CHAPTER 13
“Family name?”
“My grandfather.” I straightened in my chair and pushed my hair behind my ears. “Um. I worked in several offices in the last ten years. I know how to run one and I’m good at it.”
Blake nodded. “Did Kara tell you it’s just until Vicki is off maternity leave? Contrary to what my cousin’s daughter wants, Vicki is staying.”
“She told me. That’s fine. I just want something. The idea of not working stresses me out.”
Blake leaned forward and ran his eyes over my face. The motion felt too familiar after I’d pressed against him. It didn’t help that he looked identical to a man I’d spent the night with two days before. “Are you dating Isaac?”
I coughed and shook my head. “No. I don’t date. I have Hank.”
“No dating?”
“No.”
Silence stretched between us, and I cleared my throat, wondering what the hell he was thinking. I worried that he could see the truth, that I’d been with both of his brothers. I was terrible.
“Well, I’m available for the job if you need me. I know you’re busy, so I won’t keep you.” I stood up, ending the awkward interview just as awkwardly.
“Mallory—”
I forced a smile and backed towards the door. “Thanks for the interview! Have a great day.”
Practically running out of the building, I didn’t even bother waving goodbye to Hannah. I just hurried to my car, jumped in, and hurried out of there. I was going to kill Kara. I was also going to die of shame. I wasn’t sure which was going to happen first, but I hoped I got to Kara before I keeled over.
Not only had I embarrassed myself, I’d cost myself the job. No way was Blake going to hire me after that display. I was a freak. A bumbling freak. I cringed all the way home, unable to stop thinking about it. That had been awful.
Before I even got all the way home, though, Kara was calling me. I answered with an angry growl. “I’m going to murder you when I see you.”
She giggled. “Save your anger. Blake just called me and asked me to have you call him.”
I frowned. “Why? That interview was a nightmare.”
“I don’t know, Mallory. I’m not a mind reader.”
“You’re dead.”
She laughed. “What’d you do?”
“I rubbed all over him before I realized he wasn’t Isaac!” I screamed. “Oh, my god, Kara! Saying it out loud just makes it worse. I think I have to leave town. I can’t live here.”
Snorting and cackling, she laughed hard enough that I heard her wheezing and I knew she was wiping tears. “Oh, god. I had no idea it would be so good.”
“I really do hate you. You’re a terrible sister.”
“Does this mean you are going to date Isaac?”
“What? Where did you get that from?”
“Well, you saw who you thought was him and rubbed against him. That’s strange behavior for a woman intent on not dating a man.”
I grunted. “Mind your business.”
“Call Blake. I’ll text you his number.” She laughed. “Try not to sext him while you’re at it, okay?”
She hung up before I could swear at her. A second later, my phone beeped, and I opened the message as soon as I was in the driveway of the house.
Despite not wanting to call, I did. I did it with my head against the steering wheel, though. Cringing, I waited while it rang with my breath held.
“Mallory?”
I cleared my throat and nodded. Then, realizing he couldn’t see me, I groaned. “Yes.”
“Can you start tomorrow?” He sounded like he was laughing. “Hannah could really use help, and if I miss another call, I’m going to murder her, and her mother would be pissed. So, please, help me.”
I sat up, confused. “What? You want to hire me?”
“I do.”
I hesitated. “Are you sure?”
Outright laughing, he was clearly amused by me. “Pretty sure.”
“I… Okay.” I cleared my throat. “I can start tomorrow.”
“Great.”
“Um. I just… I’m sorry about how awkward the interview was today. That’s not how I typically act.”
“No? I thought it was cute.” He cleared his throat and grunted. “Not saying that as your boss, of course.”
I felt like my face was burning off my skull. “It was just a little weird with what happened and then with, um, Isaac.”
“You mean when you felt me up?”
I groaned. “Let’s not call it that.”
“When you tried to undress me with your eyes, and hands?”
“Definitely not that. Let’s just never talk about it again.”
He chuckled softly, the sound oddly intimate to my perverted ears. “Or we could talk about it over dinner.”
My eyebrows just about shot through the roof of my car. “Sorry, what?”
“Dinner. You and me. This is completely apart from work shit, so if you’re not interested, it doesn’t affect your job. I’m not a complete asshole.”
I held the phone away from my mouth and silently shrieked. What the hell was going on with the men in that family? Pulling the phone back, I composed myself and tried to politely explain that I’d had sex with his brother. Not mentioning the fact that I’d had sex with two of his brothers. “So. You remember the part where I was familiar with your brother? That is still a thing.”
“Seeing him?”
“No, that I was familiar with him.”
“So, you aren’t seeing him?”
I stammered. “I…I don’t know.”
“I don’t mind, either way. Just let me know.” He suddenly swore. “Jesus, Hannah is going to ruin me. See you in the morning.”