Page 31 of Fighting Fate

“Are you offering me a job?” It was the last thing Adam had expected, but as he looked around, suddenly it was the only thing he could imagine wanting to do.

“Absolutely. We can work out the exact job title and your responsibilities later, along with a salary you’re worth, but I’m willing to say here and now I want you on board.”

“Yes.” He didn’t have to think about it. Didn’t even particularly care how much he got paid. He wanted to be a part of this, wanted to be included in Jace Hunter’s vision, to make his own mark here in this beautiful part of the world. Offering his hand, he smiled broadly when Jace clasped it. “You got yourself a new employee.”

“We’ve got a lot of planning to do,” Jace warned. “Could be a year or two of contracts and environmental studies and negotiating with the state government before anyone gets to even pick up a shovel or a paintbrush, much less getting the place open for business.”

“Good. It’ll give me time to do research on other facilities who’ll be our competition,” Adam pointed out. “I’ll leave the construction and all that to you, because that’s your area of expertise; mine is going to be convincing the pro sports world this is the place to be for rehab and training.” Turning to look at the incredible view again, he grinned broadly, suddenly energised by the challenge ahead. “Gotta say, the location will make it a hard sell, but I’ll do my best.”

Jace’s laughter echoed over the overgrown fairways, startling a pair of tropical birds flying overhead; they swooped and arched away with loud, protesting shrieks at the interlopers in their domain as Adam and Jace turned to head back to the boat.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“OF course I can find you something!” the cheerful voice trilled in Rosie’s ear. “Sydney? Easy! I can name half a dozen of the big hotels who’d be delighted to have you… that’s if you want to stay in hospitality? You’ve got the experience to handle a big staff. Several companies spring to mind where you could potentially step up a level from where you are now…”

“Give me the options in hospitality first,” Rosie said.

“Sure, sure. What about sports? I heard a rumour one of the rugby league teams might be after someone… smaller staff but bigger pay.”

On the verge of saying she didn’t care about the pay, Rosie caught herself. Sydney was a seriously expensive city to live in, and unlike Sunfish, she was unlikely to have board and lodging as an included benefit with her new job.

“Just send me what you have to look over, Carole,” she said. “And, uh… I haven’t handed in my notice yet, so if you could keep this between the two of us for a little while, I’d appreciate it.”

“Of course! Just between us. Although I might start lining up a list of replacement candidates for you, since I know Luke’ll be calling me as soon as you let him know.”

That made it feel suddenly alarmingly final. Ending the call, Rosie clutched at the edge of her desk, seeking stability as she felt briefly dizzy. Was she really doing this? Really leaving Sunfish?

“Hey, boss.” Nadiya rattled her nails against Rosie’s office doorframe. “I’m going on a coffee run. Want some?”

“Yes, please,” Rosie said gratefully. It was well on into the afternoon and she was starting to feel the effects of a night with not a lot of sleep, not to mention a distinct ache in her thighs beginning to make itself known. Not only that but it had been a busy day, lunch had been a sandwich quickly bolted down at her desk, and now, at just before four o’clock, she was starting to flag.

Nadiya set the coffee cup on her desk a few minutes later and Rosie mumbled a grateful thanks, eyes on her screen as she sorted a stack of incoming resumes in her email.

“I’ve no idea what we’re even looking for here,” she muttered. “How do you pick the best qualified doctor when you’re not a doctor?”

“Applicants for the GP position?” Nadiya queried.

“Yep.” With four hundred permanent resident staff and anywhere up to two thousand guests on the island at any one time, there were always medical needs which had to be seen to. They had three nurses who rotated on a 24-hour roster, but they’d been having to helicopter in a doctor from Hamilton Island - or a guest out to the mainland - on an almost daily basis recently, and it was just getting too expensive. The higher-ups had decided it was time to get a permanent doctor in residence.

“I think I’m just going to forward all the ones that seem actually qualified to Luke and dump the problem in his lap,” Rosie concluded, taking a sip of her coffee and sighing with pleasure. “How do I decide between the surgeon in her sixties who wants to retire to a quiet life after thirty years in emergency medicine at the Royal Melbourne, or the young guy who’s only been qualified five years but has spent all of them in war zones with the Red Cross?”

“I’d pick the young guy,” Nadiya said cheerfully.

“Because the older woman might retire completely in a couple years and leave us to do it all over again? That feels super ageist.”

“No, because the young guy might be hot.”

“Nadiya!” Rosie laughed, though, as Nadiya had obviously meant her to. “That never even occurred to me!”

“Which is why you’re in charge of this department, not me.” Nadiya grinned at her. “I agree with you, though. You’re not qualified to pick the most suitable candidate any more than I am. Forward them all to Luke and let him decide who to interview. And then take the rest of the afternoon off and go for a swim in the pool or a massage or something; you look tired and way too tense.”

“Tempting,” Rosie said, but she could see her inbox icon blinking again; Carole had sent through some of the job roles in Sydney which might suit her. “I’m just going to look through these first…”

“Your funeral,” Nadiya replied cheerfully. “I’ve cleared my desk, unless you have anything else for me?”

“No, we’re good if you dealt with all those backpacker applications,” Rosie said, and Nadiya nodded. “Thanks, then, go enjoy your afternoon. Got plans?”

“A swim and a drink at the pool bar, I reckon. Laters!” Nadiya departed with a cheerful waggle of her fingers, leaving Rosie alone in the quiet office, looking at a job description for a human resources manager for a major Sydney sports stadium.

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