Help Wanted

by Allison B Hanson

  “Fine. But you’d better tell me everything when it finally happens.”

  “I’ll spill every detail. I promise,” she said, knowing it wasn’t going to happen. She’d crossed her fingers before she said it. She may be an adult, but it still counted.

  When she finally got off the phone, she decided she was going to put an end to all her anxieties. She was going to ask Zane out for dinner so they could talk about the kiss she had yet to forget. They’d been flirting and having fun, maybe he would tell her he felt the same way. Maybe she could have both things: the perfect job with a pleasant boss during the day, and a man who rocked her world at night.

  But Zane wasn’t there and when he finally showed up, he seemed to be in a bad mood the rest of the afternoon. She didn’t say anything or ask him over for dinner. The flirty, happy Zane was gone, replaced by the miserable Zane who had hired her.

  * * *

  The next morning she looked at herself in the mirror and gave her reflection a determined nod.

  “We’re going to handle this today. We can’t go on like this. It’s too tense. It will all work out.” She wasn’t so sure about that last part.

  She left an extra button open on her blouse and put on lipstick. Surely taking these extra measures would be a game changer for her love life.

  Zane wasn’t in the office when she got in. She checked her email to find one from him saying he would be out most of the day.

  She pouted at the screen and buttoned up the extra button before starting coffee for the guys and getting to work.

  One of her duties was reconciling Zane’s credit card, and she pulled up the bank’s website with the pile of receipts in front of her. She wanted to be caught up before they left on their trip the next day.

  One by one she coded each item and verified the amounts.

  She paused on one of the last transactions on the screen. A transaction she had no receipt for.

  “Meadow’s Floral Shop?” she said with her head cocked to the side. She only deliberated for a few moments before she picked up the phone and called the shop.

  “Meadow’s Floral,” the cheery woman said.

  “Hi. This is Kenley calling from New Haven Custom Boats. I have a charge on our credit card from yesterday, and I need a detailed receipt.”

  “Sure. No problem.” The woman helpfully offered to email the document to her without hesitation.

  Two minutes later, Kenley was staring at a receipt for a dozen roses purchased the day before. She gazed at Zane’s signature, unmistakably scribbled on the bottom line.

  Her mind quickly mapped out a scenario. He had been moody the afternoon before, then bought flowers and wasn’t at work today. Clearly he’d gotten into an argument with a girlfriend. Since he wasn’t going to be in today, the flowers must have done the trick.

  She sighed and picked up the phone to call Vanessa, hoping she could make her feel better.

  “He has a girlfriend,” she said right away.

  “No way!”

  “Yes. He bought her flowers yesterday.”

  “Are you sure? I thought his sister said he was available.”

  “Maybe he lied to her. He doesn’t like her in his business.”

  “Maybe the flowers were for his sister or his mom’s birthday or something.”

  “A dozen red roses? You don’t take red roses to your mother on her birthday. Besides his mother lives in Florida.”

  “Right.”

  “He’s not here today. They’re probably off somewhere having all-day make-up sex.” Kenley hadn’t had the chance to have all-day make-up sex yet, but Vanessa and Rachel always made it sound wonderful.

  “There are plenty of other fish in the sea.”

  She didn’t want the other fish.

  “This is for the best. It was a stupid idea to get involved with my boss. I need this job.”

  “Come on, Kenley. Work with me a little. We need to get you a man. Any man.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “We either find you a man or I buy you ten cats. It’s up to you.”

  “I like cats. Maybe not ten. At least not all at once.”

  “God! You’re unbelievable.”

  “Love you too.” Kenley laughed and hung up.

  She would not let this get her down. Maybe if he and this rose person had been arguing it meant she was a demanding witch Zane might want to replace with the woman who paid his bills. The woman he would be going away with the next morning.

  Her stupid insecurities took that moment to chime in. Why would he want a woman whose idea of seduction was opening an extra button?

  She flipped the newspaper to the pet section and began scanning for cats.

  * * *

  Zane’s pulse picked up when Kenley arrived five minutes early the next morning. Good looking, a brilliant mind, and punctuality all wrapped up into one amazing package. An amazing package who’d gone on a date that made her giggle.

  Zane was still irritated with that information. She’d kissed him. Quite intensely, even. Of course, she was on board with his whole let’s-forget-it-happened thing. He should have known.

  “Good morning,” he greeted her, trying to keep his voice pleasant. After all, it wasn’t her fault she had a boyfriend.

  “Morning,” she said, sounding less than enthusiastic. She had circles under her eyes. Maybe she and the boyfriend broke up. He hated the thrill he felt over something that could cause her pain. But maybe he could help her with that pain. Make her forget what’s-his-name.

  She stood there on the dock looking at his boat.

  “This is yours?” she asked.

  He couldn’t help the pride in his smile when he said, “Yes.”

  “You have a yacht.” She let out a breath and shook her head. “Unbelievable.” Since she said that last word more to herself, he let it go.

  He loaded her small bag and helped her aboard as she thanked him. Ten minutes later, the trip so far consisted of him driving while she sat in the back of the boat looking out at the ocean in silence.

  “Are you okay?” he finally asked, not able to deal with it anymore.

  She shrugged. Obviously she didn’t want to talk about it. The warm May day boasted perfect blue skies overhead. But with the cool breeze coming off the ocean, Kenley pulled on a sweatshirt and let out a sigh.

  He told her what he was looking for in a boat. He briefed her on their plans. She pulled out her phone and typed in some notes. She seemed to be in a better mood by the time they arrived. He led her to the first boat he wanted to look at.

  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered. He glanced over at her, taking in her golden hair whipping in the wind. He couldn’t agree more. Except she was talking about the Trumpy yacht in front of them.

  They got right to business. He gave her the lead to ask her list of questions. Even when the salesman attempted to ignore her, Zane directed the conversation back to Kenley so she had full control.

  She did a wonderful job. She asked informed questions and seemed confident with her knowledge of the model. It was obvious she’d done her homework.

  He’d left her alone while he went to pick up lunch, knowing she was capable of handling the salesman on her own.

  When she had all her answers she shook the man’s hand. “Thank you for your time. We’ll be in touch,” she said as she turned to Zane, indicating she was ready to go.

  Once again he helped her into his boat, holding out the bag of sandwiches when she was safely aboard. He started up the boat and drove them out into the water far enough to give them privacy. So far there’d been no magic. They would only have a little more time for it to kick in before he moved around the point and moored at the marina.

  “What did you think of that one?” he asked as he dropped the anchor and grabbed two bottles of water from the cooler.

  “It was beautiful. As far as restoration, it wouldn’t need much. The master bedroom was modernized and has an alarming number of mirrors, but other than that it’s
been left in original condition.”

  He’d seen the way her cheeks turned a glorious shade of pink when she’d seen the mirrors on the ceiling of the stateroom. What he wouldn’t have given to take it out for a test ride and watch her respond from numerous angles.

  Damn, he needed to buy bigger jeans.

  His tension only built as he watched her lick the barbeque-chip residue from her fingertips. God, that tongue and those lips.

  “I don’t think it’s worth the price,” she said.

  “Excuse me?” Oh. The boat. “Right. He’s asking too much. We’d have to negotiate.”

  “Are you any good at it?” Her lips quirked up on the side.

  “Asking for what I want?” He could only stare at her. “No. I suck at it.”

  An hour later they arrived where the boat show was being held. The convention center was within walking distance. He offered to carry her bag, but she simply pulled out the handle so she could roll it behind her. Chivalry was dead, killed by modern conveniences.

  “Thank you for this opportunity, Zane. I really appreciate it,” she said when they stopped outside her room.

  “I really appreciate you taking the initiative. You’ve earned the opportunity. And I’ll be happy to ditch jobs on you once you’re broken in.” He winked at her, it was the same kind of flirting they’d been doing the last week, but it didn’t get the same response.

  Instead she turned to unlock her door.

  “I guess I’ll unpack before I meet you downstairs?”

  “Sure.” And then she was gone. The door shut in his face.

  * * *

  Her hotel room was covered in rose wallpaper. Pink and red blooms taunted her. A reminder of the fact that somewhere out there was a woman to whom Zane had given a dozen red roses. Someone he probably loved, and had sex with.

  “Damn it!” She’d had such high expectations for this trip, and it wasn’t turning out at all like she’d planned.

  Sure she was enjoying her job. She liked how Zane seemed fine to let her handle things on her own. He didn’t jump in unless she asked him a question. She valued his opinion, and he was eager to listen to hers.

  Now they would be going for drinks and dinner together.

  She would rather stay in the overly floral room alone than go to an awkward dinner with the man she was falling for, but he would no doubt be concerned. She couldn’t avoid him.

  He hopped up quickly when she stepped off the elevator in the lobby. She hadn’t changed because to do so would have implied this was a date, which it wasn’t. But she had taken her hair out of the ponytail and put on a fresh coat of lipstick.

  That was the extent of her efforts for a business dinner.

  “You ready?” he asked with a strained smile. He was no doubt wondering why she was so cold to him.

  She smiled a genuine smile, deciding to let it go. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Okay, so maybe kissing her when he had a girlfriend wasn’t the right thing, but it was really nothing.

  “Yes.”

  She made an effort to chat, but it was difficult to hear with all the people crowded into the bar area. He introduced her to a few people. He conducted business easily, and she doubted what he’d said earlier about not being a good negotiator. He seemed to be doing a fine job of telling these men what he was looking for and what he was willing to pay for it.

  Kenley paid attention, trying to pick up things she could use. By the time they were moving to the dining hall, Zane had bought a boat sight unseen and had plans to look at four more. She was impressed with his skill.

  She was also finished with her first drink.

  “Can I get a rum and coke?” she requested when the waitress came around. Then she worried two drinks might make her seem irresponsible. Did she care what he thought of her? No, she didn’t. Kenley raised her brow at him in defiance. He couldn’t tell her what to do. Damn. Yes, he could. That was what bosses did.

  “I’ll have a lager.” He raised his brow at her, mimicking her rebellious expression. “We’re grown-ups, Kenley. We can have a few drinks after work if we want.”

  She let go of the tension. He’d said after work, which meant they were no longer on the clock. While under normal circumstances having dinner with a man after work would be considered a date, she didn’t allow herself to think of it that way.

  He had a girlfriend. He was her boss. He was off limits.

  They talked a little more about the boat they’d seen that day while they ate.

  “So I was wondering,” he said after they’d placed their orders. “Would you mind going out to Ohio and setting up the new office? Taking care of the files and things? Then maybe hire someone for there?”

  Her eyes went wide with excitement. “Really?”

  “It’s not a big deal. You’re running the office in Connecticut like a well-oiled machine. I’d feel better if you set it up so it would be easier for someone to take over. Plus I’m told my file system sucks.”

  “Sure. No problem.”

  “You can go whenever works best for you. I’m hoping to have it open for summer.”

  “Okay. I’ll work it into my schedule.” She almost hugged him, but played it cool.

  Zane’s crab legs were quite messy, so he excused himself the bathroom when they were finished eating.

  She felt alone as she watched him walk away. It was stupid. On a normal Friday night she would have been alone, or maybe hanging out with Vanessa and her brother, but she wouldn’t be with Zane.

  Although, she’d never wanted anyone more than she wanted Zane.

  She was in dangerous territory. She didn’t know a lot about sexual relationships, but she knew that wanting someone she couldn’t have wasn’t a good idea.

  Chapter 9

  He caught her looking at her necklace with a slight smile on her lips as he walked back to their table.

  “So you like it,” he asked, happy to see her smiling again. He wasn’t sure what had been wrong earlier, but he was glad to see her back to her normal pleasant self.

  “I do. It’s so nice to be appreciated. I’m not used to it. My old boss just piled on more work.”

  “And then accused you of sleeping with her husband,” he reminded her.

  “Yeah.” She laughed. “I’m kind of glad though.”

  “Really?”

  “I probably would have stayed there my whole life.”

  “Because of the loyalitis,” he teased, and she laughed.

  “I wouldn’t have known what it was like to have a job I actually loved.”

  Hearing her say the word loved made his heart do that twitching thing again. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t pine for her from the sidelines. He wouldn’t allow it. He was a man.

  Before he had a chance to act, the lights in the room dimmed and the DJ in the corner announced that the dancing would be beginning with a classic. “Twist and Shout” filled the room.

  “It’s just like prom, huh?” He laughed.

  “I wouldn’t know. I didn’t go.”

  “You didn’t?” He couldn’t hide his surprise.

  “No. I was invited to my junior prom, but my mom was so sick. She was gone by my senior prom, but the people at school didn’t seem important to me anymore.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “It’s fine. It’s not something I talk about.” She sniffed. “As one of my classmates pointed out, I shouldn’t have been too upset since she was only my adopted mom. But she was the only mom I’d ever known.”

  He swallowed. “You were adopted?”

  “Yeah. Didn’t Sidney tell you?”

  “No. She didn’t mention it.” It would have been nice to have a heads up so he didn’t walk into an awkward conversation.

  He could almost envision what it must have been like for her through her mother’s illness. Struggling through school while hiding the pain. No doubt she would have been allowed to take a leave, but she hadn’t. She was strong. Stronger than he ever was.

>   He always assumed the beautiful people lived perfect lives, but that wasn’t always true. Kenley had faced a lot of heartache and still came to work every day with a smile on her face.

  “I’m sorry for what you went through. And sorry someone was so insensitive. Of course she was your mother.”

  “Thanks. It’s easier to know that now. It’s harder in high school. I always feel like those four years were just practice for what happens in real life. Out here it’s different. Back then, we were all so stupid. We didn’t know what mattered.”

  She was right. And he knew what mattered now. Her. “I was kind of a geek in high school.”

  “No way.”

  “Yep. I was tall, but built like a stick until my junior year. I had trouble talking to girls and I spent most of my time drawing.”

  “Ooh. Artsy hipster.”

  “It’s too bad that term didn’t exist back then. Maybe I would have been cool in some way.”

  They laughed.

  “Do you still draw? I like the pictures of the boats in your office.” He couldn’t very well tell her he’d done a sketch of her. He’d sound like a stalker.

  “Occasionally.”

  “What got you into boats?”

  “My dad had a boat when I was younger. It was the one thing my family did together. He had a sailboat and we had to work as a team to get it moving. There was no time for my parents’ bickering.” He shook his head.

  “Sidney said your parents live in Florida now. Do you visit much?”

  “No. I’ve never been down.”

  “You’re not close to them?”

  “Not really. They’ll be coming up when my niece is born. It will be tense.” He tilted his head. “Are you close to your parents?”

  “Yes. When my mother died, my father was a mess. I didn’t want to go off to school and leave him alone, but he insisted. And my mother had insisted before she passed.” She smiled at the memory. “I came home for spring break during my junior year and he was acting all nervous when he picked me up at the airport. I didn’t know what was up with him. When we got home he made me wait in the car until he mustered up enough nerve to finally tell me he had a girlfriend and she was living with him.”