Page 32 of Tuned To Break
Jake leans against the doorframe, and I can’t help but notice how his coveralls fit across his chest, how his dark hair is slightly messed up from working.
“He feels bad about it.”
“He should. It was a costly mistake that could have been easily avoided.”
“You’re right. But maybe go easy on him? He’s not used to having someone hold him accountable.”
“Well, he better get used to it. I’m not here to babysit grown men who can’t follow basic instructions.”
Something flickers in Jake’s eyes—approval, maybe? “Good. Don’t let anyone walk over you.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
He steps closer, and suddenly the office feels much smaller. “I like seeing this side of you.”
“What side?”
“The side that doesn’t take shit from anyone. It’s sexy as hell.”
My breath catches, and I can feel heat rising in my cheeks. “Jake?—”
“I know, I know. Professional boundaries.” He holds up his hands but doesn’t back away. “But I can’t help it, Stella. When you get all fired up like this, it makes me want to?—”
“Want to what?”
“Kiss you until you forget why you’re angry.”
I swallow, my heart beating frantically at his words. At the way he’s looking at me like he means it. At the way the air shifts, growing thick with tension, and for a split second, I forget we’re at work, forget all the reasons why this is a bad idea.
“Stella!” Arden’s voice cuts through the moment, and Jake immediately steps back as footsteps approach the office.
“Arden,” I acknowledge, trying to compose myself as he appears in the doorway.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but Jake, if you don’t mind, could you give us a minute? I need to talk to Stella about something.”
Jake nods and leaves, but not before giving me a look that promises this conversation isn’t over.
“How are things going?” Arden asks, settling into the chair across from my desk.
“Good. Challenging, but good. I’m making progress with the backlog, and the new systems are starting to show results.”
“So I’ve heard. Chase tells me client complaints have dropped dramatically, and we’re ahead on invoicing for the first time in months.”
“There’s still a lot of work to do, but yes, we’re heading in the right direction.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” He leans forward, his expression becoming more serious. “How would you feel about making this a full-time position?”
I blink, caught off guard. “Full-time?”
“I know you’ve only been here a week, but you’ve already proven your value. The coffee shop is great, but I think you’re capable of much more.”
“I... what would that look like?”
“Complete oversight of the business operations. Financials, client relations, staff coordination, project management—essentially, you’d be my operations manager.”
“That’s a big step up from office admin.”
“It is. Which is why I’m prepared to offer you a starting salary of one hundred thousand dollars.”
