The Billionaire Athlete’s Christmas Fling - Leslie North Page 0,41

that, hon.” Tana jabbed her card back in the reader. It finally took. She abandoned the receipt, and they went back out, Lindsey’s lap now full of cupcakes. Two extras, even. Go nuts, teachers.

Tana made it to the school in record time. Luckily, the busses had already pulled away for the morning and only the stragglers were arriving. Lindsey got out of the car, and—crap. Putting the cupcakes in her lap had been one thing, but now they looked like too much, and they didn’t need a repeat of the disaster at home. Tana pulled out of the drop-off lane and into another spot. What else, universe? Please don’t let there be anything else today. Not on the day of her interview. There was nothing else Tana could do except carry the cupcakes in herself.

Lindsey and cupcakes safely ensconced at school, Tana got back in her car and sped toward the lodge. Get through a lesson. Get through the interview. She could do this.

At the lodge she changed into her snow gear at lightning speed and headed for the ski shed, coming out the double doors practically at a run. Only three minutes late and after the morning she had? The world had smiled upon her.

Her client, however, was not smiling. The moment Tana saw his foreboding expression, her triumph faded away.

“Mr. Jenkins,” she called out to him. Best to start apologizing now. If she could head this off, they could go on with the lesson and everything would be all right. “I’m so sorry. There was a delay dropping my daughter off at school, and—”

“Save it,” he hissed.

That brought her up short. “Excuse me?”

“I said, save it. My time is extremely valuable, and you’ve kept me waiting out here long enough. The only reason I’m standing here now is because I demand a refund. Immediately.”

“Sir, I—” He’d come out to the bottom of the hill without his skis. He would have had to take the time to put them on. “I’m so sorry. As I said, there was a special circumstance this morning. I’d be happy to—”

“I want a refund. That’s all. Don’t waste my time or money again. Now, if you can’t help me with it, then I’ll find someone who can.” He stepped close to Tana and jabbed a finger close to her face. “And if you think I’m not going to report you to the management, think again.”

Tana’s mouth dropped open, and for the life of her, she couldn’t get it to close. The client stalked away. He hadn’t been particularly warm at the last lesson, but this?

At least his daughter wasn’t this difficult during her lessons.

After he left, she went back into the lodge and tried to calm down. Today’s interview was the final round for the program director position. Jonas Elkin had emailed her the guidelines last week. She’d done a good job preparing for appointment, but now she needed to exude confidence in her abilities and convince Mr. Elkin she was the best person for the promotion. It would be all about the delivery.

Tana arrived at the meeting room in the office wing of the lodge a couple of minutes early. Long enough to catch her breath, make sure her hair was smoothed out from her ski runs, and walk in with her head held high.

Jonas sat at the back of the room at a long table, writing something down on a notepad. Notes about the other applicants, Tana thought. What if he’d already chosen someone? No, he wouldn’t write that down while she was about to interview. She put a big smile on her face and headed in his direction.

“Morning, Mr. Elkin.” Tana reached to shake his hand, and her presentation folder spilled onto the floor. She hadn’t stapled it and the pages scattered everywhere.

Tana wanted to sink into the carpet—to disappear. But it was too late for that. “Sorry about that.” She shook Jonas’s hand anyway. “It’s great to see you again.” Then, because there was nothing else to do except put herself back together, she knelt and gathered up the loose sheets.

“Everything all right, Tana?” She could feel his assessing eyes on her. Jonas, unlike Chase, was all about the family business. He’d take it over someday; she was sure of that. So now was the time to make a great final impression.

Only her papers for the presentation had all fallen out of order and she’d be forced to wing it.

“Yes. How are you?” Oh, Lord. What was she doing?