with her to Romania for a week. We had to speak as much of the basic language as we could while we were there. We were supposed to speak well enough to get around and communicate.”
“In place of the exam.”
Karina nodded. “Yep. In place of the exam. My parents thought it was a good idea, so we made a deal. They footed half of the trip, and I took out a broad spectrum student loan to cover the other half.”
I was impressed and a little jealous. “Sounds like an interesting college you attended?”
“Yes, it was a local college. I didn't go off somewhere like Roxy or Kelly.”
I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. You wanted to get educated, so you got educated. That says something about your character. And your work ethic.”
“Though, if you're going to test me on something, consider sending me to Italy. Or Spain. I’ve always wanted to visit Spain.”
“Noted.” I chuckled.
She shook her head. “Anyway. My apologies. I have a tendency to go off on tangents.”
“No apologies necessary. Though I have one more question for you.”
Karina placed her hands in her lap. “Shoot.”
“It says here you're looking for eight weeks of paid leave. I can’t give you that right off the bat.”
She twisted her lips in disappointment. “Oh?”
I shook my head. “Nope. I can give you four, and we can work from there. But, this kind of paid leave usually comes with a diminished salary of some sort. Which I assume you wouldn’t want to take.”
“Well, instead of assuming, why don’t you pose the question to me?”
I drew in a deep breath. “Would you prefer the paid vacation, or--?”
“Four weeks of paid vacation is just fine.”
I grinned. “Great.”
The woman was impressive. And she obviously fit in with her surroundings. She was easy to talk to and easy to get along with. I needed those kinds of qualities in a secretary. But, our history kept me on a leash. I was treading into dangerous territory. I knew that. I mean, she wouldn't be the first secretary I’d ever hired that had a crush on me. However, she’d be the first secretary I’d hire whose naked body I had also seen.
In all reality, it would be a great distraction if she kept wearing those damn pencil skirts.
“Do you have any work pants?” I asked.
She furrowed her brow. “What?”
“Work pants. Do you own them?”
She blinked. “Uh, yeah? Why?”
“Wear those more often. Brenden has a habit of staring at the secretaries. And while I get on him as much as possible, the last thing I want is for him to make you uncomfortable.”
“Sounds like I should be prepared to visit your H.R. Department regularly.” She smirked.
“Or, you can simply tell me what he’s doing, and I can punch him in the nose.”
She barked with laughter. “Can I watch?”
I smiled. “If you work hard enough, sure. I’ll let you watch.”
I liked her, and not simply because she was beautiful. She was intelligent, witty, and she seemed like the kind of person that didn’t take anyone’s shit. I’d need that with some of the people that called the office regularly. I needed a secretary with a backbone. She had a great degree, and judging by her resume, she excelled in school. And obviously, she was open to learning new things.
Romania. Huh.
“So…?” Karina asked.
“I’m thinking.”
She sighed. “Not to be intrusive--.”
I grinned. “Not a patient one, are you?”
“Not particularly.”
I chuckled, glancing at the door, hearing Brenden on the other side. “That’ll serve you well here. Especially with all of the wishy-washy clients that Brenden has a tendency to find.”
“I just want to say something about our… past interactions?”
My eyes found hers. “I’m listening.”
“I panicked.”
I blinked. “Come again?”
She picked a spot of something invisible off her skirt before she cleared her throat and explained. “I panicked, Zane. I woke up with you in my bed after not really remembering falling asleep with you in the first place, and I panicked.”
I nodded. “It happens. It’s in the--.”
“And with everything going on with me moving here and trying to find a new job and my friends shoving me into this lifestyle, I’m not sure it suits me. It was just--.”
“A lot?”
She sighed. “Yeah. It was a lot to take in. I left to go get coffee and breakfast, and I ended up sitting in my car to put in more applications. Getting a job was the only thing on my mind when I first moved here, and for a brief second that night, it wasn’t the only thing on my mind anymore. And the only thing I kept thinking about was--.”
I interrupted a second time. “The lost time with me instead of doing what you knew you needed to do?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you going to always do that?”
“Do what?”
Her brow lifted. “Finish my sentences?”
“If I know what you’re about to say, then yes.”
“Fair enough.”
I leaned forward. “Look, Karina. You don’t owe me an explanation. It happened, it passed, and it was a good time. But it was only that. A one-off. A good time between two people who obviously needed the distraction from stress.”
She let out a breath. “So, you're not upset?”
I grinned. “Maybe a teeny tiny bit. Been a while since I’ve fallen asleep in a woman’s bed. But, I certainly have never been walked out on.”
She groaned, her head falling back. “Oh, God. You’re not going to hire me because of this.”
I shook my head. “On the contrary, you’ve got the job.”
Her head snapped up. “What?”
I smiled. “You’ve got the job.”
She paused. “And this isn’t because we’ve slept together?”
“Nope. In fact, my gut is telling me not to hire you because of that exact issue.”
She twisted her mouth for a moment. “Oh.”
“But, I can’t deny how right you are for this job. You obviously adapt well. You have the skills, the knowledge, the education. The
passion for something different, and you don’t mind the overtime.”
She took in a long deep breath. “I need the money, so bring it on.”
I chuckled. “Great. So, against my better judgment of mixing business with personal, I’m going to offer you the job. Four weeks of paid vacation with a starting salary of $45,000. That will come with health insurance for you to pick out, as well as chances to work from home that don’t count against your sick leave. That will be counted as one week on top of the four weeks of paid vacation.”
“Is the sick leave paid at all?”
I nodded. “Half of what you would usually make, but yes. We also offer retirement account options with a matching percentage of up to seven percent.”
She smiled. “That’s great. That--that sounds fantastic, Zane. Thank you.”
“So, will you take the job?”
She clapped her hands against her thighs. “Of course, I’ll take the job.”
I stood up, offering her my hand. “You have my word. This will be strictly business.”
She shook my hand. “I make you that same promise."
The second our palms touched, electricity shot up my arm. I felt the hairs on the nape of my neck stand on end, and I quickly pulled my hand away from hers. I stood up straight, rolling my shoulders back to try and ground myself. And the entire time, I wondered if it was true.
Can you really bear to keep things professional when you know what’s under her clothes?
“So, when would you like me to start?” Karina asked.
Her voice pulled me from my trance, and I had to swallow a growl when I watched her bend over to get her purse. What a wonderful ass she had.
“As soon as you can. If you’re free today, I can get you clocked in for a half-day, and we can get you settled in with your headset and things like that.”
She slid her purse over her shoulder. “Sounds fine by me. Lead the way.”
I held my arm toward the door. “After you, Miss…?”
She turned her back to me. “Rosehill.”
My eyes fell to her ass. “Miss Rosehill. After you.”
“Thank you.”
As her hips swayed with every step, I knew I was in trouble.
I knew I had just made the best decision for my company, but the worst decision for myself.
