Page 4 of The Grumpy Actor

It’s clear now that they’re talking about the same Liam.

So, not only is he a jerk who breaks hearts brutally, but he’s also an impossible person to work with. Why am I not surprised?

“Are you ready to place your order now, or should I come—”

“Did you say you needed a personal assistant?” Mom’s high-pitched voice interrupts me. I turn to her as she stops beside me with a tray clutched to her chest.

Why does she sound so excited?

“Mom, it’s rude to eavesdrop on your customers,” I whisper through gritted teeth.

“Not when they clearly need my help,” Mom retorts sweetly. She turns to Julian. “You do need a personal assistant temporarily, right?”

“Yes, I do.” Julian nods. “Do you know someone you can recommend?”

“Oh, I know someone. She’s a virtual assistant, so I’m sure she’ll do just fine as a personal assistant.” Mom smirks.

Dread washes over me. “Who, Mom?”

“What do you mean who?” Mom fixes me with a sharp glare, then smiles at Julian and Ben and points at me. “My lovely daughter here is a certified virtual assistant.”

What’s my mom thinking? I can’t be Liam’s personal assistant. It would be a nightmare.

Julian’s eyes light up. “Really? Would you be willing to work as a temp assistant?”

“No, I have a lot of projects I’m handling currently and—”

“No, you don’t. That’s why you’re assisting me here,” Mom says. She stares at me suspiciously. “Is there any reason you don’t want this job? You can even add it to your portfolio and get better gigs from now on. I don’t see why you should reject this.”

Well, there’s the fact that Liam is my heartless ex-boyfriend who I’d rather never see again.

I can’t tell my mom that, though. As far as she knows, the Liam I was crazy about in freshman year had been just a normal student.

“I guess it’s settled, then.” Mom grins.

Julian gives me an expectant look, and I bite down on my lip to stop myself from groaning.

“Yes, I’ll take the job.”

This is going to be a disaster.

Chapter 2

Liam

Howdiditneveroccur to me that Surfside Haven is Sophie’s hometown?

She spent so much time talking about her town that no one in their right mind should have forgotten.

Well, back then, I spent the majority of our time together getting lost in her eyes.

That still hasn’t changed.

I’d thought after seven years, I wouldn’t be affected by her again. But her siren hazel eyes still have the same effect on me.

Just seeing that her wild brown curls are still as untamed as they used to be sent me back to just how passionate things had been between us. Her beauty is much more striking now, with an edge of maturity that nineteen-year-old Sophie Grant didn’t have.

And this is the exact reason things can’t work out between us. Sophie is just too much of everything I don’t need.

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