Page 12 of The CEO I Hate

What the hell didproductivemean? Did this have something to do with Jake’s recovery? I tried to help out as much as I could, but I got the sense that Jake held back with me, protective as always and not wanting me to worry. He’d be more honest with Liam. Maybe he’d told Liam something Liam thought I needed to know?

Sophie glanced back at me, her eyebrow raised. I nodded once. She gave Liam a sweeping, theatrical wave like she was inviting Dracula into her boudoir. “Come on in, Miles.” She refused to call him anything else, and it filled me with glee. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

She shot Liam an exaggerated wink before she collected the pieces of her costume and danced away into the bedroom. I only remembered I was still wearing her borrowed corset when Liam’s gaze dropped to take me in. I wanted to shrink in on myself, but instead I straightened up, immediately crossing my arms, masking my embarrassment with annoyance.

I scanned him for anything inhisappearance I could criticize, anything that would level the playing field. But Liam, damn him, looked as perfect as ever. My eyes flicked over the way his linen shirt clung to the lean muscle of his broad frame, the shadow of stubble on his jaw, and those dark brown eyes. Sometimes it felt like that gazewould tear right through me.Pull it together, I told myself.Don’t give him the power.

“Come to tell me more about all the flat stereotypes in my writing?”

“The opposite, actually,” Liam’s tone was clipped…but honest. “Can I sit?”

I gestured to the couch, and he sat on the opposite end. Maximum distance for maximum awkwardness. “I’m sure you heard about the situation withEnd in Fire.”

I tried not to give away my surprise. Liam rarely spoke to me about work. I’d sometimes get news secondhand through Jake, but usually, I heard gossip through the trade sheets and social media, like everyone else. And those were all abuzz with the news of the showrunner storming out, leaving season two of the massive hit show in upheaval.

“Do you want to come interview for the job?”

My jaw almost disconnected from my skull. “Huh?”

“I’ve got a new showrunner in place,” he said, like we were discussing the weather. “But we need to pad out the writers’ room. We’re looking for someone to fill the head writer position. Someone with?—”

“Hold on.” I held up a hand, waiting as my brain rebooted. “Did I hear you right? You just asked if I wanted to interview to be a staff writer onEnd in Fire?”

He rolled his eyes. “What about this is complicated?”

“Nothing’s complicated, it just makes absolutely no sense.” I’d been obsessed with the show for months. Of course I wanted to work in that writers’ room! I’d be an idiot to turn down an opportunity to interview for it. I just had no idea why Liam was offering me the chance in the first place.

“It makes perfect sense. We need a writer. You’re a writer. Hence, you should interview.”

I narrowed my eyes, trying to look past his striking gaze to find the truth behind his words. This was not typical Liam behavior. Unless…of course! Jake must have put him up to it.

I snorted softly. Typical Jake, seizing every opportunity to swoop in and help me, whether I wanted him to or not. Under any other circumstances, him finagling an interview for me might have stung my pride, but this opportunity was too good for me to have any scruples. And the fact that this must have totally annoyed Liam was the cherry on top.

A wry smile curled across my face. “Oh, this flat, stereotypical writer would be happy to interview for the position. I can’t wait to tell your showrunner all my ideas for how to make the characters more two-dimensional.”

“Would you let that go already?” he grumbled.

I touched my hand to my chest. “I wouldn’t want to be accused of not being able to take constructive criticism.”

Liam growled under his breath. “Do you want the interview or not?”

“I said yes, didn’t I?”

“Well, it sounds like you’d rather be doing anything else.”

“Like what?” I asked. “What could I possibly want more than this?”

He eyeballed me hard, and I tried not to let my eyes drop to those scowling lips.

“Sorry to interrupt this riveting discussion,” Sophie said, dancing out in another new costume, this one a dazzling emerald green with bits of sheer mesh covering all her unspeakable parts. She wore a pointy silver crown in her hair.

“But I have routines to practice and things toshake.” She eyed Liam like he was a turd some dog left on the side of the road. “If you’re hanging around, be prepared to pay for the show.”

Liam didn’t move at first, just stared at me. Sophie ignored him as she cranked up another Cher song, then she started stripping off parts of her costume, purposely throwing each article of fabric directly into Liam, leaving him to sputter and bat them away like a disgruntled cat. He stood just as the crown nailed him in the gut.

“Message received,” he snapped at her.

She turned and twerked in his direction.

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