“You needed time before deciding where to work next, and you needed money to buy you that time.” He hung his head. “When I lost my temper at Ron, I took away your extra time and income, and I apologize. You have every right to be angry with me.”
She held up a palm, her expression twisting in distress. “You were trying toavengeme, Alex. Because you were upset on my behalf. How in the world could I be angry at you for that?”
God, he wanted to roll his eyesso damn much. But he couldn’t, not with her obvious confusion and remorse and … whatever else was carving deep lines into those distinctive features.
“Lauren, you’re fucking terrible at being angry at other people for mistreating you or overlooking your interests.” A home truth, and one he hoped she understood. “Your lack of anger does not reliably indicate a lack of wrong done to you.”
She blinked those gorgeous eyes up at him, looking lost.
Whatever. They’d have plenty of time for informational lectures soon enough.
“Anyway, the good news is that I’m here to right this particular wrong.” He beamed at her, more certain than ever that he could fix everything. “I have a plan.”
“Oh, shit,” she muttered.
Ignoring that, he carried on. “The production used to provide a virtual assistant for me, given my organizational issues. In Ron’s email, he said—”
“Wait.” She held up a hand, somehow looking even guiltier. He could only assume it was a Guinness world record of some sort. “I can’t believe I didn’t ask this right away. What’s happening? What did Ron and R.J. do?”
“According to my agent and lawyer, I should be able to avoid financial retaliation and a lawsuit. That said, I’m disinvited from upcoming publicity events and forbidden to comment on the show, and both you and my virtual PA are fired.” The other, non-Gates-related consequences didn’t need to be discussed now. Or, preferably, ever. “Which brings me to my brilliant pl—”
“Not so fast, Woodroe.” Forget about birds. She was a fuckingbadger. “What about the post-finale jobs you had lined up? Have you heard anything about them?”
He stared with great interest at her bookshelf. “Not all of them.”
Not yet, anyway.
“Oh, Alex.” She dropped onto her sofa as if her legs had collapsed beneath her. “I’m so—”
Nooooope. “If you say ‘sorry,’ I swear to God, Wren, I’ll—”
“What?” She raised a challenging brow. “You’ll what?”
Okay, perfect lead-in. “I’ll remove the gym benefits from your employment package, and you’ll have to work out with me in my home gym.”
Her mouth opened, then closed.
“Just kidding,” Alex said. “You don’t have gym benefits, so you actually will have to work out with me at home. Assuming you want to work out, which isn’t a requirement or anything. You do you.”
That wide mouth had dropped open again, and she looked delightfully fishy.
“I wasn’t joking about the employment package, though. My lawyer is still”—amidst much complaint, given her other efforts on Alex’s behalf that night—“drawing up the contract, but it should be ready within a day or so. I’m happy to negotiate terms, as necessary.”
At first, he’d considered offering Wren work as his continued nanny-slash-companion, but he already knew what her response to that would be. She’d turn down the offer, claiming she’d already proven her inability to keep him out of trouble.
So he’d come up with a different solution. A better one.
“I don’t …” She licked her pale lips, and his own legs turned a bit weak. “I don’t understand.”
“Jeez, you’re slow.” When she merely stared up at him, he heaved an exaggerated sigh and explained, “I’d like you to be my new personal assistant. Not virtual. In-person.”
Her nose wrinkled, and it shouldn’t be so damn cute. “That makes no sense. Why not rehire your previous PA on your own dime and keep things virtual? She clearly has more experience than I do. Besides, I have several job options in my actual field of work, so my income isn’t dependent on your largesse. Hers might be.”
Dammit. He’d hoped she wouldn’t think of that.
“I’m keeping her on too.” He shifted his weight. “Otherwise, I’d feel bad.”
How he was going to produce enough work for both women, he hadn’t yet determined. He’d burn that bridge when he got to it, as was his custom.
