Page 34 of Damaged

“Done.” I see his face twitch like this was an easy win.

Shit. Shit. Shit. I blew it. My one shot. “After taxes,” I add quickly.

“What?”

“That’s what I’d need after taxes to say yes.”

James looks at the ceiling, where he does some quick math. “So, about seven hundred thousand total?”

Hearing the number aloud takes my breath away. He tilts his head, waiting for an answer.

“Yes.” I try to nod casually. “Yeah, that’ll do.”

“Okay. But just for one year. You’re going to appraise and then inventory this collection. Afterwards, it will be decided if there’s still work for you.”

“I’d prefer it that way,” I say, like I’m unbothered by his further want to get rid of me.

“Sure. I’ll have it in writing before we leave. I’ll text you the details tonight, but the flight is tomorrow. Be ready to go first thing in the morning.”

“Sounds good,” I say. I feel my confidence return. The confidence he broke in the first place.

He turns to go, seemingly unhappy that he lost this round, but I decide I’m not done yet and hold out both hands. “Excuse me.”

James pauses.

“The cake?” I nod at the box.

He stares at me with those dangerous green eyes. Maybe this is going too far, but I don’t chicken out this time. I look right back at him with my hands out.

“Right. Enjoy.” He holds it forward but doesn’t let go right away.

He stares at me.Reallystares at me. An expression that seems to bore through my skull and read my every thought. He can see this is a farce on my part. That I’m barely hanging onto this tough girl act.

I swear I see the corner of his mouth creep up an inch—an amused smile. He lets go and walks down the hall. When my door thunks shut, the sound doesn’t seem as loud as my wild beating heart.

I push James’s eyes away in my head. He’s hot, butfour hundred thousandafter taxes. This is the biggest win of my life,and to think it was seconds before I answered the door that I was going to run out to get three bottles of wine and just as many pints of ice cream.

The money is not enough to retire, but it’s enough to do whatever I want next.

I could fill my retirement account and not worry about having to work until my dying breath.

I could get a down payment on a house in Connecticut if I felt like it.

Holy shit. I don’t care that I probably could’ve taken James for a little more. The excitement lessens a little when I realize this money is for a year of work. A year working for the man who just fired me like I was nothing right after I thought we were getting along.

And it starts tomorrow. I’m flying across the world with him.

I open the box and stare at the cinnamon crust of the coffee cake. I’m trying to regain my feelings from the win, to have a victory slice, but my stomach is crumpled in a fist again. Only this time it’s James’s.

I can’t help but sense that this money comes with a price. And it may just be paid with my pride.

There’s too much business to dwell on though. The next thing I know, I’m calling Alana with the news and asking if she can watch Steve.

I decide to get some fresh air and go shopping. I don’t go all out, but I spend a couple hundred dollars on some pre-Egypt clothing to celebrate my new salary. I keep the clothes professional, more workwear, like I’m going for a dig.

The last thing I want is to be too dressed up around James after I slept in his bed like a creep.

I buy a couple linen shirts, black tanks, and flowy olive-green trousers. And just like that, my excitement is back.Thisis a dream job. An adventure.

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