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“No, I just mean like… Helping with scheduling, consulting with management, that sort of thing.”
“How is that a spin?”
Brielle’s face grew sheepish. “Mom is a one-woman show. I couldn’t offer her much help that way if she wanted it.”
“So why the job hunt?” Archer twiddled his thumbs and stared down at them, suddenly not sure he could keep looking at her when she was this close. “Our town too boring for you?”
“Not really. Or… I guess.” Brielle tucked her hands under her thighs and turned her attention to the artwork his mother had painted that hung over his bed’s headboard. “I don’t really care where I go, as long as I have a job I sort of like.”
“You don’t like cleaning?” Archer felt like an idiot as soon as the words left his mouth. Because cleaning was sure to be many people’s aspiration in life? God, he sounded stupid.
Brielle laughed, swinging her ponytail over one shoulder. “I actually could clean the rest of my life, so long as I had to do something. But I mean, I did study history and philosophy. I should probably do something with those subjects. And besides, Mom doesn’t want me to stay in her house or keep working for her.”
History and philosophy? He’d had no idea. He didn’t knowwhathe’d thought she was interested in, but that wasn’t it. “Well, that blows,” he said, not sure what else to say. “How long have you been job hunting?”
“Just a few months. I graduated last weekend.”
“Oh!” She was younger than he’d thought. Not that he thought she was ancient, it was just… Sheexudedsexiness. He tended to associate that withexperience. Now he felt really dirty. “Congrats.”
Brielle shrugged. “Thanks.” She raised her eyebrows. “Years of school loans and maybe at this rate, job hunting ahead, yay.” She studied the painting again, clearing her throat. “Do you have an art degree?”
Archer nodded. “Yup. Mother wanted me to pursue a master’s, but I had no need for it. Mother also enjoys painting. She did those.” He pointed at the art above his bed.
“Nice,” Brielle said, looking back at them. Then she glanced at him, the curiosity plain on her face. “How did you get a job drawing comics? That’s so cool.”
It was Archer’s turn to feel sheepish. “Thanks.” He wasn’t sure if she really thought that, but she seemed genuinely interested. “It’s a… long story.” She didn’t seem deterred. “Well, it sort of started the… opposite way of yours? I didn’t want to work for my dad’s company and he wanted me to work for him. Or… he would have.”
“Would have?”
Archer swallowed. He didn’t know why he was telling her this. “Well, he owns a construction company.”
“Oh!” said Brielle, gasping. “Ward Construction! I see their trucks all over.”
Archer laughed. “Yeah… But I bet you don’t see any workers in wheelchairs in them.”
“Oh,” said Brielle, suddenly sad. “Oh, I… Yeah. I see.” She paused. “But couldn’t you help behind the scenes? Like in the office?”
“Probably.” Archer ran a hand over the back of his head. His muscles were doing better. The pain reliever was probably kicking in. “But it’s not like I had much interest in all that anyway. Besides, I think Dad’s happy to keep me out of sight, out of mind.” He gestured around him. “I owe half… No, more than half of everything to him throwing money at me to keep me out of the house and keep me quiet.”
“I’m sorry…” Brielle bit her lip again and Archer had to go back to his wheelchair-pacing. “Guess we both have parents who don’t want us to live at home?”
Archer scoffed, gripping both wheels hard in a lock. “You haven’t met my mother yet.”
Brielle stared at him, questioning. He wondered why he’d said “yet,” but he knew his mother—she was bound to show up sometime she wasn’t supposed to. “Hey,” he said, trying to change the subject, but his voice was already shaking, “if you’re really not busy today after we finish up here…” He lost his nerve.
Brielle’s eyebrows arched. “I’m not!” She sounded almost like she was sure he wouldn’t believe her.
“I… have a signing today. At a local comic shop.”Why the hell would she want to go with you to a comic shop? Not exactly the most welcoming place for a woman—particularly a woman this hot.
Brielle’s face lit up. “I’d love to come! I’dlove to!”
Crap.Archer had been so caught up in the moment, he’d forgotten why he’d stayed away from dating to begin with.
Pauline was going to have to be their driver.
Chapter Nine
Brielle wonderedif it would have been easier to just Google map where this shop was and to meet him there. She wanted to go home and change anyway. (Archer had been surprised to learn she lived just a few minutes from his condo.Pleasantly surprised, she might even dare to say. As if proximity made any difference to anything.) But Pauline had showed up before Brielle could leave—they’d lost track of time when cleaning up the mess of the dead vacuum—and she’d insisted Brielle come back to the condo after Archer’s therapy exercises and that they’d all go together.
