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“Kendall?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Your dad is great.”
Too great.That was the problem.
“Look—” Jude took my hand in his. “I know it’s not your dream job, but it’s a good opportunity. It’s stable and pays well. You’d get free tickets to the games. And I’m sure Dad would be flexible with your schedule.”
I sighed, wishing I could accept. “I know, but…”
He held up a hand. “You’ve had a crazy morning. Take some more time to think about it before you make a decision.”
“I don’t need more time,” I said, pushing my food around the plate. “I’m not going to change my mind.”
My phone chimed with an incoming text message from Emmy. When I saw the screen, I frowned at the link she’d sent.
“What is it?” Jude asked, then leaned over, reading my screen. “Holy shit.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. This was a nightmare. It had to be. Any minute, I’d wake up and realize none of it was real.
But when I opened my eyes again, the news article was still sitting there. The tutoring website had been shut down, pending a federal investigation. And I was out of a job.
“Seems like a message from the universe,” Jude said.
I rolled my eyes. “Or it’s just bad luck.”
“Well, then it’slucky—”he nudged me with his elbow “—I came here to offer you a job.”
“I have a job. The tutoring gig wasn’t my only income source.” Just my main one. My stomach clenched.
“The Hartwell Agency?” He shook his head with a laugh. “Do you really want to keep working there?”
“What?” I spat, annoyed with his attitude. Not all of us were sons of billionaires. “It’s not good enough for you?”
“It’s not good enough foryou.” His eyes pierced mine. “I mean, some of the guys joke that it’s the Hard-On Agency. That Hartwell is basically a glorified escort service.”
Wow. Even if it wasn’t true, I’d fed right into that stereotype. My fork clattered against the plate, and I nearly choked. Jude patted me on the back and slid my water closer.
“You okay?”
“Mm-hmm.” I placed a hand to my chest, still trying to catch my breath. “Yep.” I swallowed, but it went down like glass.
Once I’d caught my breath, I said, “The Hartwell Agency is reputable. Kings and sultans use them to staff their castles.”
He dropped his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t joke about something like that. But what we’re offering you is so much better. Why would you turn that down?”
I studied him. “Why is it so important to you that I take the job?”
“Because my dad could really use the help. And I get the feeling so could you.” His smile was gentle.
I didn’t know what to say. Jude was right; I needed the money. But it wasn’t that simple. He didn’t realize what he was asking.
Then again, maybe I was making this into a bigger deal than it needed to be. Jude and I got along, despite the fact that we used to date. And Knox and I had been professional the past few months, despite our insane chemistry.
Besides, I was moving out of Knox’s house. I wouldn’t have to see him all the time. And anytime I did, we’d be at the office. With other staff. With Jude.
If Knox and his ex could get along so well after being married and having a son, surely we could handle this.Right?
“I’m—” I dropped my head, resignation settling in. “Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll take the job. But—” I held up a finger when he opened his mouth to speak. “Onlyuntil he finds a suitable replacement, or I get another full-time placement from Hartwell.”
