Page 10 of Mid-Thirties Slightly Hot Mess Female Seeking Billionaire

"We have enough people power to work them?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow. "I thought HR said they were having a hard time finding qualified applicants."

"We haven’t gone into full-force yet, Ethan. We didn’t want to do that until we knew when we were going to officially open, but now we have a date. I will speak to someone in HR about contacting some more recruitment agencies to get the word out. Everyone needs jobs."

"But do people want to work the jobs?"

"We pay three times minimum wage," he says. "We have excellent benefits. I don’t know why they wouldn’t."

"Yeah, I guess. Because that’s going to be of the utmost importance if we’re going to meet quotas." I pause as I see my phone ringing. It’s my granddad. "Hey, hold on. It’s Granddad."

I answer the phone. "Hey, what’s up?"

"Hi, Ethan. I was just speaking to your nana, and we were wondering if you’d like to come over to dinner tonight."

"It’s seven p.m., Grandpa."

"Oh, yes… Well, maybe not tonight. Maybe this weekend. Lunch."

"Yeah. Is everything okay? You sound weird."

"I’m not weird. I’m just…" He pauses. "Hold on, your nana wants to speak to you."

"Okay," I say, sitting back, staring out the window at the lights as Randy drives us through the hustling and bustling streets of Manhattan.

"Ethan, darling," my nana says in her sweet older voice. I wonder if she wants something.

"Hi, Nana, how are you?"

"Oh, darling, I saw the newspaper today." Of course.

"And I assume you’re talking about the article?" I say sarcastically. "Who knew I was so eligible?"

"Yes, and I’ve had so many phone calls from so many of my friends with granddaughters who are also single. And I was thinking that…"

"No, Nana." I cut her off because I know exactly what she’s going to say. She’s going to say that she wants to have a luncheon, and invite over a bunch of eligible women to see if I like any of them. As if I were Prince Charming and the luncheon was instead of a ball for me to find my Cinderella. Nana knows better than this. I’m not looking for a Cinderella. I’m not looking for a princess. I’m not looking for anyone.

"But, Ethan."

"Nana."

"Oh, Ethan. You know how much I worry about you. I just…"

"There’s no need to worry about me. I’m living my best life."

"But, darling, all you ever do is work, just like your grandfather. That’s why I made him quit and hand over the company to your dad."

"And we both know Dad ran it into the ground, Nana. That’s why I’m working so hard, remember? Because if I wasn’t, then you and Grandpa might be out in the streets and Mom and Dad might be out in the streets, and the thousands of people that work for Rosser International might be out in the streets, as well."

"You know we appreciate everything you’ve done to turn the company around and it is doing so well because of you and that Jackson, of course."

"I’ll let Jackson know," I say, glancing at my friend. He’s looking at something on his phone, but I can see the smile on his lips. I know he knows exactly what this call is about because, every year, Nana tries to do the same thing, and every year, I tell her no, I’m not interested.

"Oh, but Ethan, I…"

"Nana, Jackson and I actually just headed out somewhere. Can I give you a call back later?"

"Well, you know what I would prefer?"

"What’s that, Nana?"

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