by Michele Hauf
“I’ve got your back, and hell no on staying home. I’m not letting what they did stop me from living my life. My job is my world, you know that. It might be humiliating, since I’m sure the entire office knew, and I’m the fool who didn’t.” Her eyes welled with tears. “But my father told me the best revenge is to never let them see how bad they really got you, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
He reached out and wiped her cheek.
She pushed his hand away and narrowed her eyes. “And I don’t want your pity, but I will drink more of your bourbon on your dime. As a matter of fact, I’m going to get drunk.” She pulled out her phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Pre-ordering an Uber for an hour from now.”
“Like hell.” He took her phone out of her hands and slipped it inside his jacket pocket. “If you’re going to get that kind of trashed and I’m going to pay for it, I’m going to make sure you get home safe and sound.”
She poked him in the chest. “I’m not one of our clients who comes in wanting you to make them a star and willing to sleep with you to get there, so don’t try anything funny, got it?”
He held up his hands. “You’re my assistant, and I don’t take advantage of drunk women.”
“Well then, let’s get me drunk.”
He waved James over. “Just leave the bottle.”
For the next hour he nursed a drink, while Kennedy pounded them back. He listened to her talk about her relationship with both her best friend and her shit boyfriend.
By the end of the conversation, he wanted to fire them both, but only because he couldn’t believe they would betray such a kind and loyal friend.
If John didn’t love her anymore, he should have been man enough to tell her before jumping between the sheets with another woman, but to do it with her best friend, that was just low.
“Uh-oh, the bottle’s empty.” Kennedy slurred out the words.
“That means it’s time to get you home.”
“Are you sssgoining to stake advantage of me?” She stood and stumbled into his lap, resting her head on his shoulder. She glanced up with her big chocolate eyes. Her lashes blinked wildly over the glossy orbs.
“I’m a lot of things, including a player, but you are safe with me. Now, I need your address.”
“My purse. My license,” she managed before her body slumped into his, and she passed out cold.
“Want me to call you a car service?” James asked.
“That’s probably a good idea,” Hawk said as he brushed her hair from her cheeks. He’d take her home, get her into bed, with a gallon of water, and make sure the door was locked when he left.
She was going to have one hell of a hangover, but tomorrow at work, he’d never mention it.
Hell, he’d never mention this night to her again. Why embarrass her even more? She’d been through enough; she didn’t need to be reminded of how she got shitfaced in front of her boss and told him about her problems.
Though, he would have to find a way to help her with the living situation. That was the least he could do.
1
Six months later…
Kennedy didn’t know what was worse. The office party celebrating John and Tallulah’s engagement or the fact that it really didn’t bother her and that made her nuts. She wanted to be more upset, and on the outside, she continued to act is if she held a slight grudge. Everyone told her she should, but she really didn’t.
At the end of the day, John and Tallulah did her a favor. She would have been miserable if she’d moved in with John, and she knew it.
Well, she’d made her appearance at the party, and now she was going to finish up some work and go home.
Her cell buzzed, flashing her sister Jackie’s number. There were six Monroe siblings all named after people in the Kennedy family, only Kennedy had to bear the surname as the oldest. She’d gotten used to the stares and the jokes growing up and often combated it by dazzling the world with her unknown and useless facts about the Kennedy family.
“Hey, sis, what’s up?”
“Just thought I’d check in,” Jackie said with a soft voice. “How are you holding up with the big announcement?”
“Better than I thought I would be, actually.” She glanced out her glass wall and caught a glimpse of her boss sitting at his desk. “I hate that Fitz, of all people, was right, but I never really loved John like I should have.”
Jackie laughed. “Our little brother is a moron when it comes to women, but he’s got that right. Now, Bobby, on the other hand, is a bleeding heart, and he’s got another girlfriend.”
“I know. I spoke to Dad the other day. He said she’ll break his heart in two by the middle of next week. And speaking of bleeding hearts, anyone hear from Ethel? Mom is freaking out. This whole no news is good news with the Peace Corps isn’t working out too well with her.”
“She called Rose a couple of days ago, and Rose reminded her to call Mom or text her when she was in her banking town, but sometimes Ethel doesn’t think about anyone but herself,” Kennedy said. Family dynamics were always a bitch and a half, but she loved her siblings, and she counted her blessings that, for the most part, the family drama was kept to the minimum and their parents never put any pressure on them to get married, have kids, or follow in their footsteps. No. Their parents encouraged them to follow their own paths.
And that’s exactly what the Monroes did.
“That’s true. Now what about Tallulah? How are the two of you getting along?” Jackie asked.
Kennedy rolled her eyes. She knew Jackie had been talking with Tallulah and that Tallulah had been crying her eyes out on her sister’s shoulder about how she missed Kennedy’s friendship and how sorry she’d been that things went down the way they did.
Kennedy believed that to be true, but she struggled letting go of the anger when it came to Tallulah and frankly, it annoyed her that her sister tended to choose Tallulah’s side.
“We coexist quite nicely.”
“You know what I’m asking,” Jackie said with a stern tone a younger sister generally didn’t take with the older one. Then again, Jackie had always been considered the more responsible sibling.
“Why was everyone so quick to forgive?”
“Because you knew he was seeing someone else. You told me yourself that you thought you had made a mistake by looking to sublease three days before you found someone. You were all over the place, and then when the truth came out, what was the first thing you did?”
“Do not say I went and celebrated with my boss, because that is not what happened.”
“Come on, Kennedy, you’ve had a thing for him ever since you got that job. You practically drool over him like a puppy in heat,” Jackie said.
“I do not.” Kennedy swiveled her chair so her back was to Hawk. “And finding someone attractive doesn’t mean—”
“The only reason you don’t go for it is because of his taste in women, but you even said yourself, he’s a changed man since his last breakup.”
“Not exactly what I said, but what does that have to do with Tallulah?”
Jackie sighed. “Just be as nice to her as you are to John, can you do that?”
“Probably,” Kennedy said. “I need to get back to work. I’ll talk to you later.” She adjusted her chair and turned her attention to her computer screen and the contracts Hawk—Mr. Jefferson—needed by the end of the day.
Her cheeks flushed from a combination of embarrassment and anger. Hawk had been so kind to her the night she’d found John and Tallulah in bed together. Quickly, she peered over her monitor. Satisfied that everyone was in the conference room enjoying some cake and champagne, she pulled out the note.
Take your time getting to work, and if you don’t show, I’ll understand. Just call me first thing. I hate to put my problems on you, considering all you are going through right now, but the story has hit the news, and Lorna is a better actress than I even gave her credit for. She’s really making me out to be a ba
stard, and she’s brought up the incident with Heather.
Hope your hangover isn’t too horrible. I tried stopping you, but I learned the hard way you are one stubborn woman.
Hawk.
Kennedy folded the paper and shoved it back in her desk drawer. When she’d arrived at work the next morning, Hawk had pretty much reverted back to his normal self. He kept everyone at the office at arm’s length. He was the kind of boss that didn’t micromanage, but if you didn’t do your job, he came down on you so hard that if he didn’t fire you on the spot, in a day or two, you wish he would have. While he handled all the big names that came through the office, he was relatively fair with the agents and who they landed on their own.
Kennedy’s role was his assistant, but in reality, she was the assistant to every agent in the firm, and currently they had nine.
Her phone buzzed.
Hawk: I need to see you in my office.
Since when did her boss text her? She scrolled through the messages. There had only been three and two of them were from six months ago. Hawk either emailed her or used the office intercom system, but mostly email. The one compliment Hawk gave her all the time was that he didn’t have to worry about what she did because he knew she’d do her job and do it well.
And she did.
Kennedy: Now? Aren’t you at the party?
Hawk: I made an appearance, but honestly, I have no desire to celebrate them after what they did to you. And yes. Now.
She dropped her phone. “Shit,” she mumbled as she bent over, hoping she hadn’t cracked the glass. Thankfully, the phone appeared to be intact. Hawk had only brought up that night once, and that had been the morning after and only briefly in the parking lot. It had been awkward, and she had wanted to crawl under a rock.
Kennedy: I haven’t finished the contracts.
Hawk: It’s not about that. I’d like to have this conversation before that party wraps up, okay?
That didn’t sound good. Not only did he avoid using company email, but the tone seemed weird.
Personal.
Kennedy: On my way.
She stood, smoothing down the front of her black fitted skirt. She gathered her laptop and a notebook, just in case. She had no idea what this was going to be about, but it was best to be prepared.
The Hawk Jefferson Talent Agency had its own building situated just outside of Hollywood, closer to Beverly Hills than downtown LA. It was a single story building that Hawk owned near a strip mall. It was moderately decorated with gray leather seats and sofas in the lobby and conference rooms. Hawk gave all the agents a budget and allowed them to decorate their own space under the caveat that he had final approval. Whenever someone left, they had the option of purchasing their office furniture, or Hank would sell it.
He was actually a really good man to work for, but for her, the last six months proved to be difficult and not just because of her drunken bad behavior.
She stepped out of her office and maneuvered across the hall and tapped on Hawk’s door.
“Come in and close the door.” Hawk closed his laptop and leaned back in his massive leather chair. His smile was warm and welcoming, but his golden-brown eyes showed a spark of concern she hadn’t seen since Lorna tried to destroy his reputation and nearly succeeded.
“Is everything okay?”
“I did something kind of crazy,” he said. “And it involves you.”
She settled in the chair in front of his desk and rested her belongings on her lap. Swallowing the fear that trickled up her throat, she forced a smile. “That sounds intriguing, I think.”
He chuckled. “I hope you don’t have plans this Friday night.”
“Now I’m just frightened. What’s going on, Mr. Jefferson?”
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Hawk? Even at work. Especially at work,” he said with a bit of a terse tone. He leaned forward and pinched the bridge of his nose.
She hadn’t seen him this distraught since the police showed up to question him about Lorna’s accusations. At one point, he really thought he might be arrested.
So did Kennedy, if she were being honest.
But in the end, he had an alibi for the night in question, and James, the awesome bartender, had proved it.
“All right, Hawk. What crazy thing did you do?” she asked, trying to keep it light, but it didn’t cut through the tension that continued to grow in the room.
“Do you remember a couple of months ago when my folks came for a visit?”
Boy, did she ever. His mother kept giving her strange looks, and his father constantly glanced in her direction every time he got the chance. And when they left, they made a point of coming into her office to say goodbye, adding they hoped they’d see her again soon so they could get to know her. It had been the most bizarre encounter ever. “What about it?”
“After the whole Lorna shitshow, my parents have been on my back to find a nice girl. They wanted to fix me up with some Midwest wholesome preacher’s daughter. In order to get out of it, I told them I had been seeing someone and that I was keeping it quiet because I really liked her.”
Kennedy’s computer slipped off her lap and landed on her toes. “Ouch,” she muttered.
He leaped around the desk. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
He collected her things and set them on the desk before leaning against it.
“So, who have you been secretly dating?” Kennedy searched her brain for any clue. For the last few months, Hawk had been head down, focusing on work, mostly because the media had been all over him about Lorna, watching his every move. Having a secret girlfriend, in his position, would be nearly impossible.
“No one. But according to my parents, you’re my girlfriend.”
She opened her mouth, but all that came out was some weird noise that sounded like a dying cow. She cleared her throat. “Why would they think that?”
“I’m sorry. You were walking down the hallway when they were giving me a hard time, and it just came to me. You’re exactly the kind of woman my parents would approve of, but now they are coming to town this weekend and want to take us to dinner. At first, I thought I would tell them you were out of town, but they are getting in on Thursday night, which means a trip to the office. Then I thought I’d tell them we broke up, but that means they might say something to you, and worse, they will start harping on me.”
“You actually told your parents I was your girlfriend? You do realize that for a man who is pushing forty, that’s quite childish.”
“My mother has been asking me for years when I plan on growing up. She’s hoping you’re the woman who will make me change my ways.” He waggled his brows.
Unfortunately, that made Kennedy smile when she should have been pissed and telling him to go to hell. She stiffened her spine. “I don’t know. Going out in public with you could cause the media to ask questions we don’t want to answer, especially with the lie you told your parents.”
“I’ve already thought of that and told my parents we’re not ready to make a public announcement, so dinner would be at my place. They fly in late Thursday and then have some charity event on Saturday before flying back to Colorado on Sunday. I just need you for one night.” He moved to the chair next to hers. “Actually, two nights because I think we should sit down and prepare ourselves for the onslaught of my mother’s questions.”
“That is if I agree to this insanity.”
He curled his fingers around the arms of her chair and shifted it to face his, forcing her to look at him directly. “I know I’m asking a lot of you. And you have every right to say no. But I’m begging. For years, my parents have been offended or hurt by my single status and the women I date. They think they are all shallow and self-absorbed.”
“They are,” Kennedy said. “And while you might not care, every single one of them is using you to get ahead in this business.”
“I know that.”
“So, why do you go out with them?”
He arched a brow. “Because I’m as shallow as they are?”
“Are you asking me if that’s the reason? Because we both know you’re not shallow. At least not like those women.” The majority of her conversations with her boss had to do with work with the occasional discussion about music. Every once in a while, he might ask her opinion about a gift, but otherwise, the topic of his sexual exploits was generally not a topic they pondered.
Well, except for when she had to do damage control, but still, that didn’t require her to get too personal with him. This, on the other hand, would put them in a situation where they would have to act as though they were intimate, and that would involve knowing details about each other, and that made her want to race out of his office.
“I’m using them for sex in the same way they are using me to get ahead in this business.”
“Maybe, but Lorna was the only client you’ve ever slept with, and you actually cared about her, even if you don’t want to admit it.”
“I cared about all the women I’ve dated. I just don’t care enough about them to keep them around longer than a few months.”
She let out a long breath. “Now you sound like a dick.”
“Look. Maybe there is someone out there for me, but no woman that I’ve met, thus far, makes me want to run out and buy a ring, much less let them spend the night at my house.”
“Your girlfriends don’t sleep over?”
He shook his head. “A few have, but it’s always awkward, and I can’t wait for them to leave. I don’t like to share. I’m an only child and—”
“I don’t understand what that has to do with anything. You’re making excuses for your inability to commit. Or maybe I should say, your desire not to be in a relationship, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Tell that to my parents.” He tossed his hands wide. “They think there is no way in hell I could be happy unless I’m married with at least one kid and maybe a dog.”
Kennedy couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with a grown-ass man. Nor could she believe she was even considering pretending to be his girlfriend for the sake of his parents’ feelings. “Why is it so important to them?”