I Do the Boss (Managing the Bosses Series, #5)(32)

First being: gold-digger.

*

After a long afternoon of interviewing Barbie after Barbie, Jamie was glad to finally have an interviewee who seemed genuinely interested in being at the company. Funny enough, it was a man. A younger man.

"So you're working on your degree and are only two years out. Congrats on that." Jamie smiled at him as they concluded the interview.

"Thanks. I really feel like taking on a position like this one would be beneficial to the future for me, seeing that I'd like to work here as a trade analyst when it's all said and done. I realize the position would have to become available, but I'm good waiting. I just want to work for someone who's made it through hard work and being a good citizen. That's what I see in Mr. Reid."

"That's exactly who he is." Jamie stood and extended her hand. "Well, Justin, it was great to meet you. I'll have Alex give you a call in a week or so for a follow up interview with him."

"Thanks so much." He shook her hand and walked out in the hall. Mark stepped into the conference room and lifted his eyebrow.

"Wow. A guy?" He looked down the hall.

"Yep. He's my top pick too. He has all his stuff together, or is a damn good liar." Jamie chuckled and checked her phone. "Can you go over to the hospital for a few hours? I want to go have a drink with Kristen, but I feel bad not having someone go over and see Alex. He's been there all day by himself. You know he goes stir-crazy."

"Yeah, I can do that. Didn't you take him his laptop?" Mark moved back as she walked out of the conference room and closed the door behind her.

"I tried. Dr. Bennett wouldn't have any of it." She laughed. "They ran a stress test and thankfully his heart looks great. He's just about healed up from the gunshot wound. It's all stress-related."

"I figured as much." Mark walked with her back to her office. "What’re they going to do about it?"

"I would assume put him on a much-needed diet of stress-reducing medication, a week of vacation, and talk to him about pulling back a little here. Dr. Bennett asked me about everything the other day."

"He does work too much. Who does he have who can step up and do a little of what he's doing?" Mark stopped just side her door as she worked to put her stuff back on her desk and clean up a little. "I mean, besides you. You being up here doesn't help much of anything."

"There's a lot of senior-level staff Alex would probably consider. It's more of a trust issue with everything that's happened lately." She glanced up and worked to get her hair into a messy bun. "How about you? Are you still looking to get out and start something on your own, or are you thinking you might want to take on a bigger role here?"

"I don't know." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'll talk to him about all of it today. I really don't think I fit in here very well, but we'll see what my big brother has to say about all of it. I can't imagine not helping him out if he needs me, but knowing Alex he has three backup plans for any and every possible outcome."

"That sounds about right." She laughed and grabbed her purse. "Tell him I'll be there in a little bit. I just want to talk to Kristen about a few things."

"Will do." Mark moved back into the hall. "Everything okay with her? She's not upset about something, right?"

"Should she be?" Jamie closed her door and turned to face Mark.

"Not that I know of, but you know how you women can be. We think everything is fine, and then we're blindsided by something we didn't even know about."

"We're such complex creatures, aren't we?" She walked backward down the hall as she teased him.

"More than you know." He turned and walked the other way as she moved to Kristen's desk.

"You ready? I need a whole bottle of vodka to burn some of those interviews from my mind." Jamie tugged her shoulder strap to her purse up higher. "Did you see some of those chicks?"

"I did. I honestly would have killed to be a fly on the wall. Who wears four-inch pink pumps to an interview?" Kristen got up and grabbed her purse. "Or a top that shows almost all your breasts? That was so inappropriate."

"They were hoping the interview was with ‘Mr. Reid’." Jamie wagged her eyebrows and moved to the elevator. "I was quite the disappointment today."

Kristen laughed and pressed the button on the panel for the bottom floor. "I bet you were. Shame really. People have no class nowadays."

"Agreed. At least some don't." Jamie glanced up at the small screen above the floor panels on the elevator wall and watched the advertisements on the small screen. One came up for a bridal show and she groaned.

"What?" Kristen glanced over at her. "Getting tired of wedding planning?"

"More like tired of wondering when we're going to do it. We haven't set a date yet, but I know Alex is chomping at the bit to get it over with. I am too." She shrugged. "I thought we would have something huge because of who he is, but every time we talk about it he keeps referring to it as a small wedding, or intimate gathering."

"And you want something big?" Kristen walked out into the lobby as Jamie pointed to the restaurant just across the street.