Page 39 of Love Not Qualified

“Okay, let’s go.” Haelyn came back and pointed to where a small hallway was expanding in front of us. “I lied and said I’m his sister’s best friend so we’d skip the line waiting.”

My brows arched.

Gorig had a sister? I didn’t know that. How deep did Haelyn have to search to find that out? Was she the fucking FBI?

We walked together and I gave the ladies at the entrance a court nod. Right around the corner, Haelyn stopped in front of a tall, dark door with golden details, then turned to face me as her teeth nibbled the dead skin off her lips.

“Remember, be creative and friendly.” She whirled on her toes without waiting for me to agree and her fist stopped mid-way before knocking, looking at me over her shoulder. Her eyes inspected my face before she spoke. “Not like that.”

Not like that? What is that supposed to mean?

Haelyn knocked a few times in a rhythm I vaguely recognized, and a man’s voice bloomed outside the office.

Is that a kid’s song?

“Come in.” Then a sound of a few billiard balls hitting reached us.

We closed the door and both of us remained silent for the first few seconds taking in Gorig’s office—or more aptly, his playroom. He was holding a cue stick next to his body, a few balls still rolling on the table.

I wasn’t really in a place to judge given the circumstances, but how was mixing a game with work a good idea? To me, it looked like all he did was play the role of a boss with a cue stick in his hand.

As a boss, I worked harder than any of my employees. I didn’t make others lead my company while I lived my best life.

“Take a seat.” He pointed at the chairs placed not far away from where he was.

“Thank you.” Haelyn gave him a smile I never got to see and complied.

Soon after, I followed her.

Gorig leaned down, his red hoodie brushing the cue stick as he launched it at one of the balls and hit it as if he’d been doingthis his entire life. Another one rolled down in a hole from a singular hit.

“What can I do for you, Tara Brown, a friend of my sister?” he asked, not even sparing me a glance.

Shit.

The fucker knew who I am. Even his eyes flickered with amusement when his lips did. Otherwise, he would have shown the smallest interest in finding out my name or the reason I was accompanying her when she was the one taking an interview.

Haelyn straightened her back, throwing a quick look at me from the corner of her eyes before replying. “I’m not Tara Brown. I’m Haelyn Ross, an employee at Graves Automobile,” she burst it all out, then got to her feet. One of her legs tilted to the side, her heel barely supporting the shoe anymore.

She reinvigorated without giving any clue about what slowed her down, then walked to Gorig with slow steps, enough to not make the broken heel slip again.

Was this what the cracking sound at the entrance was? She never mentioned anything and acted like nothing happened with her chin tipped upward and confidence still at its highest. If she told me, I would’ve turned around and stopped at a shop around the corner to buy her a new pair.

I couldn’t believe she chose to walk in like this. Could this job mean that much to her that she would do anything for it?

Why did I find that hot?

“Mr. Gorig.” She looked up at him expectantly and he simply supported himself on the cue stick. “I’m sorry for lying my way up to you, but we had no other chance to explain what happened.”

My eyes were pointed on Haelyn’s back. Her shoulders were curled in front as her hands hugged her body and long black curls jumped from side to side every time she tilted her head.When my gaze lowered to her round ass, I immediately moved it to something less distracting—Gorig.

When I met his stare, I gulped the same way a child would when he’d be caught doing something bad. There was a barely noticeable raise of his brow, but I didn’t give him anything. I simply responded back with a strong gaze and no emotion slipping past my mask.

If possible, my heart thumbed even harder when Haelyn threw a glance at me.

I ignored it and got to my feet, arranging the sides of my suit as I joined Haelyn. I was tempted to put my hand on her back for support, because it couldn’t be that easy to stand on a broken heel, but I didn’t want Gorig to interpret things. So instead, I kept my palms to myself.

“Mr. Gorig,” I started, and it seemed like the first time he acknowledged me.

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