I stared at the card, suddenly too nervous to look him in the eye. Can the perfect job just fall in your lap like that? Does this kind of thing actually happen to people? I’m definitely not one of those people.
I bit my lip. “What’s the charity?” I asked, curious and eager to get involved. Whatever it was, I knew it would be great. It was obviously his brainchild and dear to him.
His smile faded, and his gaze tore from mine. He inched closer, and I could smell the delicious scent of his aftershave or cologne. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was intoxicating. His soft words were almost a whisper. “It’s for parents who have lost a child.”
My heart stuck in my throat. I hadn’t expected anything quite this dark. I couldn’t utter a single word. The only thing I could think of was what it would be like to lose Ethan. I couldn’t even imagine. They say losing a child is one of the worst things one can live through, and although I’ve never experienced it, I’m inclined to agree.
A long moment of silence filled the tight space between us, until I finally managed to speak again. “You are wonderful.”
He smiled shyly.
I blushed. “I mean… you are wonderful for doing such a great thing,” I clarified. “What a great cause to be involved in. I can’t even… imagine… if Ethan…”
We got lost in each other’s eyes again.
“There you are,” Claudia broke in. “What’s up?” she asked, a devilish grin curving her lips.
I knew exactly what she was up to, and I kind of wanted to punch her in the face. She was busting my balls, sort of speak. She wanted to mortify me in front of him.
“I was just telling Gretchen about my new charity,” Weston explained.
She smiled, and he proceeded to tell her all about it too. I stood, not quite listening, taking in every inch of him, from the beautiful perfect angles of his face, the piercing green eyes and long lashes, the sensual lips, not to mention the gorgeous impeccably pressed button shirt. His silver cufflinks caught the light at one point, and I was mesmerized by his hands, his long slender fingers, perfectly manicured.
I was imagining all the things they could do to me when Claudia shook me out of my reverie.
“Don’t you think, Gretchen?”
“Uh… yeah, I guess.” I had no idea what I was agreeing to, and I realized I needed to stop ogling and fantasizing like a sex-crazed teenager, and get my act together.
On the plus side, I also realized that the woman in me hadn’t completely died as I had originally feared.
This realization not only made me smile.
It also scared me to death.
2
My jaw is still on the floor when Rosetta invites me to sit across from her at her office desk. I’m distracted by the views offered by the floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding us.
“Feel free to take a spin, and check out the place,” she jokes.
I raise a brow, wondering if she’s serious.
“No, really… do it. Those chairs don’t spin for nothing, Honey.”
I laugh. She can’t be serious.
She studies me for a long beat, eagerly awaiting my twirl.
Finally, I press a heel on the marble floor, and push myself into a glorious spin. I turn twice and she cheers, clapping her hands.
“There you go,” she says as she leans in. “I do that all the time. When the boss is not around,” she whispers. “He can be a real stick in the mud.”
I smile hesitantly. Should we really be talking about the boss like this? The interview hasn’t even started yet.
“But he’s a real sweetheart,” she adds with a smile. “He just needs to lighten up… you know what I’m saying, Honey?”
I smile. I like her already. I’m not sure how I feel about her calling me Honey, but she does have a good twenty years on me I imagine, so I’ll let it slide. And besides, I get that a lot. People call me Honey, hun, sweetheart, love. Donovan used to say it was because of my sweet youthful appearance. Or perhaps it’s the fact that my hair is purple, or blue, or pink. It all depends on the week. This week, it’s blue.
Finally, she flips open a red folder… my resumé. My heart skips a beat. She scratches her head, and I study her for a long beat. Her short tight curls are greying at the roots, and her cat-eye glasses hang low on her