Something Real (Whiskey Men, #2)(8)

Her voice goes all soft again. “Okay, good to know, boss.”

When she calls me boss, it feels like she’s putting us back on our professional footing. It’s disappointing to me, but at least she’s not quitting or anything. Because I wasn’t lying to her; I couldn’t make it without her.

“So I need to get Ollie into bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you in the morning. Please tell Ollie I’m excited about the cupcakes. Good night, Ford.”

The sound of my name on her lips has me wishing she was here with me. “Night, Lilian.”

I grip my phone in my hand and bang it into my other palm. Now that I've hung up, there’s a thousand questions going through my head. The only calming thought I have is the fact that I’m going to see her in the morning.





Lilian





When I walk into the office the next morning, I’m more tense than usual. I know that Ford said everything is okay, but I haven’t been able to get that kiss off my mind. I no sooner get to my desk and Lucas, Ford’s brother, comes to stand in front of me.

“I have someone coming in for an interview this morning. Hopefully we can get some help in here so you’re not stretched so thin.”

I shrug my shoulders. “Honestly, it’s not bad at all. I’ll help as long as you need me.”

He laughs. “I’m glad you feel that way, but it’s probably better if we get someone hired. I don’t think my brother likes sharing you.”

My eyes widen. I know what he meant by it, but after that kiss yesterday, my mind goes somewhere else. “Right. Well, I’ll be happy to sit in and go over the details of the job with her.”

“Good, good. Thanks, Lilian. Let me know when she gets here.”

I nod and set my bag and purse down at my desk. I go about unpacking things. Every time I hear the elevator ding or a door open, I’m on edge wondering if Ford’s coming and if it’s going to be weird between us.

Once I have everything unpacked and put away, I barely get seated and a woman comes around the corner. “Hello. Can I help you?”

She smiles. “Yes, I’m Brandi Jones, and I’m here for an interview with Lucas Blaze.”

I come around the desk. “Great. Hi, Brandi, I’m Lilian Steele. I’ll be sitting in on the interview.”

We shake hands, and I swear her smile drops a little. I try not to read anything into it and lean over my desk to intercom into Lucas’ office. “Lucas, Ms. Jones is here for the interview.”

“Great, I’ll be right out.”

I barely get the phone down before Lucas’ office door opens and he comes striding down the hallway. I am about to introduce them when my phone rings, and I answer it. “Blaze Whiskey, this is Lilian.”

“Lilian, hey, this is Isabella. Two things. We need to do lunch sometime soon, and I’m sorry to call your line, but Lucas left his phone on the counter here. Can I speak to him for a minute?”

“I would love to get together. We can schedule it after we get another assistant hired. And Lucas is standing right here. Hold on just a second.”

I hold the phone in my hand and wait for Lucas and Ms. Jones to finish their introductions before interrupting. “Lucas, Issi’s on the phone. Seems you left yours on the counter at home.”

He laughs and takes the phone from me. “I did. Go on into the conference room, and I’ll be right there.”

I usher Ms. Jones down the hallway, but she keeps looking back at Lucas. Her voice is hushed while fanning herself with her hand. “Uh, well isn’t he a hot one?”

I almost stumble on my feet before catching my bearings. Did she really just say that? “He’s married. Happily married,” I add.

She shrugs. “I can still look.”

I get to the door of the conference room and hold the door open for her. She’s not off to a good start, that’s for sure. I point to a chair and sit down across from her. My tone with her has changed, but I know I need to keep an open mind. “Do you have your resume with you?”

She pulls it from the folder she’s carrying and slides it across the table at me. “I do.”

I scan her qualifications and previous jobs. “Tell me about your last job. What did you do there?”

She straightens in her seat. “Basic administrative tasks.”

I wait for her to continue, and when she doesn’t, I ask her, “Can you elaborate?”

She starts twirling her hair around her finger. “Well, typing. I made appointments. I worked closely with the boss.”

“Do you know how many words you can type a minute?”

She lifts her shoulders as if she’s unsure. “I don’t know. Like twenty-five.”

I look down at the resume to hide my surprise at the low number. “I’m assuming we can call your previous employer for a reference.”

When she doesn’t answer right away, I lift my head to look at her. She starts to nod and then quickly shakes her head side to side. “No, it’s probably not a good idea. His wife works there too, and she wasn’t very happy to find out he was having an affair.”

Shocked, I look at her across the table, trying to read further into what she just said. “An affair?” I don’t say anything else. I’ve learned that people want to talk about themselves, and in interviews you can’t really ask all the questions you want to, but there’s ways to getting answers just by listening.