I’d say it’s a good thing you’ve gotten out of there when you did.”
“Er…” I cough, embarrassed. “I’m not exactly out of a job.”
“Alright, spill,” Bella says severely, leaning forward.
“I went to Jason,” I admit. “And told him about Paula and Sandra. And…he asked me if I’d be willing to work as his secretary.”
George draws in a startled breath so sharply that he starts choking on it. Bella gapes at me.
“Seriously?” she asks, voice shrill to the point that several people turn to look for a moment. “What did you say?”
“I told him he was out of his mind.” I snort, making a face. “But he convinced me, in the end. We’re giving it a two-month probation period, which will give me time to find a new job if it doesn’t work out.”
“Wow,” George says, taking a long sip from his drink to soothe his throat. “Why did he decide that?”
“He said it’s because he believed me when I told him Sandra’s report was a lie,” I say with a shrug. “He said he remembered what my work was like in college, and it didn’t fit. So, if I was telling the truth, it meant that there’s corruption in the company. Since I brought it to his attention, he thinks he can trust me to root it out with him.”
“Woah,” Bella says, blinking. “That’s…”
“Weird?” I guess. “Incredibly.”
I take a long sip of my drink, allowing the alcohol to burn on its way down my throat. I have every intention of drinking away all my troubles tonight.
“It sounds like Jason just needs the best person for the job, and he sees that in you,” George says with a shrug. “I can’t say he’s wrong.”
“Well…no,” I say with a laugh. “My main issue is whether we can work together. I really don’t want to be anywhere near him, to be honest. And I still don’t get why he’s being so nice. I can’t help but think that it’s some sort of trick.”
“I don’t think he’d do that,” Bella interjects. “If only because I don’t think he’ll risk his dad’s company just to play a prank.”
“You never know, Opal,” George says with a considering expression. “Maybe he’s just matured.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it,” I mutter.
Suddenly, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I scowl as I see that the message is from Jason.
“Speak of the devil,” I grumble.
“What does he want?” Bella asks curiously.
I don’t really want to open it, if only just because I want to ignore everything related to Jason right now. After a moment of internal debate, I open the message with a sigh, holding my phone out so all three of us can read it.
“Report to my office in the morning so we can set up a desk for you. Work hours start at eight o’clock. Thank you for agreeing to help me.”
“Okay, that definitely doesn’t sound like someone planning a trick,” Bella says, nodding. “He sounds genuinely grateful to me.”
“But he has to want something from me,” I say, unable to help feeling frustrated. “I just don’t get it.”
“He does want something,” George points out. “He wants your help to make his company better.”
“You know, you used to complain about Jason so much, but we were all so busy that you’d never have time to explain,” Bella says, sitting back and sipping her drink. “Why do you hate him so much, even after you haven’t seen him for years?”
I grimace and take a long glug of my drink, finishing it off far too quickly for my taste. I really don’t want to think about Jason or the unfortunate encounters with him in college at all. But, maybe, if I get it all off my chest, working with him for the next two months will be easier.
“It’s just… It’s hard to explain,” I say, shaking my head. “When we first met, I’d only been on campus for about a week. He was already part of this frat house and one of the most popular guys around. He was always surrounded by a group of laughing hyenas, yes men who listened to whatever he said and agreed with him. And there was always at least one girl hanging off his arm.”
“Sounds like a real douche,” George comments.
“Well, when I met him, he was alone,” I say, glaring at the table. “It was in the library. He was really good looking and polite when he asked me to have a coffee with him sometime. Only, I’d seen him and how