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“You wouldn’t mind?” he asked, pulling her down beside him.
“Does this look like the face of someone who would mind?”
He squeezed her close and gave her a kiss. “You have the prettiest, sexiest mouth. I love kissing you.”
“Well, what do you know? I love being kissed.” She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Your brother is nice.”
“Yeah, he’s a good guy. I lucked out with all my siblings.”
“Even Stacy?” she asked, with an arched eyebrow, knowing how they often bumped heads.
“She loves giving me a hard time, but that comment includes her.” Montez drank some of his water and then placed the bottle on the table in front of them. “What’s going on with the promotion?”
“We have interviews on Monday. After that, Mark will review our past evaluations for strengths, weaknesses, etc., and then finally pick the new senior VP.”
“This is a long process.”
Desiree nodded. “It’s important to him. You heard what he said at the dinner. This is his mother’s company, and I’m sure he wants to honor her by choosing the right people to be on the executive team.”
“He should give you the position and end the whole process.” Montez stretched an arm across the back of the sofa.
“I wish, but I’m patient.”
“If it were up to Gertrude, you’d already be the senior VP of marketing.”
“What makes you say that?”
“A vibe she gave off—like the hug she gave you when she arrived. She really likes you.”
“She’s a sweetheart for sure. I like her too, but I’m no fool. Her allegiance is to her brother, and she wants to continue her mother’s legacy the same as he does.” She picked at the label on the bottle with her fingernail.
“I don’t think Royce is the way to do that. What do you plan to do if Mark gives the job to him?”
She pouted. “That would suck, but… I love my job, and I’d stick around, though Royce might become unbearable.”
“He will, no doubt. If that happens, and he gives you any trouble, let me know and I’ll kick his ass.”
She lightly punched his shoulder. “That’s not necessary, but thanks.”
“It’s not necessary because you’re going to get the promotion. I know it.”
She eyed him as if seeing him for the first time. “You’re always so encouraging.”
“What else would I be?”
She shrugged, tracing the mouth of her bottle with her index finger. “Royce is… the opposite. He wanted me to dim my shine, and like a fool, I did to make him feel better.”
Montez nodded slowly. “I can see him being like that. At the dinner, he barely let Calandra speak the entire time. It’s obvious he has to be the center of attention.”
“And themanin the relationship. The one in charge. That’s very important to him. Were you always like this, or did you learn to be amazing over time?”
He chuckled but then slowly stopped laughing. “You want the truth?”
“The truth and nothing but the truth.”
He paused, wondering if he was about to make the right decision. Being open and honest meant being vulnerable—something he wasn’t used to with women. In the past, they’d been the ones to crush his self-esteem and make him feel small.
“I’m about to show you something, and you have to promise not to laugh.”
