Page 5 of Playing with Fire

Chapter Four

~Willa~

The city hall building turned out to be much less intimidating than Willa had imagined when she scheduled her interview with the current mayoral administrative assistant. The older woman’s stern, smoker’s voice had put Willa on edge, so she expected a basic, monochromatic building, where work was more like indentured servitude. Willa didn’t want to repeat her experiences with Jeff in any way, shape, or form, hoping her initial impression was incorrect.

To Willa’s surprise and utter delight, Applewood Town Hall was a red brick colonial, whose white pillars that supported the portico reflected the midmorning sun, lighting up the rest of the building and the surrounding area to create a picture worthy of any postcard. It was quintessential Americana. Even though Willa had never considered herself to be a particularly patriotic individual, she pulled back her shoulders and stood up straight when she spotted the state flag billowing in the slight breeze.

The air practically crackled with energy and potential. This could be the first step of many toward a return to “normal” life. After one last steadying breath, Willa pulled open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside. The open hallway smelled of coffee and printer toner. As she scanned the interior, she could see that it was just as charming as the outside. Pale yellow walls containing a white, wooden chair rail were adorned with paintings of local landscape and people who she assumed were of historical importance to the community. Cautiously, Willa approached a wall adorned with photos of the town’s mayors both past and present.

The current occupant of the role was Nathan Kemp. His picture was slightly larger than the rest, his frame more embellished. True, the man looked friendly enough, with hissmile exuding ease and confidence. Yet, according to Lottie, he could be easily annoyed and difficult to deal with. At least, that had been her friend’s experience. It was obvious that the two had history of some kind, but Willa hadn’t pressed her friend for more information. Lottie was letting her share her home rent-free. Willa didn’t want to repay that generosity by being too nosy.

Not wanting to delay the interview any longer, Willa stepped up to the closest desk and asked for the mayor’s office. “I’m interviewing for the administrative assistant position,” she explained with a smile.

The older gentleman she had addressed winced slightly, his already crinkled eyes nearly vanishing. Before Willa had time to ruminate on the cause, he pointed toward the staircase. “Just up the stairs and hook around toward the front of the building. It will be the office directly above us.” His eyes turned upward and his lips moved almost as if he’d been saying a silent prayer, though whether it was for her or for himself remained unclear. “Good luck,” he said ominously before going back to his work.

With a parting thank you, Willa moved toward the wide, wooden staircase. The railing was hand-carved, darkly stained wood, but she didn’t take the time to admire the craftsmanship as she was too preoccupied with the flutter of anxiety that had settled in her stomach. There was no real reason for her to be nervous, yet the higher she climbed, the more butterflies took flight in her belly.

Willa had over five years of experience and could do this job with her eyes closed. So what if her last employer in that realm happened to be her controlling ex-boyfriend who she wouldn’t ask to refer her to a hospital if her arm had fallen off? Willa was certain the letters of recommendation from her previous employers and old professors would suffice, at least she hoped they would. The job listings in town weren’t exactlyabundant. Though she didn’t mind going back to waiting tables as she had in college, she would rather have something a little more stable, especially after the tumultuous last year.

Newly determined, Willa tried to manifest some of the confidence that had been present in all of the pictures downstairs and strode toward the mayor’s office, smoothing her loose waves and the gauzy material of her floral dress. After losing all of her clothes in the breakup, Willa had scoured thrift stores for anything that resembled the clothes she used to favor before Jeff took over her wardrobe. Luckily, she had been able to procure a number of items, so instead of resembling a corporate drone, as had been her ex’s preferred style, she resembled her old self. Hertrueself.

Willa’s preferred style leaned more bohemian than anything else. If it was light and flowy, one could probably find it in her closet. Today, she tried to stay true to who she was while also wearing something that gave a good first impression, hence her currently sporting a black dress with red flowers. It was probably the most professional dress Willa owned. Though she would conform to a dress code when necessary, she would prefer to wear her own things. Willa had just gotten control of her life back. Giving it up, even a small aspect of it, would be a challenge for her.

When she arrived at the desk that she assumed would be hers if she got the job, Willa wasn’t surprised to see the current owner of the desk appearing put out. Despite her silver hair being pulled taut in a high bun, the woman’s face was severely wrinkled. She scrunched up in annoyance as she frantically clicked the mouse of her computer. Clearing her throat to announce her presence, Willa took the last step forward and put on a brave face.

“Good morning,” she chirped. “I’m here for an interview with the mayor. Willa Rose.” The woman blinked twice, hercheeks that were more like the jowls of a basset hound jiggling as she shook her head. When she finally peered up at Willa, her large glasses slid down the rim of her sharp nose, nearly falling off entirely.

The frown lines near her thin lips deepened for a moment before recognition dawned on her face. “Oh yes. Thank God.” Willa moved to help the woman as she struggled to stand but was waved off with a knobby finger. “I’m good. It just takes a minute to get these old bones moving.” Once she was finally upright, she plodded toward the large office behind her desk, opening the door without preamble. Willa followed reluctantly, too nervous to suggest they should have knocked first.

“Kemp!” the woman barked. She startled the man sitting behind a large mahogany desk, causing him to nearly fall from his high back leather chair. He only saved himself at the last second by moving to stand.

“Look alive. My replacement is here.” The woman pivoted on her heel, albeit slowly, gave Willa a cursory once over, and nodded curtly before leaving the room. She hadn’t bothered to shut the door. Willa watched, mouth agape, as she grabbed a large leather bag, slung it over her shoulder, and marched off.

Feeling like she was missing at least half of the pieces that made up the bizarre puzzle that was the mayor’s office, Willa turned back to face the man himself. His expression was weary and his blue eyes were tired, a stark contrast to his otherwise youthful looks. Wiping his face before scratching his beard, he offered Willa the opposite hand in greeting. “Ms. Rose, I presume?”

Still slightly dazed, Willa tried to get her focus back and addressed her would-be employer. “Yes. Willa Rose. That’s me. That’s my name,” she babbled. They shook hands and he gestured for her to sit. Grateful, Willa practically collapsed into the brown chenille chair, her body needing the support while sheremained flustered from the peculiar exchanges she’d had in the office thus far.

Mayor Kemp nodded, his thick, dark chocolate hair falling in his eyes for a moment before he brushed it back. “Nice to meet you, Willa. You can call me Nate. Just about everyone else does. I don’t stand on ceremony here. No need for any of that Mr. Mayor stuff,” he explained with a wave of his hand. It was an interesting statement given that Willa had never heard Lottie refer to him as anything other than “the mayor,” but that was a question for Lottie, not for the man she hoped would sign her paychecks. Grabbing what she assumed was her resume from the top of his desk, Nate gave it a brief perusal as he rubbed his bearded jaw. When he finally looked up at Willa, his expression was unreadable. “Did Mrs. Prichard tell you anything about the job when you phoned the other day?”

Glancing over her shoulder for a moment and spotting the empty desk of the woman she assumed was Mrs. Prichard, Willa put a smile on her face as she turned back to him. “No. In fact, until this very minute, I didn’t even know her name.”

A humorless chuckle escaped Nate’s mouth as he shook his head. “That’s very on-brand for her.” He smiled sadly. “She was the former mayor’s administrator and since I’ve been having some trouble keeping her old position filled over the last couple of months, I keep pulling her out of retirement. As I am sure you could tell, she didn’t really enjoy that.”

Nodding, Willa took in everything she had just heard, catching the one thing that could prevent her from taking the job. “Why have you had trouble filling the position?” If Nate was as controlling as her ex was, even if only in a professional capacity, she didn’t want to be anywhere near that kind of behavior.

Nate’s eyes widened a moment before he smiled wryly. “Ah, that.” He leaned back to grab a thick binder on the consoletable behind him and plopped it down on the top of his desk with a heavy thud. “This is why.” He spun the binder around to face her and tapped at theDowntown Revitalizationlabel printed on the front. “This is what I campaigned on. Downtown Applewood is the very definition of small-town. Though I want to keep the charm and nostalgia that comes with that, I also am aware that towns need income. Without getting into the nitty gritty of it, what this project entails is a lot of hard work. That means that this job won’t just be answering the phone and responding to the occasional email about where the best pumpkin patch can be found.” He scrutinized her. “I need someone who is ready to work, and work hard.”

The more Nate spoke about the project he hoped to get underway, the more excited Willa became. This was not only a chance to get back to doing something she enjoyed, but a chance to be a part of something bigger. She could help to revitalize the area, improve what needed updating and preserve what had made the town great to begin with, all while really putting down roots in her new home. Giving the town a fresh start while seeking her own sounded like the best kind of therapy.

“I can do that,” she assured him. “I’m not afraid of hard work. As a new resident, I am heavily invested in the town becoming everything it can be.”

Nate smiled as his head bobbed, appearing slightly relieved that he would finally have someone to count on for the long haul. “That’s good to hear.” He glanced at her resume again. “You’re recently moved here from Orlando? That’s a big city. Applewood isn’t exactly a dot on the map most people come by. I’m always curious to get feedback about how people discover our town.” He leaned back in his chair, a smile still on his face. “How did you discover it?”

Willa chuckled because before she had met Lottie and learned where her best friend hailed from, she hadn’t heardof the town and probably never would have if not for her roommate. She was not a geography buff. “My friend Lottie lives here. When I wanted a fresh start, she was the first to offer me a place to stay.”

Something flashed behind Nate’s eyes at the mention of her friend’s name, but it was gone in seconds, though the smile that had been on his face fell off quickly. “You’re friends with Charlotte?” Willa had never in her life called her friend, nor ever heard her friend referred to by her full name, but she nodded anyway. With a resigned sigh, Nate stood and offered his hand one more time with a cautious smile on his face. “Well, I guess I won’t hold that against you. You’re hired.”

Tucking the comment about Lottie away for later analysis, Willa stood and accepted his hand. “Thanks.” She gave him a once over as she glanced at his desk, noticing hers was the only resume. Narrowing her eyes, she inspected her new boss. “Did I get the job because I’m qualified, or because I’m the only applicant?”

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