The Single Daddy Situation

by Layla Valentine

  He hadn’t lied when he told her they needed to hire more people as Harfield and Wellner grew in size. And he also hadn’t lied when he said he had been putting off a thorough look into the company’s pain points. In fact, he realized he hadn’t lied about anything.

  Well, at least I’ve got that going for me. He might have been an idiot and a creep, but at least he was honest about it.

  Chapter 14

  Mariah

  As Mariah tightened her jacket against the chilly breeze that swept past the front of the club, she shifted to her other foot. She had swung by her favorite pizza place on her way to work, and as she ate her late dinner in the break room upstairs, Joe had stopped in to let her know that they had been experiencing payroll difficulties. The folks in the accounting department thought they had fixed the problem, but Joe anticipated that their paychecks would be a couple days late that week.

  Fortunately, Joe’s wife had taken pity on them and baked a veritable feast. In addition to her meatball sub, Mariah had stuffed her face with cookies and lemon bars. So far, the desserts were the highlight of her work night.

  The line outside the building had finally tapered off, and as Mariah huddled against the cool breeze, she finally permitted her thoughts to drift off to Logan.

  His countenance as he offered her a job and then handed her a business card had seemed genuine, but then again, he had seemed genuine when he told her he would be at her fight four years ago. But if he wasn’t sincere, then what did he want from her? He couldn’t be serious when he told her that he’d offered her an unspecified position just because his business needed skilled workers. Aside from the ability to put a drunk in a choke hold in zero-point-two seconds flat, she didn’t have any skills that would be conducive to a business founded on venture capitalism.

  Sure, she’d taken an accounting class in college, but she could hardly remember the instructor’s name, let alone what she had studied. And what would a venture capitalist firm want with a woman who had a literature degree? Did they need reading recommendations?

  She snorted aloud at the idea.

  But what bothered her the most was the fact that she hadn’t been able to locate a single facet of suspicious activity in Logan’s suggestion. As best as she could tell—and she was much better at reading people now than she had been four years ago—his offer had been genuine.

  Even if the offer was genuine, how could she expect to work at the side of someone for whom she had once fallen head over heels? Or was that why he wanted her to work for him in the first place?

  Maybe he thought that a lessened proximity between them would mean easy-access sex—instead of going out to look for a woman to screw, he wouldn’t have to go any farther than his office building.

  An unbidden image came to mind at the thought. She pictured a sun-drenched office in downtown San Bravado, the light blanketing her with warmth as she bent over the top of a polished, wooden desk. As she grasped the edge of the desk, a low moan escaped her. One hand on the small of her back, the other grasping her hip, Logan eased himself into her.

  The warmth of a sudden flush spread over her cheeks as she jerked herself out of the fantasy and back to the chilly night. Mariah didn’t doubt she would enjoy the act if it happened, but she worried about the fallout.

  Right now, working at The Max, her life was simple. She went to work, came home, watched television, ate and slept. Then, the next day, she repeated the routine over again. It was far from the life she had envisioned for herself, but it was simple. Even in the midst of the drama caused by Corrine’s dipshit husband, Mariah’s life remained free of complications.

  However, if she put herself in close quarters with Logan Harfield, she was bound to run into complications. But as she shifted from one aching foot to another, her teeth chattered, and she couldn’t help but wonder if working for him would be a step up from aggravating drunks and belated paychecks. Maybe, just maybe, she ought to hear him out.

  For the remaining three hours of a shift that felt like it had lasted closer to twelve, she oscillated back and forth. There were pros and cons to each decision, and after business had died down, she had little else to do than consider the ins and outs of each scenario.

  By the time she clocked out and headed home for the night, she was still on the fence. It would be easy enough to ignore Logan’s offer and avoid ever speaking to him again. She could go back to her complication-free existence, hoping that maybe someday a better opportunity would come along.

  Or, she could take the red pill and follow the rabbit hole down, down, down. She could jerk herself away from this meaningless existence and finally pursue a better life for herself. Just because she worked with Logan didn’t mean she had to be romantically involved with him. And if he thought otherwise, well, he’d have another thing coming.

  No, Logan might have treated her poorly four years ago, but he wasn’t a creep.

  As she cruised along down the same street she’d taken home countless times before, she heard the first in a series of sputters from the car’s engine. For the past couple weeks, her old beater had been behaving oddly, but she had hoped to put off the diagnostics and repairs until after she was paid. Now that her check was delayed, she had to cross her fingers that the car would last another few days.

  At the sudden screech of metal, Mariah almost leaped out of her seat. “Damn!” she exclaimed. Flicking on the hazard lights, she managed a frantic glance to her blind spot before she pulled over. The car limped to the edge of a grocery store parking lot, and then the engine grew quiet.

  Even as she turned the key in the ignition, she knew the effort was pointless. Blowing out a long sigh, she leaned back in her seat and rubbed her temples. These days, she was sure she never went longer than an hour without sighing. Hell, she probably sighed in her sleep.

  “Well, there’s your answer, Mariah,” she muttered to herself.

  Chapter 15

  Mariah

  The second she saw the glass building glittering in the morning sunlight, Mariah knew Logan’s assessment that he’d done “all right” for himself was a drastic understatement. Unless his office was in the boiler room, she could safely say his business was successful.

  After she tipped her driver, Mariah stepped out of the rideshare car into the morning sun and slung her handbag over one shoulder. With both hands, she smoothed the front of her mint-green dress and tugged a black-and-white striped cardigan tighter around herself. As she returned her focus to the sleek building, she was suddenly glad she had decided to dress so well. Even if she’d shown up in a nice pair of slacks and a button-down blouse, she thought she still would have felt underdressed.

  As she strode toward the set of glass and metal double doors, her flats were quiet against the smooth concrete. She pressed a button on a badge reader beside the door and waited until a distinct buzz sounded out to advise her the lock had been disengaged.

  On the other side of the first set of doors, a young man offered her a smile as he pulled open one of the glass doors.

  “Hello,” she said brightly, returning his pleasant expression. “I’m here for a meeting with Lo—with Mr. Harfield. It’s not for another ten minutes. I’m a little early.”

  “No problem,” he replied. “We’ve been expecting you. I’ll take you up to his office now.”

  Mariah nodded. “Thank you.”

  They passed another potted palm tree at the edge of the granite reception desk, and this one was decorated with white fairy lights—a splash of chic in the otherwise modern space. Though the desk was black and the floor a pale shade of gray, a red, armless couch and other pieces of matching furniture and décor added a pop of color to a space that might have otherwise felt drab and industrial. The lobby was ritzy while maintaining a welcoming undertone.

  As she followed her guide into the elevator, she was greeted by a whiff of citrus. Not only did the place look good, but it smelled good, too.

  “Does Harfield and Wellner own this entire building?
” Mariah wondered aloud, breaking the relative silence.

  The younger man nodded. “They do, but the nine middle floors are leased out to a few local businesses. A couple of them are even businesses that Harfield and Wellner helped get off the ground.”

  Mariah barely managed to conceal a look of awe. “That’s pretty cool.” Even to herself, the words sounded stupid.

  He grinned in response.

  Before she could pose another silly question, a cheery ding sounded out as the silver doors slid open. The blond man beckoned for her to follow him to the corner of a warmly lit hallway. After they rounded the bend, they made their way to a closed door.

  In the alcove to the side of the door was a waiting area with a couple overstuffed chairs, a coffee table, and a bookshelf. To Mariah’s surprise, there were actual books on the matte black shelf. She squinted, but at the distance, she couldn’t make out any of the titles.

  The light clatter of knuckles against the glass of the door snapped her attention back to her guide. She realized suddenly that the wall into which the doorway had been built was comprised almost entirely of glass. Blinds had been drawn over the door as well as along the length of the wall.

  As the door swung inward, a slat of sunlight from the corner office fell over the carpeted floor of the hall. When Mariah settled her gaze on Logan, she thought her heart might have skipped a beat or two. Until now, she realized she had only seen him in the informal attire he wore out to crowded arenas.

  Today, however, he looked the part of a successful businessman. Mariah didn’t know much about men’s suits, but she could tell right away based on the fit that the attire hadn’t been cheap. Every seam and stitch had been tailored exclusively for Logan’s lean, muscular frame. His dress shirt was plain white, and he had completed the outfit with a shiny, pale blue tie.

  “Good morning, Mr. Harfield,” the guide greeted his boss.

  “Morning, Jesse.” Logan’s slate gray eyes flicked over to her. “Nice to see you again, Mariah. Come on in. Thanks again, Jesse.”

  With one last nod and a quick smile, Jesse turned around to make his way back to the elevator.

  Mariah’s heart was in her throat as she stepped into the spacious office. Two sides of the rectangular room were tinted glass, and half of the wall that faced the hallway was a wide window. To the side of the closed blinds was another door, the entrance to a closet or a bathroom, she wasn’t sure.

  The golden sunlight caught the polished face of Logan’s watch as he gestured to one of two plush chairs in front of a desk. “Have a seat, make yourself comfortable. Did you want anything to drink? Coffee or soda? I might even have some beer around here if you’re into drinking at ten in the morning.”

  His lighthearted remark alleviated a portion of the nervousness that gripped her, and she managed a slight chuckle. “I’m fine, thank you.”

  Nodding, he stepped behind the mahogany desk as Mariah dropped to sit. She set her handbag at her feet and folded both hands in her lap. For the first time, she felt like she was at a real job interview, and she wasn’t sure how to handle the sentiment.

  Before this morning, she hadn’t bothered to stop to consider what Logan was to her. Was he a friend? Was he more like an ex? Or was he just a potential boss?

  As much as she wanted to know the answer, she bit off the questions before they could form on her tongue. She felt his gaze on her as he took his seat behind the polished desk. Mariah forced an agreeable look to her face as she turned her attention back to him.

  “So,” she said. “Were you able to find a spot for me?”

  The corners of his eyes creased as he offered her a smile and a nod. “I did, actually. Something I’ve been putting off hiring for, honestly.”

  Here it was, she thought. The moment of truth. Was he about to ask her to become the top floor’s newest janitor? Though she meant the thought to be disparaging at first, a day shift job as grounds maintenance would beat her current gig, especially if the pay was better. And based on the appearance of the building so far, the pay would be better. Plus, if she was a janitor, it would be easy enough to stay out of Logan’s sight.

  In the split second before he elaborated, she had worked herself up to hoping for a janitorial position on the top floor of the Harfield and Wellner building.

  Logan scooted forward in his seat and propped both elbows atop the polished wooden surface. “I’d like to offer you a position as a personal assistant and bodyguard.”

  She drew her brows together. “For who? You?”

  He nodded. “For me. Aaron Wellner, my business partner, hired a PA years ago, and he’s been harping on me to hire someone to help me with all the…” He waved a hand as if the gesture would help him find the term after which he sought. “All the details, I guess. The organizational stuff.”

  So she would work directly with him every day. He would be her direct supervisor. The uptick in her pulse whenever his eyes met hers wasn’t a feeling she could normally attribute to a boss.

  Tentatively, she nodded for him to continue.

  “Right.” It might have been her imagination, but she thought he had just ripped himself out of a moment of contemplation. “Well, that’s the position I’d like to offer you. Basically, you’d come with me to meetings here in San Bravado as well as in any other city or country we happen to be conducting business. During the meetings, you would keep track of paperwork and take notes if I asked. Also, keep an eye out for potential threats. We live in a strange time, so you can never be too careful, you know?”

  Mariah tucked a piece of dark hair behind her ear. “Of course.”

  “I know, it sounds like it’s a college internship, but I swear I’m not going to send you out to buy me coffee and pick up dry cleaning. In fact, if I ever ask you to do anything remotely associated with my laundry, you have my full permission to tell me to forget it.”

  She snorted out a laugh at the thought.

  “Seriously,” he said. “I’ll put it in your contract. But, honestly, the way I’m looking at it is more in a security kind of light. The PA part of the job is almost as much to make sure you’re not bored during the meetings as anything. I wanted to make sure you know that I’m well aware of your skill set, and I’m not giving you a job that a college undergrad could do. Like I said, we live in a strange world, and it never hurts to have a little extra security when you’re in the public eye.”

  His gaze on her was warm, and there was an unmistakable flutter in her stomach.

  Why couldn’t he just make me a janitor?

  “That’s it, then?” she asked instead. “Part personal assistant, part bodyguard?”

  He nodded. “Help me keep my head on straight, and make sure I don’t get murdered. Women in the security business, especially female bodyguards, are highly sought after. They tend to be more discreet than men, and word seems to have gotten out about that recently. Your base salary would be a hundred and fifty thousand per year, but you’ll also get full medical and dental benefits, a 401k, paid time off, family leave, you name it. I don’t put a limit on anyone’s time off, either. We’re all adults around here. Oh, there are quarterly bonuses, too.”

  Mariah had to bite her tongue to keep herself from blurting out “I’ll do it” as soon as he revealed the salary. For one hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year, she could deal with the close contact.

  Swallowing down the sudden bout of excitement at the prospect of a six-figure job, she smiled as she nodded.

  “That sounds great,” she said. “When do I start?”

  Chapter 16

  Mariah

  Two Days Later

  As it turned out, Logan hadn’t been kidding when he told Mariah he would put a clause about running menial errands in her contract. She wasn’t sure when he had pulled off the feat, but he had one of the company lawyers add a bit into the employment paperwork that gave her express permission to refuse any request to conduct a menial household errand. The text didn’t specify how she was expect
ed to refuse the request, but Logan assured her she could simply tell him to get lost.

  With laughter in her throat, Mariah hadn’t hesitated to sign the agreement. Ever since she had retired from MMA, she hadn’t expected to earn a salary anywhere close to what Logan had offered her. And if the two days following their initial meeting was any indication, the employees of Harfield and Wellner were treated exceptionally well.

  Mariah had plenty of experience in the corporate world, and she knew the difference between employees who were genuinely happy with their work and those who stuck around for a paycheck. Her mother was a human resources manager, and her best friend was an executive assistant. Add to that Mariah’s experience in call centers for a couple different banks, and she felt she was well versed in the general atmosphere of white-collar jobs. And so far, Harfield and Wellner was easily the best environment in which she had worked.

  Over the past couple days, Mariah had accompanied Logan to one meeting right after another, but she had been assured that the second half of the week wouldn’t be quite so busy.

  During the small amount of downtime, Mariah and Logan’s conversation came just as easily as it had when they first met over four years earlier. They ate lunch at restaurants more upscale than Mariah had ever thought existed. According to Logan, she could spot a truly exclusive eatery by the menu. Apparently, the places that catered to wealthy patrons didn’t list the price of the dishes beside the description.

  On the first lunch outing, they were joined by Aaron Wellner and his wife. For the second, it was just her and Logan.

  Aaron had snatched up the tab for the group on Tuesday, and before Mariah could take a peek on Wednesday, Logan had grabbed the receipt to write in the tip and sign his name. She had no idea the price tag for either meal, but honestly, she didn’t think she wanted to know.