Page 6 of Marry Me Tomorrow

“Without me interviewing them?” I rasp, still recovering my breath.

Greg chuckles, crossing his arms. “No, I’m not that crazy. But this person comes highly recommended.” He takes a bite of his own muffin, crumbs spilling onto his shirt.

I look at my half-eaten muffin, then narrow my eyes, suspicion creeping into my tone. “Let me guess. Holly recommended this person, didn’t she? Is that why she sent in muffins this morning?”

Greg grins, brushing crumbs from his shirt and looking entirely too pleased with himself. “Man, you know Holly has a knack for this kind of thing. Holly told me about the girl she’s recommending last night, and I have to say, from what Holly says, you should definitely give this girl a chance. I think she will be just what you need.”

I rock back in my chair and glance around at the organized chaos of my office. Stacks of papers threaten to topple over, unsorted orders clutter the desk, and unopened stock boxes are piled haphazardly in the corner. It’s not exactly inspiring confidence in my ability to manage it all. I could use some help.

I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. “I guess I could interview her. She’s not a kid, though, right? I don’t have time for someone who’s going to bail after a month. As we both know, I need some help managing a bit of everything since my parents have stepped back fully.”

Though I wish they would help me convince Grandfather to pass ownership to me. Having to go to him for big things takes so much more time than it should.

“Nope, not a kid,” Greg says, licking muffin crumbs off his fingers. “She’s about our age, from what Holly said.”

“Fine,” I concede reluctantly. “Let her know I can interview her tomorrow.” Greg’s sheepish expression stops me in my tracks. “What now?” I ask.

“Well,” he says, scratching the back of his head, “Holly might have told her to come by today . . . and that you’d be more than happy to interview her. And I kind of told Holly that would be fine.”

“Dude, do you see this place?” I gesture at the mess surrounding me. “I don’t even know where I put the job listing.” Pulling off my baseball cap, I rake a hand through my hair before jamming it back on. “And I’m not even dressed for an interview.”

Greg waves a hand dismissively. “This is what you wear every day. Nobody’s expecting a suit and tie. Besides, I can print a copy of the job listing for you. Give me two minutes.”

He darts out the door and across the hall, his footsteps fading quickly. I take a moment to tear into the muffin again, savoring the burst of warm orange-cinnamon filling as it melts in my mouth. Less than two minutes later, Greg’s back, waving a freshly printed sheet still warm from the printer like a victory banner.

“Thanks, I guess,” I say. “Do you at least know when this mystery girl will—” My question is interrupted by the soft chime of the front door as someone walks into the marina store.

“That’s probably her,” Greg says, slipping out of the room. “I’ll bring her back here. Straighten up a bit while you’ve got the chance.”

“Naw, I’ll just interview her outside,” I call after him. “I’ll walk her around the marina so she gets a feel for the layout.”

“Sounds good, man. Good luck.” Greg says before heading out the door and back to his office.

I shake my head, eyeing the piles of papers and unfinished projects. But before I can do much more than stack a few papers, I hear a soft, tentative voice call out from the shop.

“Hello? Holly said you’d be here. Is this a bad time?”

The voice is gentle, uncertain, yet strangely familiar.

“Just a moment,” I call out, tucking the job listing under my arm and adjusting my hat. My shoes scuff against the floor as I stride toward the door, mentally preparing myself to meet this Holly-approved candidate.

My steps falter the second I see her.

Jenny.

Chapter 4

Jenny

I can do this. I will rock this interview for this job. This job I desperately need. My artwork isn’t selling because I haven’t been able to do any shows recently after moving back to town to help my grandpa. And I can’t keep living in a motel because the cost is just too much. I need somewhere that I can work and make money while I figure everything out. Hopefully this job will be just the thing.

Holly mentioned Trent will be doing the interview. He seemed nice when I met him yesterday. Hopefully, he is in the same good mood today.

“I should have guessed,” says Trent with a big grin on his face as he walks forward, stopping in front of me.

“I’m sorry, what do you mean?” I ask, shifting slightly as my bag strap digs into my shoulder.

Trent just shakes his head, then removes his baseball cap, revealing messy hair that looks like it has seen one too many days under that cap. Running his hands through it, he says, “I should have guessed it would be you that Holly sent to me.”

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