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“What she said.” Jesse tucked a curl behind her ear. “But also, he sounds dreamy.”
I nodded. “He is.”
“Then, what’s the problem?” Jesse took a sip. “You said it’s layered, and so far, this sounds like a no-brainer. The only question I have is, why aren’t you with him right now?”
I gazed at the top of my glass and slowly lifted it toward my lips. As the liquor hit my tongue, my mouth watered, and I forced the mixture down my throat. I needed this—this potential buzz, this relaxation, this liquid courage, whatever it was.
“There’s two parts to this, you see. There’s the part where this guy really likes me, but he doesn’t live here. He’s only here for two months while he finishes out a major build-out, and then he’s going back home to LA. I know things would only be temporary, and these next two months need to be all about school and work—I can’t afford to be tied down, diving headfirst into something super deep and emotional and sticky, only to soon have an ocean between us by the time I graduate.” That admission felt more exhausting than it needed to be, but what it did was make me cling to the glass and keep it near my mouth. “Then, there’s the part where he offered to have me interview at his company—the company his family owns and is headquartered in LA.” I halted, chewing the corner of my lip. “The position is everything I want, my dream job right out of the gate.”
“Brooklyn …” Clem’s voice was a little above a whisper.
And as I heard her, as I processed her tone, as I thought about everything I’d just said, emotion began to fill my eyes. “They’re looking for someone who specializes in Six Sigma. Who can come in and reorganize and restructure and is willing to relocate.”
“Shut up,” Jesse said. “I mean, keep going, but shut up.”
I smiled. “And the best part is, it’s a hotel brand.”
Clem’s back went straight, her eyes widening. “Hold on a second. The pieces are now fitting together.” She wiggled toward the end of her bed. “You said a build-out and a hotel. The only hotel I know they’re building on Kauai is the Spade Hotel.” Her eyes grew even larger. “Is that the one you’re talking about?”
I tried to take a deep breath and couldn’t. “Yes.”
“Holy fuck,” Jesse sang. “My sister is dating a Spade!”
“Not dating. We’re—”
“Screwing around,” Jesse finished for me. “We know exactly what you’re doing, girl, and I’m so proud of you that I could scream.”
“You are kind of screaming,” Clem told her.
If I wasn’t so twisted within all of this, I probably would have laughed, like the two of them were doing. Instead, I said, “Listen, there’s more to the story. A lot more. Like the part where, if I went in to interview for the position, there’s the fact that I’ve seen one of the executives naked, and that makes things—”
“Even better,” Jesse said. “Does he have a problem with it?”
“Macon?” I asked. “No. He has no problem with it. He said they’re separate entities—me and him and me and Spade Hotels and that I shouldn’t see them as the same.”
“Macon?” Jesse cooed. “Ohhh, that name is hot.” She held her glass up, like she was giving me a cheers. “I like him. A lot. And I haven’t even met him yet.”
Just as I was about to respond, Clem said, “If Macon doesn’t have a problem with it, then why do you? At least, I’m assuming you do by the way you’re explaining things.”
I released the pillow and drove my hand through the side of my hair, combing it with my fingers. “They’re not going to take me seriously. Not when I’ve slept with an executive. That’s no way to start your dream position.”
“Who’s they?” Clem asked.
I shrugged. “Whoever interviews me.” And when that didn’t feel like enough, I added, “They’re going to take pity on me because I’ve slept with him.”
“Not when they meet you, they won’t.” Clem’s voice was now so dominant. “You’re a badass. You need to know that and believe it. You’re brilliant. You’re a straight-A student. You’ve put yourself through college while working full-time. You’ll go into that interview and blow them away. They won’t even have a chance to feel pity because all they’re going to see is a strong, mature, smart, skilled, and qualified woman.”
But a woman with no experience.
Who was only twenty-two years old.
Reasons my current employer wouldn’t listen to anything I suggested when it came to the housekeeping department. I was just a maid, so what the hell did I know? Those were things they’d told me on more than one occasion.
And then there was the issue of my résumé. That the only job I’d ever had, except for babysitting, was the position at the hotel.
Something I still hadn’t told Macon.
Something I didn’t want to tell him.
