Page 2 of Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Instead of him.

The man who’s actually going to be my boss, if I get the job.

In fact, he hasn’t spoken one word to me ever since I arrived.

As in, outside of a formal hello, which was more or less a chin jerk and nothing else.

Since then it’s Camille who’s been doing the talking and explaining of things.

Embarrassed, I look away from my potential boss and his baby girl and focus on Camille. “Yes, uh, sure. I can start Monday.”

As soon as I say the words, I feel a distinct tingling on the side of my face.

Like someone is watching me.

More than watching, someone is fluttering a hand down my skin, and I turn toward the touch.

That’s when I notice that his light brown eyes aren’t so light after all.

They have flecks of dark honey, and they are pinned on me for the first time since I arrived forty-seven minutes ago.

Which is an odd number to remember.

But I don’t think I’ll ever forget it for the rest of my life because in this moment, while looking into the eyes of my new boss, I realize that’s how long it took me to fall in love with him.

CHAPTERONE

Present

“No,” I say into the phone.

In response, I hear, “Yes.”

Followed by another, in a different voice. “Absolutely yes.”

One voice belongs to my mother and the other, at the end there, belongs to my neighbor and my friend, Jupiter Jones. Which makes me wonder — for the third time since they called me — why I ever agreed to a conference call. I should have held firm when my mother told me that she was calling in Jupiter as well.

Can’t dwell on that now though; I’ve got other things to worry about.

I turn off the tap in the kitchen sink where I was doing the dishes so I can fully concentrate on this conversation. “No. No way.”

“Meadow,” my mom begins in her very ‘mom’ voice. “Don’t be such a pain. You’re going.”

“You are,” Jupiter chimes in.

“Hey,” I say to her, “you’re my friend. You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“And I am,” she replies back. “That’s why I want you to go.”

“See?” my mom tacks on. “She’s such a good friend. She only wants what’s best for you.”

In response, I reply, “She wants what’s best for me?”

“Yes. Like I do.”

I sigh. “So going off with a stranger and getting cut up in pieces is what’s best for me.”

“You’re not going to get cut up in pieces,” Jupiter says exasperatedly.

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