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Something elsewas right. The minute he’d laid eyes on Beth Walker he’d known she was perfect—though inappropriately, work had been the furthest thing from his mind.
Frowning, he tapped her CV against the desk. “Her credentials aren’t super impressive. Tour guide during racing carnivals and at a car show isn’t exactly the same as conducting tours here, is it?”
“Are you questioning my judgment?”
Hell yeah. But he wouldn’t push it. The only reason he was sitting in this chair was because his father had asked him to. Abe had made the first overture in his life to acknowledge his son’s skills and Aidan wasn’t about to sabotage the tentative professional mate-ship they’d developed lately.
“I guess her demeanor threw me a little.”
“Why? Because she’s a tad on the exuberant side?” Abe snorted, an exasperated sound that told Aidan exactly what his father thought of this phone call. “Look, Lana Walker will be a huge credit to the museum. She’s the best curator on the eastern seaboard and I trusted her judgment when she recommended her cousin to take tours while she recuperates. Then I interviewed Beth and she’s exactly the type of employee we need. Fresh, vibrant, willing to learn. So what’s the problem?”
“No problem.”
Not unless he counted the awful sinking feeling he was attracted to her when he shouldn’t be. CEOs shouldn’t fraternise with staff, even ones with sparkling eyes, cheeky smiles, and come-get-me shoes.
“Right, well, if that’s all, I have to go. Your mother has me on this crazy exercise regimen.”
Aidan paused, knowing Abe hated talking about his health, well aware he’d irritated the old man enough for one day with his interrogation about Beth. “How’s the heart?”
“Fine. Blood pressure’s down. No angina since we came up here.”
“Great—”
“Must go. I’ll call you next week to check up on how the place is doing.”
The dial tone hummed in Aidan’s ear before he’d had a chance to say goodbye and Aidan slid his cell into his pocket, the familiar disappointment clawing at him.
The old man would never change and he’d be a fool to hope otherwise.
Aidan had been shocked when Abe had turned to him for help after doctors advised him to rest or risk a heart attack and his parents made the decision to head for the tropics of northern Queensland.
Aidan hadn’t been able to refuse, buoyed by the uncharacteristic action of a man who barely acknowledged his achievements—or existence-growing up, a small part of him still hoping for the unthinkable to happen, that dear old dad would finally recognize his worth.
So here he was, trying to prove a point, aiming to be the best damn CEO the museum had ever seen.
And good CEOs always kept a close eye on employees… Scanning Beth’s CV again, he shook his head. Gut instinct had served him well in the past, giving him a feel for the best sites to search, directing him where to dig.
Maybe in this case his instincts were wrong?
However, the more he read of Beth’s CV and her apparent lack of skills, and compared it with the mental image he had of the bold, smart-mouthed tour guide, the more he had the feeling she wasn’t the right person for the job.
But he believed in giving people a chance so that’s exactly what he’d do. However, if the cutesy tour guide made one too many mistakes…he shoved her CV back into a folder and stood up.
He wanted this place running perfectly and the only way to ensure that was to do spot checks on his staff.
Starting with one highly unusual tour guide.
ChapterThree
“How did it go?”
Beth took a long, drawn out sip of her mocha mint iced chocolate and smacked her lips, trying to hide a grin at Lana’s anxious expression and failing.
“This isn’t funny, Beth. I’m in agony over here and I’m not just talking about my ankle.”
“Okay, okay, hang onto your crutches.” She drained the rest of her favorite drink, placed the take-out cup on the coffee table, and stretched. “There isn’t much to tell. My first day was uneventful and glitch-free.”
Well, almost, if she didn’t count her run-in with the way too sexy Aidan Voss first thing in the morning and the slight mishap with the train display later.
