Page 18 of Cross the Line
‘We could hit the casino, do some shopping, get shit-faced on a yacht,’ he suggests. ‘Your choice. The world’s your oyster, kid.’
I don’t know about any of that, but I do need to talk to Dev about how he wants to get started. Because the more I think about it, the more I realize just how big a job this is going to be, and it’s got me panicking a little. What if I can’t pull this off the way he wants? But he wouldn’t be pushing so hard to hire me if he didn’t believe I could, right? He’s in my corner, even if I’m still unsure about it.
Today would be perfect to get a crash course in what he expects. Thursdays are media days, chock full of interviews, photoshoots and other content creation for a driver’s team and sponsors before the race weekend. I could observe, and he could show me the ropes.
First, though . . . I have to have a conversation with my brother. Nothing is going to happen until I get his approval.
Oakley throws himself down on my bed, leaving his legs hanging over the edge and his feet on the floor, and stares at me as he waits for an answer. I really wish I’d had time for a cup of coffee before launching into all of this, but here we go, I guess.
Perching on the chair I tossed my dress onto last night, I tuck my hands between my knees, needing the grounding pressure to keep from freaking out. ‘I’m up for whatever,’ I say, my voice as light and breezy as I can make it. ‘But . . . can I talk to you about something first?’
Nonplussed, Oakley circles his hand in the air to get me to come out with it.
I draw in a deep breath and exhale slowly. ‘As it turns out, you were right about me being offered a job by the end of the party.’
He jackknifes to sitting in a move far smoother than I could ever manage, no matter how much I work on my core. ‘For real?’
I nod in response. When he grins and his dark eyes light up, my stomach twists further in on itself.
‘Wills, that’s amazing. Iknewyou’d pull it off. Who will you be working for?’
Ah, crap, moment of truth. ‘You have to promise not to get angry or try to tell me I can’t do it, okay?’ I threaten without much real force behind it. He’ll do whatever he wants anyway.
Oakley snorts. ‘What, did you agree to be a professional girlfriend to one of the old-ass team principals?’
‘Ew,no.’ I flick my tangled hair over my shoulder. ‘But thank you for thinking I’m pretty enough to be hired as one.’
He throws a pillow at me, leaving me to scramble to catch it before it hits me in the face. ‘Seriously, what is it?’ he demands. ‘Stop being so cagey. I hate this shit.’
I clutch the pillow to my chest, as if it will protect me from what I’m sure will be swift and harsh disapproval. ‘Dev wants me to be his temporary social media manager,’ I confess in a rush of words. ‘Just long enough to recover his public image after the Jani mishap without involving a big PR firm.’
Oakley stares at me, blinking, his expression unreadable.
Oh no. This is it. He’s going to tell me I can’t do it. And even if I argue, I know Dev won’t go for it if my brother isn’t on board.
But to my surprise, Oakley shoots me a confused look. ‘Why would I be angry about that?’ He scoots a little closer to the edge of the bed. ‘That’s a great opportunity to get your foot in the door. And think about how amazing that will look on your résumé.’ He scans the room, wearing a contemplative frown. ‘I don’t know why I didn’t think of it, to be honest. It’s literally perfect.’
Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the ground. ‘You’re seriously okay with this?’ Could it really be this easy to get his seal of approval? I expected histrionics and threats to send me back to New York on the next flight.
Maybe I wanted that, too. Maybe I wanted to be talked out of this. It’s my nerves trying to take over, I know that, but I almost hoped someone else might point out the negatives I haven’t discovered yet. There’s got to be something I’m blind to.
Oakley shrugs. ‘Of course I am. I just wish I’d thought of it myself. I want the credit.’
‘And you don’t mind if I work for one of your closest friends?’ I push, still searching for that out.
‘No, I don’t.’ A beat passes where he just watches me. Then his eyes widen. ‘Look, I know I told you I don’t want you involved with another one of my friends, but this is a professional arrangement. Not . . . personal.’
He has a point, and maybe I’ve underestimated his ability to differentiate between Dev and Jeremy. Plus, he doesn’t know about the kiss.
But I still have my own worries, no matter how much I want the job.
‘What if Dev fires me and leaves me stranded in Australia like he did with Jani?’ I challenge. ‘What would you do?’
Oakley lifts a finger. ‘First of all, the Australian Grand Prix already happened, so that’s not possible.’ He raises another. ‘And second of all, he knows better than to leave you stranded anywhere. But if you mess up and get fired, that’s your own problem.’ He lowers the first finger again, leaving his middle one raised as he smiles. ‘So don’t fuck it up.’
I launch the pillow back at him, letting out a delighted cackle when it hits him square in the face. Guess he lost all his amazing reaction times once he left racing.
‘I’m glad you’re leaving,’ he grumbles as he tosses the pillow to the side. ‘Let Dev deal with your ass.’
