Page 10 of In Good Company

I swallow, closing the distance until I’m standing above Caland a man I vaguely recognize as a member, though I don’t know his name.

“Mr. Hastings.” I give both of the men a polite smile, trying not to stare at Cal for too long. It’s impossible to not notice how handsome he is. His hair is one shade away from being jet-black, and it’s styled to near perfection. An unwelcome thought pops into my mind, wondering what it’d feel like to run my fingers through his perfectly tamed locks. I swallow, trying to push the thought to theveryback of my mind.

Cal’s dark eyebrows raise on his tan forehead. The smug look on his face is infuriating. “So, now I’m Mr. Hastings? You’rereallykeeping things professional, aren’t you?”

“Hi, I’m Jude,” the man sitting next to Cal pipes up. He sits up straighter, holding out his hand for me to shake.

“Lucy,” I respond, placing my hand in his. It’s a firm handshake, but he’s gentle. Some men—especially here, where egos are through the roof—squeeze far too hard when shaking hands.

“Lucy, what abeautifulname,” Jude tells me with a smirk. He emphasizes the word “beautiful” with a mischievous glint in his eye.

I give him a cautious smile, wondering why he keeps looking at Cal out of the corner of his eye with each word he says to me.

Cal rolls his eyes at his friend. “Ignore Jude. He flirts with everyone.”

The casual tone of Cal’s voice eases some of my nerves at seeing him again. I let my body relax a little as my eyes shift between the two men sitting in front of me.

Cal can only be described as tall, dark, and handsome. He keeps his cards close to his chest, his icy blue eyes almost always narrowed on you like he’s trying to figure you out. Jude couldn’t be more opposite. He had a smile on his face before I even made it to the table. His brown eyes are warm and inviting,even crinkling at the corners, which makes him appear a little more boyish.

Jude is approachable. Cal is anything but.

Both men stare right at me, one with an expression that gives nothing away and the other with a wide grin. I focus on Jude, plastering a polite smile on my face. “And here I thought the flirting was because I was special.”

Jude throws his head back and laughs, the sound filling the quiet restaurant. He playfully elbows Cal. “I like her.”

The heat of Cal’s gaze on me forces me to meet his eyes. His thumb traces over his bottom lip as he thinks over his friend’s comment. Eventually, he smiles, but again, it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Good, because you’ll be seeing her a lot this summer.”

What does he mean by that?

Jude leans forward, rubbing his palms together in his lap. “I can’t wait, Lucy. You work a lot of shifts here?”

I’m about to answer him when Cal clears his throat. “That’s not what I meant. You’ll be seeing a lot of her because she’s my new private chef.”

My jaw drops as my head snaps in his direction. “What?” I ask in disbelief. I haven’t given him any indication I was going to accept his offer. In fact, the last time I saw him, I’d adamantly denied the offer of working for him for the summer.

“What happened to Randall?” Jude asks, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Cal ignores Jude completely. He keeps his focus on me instead, his head cocked to the side and his eyebrows raised as if he’s just waiting for me to argue with him.

A strangled sound leaves my throat as I scratch at the back of my neck. “I’m actually not his private chef,” I explain to Jude, even though I can’t pull my gaze away from Cal.

Cal’s smile widens, showing off his perfect set of white teeth. “Yet. I’m here today to convince you.”

I roll my eyes at his confidence. I’m sure he’s used to getting everything he wants. Even though I know the best thing for me from a financial standpoint is to accept his offer, I want to continue to tell him no just so he gets the taste of being denied for once.

“It’s a waste of breath,” I finally reply.

Cal shakes his head. “Accept my offer, Lucy.”

“No.”

Jude lets out a low whistle. “This meal is about to be far more interesting than the nine holes we just played.”

SIX

CAL

I hadn’t heard from Lucy in almost a week, something that bothered me more than I thought it would. I thought if I left her alone, she’d change her mind about the job offer.

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