Page 41 of Five Mountain Daddies

“Yeah, I really am. You’ll have your own little office, lots and lots of freedom, and not a single judgmental look. You’ll also have five bosses that really like you, and we’ll pay you pretty welltoo.”

She watches me for a minute, shaking her head. The waitress brings our drinks in and London sips hers, finally sighing. “I don’t know,” she says. “Maggie did me a favor. I’d hate to drop out in the middle of the season onher.”

“I understand,” I say. “And I won’t be insulted if you stay with your friend. I mean, that’s admirable. But I just wanted to offer you something different, in case you neededit.”

Our food comes a few minutes later and we both eat. I let the conversation change gears, and I ask London about what she plans on doing after the summer. That gets her talking excitedly about her museum internship, but I can feel a deep sense of unease starting to grow inside ofme.

I don’t know what it is. We all knew she was leaving at the end of the summer. We knew that going into it. But maybe I had hoped something would change before then. I know that’s selfish and stupid. She has this amazing opportunity in the city, and she’d be crazy not to go, but part of me needs someone like her to stay around here. Leadwood needs her, needs someone young and energetic with good taste and strong ideas. I think she could be that person, and I want to be the man that helps her achieve herdreams.

She just doesn’t see this place like I do. She doesn’t see all the hardworking folks, the people that want a better life but don’t know how to do it. I want to give it to them, to bring some culture back to Leadwood and Maine in general. I know she doesn’t share that dream, but part of me hoped she might start to see a glimmer of that idea just from being aroundme.

We finish eating, and I lean back in my chair. London smiles at me. “What?” sheasks.

“Come to work for me,” I saysoftly.

Her smile gets bigger. “You’repersistent.”

“I know Iam.”

“I’ll think aboutit.”

“You’re only trying to hire me because you likeme.”

“That’s absolutely true,” I say to her. “I want to fuck you in my office as often as I want. This is entirelyselfish.”

That makes her blush. “You’re an awfulboss.”

“I’m a fantastic boss. I’ll pay you more than double what you’re making now and I’ll make you come so hard you can barely stand. I’m trying to find a downside tothat.”

“Maybe I don’t want to sleep with myboss?”

“You definitely want to fuck this boss.” I grin and sip my whisky, savoring that sweetburn.

“Fine,” she says. “I’ll bring it up to Maggie, but if she’s unhappy about it, I’m staying at the ATVplace.”

“Okay,” I say. “I can’t ask formore.”

“Good.” She smiles again, blushing a little, but clearly happy. “Do you always get what youwant.”

I stand, walking around the table, and tip her chin up to me. “Yes, Ido.”

I kiss her softly and she kisses me back. I know it’s totally selfish to hire her like this, but the guys all want her around, and I can’t help myself. I should keep my distance, not get too attached, since she’s leaving at the end of thesummer.

But I’m diving in anyway. It’s stupid, absurd even, but it’s happening. I can feel how attached I’m getting, even more than I thought possible. The other guys all feel it too, even if they’re not saying it out loud. They want her as badly as I do. They want to keepher.

If anyone can make that happen, it’s going to be me, I just have to figure outhow.

15

London

I’m surprised that Maggie seems excited when I tell her about the job, although I shouldn’t be. They don’t really need me there, not really. She just gave me the job as afavor.

“So, sleeping with the boss, huh?” she asks, laughing. “Go ahead, try and denyit.”

I can’t deny it, which she loves. It makes me feel better though, that she’s clearly fine with me leaving. She says she’ll take care of everything on their end, and not to worry about anything else. We hug and I promise we’ll keep in touch no matter what, and she promises the same. I actually believe her when she says it, and for the first time in a while, I think I found someone in this town that isn’t a totaljerk.

I head home after work. Maggie keeps me a little late, wanting to talk and hang out, which feels good. I finally get back to the house aftereleven.

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