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He seemed to expect something else, but she didn’t have anything else to say.

“Are you a client? Are you meeting someone today?”

She felt the heat in her cheeks, and her tummy tightened with nerves.

“No. I’m here for a job interview. For the executive assistant position.”

“With Leigh?” he queried, taking in the binder she carried.

Alli nodded, not sure what to say, but she felt she needed to say something.

“Someone told me that she died. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” he said, grimacing. “I guess this isn’t going to stay quiet in a town like this if visitors today already know what happened.”

Except that she didn’t really know what happened. Just that poor Leigh Gabler had been hit in the back of the head and was now deceased.

“I can see this is a bad time,” she finally replied. “As I said, I’m very sorry. I’d heard good things about Ms. Gabler.”

She turned to go, but she didn’t get far before she heard his voice again.

“Do you have a paper copy of your resume?”

Yes, it was old-fashioned, but she had a few extra copies in her binder along with some samples of her professional writing.

Stopped and fumbled the binder open, hands shaking more than she wanted to admit, and slipped a copy free. “Yes, here.”

Was he actually going to look at it? Now?

He took it without a word, scanned the top third, then the bottom, then the middle. She could see his eyes narrow at the “on-air talent” line, then flick up to meet hers.

“You worked in cable news?”

“I did,” she said, clearing her throat. “I have a degree in journalism.”

“But you’re applying to be an executive assistant?”

“Many of the skills are transferable, I think. Journalism jobs are in short supply these days. Lots of cutbacks.”

She didn’t mention why she’d lost her job at the station. It was a bit too personal.

“You just moved to town?”

“Yes. My brother and his family are here. I was in Southern California before.”

He nodded, scratching his chin as if in thought.

“How do you feel about being disliked?”

Um, what? He doesn’t know me well enough to hate me already.

“I’m not sure I’m following you.”

His tone didn’t change, but his mouth quirked up at the corners slightly.

“In this job, you will piss people off. Not by accident, but on purpose. Are you okay with that?”

It took her a second to decide if this was some kind of test or if he genuinely wanted to know. She looked down at her shoes, then up again. Might as well tell the truth.