Page 30 of Love Off-Limits
“I think she actually loves him enough to forget that other people are around,” Tyler said.
That much I knew was true. Rosie and Isaac were the perfect kind of soulmates.
Tyler held my gaze for a long moment. “You look good, Olivia.”
Heat crept up my neck.Helooked good. And the way his words washed over my skin felt as good as he smelled. If I didn’t rein in my emotions, I might lose my mind and do something crazy.
Like crawl into his lap and pick up where we’d left off at Rosie and Isaac’s wedding.
I cleared my throat and folded my hands in my lap.It’s a business conversation, Liv. Just. Business.“So.” I smiled. “You’re looking to go out on your own?”
Tyler’s eyes flashed with disappointment, but he sat up a little straighter and nodded, following my businesslike lead. “It was time. I’ve done good things with Isaac, but I’m ready to do more, you know? And I couldn’t stop thinking about what you told me at the wedding. That there was more than enough video work up here. So I thought to myself...what the hell? Let’s go see if the job offer still stands.”
I froze.Oh, no.Ihadsaid there was more than enough film work at Stonebrook. Or something like that. I’d been wrapped up in Tyler’s arms, my lips still tingling from his kisses when I’d hinted at the possibility that maybe he could make a life for himself outside of Charleston. But had I actually offered him a job? I hadn’t thought he’deverleave Charleston. I’d talked to Rosie enough to know how much money Isaac made and assumed that meant he paid Tyler generously. Who would walk away from that?
A sudden surge of respect filled my chest. It had likely taken quite a bit of courage to walk away. And a desire for something bigger—better—than just an impressive paycheck.
But I couldn’t give Tyler a job. We didn’t have videographers on staff. We had a list of vendors we liked to use, and we often gave that list to clients, but they were the ones responsible for deciding who to hire. Not us.
The hope in Tyler’s eyes was nearly killing me. I didn’t want to disappoint him. But I couldn’t make up a position at Stonebrook just because the guy was magnetically attractive and made my heart go as swoopy as the lock of hair that kept falling over his forehead. Especially not with Perry watching my every decision.
I cleared my throat. “Um, right. So...we don’t actually have videographers employed by the actual farm.”
He stared for a long, uncomfortable moment. “But I thought you said—”
“That there was more than enough video work? I know. And there is. Almost every event we host here uses a videographer for something. But our clients—our guests—are the ones who do the hiring. The most I could do is add your business to the list of vendors we provide to our clients.”
He ran a hand across his face, suddenly looking abashed. “Oh. Okay.” He slapped his hands against his knees. “I guess that’s...not the impression I got from our conversation.”
I grimaced. “I’m so sorry, Tyler. To be fair, I wasn’t exactly thinking rationally at the moment. It was more just wishful thinking talking. I didn’t actually think you’d ever leaveRandom I.”
His mouth ticked up in a tiny grin. “Wishful thinking, huh?”
I rolled my eyes. “Shut up. That night was...” How could I even finish the sentence?
Amazing? Magical? Sexy?
None of the above, if I didn’t want to give Tyler any false hope, and I didn’t. My focus for the next few months had to be the farm and nothing but the farm. It was the only way to show Perry that I was serious about my job.
I cleared my throat. “Anyway.” Reminiscing was not going to help me get through our conversation professionally. I squeezed my hands together in my lap. “I’d be happy to add you to our list of vendors. If you had any deals or discounts you’d be willing to offer, that might help secure your first few clients.”
He scoffed and leaned back with a shake of his head, pressing his hands into his face with a groan.
I chewed on my lip, hating that he was so disappointed. Surely there was something else I could do. “I could even include a link to your website and write up a little blurb about you in our next marketing email. That might help jumpstart things.”
He shook his head and scooted forward in obvious preparation to stand. “I’m sorry, Olivia. This was a mistake. I misunderstood and I...I’m just going to go.” He moved so fast, I hardly had time to blink before he was at my office door.
I scrambled after him. “Tyler, wait.”
He breathed a heavy sigh and turned around, his hands on his hips.
I took a few steps forward until no more than a couple of feet separated us. “I really don’t mind helping. I’dliketo.”
“I know. Thank you. But you don’t understand. I don’t...” He ran another frustrated hand across his face. “I don’t have a website, Olivia. I don’t know the first thing about what I would even charge someone. I don’t have any work that I can show anyone to convince them to hire me. I’m not set up to do this freelance. I only came here because I thought...but I misunderstood. And that’s okay. I won’t waste any more of your time.”
I took another step forward. “But then...what are you going to do?”
He lifted his shoulders in a hopeless, frustrated laugh. “I have no idea.”
