Page 5 of Dirty News
“Okay.” I put mine into the pockets of my slacks as we went all the way to the top floor. I’d worn my best suit. The dark blue Armani had always been lucky for me. When the doors opened, I found a nice reception area. Everything was done in dark colors. Very manly, which made me think the owner and I would get along justfine.
Brady didn’t say a word as he took me to the door with Artimus Wolfe’s name on it. He knocked before opening thedoor.
An older woman came to me, holding out her hand. Behind her, the man in the chair behind the desk got up too, taking long strides toward me. “Duke Cofield, so glad you could come,” she said as I shook her hand. “I’m Mrs.Baker.”
“Nice to meet you.” I let go of her hand and turned my attention to the man who I hoped would hire me. He took mine with a firmshake.
Two pumps, stronggrip.
I liked the way the man shook my hand. It told me a lot abouthim.
“Artimus Wolfe, Duke. I hope you don’t mind if I call you that?” He turned to lead me back to his desk, but then walked right past it to the set of sofas on the other side of theroom.
“No, you call me Duke. And may I call you by your first name as well?” I took a seat on the opposite sofa as he sat on the one across from me. Mrs. Baker was pouring a couple of glasses of amber liquid from adecanter.
“Sure,” he said. “I’ve got some twenty-year-old Scotch I thought you might like totry.”
Never one to turn down a drink, especially one so expensive, I thought the interview was getting off to a greatstart.
I had this job in thebag.
ChapterThree
Lila
When a message came in from Mrs. Baker, I prepared myself for the worst. Pulling the fluffy white hotel robe tighter around me, I took a deep breath before opening the message on mycell.
Hello Lila, we hope you’re enjoying your evening. We’d like you to come in for another interview tomorrow morning at 9. We’ve booked you another night at thehotel.
My feet took me dancing around the room as I laughed and cried, feeling like I must be fast asleep and dreaming this whole thing. But as I fell back on the soft bed, I continued to stare at the words on the screen, and it finally began to sinkin.
This is reallyhappening!
Sleep was nearly impossible, but I managed to get a few good hours in before I got up to get ready for the meeting. Another sixty-dollar cab ride and I was standing once again in front of the glass doors I had prayed I would seeagain.
I’d put on a dress this time. Reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn, I wanted to be sure to show how diverse my style could be. Dark blue flowers flowed over pearl white fabric. My heels matched the blue perfectly, and I even wore my grandmother’s string of pearls around myneck.
I felt like a real New Yorker as I strode to the reception desk. “Lila Banks, here to see Mr. Wolfe again.” This time no nerves plagued me. I’d been called back. They wanted me for sure this timearound.
“Go on up. They’re waiting for you.” She smiled at me with a wide grin as I walked to the elevator. In hindsight, the grin she wore was a shit-eating one, not meant to make me feel at ease in theleast.
Stepping off the elevator once I’d reached the top floor, I saw Mr. Wolfe, Mrs. Baker, Brady, and one more man in the reception area. Brady was busily making coffee as the other three talked aboutsomething.
They all looked at me as I headed their way. Mr. Wolfe was quick to make the introduction, “This is Lila Banks,Duke.”
The man he’d called Duke was tall. A man with broad shoulders. A man with a wide chest. A man with a devastating smile and perfectly straight, sparkling white teeth. His hairstyle—short on the sides, a bit longer on the top—accentuated his dark hair. Hair that contrasted well with his bright blueeyes.
In short, Duke exuded sexual prowess. And when he took my hand with a firm grip, I felt a spark—and then a lot more than a spark as heat flashed throughme.
Oh,shit!
“Hi there, Lila. Duke Cofield, former New York Jet. And I hear you’re a recent grad from UCLA.” His voice was a mixture of satin and gravel that combined to tickle my ears, then sooth them with a softtongue.
“Hi.” I couldn’t really come up with anything else at that moment. I’d never before been in the presence of so muchman.
Mrs. Baker moved things along, “Come, let’s head to the meeting room. Brady, bring in the coffee and pastries,please.”
She ushered us along. If she hadn’t, my feet might well have stayed planted right where they were. Duke certainly had an effect onme.
