Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
I shrugged and sat back again. “That’s a story for another day, but we all have our responsibilities. I admired my grandfather a great deal, and when he asked me personally to take a more hands-on position with the company before he passed, I couldn’t refuse.”
There were only two heirs left today. My cousin and me.
I could tell that Peyton didn’t know how to respond, or where we’d go from here, so I continued. “I have two days left in the city. Should you call in sick tomorrow and shadow me for twenty-four hours, I’d make sure you’d be compensated generously. You’d meet Julia, my daughter, and Cathryn, her nanny.”
“What about your current PA?”
“I don’t have one. She quit last week.”
“Oh.” He pinched his bottom lip and glanced toward the check-in counter, then back at me. “How often do you travel?”
“Usually only a month or two out of the year, in total, but this year is hectic,” I admitted. “I’m on the road most of the time. Cathryn has graciously agreed to accompany me on all trips throughout the summer, but then she’s going to stay home more. She has a family of her own to be there for.” And two well-behaved kids in high school.
Peyton furrowed his brow. “Shouldn’t Julia be at day care or something?”
I inclined my head. “Right now, I’m traveling too much, and I want her with me. But when I’m in Boston, she’s at the company’s day care from seven to five.” The problem was that I usually worked from seven to seven. That was when Cathryn helped me, outside of her own position in HR, which I explained to Peyton.
“Got it.” He was thinking about it, at least. He stretched out the seconds that passed, and his knee bounced.
I took another sip of my coffee. “Where does your sister live now?”
He looked at me like it was the strangest question. “At home with our mom.”
“Ah, I thought you said—”
“That’s a story for another day,” he mimicked.
My mouth twitched, and I couldn’t help myself. “Don’t get smart with me.”
Amusement danced in his eyes.
Tempting boy, this one.
“Do you enjoy traveling?” I wondered. He needed to hear some of the perks he’d get for working alongside me.
“I wouldn’t know,” he replied. “I haven’t gotten the chance yet—except for last year. I went to LA to help a friend, but that’s as far as I’ve been.”
Interesting. He was used to being there for others. He’d raised his sister, and he’d worked hard; he had to.
“In the next few weeks, I’ll be traveling up and down the West Coast,” I revealed. “Then I’ll have a month touring our locations in the Caribbean before I go to Chicago, Houston, Denver, and Las Vegas. With stops home in Boston here and there.”
We had more locations across the country, but I’d handpicked a selection in our most popular destinations.
“Jeesh.” Peyton’s eyebrows raised farther. “So, my job would be to babysit you during the day and babysit Julia at night.”
Oh, how I wanted to toy with him for that. Fuck it, I wanted to prey on him. He was a brat. A feisty little brat.
This was excellent, though. He’d moved on from “Your PA would” to “I would.”
He was carefully picturing himself in the position.
I was not-so-carefully picturing him in another position.
He’d certainly make my showers more interesting if he worked for me. Perhaps it was best if he had a wife or girlfriend who waited for him at home. I was going to need some firmly set boundaries in order to keep my promise. That time of my life was over and done with. I had Julia now.
“I mean, I would be there too,” I told him, clearing my throat. “I’m not a distant father, by any means. Just clueless. I need help, definitely, but I was raised by nannies. I don’t want that for her.”
More than that, I didn’t want it for myself. I spent a week away from Julia last year and thought I was going to have a heart attack.
“You’re serious about this,” Peyton stated. “You haven’t even seen my resumé.”
“I’m serious about giving you a trial run,” I replied. “I’ve heard enough to know that much. If you could extend the twenty-four hours to a week, even better. And you’re welcome to call my office in Boston. Or hell, look into me online. Whatever you need.”
He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled a small laugh. “I just got this position a few months ago. My first job where I don’t have to worry about making rent.”
“Working for me would be your second, then,” I said. “How much do you make here? Around forty-five? You could make five or six times that with me—and you wouldn’t have any rent to pay. You’d live with me, of course.”
A thought that was more appealing than it should be.