Love Like Her (Against All Odds #3) - Claudia Y. Burgoa Page 0,20

locked to her phone.

Before I scold her for not paying attention to where she’s going, I ask, “Are you okay, ma’am?”

The woman looks up at me and laughs.

My heart drums inside my chest when I realize it’s Olivia. “Hi, Liv.” I smile at her.

Would it be weird to say that earlier today, I thought about her? It’s logical, right? This is where her father lives, and it’s been too long since the last time we saw each other.

“I had a feeling that you were around,” she states.

I lift both eyebrows. “You did, huh?”

She shrugs. “Ignore my quirkiness. What are you doing here?”

I sigh. “It’s a long story.”

“It always is with you. Are you coming in to town or about to leave?”

“Just arrived,” I state.

She checks her phone and then looks up at me. “Where are you going?”

“Le Méridien Hotel,” I state.

“Hmm, the Financial District?”

I nod.

“Interesting.” She bites her lower lip. “Let’s go. My car is in the parking lot. I’ll give you a ride.”

She takes off without waiting for a response. Actually, she didn’t ask for my input. When did she become bossy?

I follow right behind her.

“So, they make cars your size?” I ask when we approach a small two-door sedan.

“Careful, or I’ll tie you to the roof,” she argues.

I laugh and shake my head.

“So, why are you here?” she asks once we’re inside the car, buckled up.

“I have a job interview, and you?”

“I work for Dad.” She sighs.

“But you didn’t want to work for him,” I state, confused.

“You were setting up a business, and yet, here we are,” she refutes.

Olivia isn’t wrong about it, and this makes me feel worse in some ways. When I met her, I remember telling her that being an adult had consequences. I forgot to tell her that sometimes we can’t even do what we love. Sadly, she realized that all on her own.

“We’re a pair, huh?”

We leave the parking lot and she nods. “Certainly. It’s not like I’m taking over or doing this permanently. I have a few ideas for a business, but I need someone to back me up financially. Dad won’t help me until I show I have enough experience to run a business. In other words, I’m still a child and he doesn’t trust me.”

“Or he’s trying to convince you that you could develop the love of working for him.”

She twists her lips slightly and makes a weird noise. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Reverse psychology.”

“You use that with your kids?”

“No kids yet, but I use it with my sisters who think they use it with me.”

“Twisted.”

“Oh, you have no idea.” I snort.

“So why are you getting a job?”

“The three businesses I tried to set from the ground up didn’t work out. I invested in a venture that seemed solid, but it wasn’t. I’m broke, unemployed, and about to sell a kidney.”

“You sound defeated.”

“It’s been three years. I am beyond desperate,” I explain, exhaling harshly. Closing my eyes, I wonder if I forced the big break or if I never had a chance. “It’s time to grow up and go back to work.”

“You’re giving up too soon.”

“Says the woman who swore she’d never work for her father,” I counteract.

“Touché.” She chuckles. “In all fairness, I do it because he might be right about not having experience. I rather like having him teach me all he knows. After all, the guy built an empire from the ground up without anyone’s help. One day I’ll be savvy enough to start my company.”

“What kind of company?”

“Some sort of trading business where I import and export sustainable products around the world that are paid at a fair price. It enrages me that individuals and companies buy products from third world countries and pay only pennies for them when they’re making a two hundred percent profit off of them.”

It upsets me just as much. That would be a great business. I can see myself doing that for a lifetime. Helping people while I help myself too. “Like what countries?”

“Let’s say Costa Rica.”

“Have I ever told you that’s one of my favorite places in the world?” I ask.

“You did. It’s one of mine too.” When she stops at a red light, she turns to look at me briefly. “It’d be the first place I’d go and try to set this up. There are a lot of areas where you can set up sustainable farms. We can sell items to local businesses: craft food, beverages, and other products. We can export them to other countries, including the