Page 63 of One True Love

Yet why do I think this guy didn’t come from money? Or else why would he be laughing at my jokes? Something makes me think he had to climb that greasy pole, all the way up from the bottom, perhaps basement level, even.

So I settle for telling him, “Albie and I fell in love which was a complication. But the main reason is that I could no longer stomach the lack of professionalism.”

“Albie, who?” he asks.

“The lead singer, Albie Hart.” His brow furrows and I can tell he has no idea who that is.

“Lack of professionalism?”

“I was asked to do a lot of unsavoury things. I paid a lot of people off not to go to the press about stuff that they might have seen or heard. I had to leak stories we wanted out in the arena that might detract from other true stories. I could go on, but I signed an NDA and it’s lifelong.”

“Oh, okay. Well, that’s good. We’d ask you to sign one here, but it’d really not be as nefarious as all that. It’d just be to prevent competitors figuring out what we’re up to.”

“I understand.”

He shuffles around in his chair. “So, you left… and went to work for a PR agency. Seven months, was it?”

“Yes, I absolutely loved it there.” I really did, and only since I left, have I realised how much I did enjoy the work.

“So, why’d you leave?”

He puts the bit of paper on his desk and sits back slightly with his arms folded. I can’t help but notice how this strains his shirt and reveals some of the hard stomach beneath.

For this one, I’m definitely going to lie. It’s just too grotesque to talk about.

“There ended up being a bit of crossover and Chrissy thought some of my old connections might ruin her reputation. So we reached amicable terms.” He watches as my face falls. “As I said, I did some things while working for Sharon Douglas that I’m not proud of.”

“Sharon Douglas? The woman who manages this band, Flawless?” He peers at my CV again.

“Yes. If you have some time later, you’d find her biography highly entertaining. She’s probably richer than you, all the people she’s represented over her career.”

“I see.”

I watch him puzzling it out in his head. Thinking he’s about to tell me that he knows I’m lying, I’m so close to confessing all—just because, Kallie is so sick of hearing about it and for once, I might like to have a male perspective. However, he begins to speak before I can.

“I’ve no doubt you’re a capable woman and more than capable of being mine or anyone else’s PA.” He speaks authoritatively, and I’m made to feel like I shouldn’t speak, even though I’d like to protest. Yet he continues, “The job of PA involves a great many tasks as I’m sure you’re aware of. It wouldn’t be as exciting working for me nor as glamorous as some of the other jobs you’ve been in. However, we do have some fancy charity galas we put on. There’d be some variety. I do have a number of clients I’d expect you to deal with on my behalf, some difficult ones I’d be more than happy to delegate… and it sounds as if difficult people is a metier of yours?”

I nod my head slowly. He’s telling me good things, so why do I feel like the final word is going to be bad?

“I’d like to be a little honest, if I may?” he says, and gestures at the hot chocolate.

I take a shaky sip and feel a bit better for it. Again, he seems to know what I need better than I do.

“Okay,” I tell him.

“The work we’d do together would bring us into very close proximity on a daily basis, obviously.” This doesn’t sound good. “And I don’t doubt we could build trust and a great working relationship. However, I have to tell you—”

I’m sat here like a lemon waiting for him to tell me I’m obviously a slag who shagged two blokes in her last jobs. I’m expecting him to say I’d obviously wreck his reputation, would have people scared of me, or …

The thoughts going through my head are running out of control and he’s keeping me hanging. The awkwardness is through the roof!

Then he comes out and says, “It’s really never happened to me before, but I believe I’m too attracted to you to employ you, Mirabelle.” His face goes pink. “I think it’d be unprofessional and unfair of me to potentially employ you, when… well…”

“Oh, god,” I laugh, placing my cup back on his desk before I spill liquid chocolate all over myself.

I was not expecting that. Not at all.

“I’d be compromising myself and you.”

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