Page 104 of Bayside Heat
He gritted his teeth. “Because it is?”
“Thanks,” she said sarcastically. “You want to know what’s worse?” She lowered her voice and said, “When that new client said she would take her business elsewhere, I was ready to let her. Until Suzanne walked in.”
“I have something that might make you feel better. Be right back.” He left her office, and when he returned, he placed a big chocolate chip cookie on her desk.
She snagged the cookie. “Where’d you steal this from? Are there more?”
Gavin closed the door.
“Oh no. You’re not going to get all creepy on me, are you?” She couldn’t resist teasing him. They’d had lunch together a few times and had become close, sharing the trials and tribulations of their days and getting to know each other better. He was not the least bit creepy, but his confused expression was hilarious. He reminded her of Rick and Dean, funny, a little protective, and he never crossed lines with her. She had a feeling he missed his own family and friends back home, because he loved hearing about her trips home and about her friends.
“What do you think it is? A nookie cookie?”
She laughed. “If it is, you should know that I have a mean knee.”
He sat down again and shook his head. “I bet you do. Eat the damn thing. I want to tell you something.” He leaned forward, elbows on knees, and said, “A headhunter contacted me last week about a job with Taylor, Fine, and Rickter.”
“Shut up!” She couldn’t hide her surprise. “They’re our biggest competitor.”
“I know. I met with them yesterday, and today they offered me the job.”
“Great. So my best friend in Boston is leaving.” She shook the remaining cookie at him. “Can you please go steal about five more of these for me?”
“Relax. I’m not taking it.” He sighed loudly and sat back.
“What? Why not?” She came around the desk and sat in the chair beside him. “They’re bigger. They have more awards. It would be a step up.”
“Listen to Cape girl go all bigger is better on me.”
Her mouth dropped open again. “I don’t understand.”
“If you got an offer from them, would you take it?”
“No, but that’s because I haven’t decided if I’m cut out for this type of company. I love the work, but it’s very…prestige driven, and I’m not like that.” She waved at his designer suit and said, “You fit right in, and you never go head-to-head with your superiors. You know how to play the game.”
“That is why I’m not going. I’m not prestige driven. Or maybe I’ve become that way, but it’s not who I want to be, and that’s on you, girly. You reminded me of the person I used to be, and now I’m determined to get back to being myself.”
“Oh, no, no, no.” She got up and paced. “You cannot put this on me.”
“I’m thanking you.”
“Thanking me? For what? Making you think you’re too good?” She flopped back down into the chair and covered her face with her hands. “I need more cookies. I can’t take this. First I have to miss out on the wedding-cake tasting of one of my closest friends and a day of tubing because of some snotty client. And now this is just the guilt icing on the fucked-up cake.”
He grabbed her hand and moved it away from her face. “Stop. This is a good thing. I called my old man this morning and had a long talk with him. I haven’t made the time to do that in months because of this bullshit job. This is a good thing for me. Like I said before, I don’t know my path yet, but I know I’m finally heading in the right direction. I think we should go out and celebrate.”
“Oh, good. Maybe I can find a small dog to kick along the way.”
“Serena, stop it,” he said with a coaxing smile. “I’m being serious. This is all good.”
“It won’t be when you realize you just turned down your only opportunity to earn more money than you’re earning now. Then you’ll hate me for opening my big mouth at all.”
He looked at her like she was being ridiculous. “I have enough money. I’m taking my cue from the rational girl I met a few weeks ago. You might know her. Stubborn, mouthy, refuses to let anyone walk all over her?”
