Mr. Big Shot: An Enemies To Lovers Romance (Kinda Cocky Book 1), стр. 23
I blinked. “Seriously? Those were your qualifications?”
Brenden shrugged nonchalantly. “And I saw her resume. The headhunter I used really found a good one for us.”
“But, you also know what her ass looks like.”
“Hey, I could be hiring a guy. You never know.” He put both hands out and his shoulders up.
I raised an eyebrow. “You look at dude’s asses now?”
“What?”
I put up my hands with a smirk. “I mean, not that I’m judging, but--.”
Brenden waved his hand in the air. “Anyway. Can you just hire the girl and be done with it? We’re up to our ears in projects and really need the help.”
“I’ll hire her if she’s competent enough to take on the job.”
“She is. Trust me.” It felt like he was hiding something.
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
He sighed. “Seriously. I don’t want to listen to you moan and groan about it any longer. Hire her, get her working, and let’s get back on track. We’ve wasted enough damn time with this.”
I blinked. “It’s been five days.”
“And do you know how far behind that’s set us? Just do it, please?”
“I will. If she’s competent.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ll get another interview on your calendar by the end of the week.”
Brenden slipped out of my office, and I winced. Was that what people really thought of me? Fucking hell, I was turning more into my father by the second. I shivered at the thought and drew in a deep breath. My eyes fell back to my laptop, but my heart was no longer in the project.
I closed the laptop and pulled up the calendar on my other computer.
“Damn it,” I murmured.
The interview was in ten minutes. Of course, it was in ten minutes. How in the world did time get away from me so quickly? I nibbled on my lower lip, feeling the chapped skin that caused me to reach into my desk drawer. I pulled out my chapstick and rushed it over my lips, hoping that might do the trick. I couldn't stand the sensation. Nor how it looked. And as I capped it off, I closed my eyes.
Trying to center myself for the damn thing.
My calendar dinged.
“What now?” I murmured.
I looked over at my computer screen and saw another addition to my schedule. Another interview, right after the one I was expecting. Then, another popped up. And another. Until my entire schedule up until fucking lunch was booked with nothing but interviews.
I picked up my office phone and dialed Brenden’s number.
“Yeah?”
“You can stop now,” I told him.
“Hey, I’m just planning for contingencies.”
I rubbed my hand over my forehead. “If you put one more thing on my calendar, I’ll find a way to fire you myself.”
He snickered. “I own half the business. Good luck.”
Then, my calendar dinged one last time.
“Have fun! I expect you to have a secretary by the end of the day.”
“And I expect you to do work other than bossing me around.” I growled.
I slammed my phone down into its cradle before I heard a squeal at my door. My eyes whipped up, and I saw her standing there, a sparkling purse slipped up her shoulder. The dyed-blonde hair the woman sported on her head looked more like straw than anything else. Her breasts moved even though she didn’t, and the slim contour of her waist boasted of multiple visits to the plastic surgeon.
Not to mention the makeup she had caked on her face so badly it was running down her neck with her sweat.
I’m going to kill you, Brenden.
I held out my hand. “Please, have a seat.”
In classic Brenden fashion, the woman was definitely hot. But, she was also as smart as a tin can. She had no experience. She had no schooling. She had no transferable skills, nor could she keep her attention on me. Her phone kept vibrating in her purse because she didn’t care enough about the stupid interview to even turn the damn thing off.
“All right. That’ll be all. Thank you for coming in, and we’ll be in touch soon.”
I stood up and shook her hand, then watched her walk out the door. I made it a point to not look at her ass, either. Drawing in a deep breath, I watched shadows lining up outside my door. There were so many that I saw Brenden bringing out chairs into the hallway just so the women would have a place to sit.
Brenden grinned at me from beyond my office door before I strode for it, slamming it in his face.
I’m going to kill that man someday.
I looked at the clock on my wall, and it wasn’t even eight in the morning yet. I swore, if Brenden put as much effort into torturing me as he did his actual job, we’d be worlds further in our business than we were. Yet another reason why I wanted to get my own rental business up and going. Someday, I hoped to pull away from the place. Someday, I hoped to keep enough ownership of Stonewater Realty to bring in a monthly paycheck before moving on to do something else.
Something of my own doing.
Where I didn’t have a lazy brother as a partner.
Then, a knock came at my door. “Mr. Hearthstone? I’m here for an interview.”
I sighed. “Yes. Of course. Give me one second, and I’ll welcome you in.”
“Yes, sir.”
I girded myself before I slid a hand through my hair. I straightened my back and put on my best face before opening the door I was leaning against. The woman smiling back at me seemed much more personable than the blonde. So, I ushered her in with fervid anticipation.
“So, tell me. Why do you want to work as a secretary?”
She smiled. “I’ve always enjoyed helping people. I suppose this is another way I can do that.”
“It says on your resume you were a teacher for several years in…”
“New Mexico.”
I nodded. “Right.