Page 3 of Peyton's Price

“Eva?”

She pushed open the stall door to reveal the curly blonde perfection of Sergei Damov’s wife, Eva Damov, formerly Stone.

“Hi,” Peyton said weakly.

She knew the other woman a little. They had run into each other a few times when the Tylers entertained, but they hadn’t spent much time together—mainly because Eva was a big-time executive at her husband’s company. She traveled almost as much as the Tyler siblings. Sergei constantly bragged about his brilliant wife and how much money she made him. Peyton admired her enormously, but the other woman’s busy schedule meant they were almost strangers.

Eva handed her a washcloth with a soft and sympathetic expression. “I arrived in time for Caroline’s announcement. I’m sorry your party was hijacked. Maggie is out there running interference.”

“Thanks.” Peyton hobbled to the sink in her ridiculous shoes.

If she knew Liam, he’d be busting down the door soon enough to make sure she got back out there to enjoy the rest of her party. Desperate to avoid seeing him, she needed to clean herself up to avoid comment when she snuck out of here.

She wiped her face, critically assessing the damage. It wasn’t that bad, considering. But it was bad enough.

“I, uh…” Her usually agile mind failed to come up with a sufficiently plausible excuse for leaving.

Smiling brightly, Eva clapped her small hands together. “I’m so glad I caught you since I wanted to tell you in person. I was extremely impressed with your dissertation.”

Peyton stared. “You read it?”

The blonde curls bounced as Eva shrugged. “It’s sort of in my wheelhouse.”

“It is?” Peyton knew Eva had some interests in computers, but not enough to read a boring thesis on the state of quantum computing.

Eva leaned toward her. “You know about Adstringo, right?”

Catching up, Peyton nodded. “Sergei owns it.”

The Silicon Valley company had made a big splash a few years ago with some groundbreaking software. She’d heard rumblings that more revolutionary projects were in the works, but there had been unspecified delays.

Eva waved her hand, dismissing her words. “Sergei paid for it, but Adstringo ismybaby at Damov Industries, one of a handful I take a personal interest in.”

Peyton nodded again, wondering why Eva was telling her this.

Eva’s heels clicked on the marble floor as she reached for one of the thick paper towels in special holders on the sink. After she ran one of them under the tap, she turned.

Peyton kept still when Eva gently wiped her mouth.

“The guys at Adstringo are brilliant, but they tend to go off on tangents,” Eva said casually, pretending she wasn’t wiping another grown woman’s face like a mother with her child.

“They’re an immature pack of geeks, to be honest,” she continued. “I’ve tried bringing in experienced managers to wrangle them. They respond well to authority, but only up to a point. It doesn’t last because the managers can’t follow the work they’re doing at a deeper level. They need someone who understands them—someone who can even pitch in and code sometimes.”

Peyton’s lips parted as the dots began to connect. “Are—are you offering me a job?”

“I am.” Eva grinned, tossing the towel into the bin. “If you can stomach the thought of management instead of a pure engineering position.”

Peyton was flabbergasted. “I’ve never managed anyone.”

Eva raised a brow. “Really? Because as I understood it, you’ve been the de facto head of IT at the hotel for years, all while going to school and getting your degree.”

“Well, the work here isn’t…” Peyton had been about to protest her work at the hotel didn’t involve management at all, but that wasn’t true. She’d just never realized it because she’d been doing it for so long.

“It would pay well,” Eva said in an enticing voice, elaborating on the details.

Peyton’s hands shook as she adjusted her dress, but she listened with avid interest.

I could do this job.The position Eva described could have been tailor-made to fit her skill set. Yes, she’d have to leaveher friends behind, but she’d been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If she took it, she would have to live on the other side of the country.

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