Page 3 of The Naughty Elf

“Well, that’s all I need to know.” Jackson Hayes rubs his hands together and stands. “Welcome aboard. I’ve got some paperwork for you to fill out before we get started.”

I frown at him. I’d been preparing for this interview for days. Literally days. That was it?

“Come on. I’ll set you up in the kitchen to fill out your W2s and whatnot, then we can go over your first job.” He pauses, taking in my frown. “That is…unless you don’t want the job?”

I let out an exasperated sigh. “Of course, I want the job. But someone could have told me the interview was just a formality before I put in all the work to prepare for it.”

His laugh doesn’t wipe away the sting one bit, but he cheerily waves me out of his office and into the well-designed kitchen. A manilla folder is waiting at the end of the counter in front of a stylish, low-backed stool.

“Can I get you a cup of coffee while you work through that?”

“That seriously depends on if you can make it right.” I challenge him with my gaze and see a matching playful glint staring back at me. “Mr. Hayes,” I add, just to be professional.

“Call me Jackson.” He taps the counter. “And I’ll take that bet.”

I fill out the paperwork as Jackson moves around the kitchen. The rumble of a grinder perks me up. I didn’t even notice they had an espresso machine in the back corner. As he moves around, I work through the customary first-day paperwork that you have to tackle at any job.

When he sets a creamy, foamy, and fragrant latte in front of me in a perfectly white mug, I have a feeling that this job is going to be perfect. The first sip I take while he watches me confirms it.

His triumph is written all over his face.

“Fine. I concede. That’s good, by the way.”

“You bet your ass it is.”

Our eyes lock for a few, long seconds. I should not be thinking about how hot he is, and how this little thrill settles under my breastbone when he looks at me. Or how much I like that he doesn’t back away from the strength of my direct gaze.

“Finished?” He breaks our stalemate by turning away to start tidying up.

“Yep.” My head tilts. Is this a normal day at the office?

“All right. Well, let’s talk about your first project. You’ll be taking the lead on the entire Christmas carnival. It’s a month away. Think you can handle it?”

2

JACKSON

“AnentireChristmas carnival in a month? How big of an event are we talking about?”

Her shoulders square, and the gleam of the kitchen lights highlights the red of her hair. I love the way she purses her plump lips when I mess with her.

I should not be thinking about her mouth.

“As big as you can make it in that time frame and within budget. So, that’s really up to you.”

She takes another long sip of her latte, watching me over the rim. Her eyes are a bright robin’s egg blue. They are the perfect color for a red-head.

“Challenge accepted.” Her posture straightens even more. She’s been prim and proper so far, but an entirely different beast hides behind that facade. I can see it peeking out at me. “Have you run one before, or is your business jumping into this for the first time?”

“It’s one hundred percent a new idea. I want it to be a new way to give back to the children’s hospital. We want the event to be hosted on the property for the kids to enjoy and so the newsto have some good PR shots. Good PR means donations for the hospital.”

“And good PR for you as well.” Ginger almost sounds like she’s accusing me of something, but I suppose that she’s testing me the same way I’m testing her. I might have given Bennett a heads-up that I could use some help with the event, knowing his daughter was graduating and would be free. And I had no reservations abouthiring her based on her resume alone.

I am happily unprepared for this interaction, though. I like the way she talks to me, the spark of intelligence in her eyes, andthe way she’s already thinking through the details of the event.

“Good for our taxes, too, but that’s not why we’re doing it. We can afford it, so we’re giving back.” I point at her to accentuate the point. One of Emily’s friends from school had spent a few years in that hospital. We used to go there all the time to visit. I’d help the kids with their math homework. I want to help out if I can.

Ginger shifts, her head tilting to the side, mouth pursing again. Despite her no-nonsense work attitude, she’s still displaying warmth when she talks to me.

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