Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
“Why…are you dragging your feet?” I asked, as if I couldn’t quite comprehend the words coming out of his mouth.
“Because I want you to take the position,” he said simply. “You did excellent work in Midland. Malcolm King is a hard man to impress, and he said he liked you. In fact, he said, in the future, I should send you down for their needs, which leaves me in a position where I need you.”
I opened my mouth and closed it. Was he for real?
Jordan paused, judging my reaction. “It’s a competitive salary, but I’m open for negotiations if you want more.”
He pushed a sheet of paper toward me. When I saw the figure printed on the paper, I thought I might pass out. I hadn’t seen money like this…ever.
My eyes flicked up to his. “You can go higher than this?”
He grinned. “If you want the job, I bet I can get another ten grand out of Morgan.”
I just barely managed to keep my jaw from dropping. “Wow.”
“So…do you want it?”
“Jordan, yes,” I said, my hand shaking as I set the paper back on the desk. “This is incredible! Thank you so much for thinking of me.”
“Oh good! You had me worried for a minute when you went silent.”
I laughed. “You’re never worried.”
“You forget I’m married to Annie. That woman keeps me on my toes.”
“At least someone does.”
“Fair.” He stood and held his hand out. “Welcome to the team.”
I shook his hand. “Happy to be here.”
Jordan filled me in on all the details while I listened in utter shock. I had a mountain of paperwork to fill out, and I’d start as soon as it was all filed. He even offered to show me my office, which had been vacated by the previous owner two weeks earlier.
I walked around the space like I was in a dream. It wasn’t the corner office that Whitt or Jordan had. In fact, it was an interior space. So, there wasn’t even a window. But there was a door and a desk, and all of it belonged to me.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was back up the stairs and striding, uninvited, into Whitt’s office. “Did you know?”
“Know what?” he asked with a smirk that said he damn well had.
“And you kept it from me!”
He laughed. “Did you accept the offer?”
“Of course I did! With an increase in the salary!”
“Congratulations!” He rose to his feet and swung me into his arms. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Did you do this?”
“No, you did. You earned it.”
“I can’t believe it,” I whispered. “Maybe I should have negotiated more.”
He just chuckled. “I’m sure Jordan was fair. He usually is in my estimation.”
“He was.”
I shook my head. Just this morning, I’d been hanging on by a thread, and now, I had a nearly six-figure salary in my future.
“We’ll have to celebrate at the silent auction on Friday,” Whitt said. “Let me get you a new pair of fancy shoes.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Who said I had to do anything?” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I want to.”
A knock on the door broke us apart, and Colton Wright strode inside with a coffee in hand.
“I went to Monomyth,” he said before glancing between us with a sly smile. “Did I interrupt?”
Whitt snatched the coffee out of his hand. “You did not. We were just discussing your dad’s silent auction on Friday. Are you going?”
“That’s for old people,” he said with complete seriousness.
Whitt and I exchanged a look. Youths.
“And anyway,” Colton said, taking a sip of his own coffee, “Dad’s flying me home on Sunday so I can start school on Monday. I’ll be out of here for good.” He added under his breath, “Thank fuck.”
“Well, the soccer team will miss you,” I told him.
He grinned. “Yeah, fair. You didn’t suck.”
“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“He’s fifteen and completely self-absorbed,” Whitt said, pushing Colton in the back of the head. “He doesn’t do compliments. Now, go and get to work.”
“Roger that, boss.”
“You’re going to miss him when he’s gone next week,” I observed.
“Yeah,” he said with a sigh. “Guess we’ll just have to go to New York and harass him.”
I laughed and kissed him again. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Unfortunately, I have to get back to work as well. Come by my house later?”
“Yes, sir,” I chirped.
He smoldered at the word. “See you soon.”
“Not soon enough.”
And then I skipped out of the office, a bounce in my step that hadn’t been there in so very long.
26
Eve
I stared down at the black box on my bed.
“Girl,” Blaire said, crashing down onto the bed beside the box.
“Even I know that’s fancy,” Piper said.
“My brother doesn’t play.” Harley looked down at her black-and-gold manicure and then back at the box. “Are you going to open it?”
My fingers traced the red Louboutin logo. The heels that Arnold had purchased for me had been my go-to for the last year. They were starting to show wear, and if I was honest, wearing them made me feel a little gross now that I was in a happy relationship. Maybe it was time to retire my fancy shoes that had been given to me by my abusive, asshole, married ex.