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Hazel’s eyes fixed on him, their slate gray suddenly piercing and vivid. “So you think it’s perfectly fine to require all female employees to wear skirts above the knee and plunging necklines?”
“We don’t want our clients to be bored!” Chris laughed at his own joke.
Hazel turned her glare back to Chris. “And require employees to attend biweekly parties hosted at the male executives’ houses? Are you trying to court a lawsuit?”
“It’s important for employees to socialize with one another.” Chris grinned.
Hazel was about to snap back when Ian touched her shoulder gently.
“That’s enough. Chris, you know you can’t require those kinds of things. We’re looking for businesses plans set in this century, after all.” Ian patted Hazel’s shoulder.
For some reason, this only served to rile her up more, but she bit her lip. Literally. Her eyes, however, were calling for his death.
“Finish up your notes, everyone. I’d like to set out our objectives for the next class meeting.” Ian strolled back to the front of the classroom.
Hazel let out an audible sigh. Had she really been that angry? Over a joke?
The class seemed to calm down as he discussed what their next reading, due Thursday, would entail and what he would like them to prepare. Hazel’s fingers flew across her tablet, taking notes. She was the perfect student, sometimes. Others, she really could be a pill.
“Miss Greenwood, could you spare a moment?” Ian asked after he’d dismissed the class.
She had been putting her things into her messenger bag, and she looked up curiously and gave a nod. “Sure. What did you need talk about?”
Ian leaned back on the table at the front of the room and thought for a moment how to phrase what he wanted to say.
“If you’re going to reprimand me for arguing with Chris again, I’m going to remind you that he’s the one wasting class time trolling us all with ideas that we all know could never be put into effect in a real business setting—”
“Hazel,” Ian said.
“Plus, before you came over, he was suggesting a “Guys’ Night” for all the men in the company, so they can bond over video games in which you murder prostitutes!”
Ian rubbed his forehead. “I wasn’t going to talk to you about that, but I will send him an email about not fooling around during class activities.”
“Thank you.” Hazel pulled the strap of her messenger bag over her head and crossed her arms. “You set the tone. He’ll follow whatever you do. So when you laugh or act like it’s okay, he’s going to keep doing it.”
“I would never condone actions like those in a business. You know that.” Ian shook his head. “Honestly, what you must think of me.”
“You condone it here,” she argued.
“I’ll handle it,” he replied firmly.
Hazel drew in a deep breath as she nodded again and seemed to shrink.
“I don’t always appreciate the way you challenge me in the classroom.” Ian held a hand up when she automatically began to argue. “However, I think it will ultimately prove useful to me. I was hoping that you might consider shadowing me at my office here in the city. I could use an assistant.”
Hazel’s mouth opened, then closed.
Ian smirked. “Not for coffee, or anything that you would find ‘offensive’ but rather, for research. I’ll be working on a book about mentorship in business over the next year, and you are by far the most scholarly of my students, with your double major and impeccable GPA.” Ian stood and took a few steps to close the distance between them. She looked up at him, her rosebud lips parted just slightly and her cheeks flushing.
Part of him adored how intimidated she was by him. Another part loved that she didn’t let that intimidation keep her from speaking her mind.
“What do you say, Hazel? It would be a superb opportunity for your career, even if you insist on wasting yourself on nonprofits.”
“I um…”
Hazel wet her lips and looked down at her bag for a moment. Then, she squared her shoulders and looked up at him, with her brow furrowed and that stubborn little wrinkle across her nose.
“I’ll have to think about it. I have a lot of commitments,” she said with a confidence that her body language didn’t support.
“Well, do let me know. I’ll need to hire someone in the near future, and it needs to be someone who isn’t going to be making jokes all day.” Ian left her to pack up his briefcase. “You may go.”
Hazel bit the inside of her cheek and wished him a good day. As she left, Ian stole a look back at her. Those battered jeans of hers slipped just a bit, revealing the blue hem of her panties. How a person could be both a killjoy and sexy as hell at the same time, Ian wasn’t certain. He’d never spent time with a woman quite like Hazel, but he knew she’d take him up on his offer. It was too good for a smart girl like her to refuse.
