Page 51 of Resisting Fate
Chapter Eleven
Missy spent the next week and a half in frustrated uncertainty. She’d been so sure Ben had definite interest in her at the holiday stroll, but once she’d returned to work at Checkin, he was so distant she’d started to think she’d imagined it. Or, worse, maybe he’d lost interest. She wished she could’ve followed up on her instincts right after the holiday stroll, but he was busy packing up, and then he was with Logan and Marcus, loading up the truck for their deliveries. Her mind looped with thoughts of Ben. Something in her had shifted, a softening toward him that both scared and exhilarated her. She knew better than to trust a man, but with Ben she wanted to at least give him the benefit of the doubt.
Yes, that was her. Queen of the romantic!
Ben still stopped by for an afternoon coffee break every day, but there was no heat in his eyes. No hint of flirtation in his tone. It was so frustrating because she liked him more than she’d ever liked any man.
Now it was Wednesday morning, her last day was next Monday, and she feared she was running out of time to connect with Ben. They’d both be busy over the holidays, and then who knew how long it would be before she ran into him again? She pushed open the door of Checkin and headed to her office. Logan gave her a quick hello on his way to coffee. She passed Ben’s office and peeked in with a wave. He was on the phone and waved back before resuming his conversation.
That was anticlimactic.
She was being silly. Just because she was feeling differently didn’t mean they were about to embark on a whirlwind romance. It wasn’t like either of them was looking for long-term. Right? Though lately she’d been thinking maybe they should just see where things went. But what if Ben didn’t feel that way at all? Maybe all his friendliness was just the way he spoke to everyone. Hadn’t she witnessed him speaking in a warm friendly tone with every man, woman, and child he’d served Thanksgiving dinner at the homeless shelter?
Ugh. This wasn’t like her to obsess over a man.
She booted up the laptop and found a detailed email from Logan about her work for the day. He was super organized that way. As always, he was open to questions, but everything was spelled out so clearly she was able to get started right away. She pushed thoughts of Ben from her mind and dove into the presentation software. It felt like only a few minutes had passed when there was a knock at her door.
She glanced at the time, already four o’clock, and looked up, smiling in anticipation of Ben’s coffee-break visit.
Logan. Her smile dropped.
He walked in. “Aw, come on, I’m not that bad. Don’t look so disappointed.”
Busted! Her cheeks burned. “I’m making good progress on the presentation.”
“Awesome. I want to put that in report form. Now I’m thinking it’ll be cooler to make a video presentation. They’ll have the hard copy to do some number crunching, but I want something that reels them in and gives them major FOMO so they’ll be eager to sign on the dotted line. You ever put together a video?”
“No.”
He crossed his arms, staring off in the distance. “Maybe I should outsource this one.” He focused on her again. “Any leads?”
“Try Claire. If not with her production company, I’m sure she knows freelancers looking for work.”
“Now why didn’t I think of that? My own sister-in-law.” He gave her a warm smile. “Have I mentioned you’re brilliant? Not just because of that. I’ve been really impressed with your work.”
She looked away, embarrassed. She didn’t have a fancy college degree; she’d dropped out of high school and got her GED. Everything she’d learned was self-taught or on the job. Brilliant was not something she’d ever heard applied to her.
“Missy, would you like to join us full-time?” Logan asked. “We could really use someone like you, hardworking, smart, excellent computer skills. It could be a position you grow as the company grows. Maybe we could create an office manager position when we staff up. Just spitballing here. What do you think?”
She shut her gaping mouth with a snap. Holy shit. Two and a half weeks on the job and he wanted her full-time. They were a company on the verge of greatness, and she knew from the numbers she’d been working with that they were already doing fantastic.
“Don’t you have an admin returning after the New Year?” she asked.
“Yup, we do. But I’d like to have you here too. She’d do more of the strictly admin stuff, emails, filing, data entry, and you’d do more advanced stuff like reporting, maybe some beta testing as we improve the software, bookkeeping. If you’re interested in working on the actual software, we’d pay for coding classes to get you up to speed. Like I said, it could be a position you grow according to your interests. We’re not super hung up on job titles. We just want to work with the best people.” At her stunned silence, he continued. “Full benefits and stock options. What’re you making at your current job?”
She flashed to her bosses, Vince and Sophia Marino, kind hardworking people who’d made it possible for her to move to Clover Park and be close to her sister. Lily had treated her like family from day one, even before they knew each other well, and introduced her to the Marino family and everything good in her life. She owed the Marinos so much. How many times had Sophia told her she didn’t know how they’d managed before she arrived? It was about more than money, it was about family. Loyalty. Leaving for greener pastures felt like a betrayal.
Logan tapped on her desk. “Whatever you’re making, we’ll match it and then some. Think about it.” He left.
She sat there for a few moments, her mind reeling. She tried to think logically. This was business, and what Logan had just offered was a great opportunity. The stock options alone could be extraordinary if the company went public. But then emotions took over. She’d have to leave her bosses, who’d become like family to her. Marino and Capello Construction was a good solid business she expected to be around for a long time. They treated her well, even keeping her on at full pay when she worked part-time during the seasonal lulls in their business. If she worked here, her new boss wouldn’t just be Logan, it would be Ben as well. Now that would be a twisted and sticky situation—Ben in a position of authority over her. Real authority not just a temp gig, determining her raises and whether or not her employment continued. And, if it didn’t work out, she’d have to go crawling back to Marino and Capello Construction, begging for her old job back. She’d lose that warm Marino Sunday dinner feeling of belonging, the only time she’d felt like part of a real family since her parents died. They’d think she didn’t appreciate all that they’d done for her.
Nope. Too risky. She’d tell Logan thanks but no thanks.
On the other hand, the job offer was more than she’d ever dreamed for herself, a position tailored to her strengths and interests that could grow into something more.
She turned back to the computer, the screen blurring in front of her suddenly wet eyes. Geez, what was wrong with her lately? She was never this emotional. Gah. Now she couldn’t focus. She stood, thinking of going downstairs to spill her guts to Sabrina, who was always a great listener, but thought better of it. Sabrina was probably with a client. She had a regular stream of people seeking her out.
She headed toward the kitchen. She’d get her own coffee today. She was just pouring a steaming mug when the door opened to Ben carrying a tray of take-out coffee for their afternoon ritual. Her heart pounded, and she wasn’t sure if it was his sudden appearance—his cheeks ruddy from the cold, tall and gorgeous in his black leather jacket and jeans—or because she’d been caught about to drink coffee behind his back.
