I finish up my tasks for the day, including my letter to Mr. Davis, when my phone trills on the table. I tilt the phone toward me to check the number, and my heart skips a beat. Incoming call from Kalin Davis. I recheck the name, and panic sets in during the few seconds I have to answer the phone before the call directs to voice mail.
I take a deep breath and press Answer. “Hi, this is Annabelle Ried.”
“Annabelle, this is Kalin Davis.”
“Hi, Mr. Davis.”
“Hi. I was hoping you would have some time to discuss an offer this week.”
“An offer? Really?”
“Yes, Miss Ried. Really. How about this evening?”
This evening? What!
“Miss Ried, I don’t want to cancel my other interviews until I know that you’re happy with an offer. Otherwise, I will continue with the interviews this week.”
“No, no. I mean, yes. I will be glad to entertain an offer this evening.”
“Wonderful. How about eight o’clock this evening over dinner?”
Confusion and excitement crash in my stomach, and I am hopeful and tentative at the same time.
“Dinner, Mr. Davis?” I ask in an apprehensive tone.
“It’s an offer, Miss Ried. Is eight o’clock good for you?”
“Um, yes. Yes it is, Mr. Davis.”
“Is the address on your resume the best place to pick you up?”
“Yes, sir. That would be fine.”
“Splendid. I will see you at eight o’clock. And Miss Ried.”
“Yes?”
“This is a formal restaurant. Please dress accordingly.”
“Certainly.”
“Thank you. I look forward to seeing you this evening.”
“Thank you, Mr. Davis.”
Holy shit! Holy shit!
I drop my phone into my shoulder bag and clear off my notes from my job search. No more resumes. No more fruitless job searches. No more empty bank accounts and skimping! I have an offer! I have an offer! I turn my laptop off and tuck it into my bag. I am so done!
I arrive at my apartment and rummage through my bedroom closet to find the nicest dress that I own: a rose red fit-and-flare short-sleeve fitted silhouette dress that hugs the curves of my body, paired with silver ankle-wrap high-heel sandals. Lia stands over my shoulder in the full-length mirror the whole time, smiling devilishly.
“He’s obviously interested in you, Belle. Why else would he want to see you tonight? And over dinner?”
“He wants to know if I’ll accept his offer.” I shrug. “If I accept, he can cancel the rest of his interviews for the week.”
“You are so sweet, and soo naive.” She gently bites her forefinger while she eyes me in the mirror, showing her perfect teeth behind her full lips. “When he takes one look at you in that dress, he’s going to cancel the rest of his week, all right.”
We both giggle at the comment in the full-length mirror. Lia plays with my hair.
“It’s just an offer, Lia.”
“He sounds just a bit too eager to me,” Lia says in a suggestive tone. “He likes you.”
I turn to face her. “I could understand it if this were you, Lia. It wouldn’t be hard to miss the temptation. But me? I’m a plainy Janey compared to other girls. This is a job interview, plain and simple.”
Lia laughs at the comment. “Beautiful and naive. You are a prime target.”
I slap her shoulder playfully. “Shut up. Naive maybe.”
“Hey, listen to me.” Lia grabs me by my shoulders and looks directly at me with her big gray eyes. “I’m being serious now. I can tell you there are plenty of guys wanting to know your relationship status. Super-hot guys, too. Trevor’s friends, among others. I don’t know what you think, but you are gorgeous, Belle. I’m not saying this to give you a self-esteem boost, though that probably wouldn’t hurt.”
I gape at her.
“I’m saying this so you wise up…and fast. Stop being so naive.” She glares at me with irritation.
I pout at her.
“And stop pouting. This is for your own good.”
“I just think you’re missing the whole point of this meeting. I am about to be hired as a marketing assistant to the CEO of TALVIS Advertising. Don’t rain on my parade, Lia, because I don’t get very many of them.”
“Girlfriend, I want the best for you too. You know that. I’m just saying be careful.”
“I know. Thank you. It’s just that I’m under a lot of stress, and if this isn’t a job offer, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
I sit on the bed and wipe a tear forming in my eye before it becomes obvious I am about to cry.
“Belle, I told you not to worry about the rent. Stop it. You’re such a worry wart. I’m sorry. You’re right. Let’s just see what happens first.”
I stand up and spin around in a playful gesture. “How do I look?” A smile returns to my face.
Lia shakes her head at me and crosses her arms. “Too hot for your own good.”
I purse my lips at her. Suddenly we hear a car horn, and Lia and I look at each other with excitement. I scamper to the living room and peek out the window from behind the curtains to see a black and lava-gray striped Porsche Cayenne GTS. “Nice ride,” Lia says while holding my arms and peeking out the window with me over my shoulder. Kalin jumps out of the vehicle and strides up to the apartment entryway.
“Oh, my God, he’s gorgeous.” Lia leans her chin on my shoulder while bracing my shoulders with her hands.
I turn to face her. “I told you!” I say, my eyes wide. I make my way to the front door, and turn to Lia for one last check. “Are you sure I look okay in this dress?”
“Dangerously seductive,” she teases me.
I bite the corner of my lip and turn to open the door.
“Good evening, Miss Ried.” His deep voice booms through the doorway and into the small apartment.
“Good evening, Mr. Davis.” I give him my best smile, but I feel my face tighten with nerves. “This is my roommate and best friend, Lia Marzella.”
“Miss Marzella, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
“You too, Mr. Davis. Nice car. Limited edition?”
He cocks his head at her.
“I can tell from the design stripes.”
“Good eye, Miss Marzella. It is indeed a limited edition. There were only a thousand made and a hundred sold in the U.S. It was the only way I could get those colors.”
“It’s beautiful,” Lia rasps with gleam in her eye.
“Thank you.” He gives her a warm smile before returning his attention to me. “You certainly look exquisite this evening, Miss Ried. Shall we?”
“Drive carefully,” Lia quips.
“I’ll get her home safely. I promise.” He flashes Lia a wry grin. My heart is pounding in my chest. Calm down, Annabelle. This is supposed to be your future boss! This isn’t a date. Is it?
I can feel my cheeks flush as I look up at him. He gives me his arm, and I wind my arm through his and smile coyly. His bicep ripples against my slender arm, and sends a tingling sensation down to my stomach. “Did you find the apartment easily enough?” I mutter to interrupt my own nerves.
“Oh, yes. If I get lost I have satellite tracking to get me out of the woods.” He smiles at me, and I get a glimpse of those beautiful white teeth against his dark whiskers.
He holds the car door open for me, and I jump onto the soft black leather seat that massages every curve of my body.
Concetta’s is an exquisite Italian restaurant with large mahogany doors under a red awning. Mr. Davis escorts me by the arm as the valet zooms off in his $90,000 toy. We are immediately greeted by a tuxedo-clad maître d’.
“Good evening, Mr. Davis. Your usual table, sir?”
“That would be fine, Anthony.”
“Miss.” The maître d’ politely bows slightly toward me, and escorts us to a corner table overlooking the twinkling city lights over a black sea of water.
�
��What a beautiful view!”
“It’s one of the reasons I like this place so much. It sits on top of a bluff that provides one of the best views in the city. And the food is pretty damn good, too.” He shoots me a playful smile and his eyes sparkle.
The waiter provides the wine selection, and Mr. Davis picks out an eight-hundred-dollar bottle of Italian chateau.
“Sip it very slowly, and you can taste the roses, hazelnuts, and fine spices. You will think you are in heaven.”
After Mr. Davis orders for us, he cuts right to the job. “Miss Ried, I understand that you are somewhat concerned about finances in this economy. Many college graduates are, and quite frankly some companies are holding onto their cash.” His eyes narrow to emphasize the point. “They’re not hiring.”
I take a deep breath and feel the familiar tension in my body again. “It’s not easy out there, that’s for sure.” I take a sip of wine and look away. I am somewhat embarrassed that it has taken me this long to find a job. I hold my arms against my body and glance at the view. Surely he’s noticed that on my resume.
“It’s never as easy as it seems. There are a lot of college grads looking for a limited number of positions.” He pauses for a moment and threads his fingers together over the table. “But I liked what I saw in that interview. You managed to understand the fundamentals of how marketing works in spite of all the crap you may have been taught in college.” He gives me a comforting smile that sets me at ease.
“Expensive crap at that.” I smile.
“Miss Ried, let’s cut to the chase, shall we? I am willing to offer you a fifty-thousand-dollar hiring bonus to pay off your student loans while putting enough cash in your pocket to keep you comfortable. How does that sound to you?”
Fifty thousand dollars! What?
“I’m sorry. What?”
“Fifty thousand dollars should be enough to keep you focused on your job until your regular pay kicks in, while alleviating any financial concerns. Would it not?”
“No, I mean, I don’t understand. That’s executive-level pay. How much is the salary?”
“I am willing to offer you one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars a year in annual salary.”
I feel my eyes bug out like a cartoon character’s, and my jaw drop in similar fashion.
I jerk my hand over my water glass and bump it. It almost spills and thumps back onto the table, and I instinctively reach for the glass with both hands. A splash of water spills onto the table. I feel my face flush red. Good job, Annabelle. Spill something during a crucial offer. I take a sip of water, roll my lips between my teeth, and give him a nervous smile.
“But I’m not that qualified. I mean, yes, I graduated at the top of my class in a top university. But I have no experience, unless you count waitressing and job hunting.”
“I find your inexperience to be an advantage. Most of the advertising firms out there have missed not only what sells a product, but what is at the root of human desire.”
“But Mr. Davis, you know that I am just one applicant in a sea of applicants from top colleges. Why me? Why this great offer? And why here at a restaurant in the evening?”
Kalin leans in toward me, as if sharing a secret. “I like what I see in you, Miss Ried. I haven’t quite figured you out yet, but I like you, and my instincts are usually right. Keep in mind that we will be working very closely together. This is not a typical job, so it’s not a typical job offer.” His big brown eyes bore into me, and I feel heat rush to my center and uncertainty flutter in my stomach. I nervously bite my index finger and look down.
Mr. Davis leans back in his chair. “This company, and this firm’s reputation, must remain in good hands if something ever happens to me. Between you and me, Miss Ried, I’m in the process of selecting an apprentice, someone who will work with me confidentially and intimately.”
“Mr. Davis, I am sorry for being so forward, but what do you mean intimately?”
“I’ve spent the last nine years building this company into what it is. Anything I share with you must remain confidential. Miss Ried, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together. It would be a disservice to you not to tell you that up front. Some of the workers I have had the displeasure of spending all day with were a burden to my creative senses. Quite frankly, it was draining. As the owner of this company, I have the prerogative to choose who I want to work with. I like you, Miss Ried.” He narrows his eyes at me, and a slight smile tugs at his lips.
I feel strangely angry and delighted at the same time. Does he think he can buy me? But if someone wanted to buy me, Lord let it be him. “Is this a proposition, Mr. Davis?” I cannot believe the words came out of my mouth, but the wine makes me braver than I usually am.
His gruff laugh rings pleasantly through me again, relieving the tension weighing down in my body. How does he do that?
“I do find you attractive, if that is what you are asking. Whether anything comes from that is yet to be seen. We are two consenting adults, after all. If anything were to happen between us, well, it’s between us. It has nothing to do with your employment or your compensation. But I do hope you will consider working closely with me. You are my first choice. I find you inspiring.”
Inspiring?
“I’m flattered, Mr. Davis.”
The waiter brings us our meals and leaves, and Mr. Davis continues. “I would like your answer by the end of the week, Miss Ried, if that is convenient for you.”
“I must say, this is a lot to take in. I wasn’t expecting this tonight.”
“I understand. You were expecting your typical sixty-thousand-dollar-a-year job offer, with a nice five-hundred-dollar Christmas bonus, and a two-week vacation?” His eyes smile at me with amusement.
“Something like that, sir.”
“It would sadden me to see a young lady with so much potential in the slow death grip of a monotonous dead-end job. Life has much more to offer you, if you reach out and take it.”
His baritone voice washes over me like a soothing shower, and I want to listen to him all night. I want to believe him. But there has to be a catch. There’s always a catch, isn’t there?
“Miss Ried, if it’s any consolation, you will have fifty thousand dollars to pay off your student loans, some extra cash to spend as you please, and all while earning a salary nearly three times what a typical college grad makes. During this time you will work with me, learn some of the secrets of this business, and see if the agony of working so closely with me is worth the generous compensation.” His eyes hint of amusement, but his tone is stern “But I do need to know your answer by the end of the week.”
My stomach flutters and my fingers glide over my neck. I fidget with my sterling silver earring. “Yes, Mr. Davis. I can give you an answer by the end of the week.”
“I look forward to it.” He holds my gaze and my heart races. I take a sip of wine, wondering what Kalin Davis really wants from me.
Chapter Three
Lia is waiting up for me when I get home, and anxiously pulls me to the couch to sit down with me. “Let’s hear it, Belle. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Did he take you to his dungeon?” she asks with a teasing smile.
I take a deep breath. “I’m glad you’re sitting down. He’s offering me a lot of money to be his personal assistant.”
“How much is a lot of money?”
“He’s offering me fifty thousand dollars as a signing bonus and a hundred and seventy-five thousand a year in salary.”
Lia’s eyes grow large and her mouth forms an O. “No fucking way!”
“I’m serious, Lia. I have to give him an answer by the end of the week.”
“No way! What’s the catch?”
“He said I’d be working very closely with him.” I blink and look down to avoid her gaze.
“I knew it!” she says, narrowing her big eyes at me.
“It’s not like that, Lia. He wants someone who can do what he can do so he can trust the company to someone. It’s an
incredible opportunity,” I add in a hopeful tone.
“But you don’t know anything about running a company.”
“He thinks that’s an advantage. He can show me everything he knows without any preconceived notions.”
“I’m sure he wants to show you everything he knows, Belle. That’s what I’m worried about.”
“Lia!” I yelp.
“I told you to watch him. Why is he hiring a sweet young thing like you instead of some pudgy middle-aged man with years of experience and an MBA from Harvard?”
“I told you. He likes that I have no experience.”
“Oh, my God, Belle. Are you serious? You cannot be this naive.”
My eyes fall to my hands, and I take a deep breath. Part of me knows she is right. “He said we would be working closely together. I asked him, point blank, if this was a proposition.”
“You what? Lia snorts.
“I did,” I insist while lifting my hands to my shoulders. “I asked him right over dinner. I mean, that’s an insane amount of money!” I pause and turn my head to Lia. “I’m not as naive as you think I am.”
“Okay,” she says, smiling at me, patting my hand. “What’d he say?”
“He said he does like me, and that he does find me attractive, but he only mentioned it because I asked.” My eyes dart to Lia to examine her expression. “It’s not why he hired me.” I give Lia a defensive glance. “He said he found me inspiring.”
“Inspiring?”
“That’s what he said.”
“Inspiring to his libido. Just be careful, Belle.”
I twist my mouth and stare at my hands again. “Even if he is attracted to me, is that really so bad?”
“Not if he doesn’t use you and toss you aside, and make an offer just to get into your skirt.”
“He built one of the top advertising firms in the world, Lia. He knows what he’s doing.”
Undeniably His Page 2