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“To answer your question,” Jeremiah drawled. “No, I won’t do that with you. Because you treat your employees, obviously, like shit. I’m actually interviewing four of your former ones this week. Gracelynn being the first one.”
Erich’s eyes narrowed on me as if he wanted to shake me.
“I guess that makes sense,” he sniped, his words now focused on me. “It’s not like your little virgin princess self would give the keys to that castle to anyone but a fuckin’ prince.”
He was wrong.
Oh, so wrong.
Apparently, all it took was someone with more experience.
Someone like his stepfather.
Oh, holy shit. I was so going to hell.
Could you go to hell for that?
“I need you to leave,” Jeremiah ordered.
I couldn’t even look at him.
My face was freakin’ flaming.
“I can’t…” Erich protested.
“And, while you’re at it, how about next time you come out, you phone first, so I don’t have to tell you you’re not welcome face to face,” Jeremiah said.
Erich stiffened. “Jeremiah…”
“You made your allegiances impossibly clear when I started the divorce with your mother,” Jeremiah said. “Forcing your mother to ask me for money that I put away for that startup business that you’re currently driving into the ground. I’m sorry, but I’m not very interested in pursuing a relationship with you after that. Gate code is changing soon. So are my locks. I’ve learned my lesson.”
Erich looked stunned. “Jeremiah, my mother…”
“Gave it to you. And you ruined it. I’m not fuckin’ dumb, Erich. Please leave. I have an interview to conduct with the woman you just thoroughly embarrassed, who is probably going to start working with me every day. Do you think that’s something I should know as her employer?”
Erich didn’t have anything to say to that.
Because Jeremiah was right. That’s not something anyone should’ve shared outside of that person and themselves. As far as Erich was concerned, Jeremiah was my boss. That’s not something most bosses would know.
Erich left after that parting comment, slamming the door hard behind him.
Silence loomed, loud and thick, in his wake.
I heard Jeremiah move and nearly trembled when he got close.
“Anything you want to tell me?” Jeremiah asked.
CHAPTER 5
My toaster has two settings. Too soon, or too late.
-Jeremiah to Gracelynn
JEREMIAH
I couldn’t say I’d ever fucked up so spectacularly before, but there was a first time for everything.
Case in point.
I’d just slept with the one employee that was actually qualified to help me run a booming business. The one that, out of thousands of applicants, I’d hand-chosen to help me.
I’d always excelled at fucking up, though.
I heard Erich’s truck start up, the one that I’d practically bought him during his mother and my divorce, and waited for it to clear the drive before saying anything more.
Erich.
That piece of shit.
Just like his mother.
I didn’t want him anywhere near me. Or my newest employee, either.
Turns out I was too late to keep them from knowing each other at all.
But according to her words from earlier, they no longer needed to have anything to do with each other.
Looks like good ol’ Erich’s looks didn’t work on everyone.
Which made me fuckin’ ecstatic.
More than it should.
“I’m more than fully capable of doing this job,” she grumbled. “I won’t let our actions from earlier affect my work in any way.”
I tilted my head and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Erich is a piece of shit. I’m sorry if he embarrassed you,” I hesitated. “But normally that information he shared would be told to someone before actual acts take place.”
She sighed. “Would you have stopped?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
And I didn’t.
I would like to think that I wouldn’t have, but who the hell knew? I wasn’t a virgin connoisseur.
I usually liked my women a little more seasoned, seeing as I had a dick that turned a lot of women off with its size.
But, that was something we would never be dealing with again.
Because I needed her.
“I don’t really need you to interview,” I admitted. “I need you to start. ASAP.”
The bakery was closed today. Every single Sunday and Monday, it was closed because I just couldn’t deal with that much work. And those were usually my days at the power company when I knew, for a fact, Rachel wouldn’t be there.
“Are you…” She hesitated and looked around, looking a little lost. “I’m confused. Why would you let me just start?”
I grinned. “I am co-owner of Erich’s business. I’ve been there three nights this week testing out his pastry chef.”
Her mouth dropped open.
Yeah, she hadn’t realized that she’d been being tested. Which was the best time to test someone, to be honest.
If she’d tested, she might’ve fucked up, and I’d have never known that she was as good as she was.
Or maybe she wouldn’t.
I’d never know.
What I did know was that she was an excellent baker. She was a fuckin’ dream with all things sweet, and though her actual dinners were almost as amazing, I wouldn’t be needing her for those particular things.
