The Hating Season (Seasons #2) - K.A.Linde Page 0,80

contract. That we had two weeks left before the election. But things have been tumultuous, and that is my fault. I take responsibility.”

Leslie was silent a minute. She looked me over, assessing me. As if she could see straight through me. Then, she nodded. “Well, no matter.”

I nearly choked. “What?”

“I don’t care who you work for. I agreed to terminate the contract with Poise under the circumstances,” Leslie said evenly. “It will be much easier to work with you directly.”

“I don’t understand,” I said softly. “I thought you would be upset.”

“Upset? Why? When I hired you, Lark said you were the best in the business. That proved true. It’s all the better that I can bring you in-house and not have to share you with a company in LA,” Leslie said like the strategic businesswoman she was.

“Oh,” I gasped. “You want to hire me in-house?”

“Yes, of course. You’re an excellent publicist, Anna. Or do you prefer English? I’ve heard others call you that.”

“Yes, English,” I muttered, still in a state of shock.

“So, we can discuss salary. I was thinking the same as what we’d agreed on with Poise, but of course, they’re no longer taking a cut. You’d be making more. But I’m willing to negotiate before someone else snaps you up.”

I was reeling. To work for Leslie full-time. I wouldn’t have to start my own company. I could just work under her umbrella. I could deal with the things she needed and make even more money than I had been making. Enough to sustain the life I’d grown accustomed to living.

But also, she would be expecting me to work for Court. To keep working with Court. He’d be my client and responsibility again. Just as we were beginning to become something.

“I appreciate the opportunity,” I said carefully. “But I’m going to have to decline.”

Leslie raised her eyebrows. “Really? Do you want to move back to LA? Has another firm already reached out to you?”

“No,” I said. “But… I can’t work for Court anymore.”

Leslie sighed heavily. As if she had heard this so many other times before. “What did he do this time?”

I laughed softly and shook my head. “Nothing. He’s actually… wonderful. And I know that you won’t approve, but I would rather pursue a relationship with him than take this job.”

Leslie’s mouth dropped open. “Well, I can still be surprised.”

“This isn’t how I wanted to tell you,” I said quickly. “It’s brand-new and…”

Then, she leaned back and held her hand up. “You don’t have to explain. I’m glad that you’re staying in Court’s life. He’s better for it.”

“Oh,” I whispered. My cheeks heated. “Really? I thought you’d be mad. Since you didn’t want to hire someone like me because you were worried I’d fall under his spell… and then I did.”

Leslie shook her head. “No. He fell under your spell. And that’s a different story.”

I opened and closed my mouth. “But…”

“You got him to work for the company. You got him to stop drinking excessively. Not only is he showing up to campaign events, but he’s also sober and giving speeches. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him sober at a campaign event,” she said crisply. “I wanted someone who could handle him. Someone who wasn’t so pretty that they’d fall all over themselves over him. I didn’t realize that it could even happen in reverse. And I’m grateful. Whatever the circumstances.”

I really had no idea what to say to that. I never thought that I’d put Court under my spell. But the way she described it, it felt so certain. I’d seen it as my job to make him a better person. I hadn’t realized that us falling for each other was what would help him all along.

“What does that mean for us for the future?” I finally sputtered out.

Leslie smiled. “I suppose we can find someone else for Court, if you think it’s necessary.” She tilted her head. “I’m starting to expect that it won’t be though.”

I left Leslie’s office in a daze. I’d been expecting to be put through the wringer, and instead, I’d found that she didn’t even mind that I was dating her son. That was not the Leslie Kensington I had been expecting. Even Lark was shocked. After how Leslie had reacted to Penn dating Natalie, she’d sworn that Leslie would freak out. Though we were both glad she hadn’t.

I skipped going to my apartment to change and went straight to Court’s penthouse instead. He had just come out of the