Page 22 of Losing his Daddy

“Sure. Tell me the time and place. I’ll be there.”

Chapter Nine

Gerald

I knewthe minute Princess Aster stepped away earlier that he was up to something. He gave us all an apologetic look as he skipped down the hall, phone to ear.

It took him several long minutes to return. When he did, he walked right up to me and smiled.

“You have an interview in two hours with someone who needs you.”

If he’d have said any other words, I might have been fine. But he’d chosen those.Needs you.My brain was inundated with what it could possibly mean. Did they need me because I was the perfect fit for the job? Or did they only need me because it was convenient?

I knew I was projecting again. Letting my past and present overlap in a way that made me shortsighted.

Despite my inner turmoil, I allowed the group of men to give me advice on what to wear and how to do my hair. They basically treated me like their doll to dress up, which they all enjoyed far too much. By the time they finished, I had to leave, or I’d be late.

Luckily, Pierce was able to drive me, so I didn’t have to wait for a ride. I’d found out throughout the night that he was Doyle’s Daddy. Doyle with the donut pajamas.

I’d used every trick in the book to get my mind to properly associate everyone’s name and connection. I still didn’t have it all figured out, but I was getting closer.

“You nervous?” Pierce asked as we drove toward the coffee shop.

I shook my head. “It’s not that. I’m curious, I guess. There's a lot that could go wrong.”

“And there is a lot that could go right. Don’t discount the guy before you’ve met him. Princess Aster is rarely wrong. Please don’t mention I said that, though. He’ll never let us live it down.”

“He won’t hear it from me,” I told him.

Sooner than I’d have liked, we arrived at the place I was meant to meet this guy. His name was Weston, though I was told to call him Wes. All I knew was he had glasses and was tall. Though tall was subjective since I wasn’t a shrinking violet thanks to my work on the ranch.

“All you have to do is tell him the truth. Once he knows how good of a fit you are for this, he’ll hire you.” Pierce gave me a bit of a pep talk as I fought my hesitation about getting out.

When the clock turned to show it was the exact time to meet, I waved at Pierce and climbed out. There was no more delaying things. Besides, Pierce said he’d be parked right down the street in case I needed him. He was going to play a game on his phone while I had the meeting.

I stepped inside the shop with all the confidence I could muster. With a quick look around, I realized there was no reason for me to be intimidated. The space had an almost cozy feel to it. If this was where this Wes guy wanted to meet, then he couldn’t be too bad.

There was no one at the counter, so I approached and ordered a cup of tea to enjoy while I waited for him to show. Once they had my order ready, I chose a booth near the back where I’d be able to see everyone.

No sooner had I sat down than the door opened again. My head whipped up to see who it might be.

Tall with broad shoulders were the first things I caught sight of. I chose to travel down the length of him first, noting right away that his outfit was more business casual than anything. It seemed like he’d gone for the in-between here — not a suit but not jeans either. I’d done the same thanks to the men who helped me get ready.

As my perusal returned upward, I realized the room felt like it was at a standstill. It didn’t register to me that it was because I was obviously and boldly checking this man out.

I only came to when I noticed the curve of his lips. Then I kept going and found his eyes dancing with humor. They were outlined by a pair of thick black frames.

He ignored the drink options completely as he made his way across the room. “Gerald?”

I nodded and tried to stand. My legs decided then and there they wouldn’t work for me though. I knocked against the table instead of actually standing.

“No need to stand. I’ll sit,” he said as he smoothly shifted onto the bench across from me.

As he sat, he kept his eyes on me. It felt intimate in a way, the level of eye contact he gave. I couldn’t understand how something so basic had me flustered.

“So tell me about yourself, Gerald. I’d like to get to know you before we get to the nitty gritty of things,” he said.

I sat up straighter at the request. This was ok. I merely needed to tell him about myself.

---