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I brought my hand to my chin, stroking my beard. “She’s early, I think.”
Suddenly, Joseph appeared in the doorway and stood next to the butler, frazzled. He smoothed his suit and turned back. “I got this, Piers.” He straightened his tie. “Please let her in.”
As Piers exited, Joseph sighed. “Okay, so she’s a bit early, but that’s a good sign, right? Early is never late.”
Hands on my hips, I rolled my eyes, glaring off to the side of the room. William spun to Joseph and snorted. Awkward silence filled the atmosphere.
“Right then. I’ll go get her.” The click of the door closing sounded shortly after.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, closed my eyes, and deeply inhaled. “I did not want to do this shit right now.”
“Hey, at least Isabelle and her sweet and caring disposition aren’t here to beg you to hire her.” He chuckled. “I mean, if you don’t like the girl,” he lit a cigarette and headed for the exterior door leading to a private porch, “just send her away.”
I shook my head, squeezing my temples as he closed the door behind him. A few moments later, I received a text. It was him.
Or we could just kill her.
I snorted and glanced out the window in the door. He was laughing as he took a drag if his cigarette and pointed to his gun holster. I slid my phone back into my pocket and sat down behind my desk but not for long.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
I stood and sauntered toward the front of my desk, propping on the edge with my arms crossed tightly over my chest. “Enter!”
A woman poked her head through the doorway and smiled. “Hi. I’m Lindsay Baxter.”
“Hello. Come in.”
The woman cautiously obeyed, with Joseph following. He smiled behind her, silently conveying he was proud of his find. I nodded once in return. He backed out of the room noiselessly and closed the door, leaving us alone.
She inspected the office as she meandered to the chair in front of my desk. I returned to my own chair and stood. She peered toward the tall ceiling and built-in bookcases that lined the walls before she brought her gaze to mine. She appeared startled that I was staring at her. “Beautiful home.”
I motioned toward the chair in front of me. “Sit.”
A grin crept onto her face. “Yes, sir.”
Cocking my head, I paused for a moment before I sat. Leaning back, I gripped the arm rests, tapping my fingertip. She was an attractive woman with long wavy, butterscotch-blonde hair and sapphire eyes. She crossed her leg over the other and made fearless eye contact with me. She was well-dressed in a navy-blue pencil skirt and white blouse, professional enough. Still, I did not trust her.
Lifting my hands, I formed a triangle with my fingers under my chin. “I assume you are aware why you’re here if you applied?”
With a smile plastered on her face, she nodded. “I do. It all happened so fast for me.” She shifted in her seat, folding her hands in her lap. “Joseph explained what was going on to me.”
“Right.” I leaned forward, clasping my hands together on the surface of my desk. “Well, the media has hounded my fiancée, Isabelle, since our engagement announcement, and it seems to be hurting our reputation.”
“I am very used to dealing with people like that.”
“I don’t want the world to see her as a monster because she is with me. She’s the opposite.”
She crossed her legs the other way, nodding. “I completely understand, sir.”
I pointed at her. “That’s where you come in. I want our images to remain clean. Well, at least hers.”
“I saw the news.” She sighed and reached for her bag. “I’m guessing no one has done damage control yet.”
I shook my head.
Lindsay pulled out a portfolio and opened it. Tugging out a slip of paper, she handed it over to me.
“What’s this?” I took it, then examined it.
