Page 8 of Master Heimdall

The smile on my friend’s face was genuine. He’d recently started hiring more management staff to take over the day-to-day operations of our clubs. I hadn’t really thought about why, but now that I took a moment, the reason, and the results were apparent, and he’d never looked better.

“You have a good reason to spend less time at work.” As the words left my mouth I realized how bitter they sounded. “I’m happy for you, Erik. Don’t get me wrong, but it’s not like I have someone waiting for me at home.”

“Ah, the causality dilemma. It’s a classic.”

“Excuse me?”

“The chicken and the egg.”

I looked at my friend as if he’d lost his mind because I wasn’t sure he hadn’t. We’d just been talking about working too much and now he brought up fowl?

“Yeah, you’re going to have to explain that one to me.”

“What comes first, the chicken or the egg? In your case, how are you going to find the time to find someone who is worth cutting back on work for if you don’t cut back on work to have the time to look for someone?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “I may have become a poet, but you, my friend, have become a philosopher.”

“It’s all the amazing sex.” Erik smirked.

“Asshole. Fine, I’ll take your advice and offer Rose a trial. But if this devolves into drama, I’ll blame you.”

“Sometimes the drama is worth it.”

Maybe it would be, but in my experience, it wasn’t. I had to pull together everything I needed to test her. My lips tipped up in what was probably an evil smile. I would put her to work right away and see if she buckled under the pressure or shone like a diamond.

Chapter Four

Rose

Walking out of G&H, my smile probably made me look like a crazy person. On one level, I knew I’d nailed it because my answers had been on point. However, it felt like a fifty-fifty split as to whether they would hire me or not. Standing up to Mr. Dakos’ controlling attitude had felt amazing, like we were two fencers facing off with matching foils… lunging and feinting until our time had ended. Unfortunately, in my experience, men often took things like that personally. The way Colin had smiled at the tension probably meant not many people stood up to Gabriel, so what would that mean for me?

I was honestly impressed by my ability to remain coherent after my body’s initial reaction to the man. Mari really should have warned me about his looks when she’d given me the heads-up about his surly personality. It wasn’t just his looks, but the entire package. She knew how much I loved a tall, domineering man, and Gabriel had practically dripped with the strong dynamic energy that drew me like a moth to a flame. Had we met in a club, I would have been all over any opportunity to scene with him. But this wasn’t our alter egos meeting, it was work, and I wasn’t so sure his grumpiness and my sunshine could tolerate each other even if I did get offered the job.

I’d always loved a man who could challenge me without becoming hostile. I was raised by my father, who was a stoic military man who taught me work ethic, control, and pride in one’s work. No matter how hard things got or how crazy I was, he was like an immovable rock. I don’t think I’d ever seen him lose his temper. Finding someone who could live up to his example of what a good man was seemed almost impossible.

Not that I should be wondering about Gabriel that way. I’d read somewhere that when men checked out a woman, it was for a night, but when women checked out men, they usually measured and weighed him in ways like if he would make a great husband or a loving father. Not that I should be wondering about those things, regardless of him being demanding in the interview room.

Being attracted to a man who may become my boss was a horrible idea, but my lady parts were not getting the message. I needed Mari to hook me up with some of the Doms she knew at Midgard, and quickly. The faster I could get rid of the fantasy of Gabriel Dakos, Greek god personified, the better.

I was walking up to my hostel when my phone pinged with a text message.

Mari: I’m in the lounge at the Canopy. Come and join me.

I laughed. Think of the devil and she will text. I quickly crossed the street and changed directions.

Me: On my way. Be there in 5

We’d been planning to meet later for a tour of Midgard before it opened. Why had she changed our plans? Not that I was complaining. Any time with her would be fun. I just hoped it wouldn’t mean the tour was canceled.

As I stepped into the opulent lounge of the Canopy Hotel, I was immediately enveloped in an atmosphere of luxury and sophistication. Mari was never one to pick any place to meet that had less than five stars associated with it. The space exuded an air of refined elegance, with plush furnishings and impeccable attention to detail at every turn. Soft, ambient lighting cast a warm glow over the room, accentuating the rich tones of the mahogany woodwork and sumptuous fabrics.

It was easy to admire the way the lounge evoked a sense of timeless glamour, with velvet sofas and leather armchairs arranged in intimate groupings inviting guests to relax and unwind in style. The ornate chandeliers that hung from the ceiling cast intricate patterns of light and shadow across the polished marble floors below. Mari sat near the oversized windows that offered sweeping views of the Philadelphia city skyline.

“Hey,” I said, taking the empty seat opposite her. “I thought we were meeting later. Did something happen?”

“I couldn’t wait to find out how your interview went and thought we could have a celebratory or conciliatory drink. Don’t worry, later is still on the table.”

I looked at my phone and laughed. It wasn’t even eleven yet. “A little early for a drink.”

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