“No, Simone.” He reaches across the table and stills my hand. “Don’t think that, but it helped me figure out a way we could solve a few of both our problems.” He stops and stares at me from across the table, but I remain silent.
“You need a job and we need a receptionist.” He leans back in his chair. “I can’t afford to pay you as much as I imagine you made at Lowry’s, but it’d be more than you make waiting tables.”
My mouth falls open a tad and I’m quick to close it. “You brought me here to offer me a job?”
“Yes. It works out for both of us.”
The anticipation I’d built up crashes taking my heart with it. Trey asked me here to give me a job. Why did I get my hopes up? And what exactly were they hopeful for? I shake my head a fraction. I’m such a moron. I want to face palm myself, but it will have to wait until I'm home.
At least the question is answered. This was definitely a non-date. “You want me to be your receptionist?” I ask for clarification because I’m a glutton for punishment. There's a small chance I’ve contracted a case of hearing distortion in the past five minutes.
“Yes.” Trey stills and reads my face, possibly realizing for the first time I’m not having the reaction he expected.
Our small waitress stops at our table with our food and Trey and I are silent as she unloads everything on the table. The atmosphere around us is heavy and she leaves in a hurry.
“You don’t like the idea?” Trey asks as he unrolls his black napkin and places it in his lap.
I hesitate in my answer while I begin to cut my steak. It does look delicious. The small round filet cut piece of meat has four large mushrooms placed on top and the entire tower is covered in some kind of dark sauce that pools on the plate. At least I’ll get a delicious meal out of this.
I answer as he takes his first bite. “What happened to the old receptionist?” I remember Trey admitted he made her buy his mom a gift at one point in time, but he’s never mentioned her leaving.
He sighs but continues chewing, “She was horrible. We’ve had three people since July and can’t keep a single one. Which is why you'd be perfect.”
I’m still cautious in my responses. “I’d be the perfect receptionist?” I don’t have anything against the position and I’m sure Trey is right that it will pay more than Bonnie’s, but I’m skeptical as to why he thinks I’d be a good fit. I can’t quit Bonnie’s after three days, but this job could be useful too. I'll be working with Bonnie forever in order to pay off all the money I owe my old apartment complex.
After eating one of the bright orange sweet potato fries from the bowl between us, he wipes his hands on the napkin and then returns it to his lap. “Yes, we know from your previous work you can multi-task, you’re good with people, keep calm under pressure, you've handled large sums of money. You’re perfect. I’m worried you’ll be too bored and I have no delusions you'll stay forever once you find something else, but any amount of time I can get you under our roof the better.”
The whole implication that Trey brought me to this cute, but semi fancy restaurant to offer me not some kind of love declaration, but a job at his company boils up and I release all the emotions over it as a laugh. Trey stops eating to stare at me and my bizarre behavior, but I don’t stop. It’s kind of freeing. Now I know. Whatever Trey and I had is over, but this could be a new start. One as friends and maybe coworkers.
I work to get control of myself before people start to look and begin to cut more of my steak. At least my nerves vanished. It will help me enjoy my meal without worrying there’s food in my teeth.
“Can I think about it over the weekend and let you know?” I ask.
“Sure,” Trey’s quick to respond and he relaxes probably happy with my answer. “The last girl quit a few days ago and I haven’t scheduled interviews yet. Interns are covering the area in shifts. They’re almost as bad as she was.”
I use his mention of the interns to ask about how the company is doing and turn the conversation away from anything serious. Like feelings, cat cups, or why he doesn’t want me like I so desperately want him.
