by Stacy Finz
“Thanks, Deb.” He winked, popped one in his mouth, and let his eyes dance over her. “I love Kisses.”
Flustered, she looked around. “Nice office.”
Though she’d practically grown up in GA, coming with her parents when they used to clean, she’d never been inside TJ’s office since he’d been promoted to the boss. It was twice the size of Win’s and neat as could be. But there were still touches of him everywhere. Poster-sized pictures of various Garners skiing, kayaking, parasailing, and bobsledding. A collection of ridiculous plastic action figures. And a miniature basketball hoop.
Everything else—the brown leather love seat, the Navajo rug, the tan walls—felt more perfunctory than heartfelt, almost as if a decorator had picked them out. It was like the old, fun TJ was battling it out with the new, corporate TJ. She wanted the old one to win.
And . . . yeah . . . she was thinking way more about him than she ought to be.
He looked around the space as if he were seeing it for the first time. “It’s not bad.” Then his eyes quickly scanned her fitted jacket and yoga pants and she felt herself blush.
“So, anyone go for it?” She pointed at the pile of her credit cards on his desk.
“Not all, but some were willing to lower your monthly payment.” He showed her a yellow pad where he’d scrawled a few figures.
It was more or less what she’d expected, but a part of her had held out hope that consolidation would save her. That was her problem; she was unrealistic about everything. Thinking she could support herself and her parents on her waitressing wages. Thinking if she just ignored her mounting debt it would go away. Thinking Win would eventually come around and commit to her and that would somehow make her happy.
And there it was hitting her at once—the utter hopelessness of the situation. On the verge of losing it, she wanted to get out before TJ saw her cry. “Thank you. I really appreciate everything you’ve done,” she said in a shaky voice and started to leave.
“Sit down for a second.”
Ah jeez, now came the lecture. But after TJ had been so nice to her, she didn’t want to be rude and found a spot on the couch. He got up to shut the door and she thought, here it comes. Couldn’t he see she was a breath away from breaking down?
Before he could start the sermon, she blurted out, “Boden offered me a job.”
“Bartending.” He sat back down in his chair and wheeled closer to the sofa.
“Yeah. How’d you know?” It was more likely Boden would’ve hired her to waitress, because that was her vocation. Serving people tuna melts. Bartending wasn’t much better, but at least the tips were. She’d heard some of his people pocketed as much as three hundred bucks on a good night.
“I suggested you when he told me he was looking.”
“Why? I have no bartending experience.”
He tilted his head and looked at her with blue eyes that seemed to see everything. Her desperation and despair. It should’ve been humiliating, but it made her heart move in her chest. “Because you need the money,” he said. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
She just nodded, the lump in her throat making it difficult to speak.
He rested his hands on his knees. “You can’t continue this way or you’ll go further in the hole. You’re only covering interest on most of those cards.” He nudged his head at the stack of plastic on his desk. “At that rate, you’ll never make a dent on the principle, and I think it’s pretty safe to assume you can’t afford more than the minimum payment.”
The sad truth was, she barely made the minimums.
He let out a sigh. “There’s an opening here if you want it.”
“Ah, TJ, that’s so nice. But we talked about it yesterday . . . bartending might be more lucrative, don’t you think?”
“I’m not talking about working here as a guide. We have a new position for someone to run the retail division of GA. It’s salaried with health benefits, paid vacations, and a 401(k) match. It’ll get you out of your hole.”
Wait, she was confused. “You’re offering this to me?”
“Yes. You.”
Stunned, she was at a loss for words. Of course, she wasn’t going to accept the offer, as generous as it was. The Garners had done enough for the Bennetts. When the recession happened and most businesses, including GA, could no longer afford the luxury of having a cleaning service, the Garners had stuck by Deb’s parents.
“I can’t, TJ.” There were a million reasons why it would be a terrible idea. One of those reasons was sitting right in front of her. Old crushes were only dormant so long as you didn’t revive them. Win had hurt her. She suspected TJ had the power to destroy her.
“You don’t even know what the job entails and you’re already turning it down? Not a good way to impress your new boss, Bennett.”
She smiled because he’d always had that take-charge tone. Back when they were kids, he was forever keeping her out of mischief. The dumbbells on the weight trees that were too heavy for her to lift. The kayaks stacked against the wall that would wobble dangerously when she tried to scale them. The climbing ropes she loved to play with but would ultimately get tangled in.
Her cries of frustration always brought him running to her rescue. Her own personal hero.
“The job would require you to decide what items we want to sell and to buy and merchandise them,” he pushed on. “You’d be responsible for the retail section of the website, filling orders, and, at some point, a brick-and-mortar store here.”
“But . . . why me?” Besides the fact that she desperately needed a better-paying job and he so obviously felt sorry for her. “Oh God.” She covered her mouth. “Last night, when I told you my ridiculous tent idea . . . you didn’t think I was angling for a job, did you?”
“It wasn’t ridiculous and no, I didn’t think you were angling for a job. The fact is, you’re our target consumer. You wear the clothes.” Again, he eyed her wardrobe. “You buy the equipment. You know what appeals to a sportsman or sportswoman.”
“I don’t know anything about retail, though.”
“Then I suggest you learn if you want to do well at the job. Because, Deb, make no mistake about it, if you suck, I’ll fire you.”
That she knew was true. Business always came first with TJ. He wasn’t a dick about it, but his family’s livelihood rode on his decisions, which made it all that much stranger that he would offer her the job.
“Why are you really doing this, TJ?” She needed to hear the real reason because the temptation to jump at it was so great.
“Because you need the job”—she knew it!—“and I believe in investing locally. And truthfully, I believe in you, Deb.”
Well, shit. It had been a long time since she’d heard anyone tell her they believed in her. And as much as it sounded sincere, Deb couldn’t help but feel like TJ was only blowing smoke up her behind. “I can’t, TJ. It’s a really generous offer, but I just can’t.”
He studied her closely. “You afraid of failing, Bennett?”
“No, I’m afraid of using family friendship to take a job I don’t deserve.” And she was afraid of her complicated feelings for him.
“The diner or Boden offer health insurance?”
He knew damned well neither of them did. She started to get up.
“The entire business world operates under the premise that it’s who you know, not what you know. No one passes on an opportunity because they have too much dignity to take a hand up. But if you want to live over a diner, drive a busted car, and eat ramen the rest of your life, suit yourself. The rest of us will happily use our connections to get ahead and prove ourselves.” He slid his chair back.
They weren’t the most flowery words, but they were honest.
He reached around his desk for a manila folder. “That’s the official offer with your salary, benefits, and GA’s employee handbook.”
She opened the file and gasped at the salary. It wasn’t six figures, but it was a hell of a lot
more than she made at the diner.
TJ watched her take it all in, then leaned over and pointed to a paragraph in the contract.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“It’s the benefits we offer.” Holy shit, dental. She was still paying for the crown she’d gotten the previous year. “When can you start?”
She hadn’t said yes yet and silently contemplated what he was offering. A way out of her financial problems, that was for sure. But at what price?
“Think about how you could help your parents.” He held her gaze and wouldn’t let it go.
“Wow, you know how to go for the jugular, don’t you?” Few people knew the extent of her parents’ reliance on her, but he’d seen her list of expenditures right down to the penny. Her head spun. What would everyone think? Would she even be able to do the job? She let out a long breath. “I know I seem adrift, but I’m a hard worker. But this . . . I have no training whatsoever.”
“You’ll have to learn and you’ll have to learn fast, because I needed someone to do this job yesterday.”
Could she really do this . . . work with TJ? See him every day, maybe watch him fall for someone like Karen? Did she have a choice? “I have to give Felix two weeks’ notice.” Despite being the world’s biggest pain in the ass, he was a good employer, giving her the best shifts and always having her back. “But I can come in here a few hours a day and get up to speed. You wouldn’t have to pay me.”
“I don’t expect anyone to work for free. We’ll figure something out.” He turned to the calendar on his wall. “Let’s make your official start date on the eighteenth.”
The day after her birthday. It would be like turning a new page. She liked it. “Okay.”
He got up, and for some reason it struck her how very tall he was. “Come on; I’ll show you your office.”
No way. She got her own office? He led her down the hallway to a room about half the size of TJ’s. It had a window that faced the courtyard and let plenty of light in and a basic computer setup.
“You can do whatever you want with it,” he said. “As soon as you’re ready, we can meet and go over things. In the meantime, write down some ideas. Remember, you’re our type of consumer. Think about what appeals to you, what makes you buy something.”
“Uh . . . sure.” She already felt overwhelmed and she hadn’t even started yet. But she had Hannah and Delaney. They did this stuff in their sleep and could give her a crash course on retail.
She filled out paperwork and was given tax forms to take home. Caught up in the moment, she hugged him. “Thank you, TJ.” He felt so solid and smelled so good that she held on a little longer than she should’ve.
He rebounded from the hug a little shell-shocked but gave an imperceptible nod. On her way out, she nearly collided in the lobby with Win.
“Hey, hot stuff. You looking for me?”
The song “You’re So Vain” flitted through her head. “Nope. TJ.”
He raised his brows. “What’s going on with TJ?”
It hit her that he didn’t know, which was odd. All four brothers had an equal share of the company, even Colt, who wasn’t a full-time employee. A job this important . . . well, she would’ve thought it’d been a group decision.
“I’m working here now.”
“Really? Cool,” he said and headed for his office. “Catch you later, Bennett.”
She shook her head, wondering how Win could be that clueless. It hit her that she’d be working closely with him now. Not so long ago, that would’ve filled her with anticipation. Today . . . well, nothing.
She zipped up her jacket and headed to the Morning Glory to give notice.
Chapter Five
“You did what?” Colt kept shaking his head.
TJ still had to tell Josh, but he wouldn’t be home from Sacramento until late. He probably should’ve consulted with them first, but he was pulling rank.
“I saw an opportunity I thought would work,” he told Colt, but even to his own ears it sounded absurd and so out of character for him that his family must think he’d lost his mind.
Colt got up and paced TJ’s office. “I love Deb. I really do. But this is a new venture and we’re totally out of our depth here. The whole point was to bring in someone who actually knows what they’re doing, someone with experience selling adventure wear, someone who’s done it before. Delaney’s got a lot on the line, letting us have the exclusive deal on her clothes. And now we’re going to hand it off to Deb, who, with all due respect, isn’t exactly a go-getter.”
“That’s bullshit, Colt,” Win said and had the good grace to sound affronted. TJ should’ve been grateful for Win’s backing, but all he felt was jealousy, which in turn made him feel like a jerk. “She’s no different from us. She likes to play hard and she’s damned good at it.”
“Then make her a guide. I have no problem with that. But running a retail division takes a business head. There’s no evidence whatsoever that she’s got one.”
TJ held his tongue because everything Colt was saying was true. But he believed in her. “She’s our customer. She lives, eats, and breathes outdoor sports. She spends any extra money she makes—which isn’t a lot—on gear. And because of that, she knows what like-minded people want. That’s what I’m banking on.”
Colt eyed him dubiously.
“And Deb already lives here,” TJ continued. “You think it’s that easy to get someone with marketing experience from the city, where jobs pay twice as much? Why do you think Lauren didn’t wind up taking the position, huh?”
Win spread out on the couch. “My money is on Deb. I’m good with TJ’s choice.”
Colt shoved Win’s legs out of the way and sat next to him. “You made her the offer already, right?”
“As soon as Lauren said she didn’t want the job, I gave it to Deb. She’s excited about it.” She’d hugged him and for one stunned moment he’d nearly kissed her. “By now, she’s given her two weeks at the diner.”
“Great.” Colt leaned his head against the top of the sofa. “We’re stuck with it.”
Win kicked him. “Be nice to her.”
“I’m always nice to her. You’re the one who leads her on. Hot one day, cold the next. Make your move already, asshole.”
TJ tried to tune them out. Because Deb was Hannah’s best friend, he suspected Josh would be more circumspect about TJ’s decision to hire her. His parents would take some convincing, but they’d always had a soft spot where Deb was concerned. Hell, his mom had been planning her and Win’s wedding since the two of them were sixteen.
“Are we done here? I’ve got work to do.” Win was the first to leave, when usually he was the one to loiter.
Colt, on the other hand, took his time. “You know I’m not just trying to be a dick about this, right?”
“I do?”
“Come on, man. I just don’t want my fiancée to get screwed. She could’ve gone with the biggest sports retailers in the market, but she went with us.”
“I know, Colt. Have a little faith, wouldya?”
He leaned forward. “I just don’t get it. Of all of us, you’re the rational one. You’re the one who puts business before friendship. So what’s the deal?”
Way to make him sound like Ebenezer Scrooge. “I think she can do the job, it’s as simple as that.” Ha; nothing about it was simple.
“I hope you’re right. Nothing would make me happier for this to be a win for Deb and a win for us.” Colt got to his feet. “You call Mandy?”
“Why? Something going on with the Four Seasons?”
Colt gave him an exasperated look. “To ask her out, idiot.”
“Uh, not yet. But I’ll get around to it.” As soon as Deb started, he’d take Mandy on a date. Maybe they’d like each other, get married, and have a million kids. And maybe he’d win a billion-dollar jackpot playing Powerball.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re waiting for.” This from the guy who’d fought for a year with Delaney over a stupid
parking space before making a move. “You need to have some fun, TJ . . . stop making this place your whole life.”
Ya think? “Thanks for the advice, Oprah. Could you go now?”
Colt looked at the time. “Crap, I have a meeting with Rita at city hall.”
“Send my regards to the mayor,” TJ called after him as he left and spent the next thirty minutes returning emails.
When he finally came up for air, it was well past lunch and he was hungry. Usually, he brought something and ate at his desk. Today, all he had were a few protein bars shoved in the back of his drawer. On his way out, he stopped by the reception desk to see if Darcy wanted anything, then walked over to Old Glory and ordered a cheeseburger and fries.
“Coming right up,” Boden said as he wiped down the bar. “You want a beer?”
“Nah, I’m working.”
“Deb tells me you hired her at GA . . . big job with a good salary.”
“Yup.” He probably should’ve told her to keep her lips sealed until he’d told his entire family. “Sorry. I know you were hoping to recruit her.”
Boden put a glass of ice water in front of TJ. “Probably for the best.”
“Why’s that?”
“Dating in the workplace, not a good idea.”
Nope. It sure the hell wasn’t. But that wasn’t going to be a problem for him and Deb.
“So, you’re dating now?”
“Not yet, but planning on it.”
TJ suddenly felt like he’d swallowed lead. Unlike TJ, Boden didn’t live with the Win legacy. “Good luck with that.”
Boden laughed. “I know she’s hung up on your brother. But I’ll unhang her.”
TJ just looked at him because as far as he knew, no one had ever captured her attention the way Win had. And even he didn’t seem to get her attention as much these days. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on TJ’s part. “Like I said, good luck with that.”
When his food was ready he asked to take it to go and ate in his office.
Later that day, he called Josh to tell him about Deb before Hannah did. By now, all of Glory Junction likely knew. Why not? Deb should be able to share her new job with anyone she wanted to.