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He cheerfully answered, “It was nothing. I wanted to.”
Suddenly needing to make it to that party so I could rescue my tiny friend, I stepped into my shower and turned on the water, drowning out whatever Brick was saying. For the next few minutes, I concentrated on washing and devising a plan to break into my old workroom so I could remove all traces of mousetraps.
I’m coming for you, Jackie, don’t you worry.
I barely had the water off before Brick started talking to me again through the doorway and then pounding on it with his fist. “Um, Kaitlynn? Why are you looking for a new job?”
I froze, before quickly drying and pulling on underwear. “What?”
“I said—you know what? You heard me just fine. Now quit stalling and answer.”
I opened my mouth, still not sure what to say, but Brick growled, “Yeah, never mind. You don’t have to answer. Mom fired you.” A disgusted sigh hissed from him. “Didn’t she?”
Instead of answering, I clenched my teeth and yanked my costume from its garment bag. “Were you snooping on my laptop?”
“I was bored.” And, yes, the man said it as if that justified why he did anything.
“Oh, really? Looking for gum again?”
“Brat,” he smarted back, before turning serious. “At least I know how to fix this problem. If you’re looking for a job, I’ll hire you in my office. With pay.”
My fingers froze around the costume I was stepping into.
While my heart stalled in my chest, I swallowed, trying not to get my hopes up.
Slowly, I asked, “I’m sorry, but what did you just say?”
“I said I’ll hire you to work for me. It’ll be fun to boss you around.”
A part of me wanted to tell him no, just for pride’s sake. I was totally fine and independent and didn’t need him to save me, but oh my God, if he hired me with pay at JFI, I might actually have a chance to finally start working my way up in the company. My dream could possibly come true after all.
Hope flared inside me, until, yeah…
There was just one little problem.
“Yeah, right.” I sniffed. “Like your mother would actually let you hire me back on after she just fired me.”
“Wrong,” Brick sang out cheerfully. “I don’t work under her branch. Hayden and I both made sure we got in with Nash’s wing of the company when he came on board. She’d have to go through him first before touching you.”
My lips parted as the possibility of becoming a full-time employee filled me. My mind spun. Nash seemed a million times more reasonable than Lana did. If I worked under his arm of the company and he noticed my competence, he might actually allow me to advance.
“Are you serious?” I asked, zipping up the last of my costume, not quite ready to trust such good fortune but getting excited anyway. “You’d really hire me?”
“Sure. Why not? I need the help. My secretary went on maternity leave and I’ve been drowning in paperwork ever since. Plus, she seems strangely attached to the kid she had, so I have a feeling she may not return. But if she does, I’m sure we could find a new place for you by the time she gets back.”
“Oh my God!” I squealed, realizing this was actually happening. I was going to be able to return to JFI. “Thank you, Brick. Oh, wow. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You’re the absolute best!”
I flung the door open to hug him.
“Sure. You’d actually be doing me a—whoa!” He lurched backward, gaping at me when I dove through the open doorway at him. Placing a hand on my forehead to stop me in my tracks, he pointed at my costume and demanded, “What the hell is that?”
Smoothing a hand over my ribs, I looked down at myself, confused. “What?” No stains marred any of the material.
“That’s a Power Ranger costume.”
I nodded. “Yeah. So?”
He shook his head as if I’d lost my mind. “That’s not the outfit I brought you.”
