no words.
I nuzzled my bottom lip. “I’m a chef. Well, kind of. I went to culinary school for a few years but had to stop when Reese was born.”
A flash of hope hit his stare. “You’re a chef.”
“Using the word loosely, yes.”
“That’s perfect. I need a chef.”
I doubted he needed a chef. “You honestly want me to work for you?”
“Yes.”
“To . . . cook for you?”
“Yes.”
“Again, I didn’t finish my culinary degree.”
His brows knitted as he fell into deep thought. I wondered if he knew how cute he was when he seemed so far away from reality.
“Does every chef need an education in order to make great meals?” he asked.
“Well, no, but . . . how do you know if you’d even like what I make?”
“I’m not picky. I’ll eat anything.”
“Should I submit a résumé?”
“No.”
“Do you want me to do a test run? To make sure that I’m good enough.”
“Emery.”
“Yes?”
“You’re good enough.”
“Oh.” I bit my bottom lip. “I just think there might be someone more qualified.”
“I don’t want someone more qualified. I want you.”
When he said that, butterflies fluttered in my stomach.
Oliver didn’t realize how hard it was for me to simply exist within his space. He was painfully handsome, to the point that whenever he was in close proximity to me, my cheeks felt a flash of heat. He looked so much like his brother, but also different in many ways. Alex was always smiling, from the interviews I’d seen between the two of them. Oliver was always the quiet one, with a somber stare. He didn’t look rude or cold to me, as so many people had stated about him—he simply looked to be in thought. As if his mind was always wandering deeper than the surface level.
I liked that about him—how he seemed to take everything in before adding his own thoughts.
Oliver rolled his shoulders back and stood tall. He had to be well over six two, because when I stood beside him, I felt extremely small in my five-six frame.
He flicked his finger against his neck a few times. “It’s a five-day-a-week position. You can have weekends off, of course, unless there’s some kind of event. I know you’re a mother, and those responsibilities always come first. Therefore, if there is any kind of conflict, we’ll shift. The position pays a hundred and fifty thousand a year, and—”
“What?” I gasped.
Surely he couldn’t have been serious. Was he drunk again?
He repeated the number, and I was certain I’d become Alice and I’d fallen deep down the rabbit’s hole.
“Are you serious?” I asked.
“What would make you think I was joking?”
“Uh, the one hundred and fifty thousand a year.”
“Is that not enough? Because we can work to find the right amount.”
I laughed. “Are you kidding? That’s more than enough. And I just have to prepare some meals for you and stuff?”
“That’s it.”
There was no way I could turn down an opportunity like that. That kind of money could change Reese’s and my life forever. I’d be able to provide for my daughter more than I’d ever been able to before. I could get her into a better school next year. We could move to a nicer apartment. I could start saving for her future and putting money toward mine.
He held his hand out toward me. “Deal?”
Butterflies fluttered in the pit of my stomach again as I placed my hand against his chilled palm. Was he always so cold? “Deal. When do we start?”
“Monday. You remember where I live?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“I’ll add you to the approval list for access to the community. What’s your last name?”
“Taylor.”
“Emery Taylor.”
Him saying my name sounded like a song that I’d wished he’d sing over and over again.
“In the card is the phone number to my assistant, Kelly. She’ll get you set up with everything before Monday. She’ll also let you know what’s needed. Just give her a call.”
“Thank you, Oliver. Truly. You just saved me more than you know.”
He nodded once, and only once. “I’ll see you Monday.”
He disappeared down the hallway, and then I raced over to my living room window to see him climb into his car. I watched that car until it faded away down the road. After that, I headed to the card he’d left for me, and I gasped when I opened it and saw hundred-dollar bills sitting by a simple note that read: Thanks for the ride—OS.
There was enough for me to go downstairs to pay Ed the rent. There was enough to get me through the weekend