Page 64 of The Fun Part
“Why would you do that?” Nathan asks.
“That’s how much I believe in Sutton’s value to the company.” And I promised Cal I’d do my best to bring her here with a job offer. That was our deal. Cal didn’t renege on his part of the deal, and I won’t either. Even if things are weird between us right now. Or more like nonexistent.
Owen slaps the table. “Why not? Let’s take a risk. It’s only money. We’ll make more.”
“That’s the spirit,” I say.
Nathan lifts his to-go coffee cup. “What’s the point of owning your own business if you’re not willing to take risks? Bring Sutton on.”
Cal
I wrap up with my client, feeling good about bringing in someone new. Perry wants to set up a corporation for a dog-grooming business. Corporate setup is in my wheelhouse, unlike my other cases so far—a property dispute over garbage-can placement, a landlord-tenant situation gone bad, and a ferret owner accused of not abiding by the local leash law. I’m liking the variety in my new job.
I shake Perry’s hand. “Best of luck. I’ll be in touch for next steps.”
She smiles, her brightly colored orange hair making her look like the sun. “Great! Bye, Cal. Thanks for helping me through the legalese.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
She lets herself out the door. My phone rings, and I check the screen. Sutton. Adrenaline races through me. Something must be wrong. We text a lot more than we talk on the phone. Is Dad having one of his depressive episodes? Sometimes he can’t get out of bed and misses work.
I answer. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, everything’s fine,” she says. “I’m fine. Dad’s fine.”
I let out a breath. “Okay, what’s up?”
“I don’t know what to do.”
I sit on the end of my desk. “Okay,” I say slowly, giving her time to share. I swear if her crap boyfriend did something, I’ll be on the next flight out to kick his ass.
“Mackenzie made me a great job offer to go from assistant to office manager with the potential to grow into a client-facing role. And I’d get stock!”
My jaw drops. I didn’t think Mackenzie would follow through with the job offer since I didn’t see the whole fake-dating thing through. How could I when she can’t stand the idea of being with someone like me? Those were her exact words.Someone like him. Obviously she thinks I’m not good enough for her, exactly like her mom said from the start.
But then that same night she looked at me with so much warmth I thought she wanted to be with me. I never would’ve kissed her again if I thought she was done with me. This is so confusing. I wish I could stop thinking about her.
“Cal?”
“Yeah, uh, congratulations on your job. That’s great.”
“Thanks. It’s a nice bump in pay, and I love working with her and Nathan and Owen. Your boss and coworkers can make all the difference in a work environment. I’m not sure I’d ever find a better work situation.”
“Uh-huh.” I wait patiently for her to spit out the problem, though I already know. She’d have to leave her loser boyfriend behind.
She goes on detailing the responsibilities as per the offer Mackenzie sent her.
“The problem is, she says it’s a hybrid position. I’d need to be in-office twice a week and can be remote the rest of the week.”
“That’s pretty common nowadays. Clover Park is a nice town. I’m here, and you already know Mackenzie, Nathan, and Owen. Ask Mackenzie to introduce you to her mom, Hailey. She’s a master networker in town. She’ll introduce you to so many people it’ll make your head spin. In a good way. You’ll feel comfortable in no time.”
There’s a pause. I tell myself to be cool about what I know is coming next.
She lowers her voice. “I’ve been waiting for John to propose. If I move away, he definitely won’t.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You could stay there for years and he might never propose. Are you going to put your life on hold for a hypothetical proposal?”
“I don’t have to take the job. I’m perfectly fine being a virtual assistant. And Dad—”
