Page 41 of Hopeless Romantic
He shrugged. “I had some extra time. Plus, I’ve worked with most of these guys before. I didn’t look into flowers or decoration or companies that handle the aesthetic side of weddings, but I can if you want.”
“No, you’ve done plenty. And I have a lot of contacts on the aesthetic side.” She smiled at that.
Her phone pinged. This time, it was her dad, asking when she’d be home and if it was his night to cook dinner. She quickly texted back that yes, in fact, it was. But all he had to do was throw a frozen pizza in the oven.
She set her phone down. “I made a few calls of my own. I have notes scribbled down in here somewhere. But I was wondering if you’ve thought about my proposal.”
“You mean, when you blackmailed me into giving you a trial run.”
“I didn’t blackmail you. I just said it was a condition of your micromanaging this wedding.”
He sampled another bite of cake and took his time chewing. She took her time watching the way his throat worked, how he licked his lips after each bit. The man was as mouth-watering as the cake.
“It’s called overseeing, and for me to be comfortable moving forward with using your company as a delivery service, I’d need to be involved in that, too.”
She loved how straightforward he was. There was no guessing involved when it came to Levi, which meant she always knew where she stood. And if she knew what was expected, it was less likely that she would disappoint.
“I understand that,” she said. “But I want to make sure you know that what happened before, with the crab cakes, won’t happen again.”
“Glad to hear it.” He forked up another piece.
“It was bad timing,” she felt the need to explain. “My dad had just started on a big project, and my brother had been switched to a new classroom at school. Instead of staying with Thomas, my dad dropped him off at the curb. Thomas went to the wrong room and panicked. When the school couldn’t locate him, they called me.”
“Beck,” he said gently. “You already apologized. I accepted. You don’t have to explain anything.”
“I want to. I know how put out you were by my decisions that day, so I need to make sure you know that I didn’t bail because I was having fun or didn’t feel like going to work. It took six hours and three search-and-rescue teams to find Thomas.”
“I’m glad you found him and that he wasn’t hurt.”
“I was so caught up in all the what-ifs that I completely spaced on calling you or the firehouse until the next day. And even though it was an emergency, my behavior was still unprofessional.”
“It’s hard to keep from drowning when you’re struggling to keep everyone else afloat,” he said, and something old and rusty shifted inside her chest.
“That’s exactly how I feel,” she admitted, wondering how someone, a man she assumed she had nothing in common with, could understand things even her closest friends didn’t. “How did you know?”
“Personal experience,” he admitted. “Between my family, the restaurant, and the marina, there are times I barely have time to sleep, let alone deal with the piles of résumés and hire new staff.”
“That’s one of my specialties, you know, facilitating hires for small business owners. I could help you,” she offered.
“Okay, Consider It Done, what would you do different from what I’m doing now?”
“I’d recommend that instead of trying to fill all the openings, you place an ad for a senior office manager who knows the managerial side of a business. That person would conduct interviews, train new hires, manage the schedule, and make sure bills go out on time and product arrives before you even know you’re low.”
“Are you applying?”
“To run your office? Not my calling. I’m offering to familiarize myself with your company, so that I can see what is needed. I’d place a new ad for an office manager and then narrow down the candidates. Only when I’ve narrowed it down to the top three will you meet with them. After you hire one, who I guarantee will be highly qualified, your new manager will take care of filling out the rest of your staff and making sure the office runs smoothly.” His expression had her pausing. “What?”
“I never imagined a personal concierge could do that.”
“Do you think I’m just some glorified delivery girl?” she asked, pissed that those silly words had the power to hurt. “I have been hired to do the exact thing I described for a few shops and one of the hotels in the area. Do you want references?”
Her chin high, her eyes two narrow slits, she was making it clear that she did not like to be underestimated. Especially by him.
“I wasn’t surprised, Beck. I was impressed. You impress me,” he said.
Beckett couldn’t be sure whether it was heartburn from her three cups of coffee on an empty stomach, but warm flutters filled her chest. That was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said about her.
Her cheeks went hot at the unexpected compliment. “I’m not sure how to respond. Most days I’m barely holding it together, which is a far cry from impressive.”
