“I just grabbed his shirt.” He waves a hand in the air like it isn’t a big deal.
“He’s still my boss.”
“Well, he shouldn’t be,” he snaps back.
“It’s not like I have many other options.”
He invades my space, in that way he always does—constantly pushing me.
“Penny, you know damn well you could do anything you put your mind to. The only thing you like about this position is the event planning. I could talk to Krystal and see if her service is hiring with her baby on the way. I’m sure she’d be looking for extra help.”
I blink at him, a sinking weight hitting my stomach. It always feels like people are helping me and I can’t ever do things myself.
“I don’t want you to use your connections to get me a job,” I say, hastily grabbing more papers.
“It would be an interview, and you and I know you’re more than capable.”
I pause, trying to swallow back all the insecure mean things I want to say.
“You really think she would want to hire me?”
He grabs a few of the papers that are taller than I can reach and hands them to me.
“Yes. It’s not a handout. It’s me knowing Krystal’s company needs help and knowing the perfect fit. You aren’t happy here, and I don’t like how that fucking dickhead spoke to you. But beyond that, you should be following your dreams. You said you were working on finding yourself. Don’t let your pride get in the way of a good thing,” he says.
I sigh and look up at him, it’s still too hot outside, but the sun brings out the different shades of his hair and God, he’s fucking handsome.
“Why are you so good to me?”
“You know why,” he says softly before cursing and pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Shit. I have a meeting in ten minutes. Are you okay handling this?” he says, waving at the wall.
“Yeah, I got it.”
“If he talks to you like that again, you tell Aiden right away,” he says sternly. I nod and he leans forward to kiss me, but stops and sighs. “The next time I drop you off at work, I’d really like to kiss you goodbye.”
I realize I want that too; I give him a smile as he walks away. I go back into the office and call the security company asking them to send the footage from last night and grab my trash can. It feels like the employees of Kemper’s Sports Supply are a bunch of traitors as I go to remove the flyers by myself. But I knowit’s because Zach is acting this way and no one wants to upset a partial owner.
I’m taking more of the signs down and mulling over the potential of switching jobs. If I could work solely planning on events? It would truly be my dream job, and he promised that it wasn’t a handout, that he truly thinks I’m built for this.
Lincoln believes in me and suddenly I feel like maybe I can believe in myself.
The sun is hot against my back as Aiden and Jessa walk together from the back of the building towards my direction. I pluck the papers off at an unnatural speed. Like I could actually get them all down in time.
“Fuck, I thought I’d be able to get them all down by the time you got here,” I say, yanking another flyer.
Jessa looks dejected but resolved over the situation.
“Okay, so everyone knows we kissed,” Jessa says calmly, but it’s clear she’s pissed.
I grimace, knowing that everyone knows it’s more than that. “Zach is on a bit of a tirade inside.”
“Who put these up?” Aiden asks, taking Jessa’s hand and I shake my head.
“I called our security company and asked for the footage,” I tell him.
“Thank you,” Aiden says, pulling Jessa off to the side as I keep tugging down the papers.
They’re chatting in low tones as I keep taking them down. Aiden and Jessa go inside as I get every last disgusting piece of paper.
