Jessalynn’s eyes had started to widen as Tru spoke until Tru couldn’t help but smile. This girl was a few years younger than her, only twenty-two to Tru’s twenty-six, and right now she looked it. She hadn’t when she’d walked in.
“I . . . This is Greg Hicks’s company, right? I mean, I know who he is and I know what he does, but I kind of figured the job was basically to answer phones and get coffee and fade into the background.”
“Is that the kind of job you want?”
Jessalynn shook her head. “No. Look, I know what my resume says, okay? My degree is from a two-year community college because that’s all I could afford. I’m working on getting my bachelor’s degree in management, but honestly, I don’t make enough to pay my rent and eat and go to college.” She started to say something else, then thought better of it but the hesitation was barely perceptible. “I’m not afraid of hard work, Ms. Morrison.”
A quick glance back down at her resume showed that Jessalynn had jobs listed from the age of fifteen. She’d worked at a mini-market for seven years and had also held a job at a coffee shop during a portion of that time, all while attending college.
Actually, she still had the coffee-shop job, unless she’d just forgotten to put an end date. So she worked forty or so hours at the firm, then worked another job, as well.
Tru wanted to kick herself for nearly dismissing this woman out of hand simply because of her looks. Shame crept into her chest and cut out a little hole.
“I can see that, Ms. Hughesman. So when can you start? Is Monday too soon? I mean, I realize you probably need to give two-weeks’ notice and I’m absolutely willing to wait for you, but we need you as soon as possible.”
Jessalynn’s eyes had gotten bigger with Tru’s every word. And when Tru stopped, she just sat there and blinked for a few seconds.
“Are you offering me the job?”
Tru nodded. “Yes. I’ll check your references, but we need someone immediately, and I think you’re it. We’ll match your salary to start and increase based on performance. It’s a full-time position, so you’ll get benefits. We’ll work out vacation details, but you’ll have at least three weeks to start. Is there anything you need to ask me before you make your decision?”
Jessalynn’s mouth opened several times before she spoke. “Are you joking?”
Another prospective employer might’ve been offended by her question. Not Tru. She understood completely, because not too long ago she’d been in Jessalynn’s shoes when Greg had hired her.
She’d been at the end of her rope, seriously considering heading home after being unable to land a job in the industry.
She’d often wondered what he’d seen in her as she’d stammered through her interview with his previous assistant and him. She’d been nervous as hell, but she’d been confident enough in herself to know she could do the job and do it well.
Maybe that’s what Greg had seen. She’d have to ask him one of these days.
“No, I’m not joking. Let me know when you can start and I’ll have your paperwork ready for you to sign.”
“Oh my god.” The other woman looked shocked. “Thank you. So much. You won’t be sorry.”
Tru smiled and stuck her hand over her desk. Jessalynn took it and shook so hard Tru was afraid she would be pulled over the desk.
“You’re very welcome. Welcome to the crazy world of ManDown.”
* * *
“Sooo,” Sabrina drew the word out to about five syllables. “What are you doing tonight?”
Sitting in his suite at Haven, he spoke to Sabrina on the phone from only a few floors away. “You can’t be sneaky for shit, Bree. What’s up?”
“I’m not being sneaky. I’m asking if you have any plans for tonight. Greg has a late meeting and I thought I’d have some people over to hang.”
“By people, I guess you mean me.”
“Well, yeah. You . . . and I thought I’d ask Jimmy and Brian. And maybe Kate and Annabelle, if they’re around. And Tru.”
Ah. “And you want to know what happened last night after we left.”
“Well, I don’t want either of you to be uncomfortable so before I ask Tru, I thought—”
“Wait, you won’t invite her because you think I won’t come if she’s there?”
“Nooo.” Another drawn-out answer. “I just don’t want either of you to feel awkward and—”
“And why would we feel awkward?”
Shit, had Greg or Tru said something to Sabrina about what had happened? He’d been dying to talk to Sabrina about last night but it felt . . . disloyal. Which was stupid. Sabrina was one of his best friends. Hell, at the moment, without Nik, she was his only best friend.
He and Greg were friends, but they didn’t have the same kind of relationship, which was kind of weird but whatever.
“I figured you guys had a blowout last night after you left, which is why neither of you came back.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“Then what did happen? Obviously something went down.”
“Seriously? Something went down? Are you planning to write for Greg now?”
She huffed loudly. “You know what I mean. But since you’re being a dick, I guess it doesn’t matter.”
“Damn, sweetheart. What bug crawled up your butt?”
“There’s no bug up my butt, you perv. So, you wanna come or not? And screw you. I’m inviting Tru, no matter what.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be done in a few minutes. Okay?”
“Okay, good.” Now she sounded relieved. “Hurry. I want to talk to you before everyone else gets here.”
Five minutes later, he was sprawled on the couch in Greg and Sabrina’s apartment, listening as she told Tru she’d see her in half an hour, which is when Brian and Jimmy and Kate were supposed to show up as well.
A half hour for Sabrina to grill him.
What the hell was he going to say? Should he tell her everything? He really wanted to talk to her about what had happened last night but he wasn’t sure she wouldn’t rip him a new one for messing with Tru.
Sabrina was protective of her friends. He’d seen it up close and personal. When she took someone in as a friend, they became family.
What would she do now?
“Alright, spill. What’s going on?’
Dressed in jeans and a Minnie Mouse t-shirt with her long golden brown hair in a ponytail, she looked about eighteen, which was off by only five years.
Baz took a sip of his beer, giving himself a few extra seconds to make up his mind. But really, there was only one decision to make.
“I kissed Tru last night.”
He didn’t go into details because he knew Sabrina would pull them out in her own sweet time.
But by the stunned look on her face, it might take her a while to actually get to the details.
“Wait. You’re serious?”
He didn’t feel that needed an answer and let his expression speak for itself.
“What . . .” She shook her head. “How long have you wanted to do that?”
That wasn’t the question he’d expected and he didn’t have a ready answer for it. “You’re not gonna smack me and tell me what a jerk I am for daring to touch the sainted virgin?”
She reached across the cushion and smacked him herself. “Don’t be stupid. You’re not a jerk for kissing her. Unless you didn’t really want to kiss her.”
“I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t want to.”
“Did she want you to kiss her?”
She didn’t make much of a protest when she was coming around my fingers.
Shit, maybe he was being a dick. “She didn’t ask but she didn’t push me away. If she had, I would’ve stopped. I thought you’d know that about me.”