Page 13 of Cross the Line
‘And you’d never use it,’ he counters. ‘You’re not that kind of person.’
It’s my turn to frown. ‘You don’t know that.’
‘Uh, yeah, I do.’
He says it like he really knows who I am at more than a surface level. Maybe he thinks he does, simply because we’ve known each other for so long, but we haven’t spent much time together over the past few years. And I’ve changed.
‘If you never told our parents about the stuff Oak and I did, then you’d never tell the whole world.’
‘Okay, but what if you pissed me off and I pulled a Jani?’
‘Like I said, you’re not that kind of person.’
God, this man is impossible. I don’t like being told who I am and what I’m capable of, but he’s right. I don’t think I’d have it in me to drag a person through the mud, no matter how badly they wronged me. If I didn’t do it when I found my then-boyfriend in bed with another girl, Dev’s crime would have to be especially heinous to even get me to consider a revenge plot.
Dev clasps his hands together again. ‘I’ll pay you whatever you want,’ he pushes on. ‘Name a number; it’s yours.’
My stomach drops. This is starting to feel more like a bribe than a job offer.
‘I know your parents and your brother can support you, so that probably isn’t the biggest draw,’ he concedes, which just makes my frown deepen. ‘But this would be the best thing for both of us. All you’d have to do is follow me around the world for a couple of months, and then you can put it on your résumé. Think about how good that’ll look. You’d not only get the experience, but you could brag about rehabbing my image. It’s a win-win situation. And, hey, you don’t have to work for me for ever. Just until my reputation isn’t in shambles any more.’
‘I don’t do personal social media managing,’ I tell him, shaking my head. ‘All my internships were for brands and teams. I can’t do—’
‘You can,’ he says, his eyes boring into me. ‘I’m not blowing smoke up your ass when I say you’re the best person to do this. You know me, you know the sport, and you know how to fix this mess. Think of me as a brand, just one that’s a little more . . . human. This reinvention needs to come off as authentic as possible. Like it’s me personally behind it, even though there’s no way I can be.’
Silently, I take him in, pulling my lower lip between my teeth. I don’t want to even consider his offer, but I . . . think I am. The spark in his eyes and the confidence he has in my abilities – even though he can’t know for sure that I’m capable of what he’s asking for – are making it difficult to say no. No one else has had that faith in me. At least no one with hiring abilities.
‘Wills, please,’ he begs, his voice softening.
That tone makes my knees go weak and my resolve all but hit the ground. Besides, everything he’s saying makes perfect sense. Itwouldlook good on my résumé. Amazing, even. And I could be back to my life in New York in a few months, hopefully having accepted a permanent position. This could set me up for the success I’m looking for. And I’d be making money in the meantime, so I wouldn’t have to move back to San Diego with my parents.
I’m determined to stand on my own feet, and this is the perfect opportunity to prove that I can.
‘What do you say?’ Dev presses. He’s standing so close that he’s all I can see. The rest of the party has fallen away. ‘We could even put a hard end date on it. How about Alisha’s wedding?’
His sister is getting married in mid-August, and considering it’s practically June now, this would only be a two-and-a-half-month commitment. Like a summer job. I’ve had plenty of those throughout my life, so what’s another? This time, though, instead of scooping ice cream or waiting tables, I’d get to do what I love.
I down the rest of my champagne and let Dev take the glass from me. Instantly, he makes it disappear like a bad magic trick. Right now, the world around me feels like an illusion, but I’m about to agree to something all too real.
‘Fine,’ I say before I can overthink it. ‘I’ll do it.’
The way Dev’s face lights up has me blinking like I’m staring into the sun. ‘Oh, thank—’
‘But,’ I cut in before I lose myself in his smile. ‘Only if Oakley is comfortable with it.’
His joy dims a fraction, though it’s still practically blinding. I can already feel myself smiling back. His energy is so infectious it makes it impossible not to.
‘Deal,’ he says, his eyes flicking to something over my shoulder. ‘But don’t tell Oakley until tomorrow, all right? I’d like to have a good time tonight without worrying about what he’ll say.’
I shouldn’t be so hung up on my brother’s opinion, but after what happened with Jeremy, I owe it to him to get his approval first. The break-up wasn’t my fault, I know that, but I still feel guilty for having a hand in shaking up Oakley’s friend group. Now, when it comes to anything involving his friends, including a job offer from one, I’m determined to run it by him first.
Dev seems to understand that too. He was part of the wreckage. He and Chava and Mark took my side in the break-up, while two of their other friends defended Jeremy. The aftermath was nothing short of carnage.
‘Yeah, I can wait,’ I agree, just as an elbow lands on my shoulder, always my brother’s armrest.
‘Dev, your agent looks like he’s about to shit a brick,’ Oakley announces, though thankfully, it doesn’t seem that he’s overheard our conversation. ‘Go do his bidding so we can all get out of here and hit an actual club.’
Ducking out from under Oakley’s arm, I shake my head. ‘You can count me out of clubbing,’ I say as Mark and Chava rejoin, holding the drinks they promised when they abandoned me with Dev. ‘I’m jet-lagged and want to be able to function tomorrow.’
