“Tell me what happened.”
“I can’t keep running the gallery alone anymore. There just aren’t enough hours in the day, and I’m neglecting things I don’t need to be neglecting. Plus, I haven’t worked on a sculpture in months because I’ve been so busy.”
Davide owned an art gallery because art was his passion. He loved to surround himself with it and create it. His sculptures were gorgeous, but he rarely had showings. While he loved showcasing other artists, it was difficult for him to put himself out there.
“It sounds like a problem, but not necessarily a bad one,” I murmured.
“It is, but it isn’t,” Davide agreed. “Being this busy means money is rolling in, which is amazing…but after what happened with Clark, I’m afraid to hire someone.”
Clark was Davide’s last assistant, and he’d been a real twatwaffle. He’d started out pilfering odds and ends from the gallery like pens and toilet paper, which Davide hadn’t noticed at first because he assumed Clark hadn’t ordered enough toilet paper or their pens were walking off with clients or artists.
It wasn’t until Clark started taking small pieces of art that Davide realized what was happening. Getting the art back had been a nightmare. Finally, Davide had given Clark an ultimatum—bring the pieces back, or he was going to call the cops and press charges. He also pointed out that the value of the art taken would take the crime from a misdemeanor to a felony. That had been enough to convince Clark to return the items he’d stolen.
“I wish I could just hire you,” he complained as Nick set the shot and the mojito in front of him. “Thanks, Nick.”
My back straightened at his words, a zing of electricity zipping up my spine. It was a sign. It had to be. Maybe this was the change I needed. “You’d want to hire me?” I asked.
Davide slammed the shot back, hissing out a breath as he set the shot glass down. “Absolutely,” he answered, turning toward me. “You’re smart, organized, and I know you won’t steal from me. Hell, you’d probably make me even more money because you would be so on top of everything.”
When he saw the way I was looking at him, he paused. “Would you actually be interested in the job?” His tone was incredulous.
“I would. If we could work out a way to make sure I didn’t lose health insurance and you could match my salary, I definitely would.”
“What’s your salary?”
I named the exact amount I made before taxes and insurance came out and what I made biweekly after those deductions.
He cocked his head, and his eyes took on a faraway look as he contemplated the numbers. “I think I could pull that off. But could you help me with the health insurance thing? Now that I can finally afford it, I really need it. Depending on how much it costs, I might be able to cover it as part of your salary.”
I nodded.
“I have to double check,” he said. “Are you sure-sure? Like, you’re seriously interested?”
“I am,” I answered with another nod. “Because as bad as your Monday was, mine was probably just as horrible. My boss is a huge pain in my ass. He screws everything up and I have to fix it. Then, I have to do his work on top of my own and he takes credit for it all. And I definitely don’t get paid what he does.”
“He’s still pulling that shit?”
“Yep,” I answered, popping the “P”. I lifted my mojito and took a deep drink.
“It’s settled, then. We’ll have our drinks, go back to your place, and hammer out the details.”
I lowered my glass to study him. “That’s not some euphemism for you expecting sexual favors in return for a job, is it?”
A muffled laugh came immediately after my question, but it wasn’t from Davide. We both turned to find Nick standing on the other side of the bar trying, and failing to stifle his amusement. His hazel eyes gleamed as he grinned at us, putting two more drinks in front of us. Yes, good ole’ Nick knew exactly how we were.
“And here I thought you two were just friends.”
If my day hadn’t been such shit, I would have blushed at the fact that he heard me. At that moment, I couldn’t find it in me to care that he’d heard.
“She’s not my type,” Davide retorted. He glanced pointedly at Nick’s golden hair. “I prefer blondes.”
The bartender smirked. He and Davide flirted like this every time we came in, but they never went beyond that. It was a shame, too. Nick was a nice guy. Inwardly I winced at the thought and understood why my friend didn’t go there.
Nice guys were great and usually excellent at relationships, but sometimes you just wanted a man to fuck you like he owned you. I knew from the readers and book groups I followed on social media that a lot of other women wanted a golden retriever in the streets and a Dom in the sheets, but I’d yet to meet a man like that. Elijah definitely had Dom energy, but he was too intense for golden retriever status. It didn’t matter anyway because nothing was going to happen with him.
Maybe I should date more. Or join a kink site. But I wasn’t really that kinky. What I really wanted was a man to boss me around a little in the bedroom but nothing too extreme. Maybe a little spanking, too.
I shivered at the memory of a firm hand smacking my bare ass the night of Lucy’s wedding. Yeah, if the right man was doing it, I could be into it.
