Page 9 of Hers to Love
Pipe down, gut.
Chapter 4
Don’t ruin this.
He owed Sabrina. It was bad enough that he had to deal with the board, but now his own assistant wanted out in less than twelve hours.
When Sabrina called him the night before, she yelled him right out of his stupor. He really shouldn’t have drunk that much. Not only did Kori avert her eyes the entire time he was discussing single life at his age and what marriage could do to a good guy like him, but he had disappointed the one person in the world that he still needed validation from.
Sabrina.
When he heard the tears in her voice, he sobered up quick. She had taken enough from her mother and didn’t need him adding to the mix. She had her own career to focus on, and if she had to pick up the pieces of Kori crashing and burning because of him, she would officially leave him too. He loved Sabrina; she was the one bright spot in his life right now.
He had meant to ask for more details about Kori but he’d forgotten about it, and with a headache looming, he had ended the call so he could get some sleep. After waking early this morning and doing his routine, he opted to intercept Kori before she left the hotel.
Whatever he could do to convince her to stay, he would. More money, time off—Sabrina had mentioned maybe adding a few more vacation days to Kori’s compensation package—a quick trip somewhere. It didn’t matter. If he had to pay for it personally, he would.
He dressed in his signature linen suit, and then jogged down the staircase to Kori’s floor. After yesterday’s lunch, he guessed she’d respect a confident man, not one who wanted to drink himself under the table. So he knocked boldly on her door. He ran a finger through his sandy hair and blew out a breath. His heart was racing. When was the last time he was this nervous? He was a CEO. People who worked for him were nervous. Not him.
Kori opened the door, her brown eyes widening. “Yes, sir? Marshall?”
He grinned. “Good morning!” He sounded way too cheerful. He cleared his throat. “I know it’s early, and I wasn’t expecting you to be ready or anything, but I wanted to talk to you about your future here. Namely, I would like you to stay…if you might’ve been thinking this wasn’t the job for you.” He awkwardly smiled.
She stared at him.
“May I come in, please?” he asked weakly. When her eyes widened further, he added, “If you’re not…I mean, only if you’re comfortable with it.” He took a step back. “Well, maybe it’s not a good idea. How about you meet me in the lobby downstairs. Will that work?” His back started sweating, which wouldn’t look great with his linen shirt.
Kori nodded. “Give me five minutes?”
“Sure, sure. Five is fine.” He retreated further to give her space. He held up both hands. “Take ten if you want. I’ll just be down there.”
He hurried away, muttering how stupid he was to have asked to come inside. She probably thought he had just crossed the professional line. When he saw her again, Marshall told himself the first thing he’d say would be an apology.
When she walked across the lobby in a pale green dress and red heels, he forgot all about what he wanted to apologize for. His heart started racing again, and for the first time since talking to Sabrina the night before, he truly wanted to fire Kori. He would be the one who couldn’t keep his hands off her.
The woman carried herself with confidence and grace, her tightly coiled hair sitting high on top of her head, creating angles to her cheeks that made her look both femme fatale and elegant. She offered a shy smile, and he wordlessly gestured to the overstuffed chair across from him. Where was his voice?
Kori rounded the small glass coffee table and took a seat.
Marshall embarrassingly cleared his throat, but Kori beat him to it. “I’ve given a lot of thought to this job. I know I jumped on a plane without knowing much, and that type of spontaneity is not like me at all. I’m a planner, and I like weighing my options and making a logical, rational decision.”
Didn’t sound like a woman who had tried to start something with Brigham. She had to have weighed the possibility of getting fired for trying. “I respect that.”
“Well, I’ve weighed everything, and the truth is”—her shoulders sagged—“I need this job. I…I’m currently involved in a lawsuit with my former employer. I’m not sure if Sabrina told you or not.”
“She might’ve mentioned it. But I have my sources.”
She frowned. “Of course you do. I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of things by now. But I wanted to make sure I disclosed everything to you.”
He put a hand up. “Only if you’re comfortable. I’m really not interested in all the details unless you’re, like—” he chuckled “—suing because you stole from him and thought you deserved it or something.”
Man, he was terrible. What kind of joke was that? If she had decided to stay, then she was about to get up and walk out.
Graciously, she smiled. “Like it or not, I’m going to have to get comfortable sharing the details. It’ll come out soon enough. Everyone in the industry probably already knows through the grapevine, which is notoriously wrong.” Her lips slanted to one side. Marshall studied her face and watched her anxious expression calm and then become resolute. “I’m suing because of inappropriate behavior in the workplace, and…and I need this job in order to pay for my lawyer.” She threw her hands up and then let them fall onto her thighs. “That’s the gist of it.”
It was Brigham’s fault? That’s what she implied. “Short and…simple,” he self-edited. “Say no more. You have the job if you still want it.”
She nodded. “I do, Marshall.”
