Faking Ms. Right (Dirty Martini Running Club #1) - Claire Kingsley Page 0,96

had I not noticed him there?

“I’ll go first,” he said, his deep voice monotone.

A flash of irritation crossed Cameron’s features. She gestured for him to go ahead of her, then she and I followed.

The hostess led us to a private terrace. The man held up a hand and raised his eyebrows at Cameron before going outside. He searched the entire area. For what, I had no idea, but he looked beneath the table, under the chairs, and over the railing.

“Clear,” he said, then stood off to the side, arms crossed over his thick chest.

Cameron cleared her throat as we walked outside onto the terrace. “Sorry. Jude is… security.”

“I suppose someone like you needs a bodyguard,” I said.

She pulled out a chair. “My friends seem to think so.”

We both sat and I crossed my legs at the ankles.

“I’m glad you could come out on such short notice,” Cameron said. “I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me in person.”

“Absolutely.”

The waitress came and asked for our drink orders. I was about to order a very sensible glass of water, when Cameron spoke first.

“Mimosas?” she asked, a hint of a smile on her face. “Or a bloody mary, perhaps?”

A drink? Yes, please. “A mimosa sounds great.”

She ordered two mimosas and we made small talk until the waitress came back with our drinks and took our breakfast orders.

“I already gave you the details on my plans for the foundation,” Cameron said. “I need someone who can hit the ground running. And I know your background is in a different area, but you have the set of skills, and the personality, that I’m looking for.”

“Wow, thank you.”

“Plus, if you’ve worked for Shepherd Calloway this long, I know you’re tough.”

I covered the sudden surge of emotion by taking a sip of my mimosa. “Do you know Shep—I mean, Mr. Calloway?”

“No, we’ve never met, but his reputation precedes him.”

“Of course it does. Although he’s not really what people think.”

We chatted for a while longer. The waitress brought our breakfasts, and the food was delicious. Thankfully, she didn’t stay on the topic of Shepherd. We talked more about the foundation, and how it would be structured. What she needed from an executive director. I already had ideas, and she listened to me intently as we ate.

I loved this opportunity. It filled me with a sense of excitement and purpose. I liked Cameron even more in person than I had on the phone, and it wasn’t just the mimosa breakfast. She was direct, but personable. We had a good rapport, and I could easily see myself working for her.

But there was one big problem.

“There’s just one issue I wanted to talk to you about,” I said. “I’m not sure how I feel about relocating. Miami is beautiful, and this sounds like such an amazing opportunity. But my entire life is in Seattle.”

“I thought that might be an issue after we talked the other day. If you don’t want to relocate, I have no problem opening the foundation’s headquarters in Seattle.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. I won’t need to be there in person on a daily basis, and technology makes communication simple. If you want the job, we’ll open the office in Seattle.”

Saying yes was right. I knew it, deep in my soul. This wasn’t about Shepherd. It was about me, and reaching out and grabbing a fantastic opportunity.

“Then I want the job,” I said.

Cameron smiled. “I was hoping you would.”

I put a hand to my chest and let out a breath. “I can’t believe that just happened. Did you really just hire me?”

“I sure did.” She raised her glass and I followed suit. “Here’s to doing some good in the world.”

I clicked my glass against hers. This was a milestone moment in my life. I could feel it. The future suddenly stretched out before me, full of promise.

It made me want to call Shepherd to tell him the news. I had a momentary fantasy of coming home to his condo. Bursting in the door to find him waiting for me. I’d run into his arms and he’d scoop me up and hug me tight. Whisper in my ear that he was proud of me.

I finished my drink and set my glass down, trying my very best to keep the sadness off my face.

“Excuse me, sir, you can’t go out there.”

A commotion inside the restaurant drew my attention. A man was hurrying toward our terrace, followed by the hostess.

I blinked in disbelief. It was—

Jude moved with shocking speed, especially considering his size,