windows. Another gray day in the Twin Cities to match my mood. Slightly depressing that Nolan didn’t have a great view that rose above the gloom.
“Would you like coffee or something?”
“Coffee only if whiskey’s not an option.”
Pause. “Two coffees coming up.”
The coffee machine whirred, and I stayed in place trying to organize my thoughts.
Nolan handed me a mug.
Murmuring thanks, I immediately set it on the windowsill. With the way my hands were shaking I’d probably spill it all over myself.
He joined me in staring out the window. “What’s on your mind?”
“Do you remember when you were a kid and you had that nightmare of showing up to class naked?”
A moment passed as he processed that off-the-wall start to our conversation. “Sure. Why is that relevant?”
“That’ll be my reality if I can’t convince you to help me.”
“That wasn’t cryptic at all, Gabriella.”
“Sorry. I’m just trying to convince myself that I can trust you.”
Mr. Suit and Tie slurped his coffee. “On some level you’re here because you trust me.”
Or I’m desperate.
Admitting that wouldn’t win me any brownie points.
“I’m not going to try and coax this out of you,” he warned. “You came to me, remember?”
“Yes. First, I need assurance that this conversation is confidential?”
“Absolutely.”
I faced him and blurted out, “On Friday I have a job interview that can change the entire trajectory of my career, and I need you to help me choose a killer interview outfit, given that I have zero fashion sense.”
“What’s the job?”
“Not in coaching. It’s a TV sportscasting job.”
“You’d have to quit at Lakeside.”
“Most likely.”
“And I’m supposed to keep this from my brother. Your boss.”
“Pretty much.”
“Is this a joke?”
“No. Can you see why I had to ask for this favor in person?”
Carefully, he set his coffee mug next to mine. “Why me?”
“Because you’re a fashion expert. You dress for success every damn day of your life, Lund. Doesn’t matter if it’s for the office or a kid’s hockey game or if you’re out clubbing. You look amazing. I need that mojo for a couple of hours. So please. Say you’ll help me.”
“Can’t you get someone else to go with you?”
I threw up my hands. “Who? Liddy was supposed to be here, but she’s stuck in London. My sister is even more clueless than me when it comes to clothes, so she’s out.”
“How about—”
“Your cousin Dallas? She’s on sabbatical. My mother lives hours away and she’s a farm wife. I’d ask Margene for fashion advice only if I was going to a Murder, She Wrote fan conference. And lastly, there’s Lucy, who would agree to help me if I begged her . . . until she learned of the conflict of interest. Then she’d tell Jax and I’d get fired. But the basic problem wouldn’t have changed. That without your help, I will bomb the in-person interview because I didn’t have anything to wear!”
“Easy.” Nolan set his hand on my shoulder. “Drink some coffee.”
Now I was definitely too jittery and didn’t need to add to it.
Then he sort of pushed me toward the couch. “Sit.”
Thankfully the sofa wasn’t one of those marshmallow types that swallowed you as soon as you dropped your butt on the cushion.
After handing me my mug, he chose the chair opposite the couch and studied me over the rim of his coffee cup.
I practiced not fidgeting. Go me.
“Tell me about this job. Be as specific as possible.”
“Does that mean you’re going to help me?”
“How about if you answer my question first.”
I exhaled. “The position is at Wolf Sports North.”
“How’d you hear about the opening?”
Meaning . . . how long had I been seeking out other employment opportunities that would put his brother in a bind? “An acquaintance of a friend mentioned it to her, and she brought it up with me. I barely got in under the deadline. I passed the first two rounds. I don’t even know if this is the final round or if there’s more.”
“What were the requirements for rounds one and two?”
“First one was filling out an extensive application. The second was calling a live college hockey game and submitting an audio file of my commentary.”
“What team did you choose to provide commentary on?”
I smirked at him. “Since I’d planned to watch the games anyway, I did play-by-play of the U of M women’s hockey team versus University of Wisconsin and the UND men’s hockey team versus Denver University.”
Nolan smirked back. “Aren’t you the little brownnoser, handing off not one, but two game tapes.”
“Maybe it was extra, but I believed it’d