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“Duke,” her father said. “This is my daughter, Hadley. Hadley, Duke Raymond.”
All she saw was the big man’s back and a lot of dirty blonde hair in a ponytail on his head.
Then he turned and she noticed the light blue eyes and a face that should be on an angel. Holy shit. She had to work with this guy.
He wasn’t smiling though. Just walked forward. “Nice to meet you,” he said in a deep voice. “Your father said you’re looking for some work.”
She had to fight the heat from filling her face. God only knows what her father said to Duke and she’d have to find out later.
“Yes. I’m back in the area and looking for a full-time job. I’d hoped to help my parents out nights and weekends like I was used to doing when I visited. Right now though, I’m pretty available to do anything. Did my father tell you what I’ve done here before?”
“I did,” her father said. “I’ll leave you two to talk. Your mother and I were going to go to Cape Cod for the day. I’ll talk to you later, Hadley.”
“Thanks, Dad,” she said, her father leaving her alone with the man who was going to be her new boss.
A sexy boss at that.
“Your father said you’ve filled in everywhere in the front.”
“I have,” she said. “They always needed the help when I’d come to visit them. They were here half the time. It felt like the thing to do.”
“Do you like the work?” he asked her.
“What?” she asked. She hadn’t expected that question.
“Do you like working in hospitality?”
“You know, I think I do. It’s not what I went to college for. Doesn’t seem like I’ve had a lot of luck with that field either. Or doing what I hoped for. I like people. I’m pretty easy to get along with. I’ve enjoyed the time here too. If you’re asking if I want to make this my career, I’d have to say no. I wouldn’t lie to you about that.”
He laughed, but it didn’t come off as a happy noise. “No. I don’t think that. Your father said you had a rough year and I got the impression this was a sudden move and that maybe you need to get on your feet?”
She let out a sigh. She wasn’t one for airing out dirty laundry, but she did need the job. “Yes,” she said. “It’s a long story, but I’m not going anywhere. Don’t worry about that. I’ll be looking for a full-time job and I hope to find something, but I’d like to find something I can enjoy. If I can make do working here until then, I’m content with that. I’d like to continue on if I do find a full-time job. If it works out for both of us.”
The last thing she needed to do was start making assumptions about anything.
“I never ask staff to give me an expectation for the length of their employment. It’s not like I can even ask that. I just wanted to know if you liked the work or not. If someone doesn’t like what they do it shows. I don’t run that kind of business here.”
She smiled. She had to. His face even softened some, but he still didn’t smile back.
He was honest, she’d give him that. It was refreshing in more ways than one, especially after Eddie where everything was said with a smile and a wink. She should have seen that bullcrap a mile away and wasn’t sure why she didn’t.
“I can understand that. I noticed it at my last job too.”
“What did you do before, if you don’t mind me asking? You said you went to college for it, but that wasn’t working out.”
“I went for business but focused on marketing and advertising. I’m not sure what I thought I’d do. Maybe design ads? I like doing that. It didn’t work out that way. I’m not sure there is a big market for it here on the island either. So I guess just finding a job in an office is good enough.”
“No one should settle for good enough in life,” he said gruffly.
She forced a smile. “I guess I’m used to that.”
He frowned and somehow that made him more attractive. She’d never been drawn to big men before. Or ones that didn’t smile, but then again, going with men who told her nice things all the time hadn’t worked out so well for her either in the end.
“Not sure why you are. I suppose that is your business though. I learned a long time ago to get somewhere in life, to where you need to be, you need to put your foot down and be heard.”
“It’s not always easy for everyone,” she said. Hadley didn’t want to go down this road. She wasn’t one for sharing much about herself. She just wanted a job. No reason for him to know her personally and how she handled things in her life. “Why don’t you show me what you are looking for? I’m sure you’ve made changes and I don’t want to walk in and just start doing things the old way. I’d rather it be explained or outlined.”
He laughed at her. Truly laughed and if it was possible for him to be more handsome, he was. “Not many say that in your situation.”
