I sighed again, running a hand through my hair.“I just found out that my assistant, Lisa, took off with millions of dollars from my company.It was a huge betrayal, and it left me scrambling to pick up the pieces.”
Logan raised an eyebrow.“Lisa?That’s a name I’ve heard before.She’s a demon, right?”
“Yep.”
“She was pretty charming, wasn’t she?”
“Charming enough to suck me in and give her a job with a fuckton of responsibilities,” I replied, irritation creeping into my voice.“She managed to fool everyone in the office into trusting her.I’m such an idiot.I really thought I could trust her.”
“Demon charm can be hard to resist,” Logan said, shaking his head.“From what I’ve seen, they know how to play people like a damn board game.”
“Exactly,” I said, taking a sip of my beer.“And now I’m left with the mess.I can’t risk hiring someone like her again.I can’t afford to make that mistake again, which is why I’m looking to hire someone from outside our world—someone human who doesn’t come with the same kind of baggage.”
“Smart move but be careful.You know the rules of Arrhythmia,” Logan said, leaning back against the bar.“Just make sure you take your time with this new hire.You don’t want to be blindsided again.”
“I won’t.I’m determined to find someone trustworthy, someone who won’t stab me in the back,” I said, feeling the weight of the situation pressing on my chest.“As far as the rules go.Well, rules are meant to be broken, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
My phone buzzed, indicating that I had a new alert.“Huh.How about that?”
“What’s that?”Logan asked with an arched brow.
“Looks like I got a hit on my ad.”I read over the resume.“She sounds experienced and pretty impressive.”
“What’s her name?”Logan asked.“I’ll look her up and see what kind of a digital footprint she has.It’s a good way to avoid the crazies.”
“Audrey Lawerence.”I liked the way her name rolled off my tongue, but I wasn’t about to admit that to Logan.I didn’t need him giving me shit about anything else.
Logan pulled up her Facebook and Instagram accounts and showed me what he had found.
“Nothing too crazy.She clearly loves her cat.”
“And freaking hawt!”Her images clearly caught my bear’s attention.It was hard as hell, but I managed to keep my opinion to myself.
“Could be a crazy cat lady situation going on.”He shrugged and scrolled through more cat pictures.
“Nah.She’d have like fifty cats.Not just one.”
“True dat.”
I fired off a reply asking to meet her in person to see if she would be a good fit.Just the thought of that had me imagining all those curves fitting perfectly against me.
After a few more drinks, I decided to wrap things up.“I need to meet her in her hometown.It’s a small place, but I feel like I need to see her in person,” I said, glancing at Logan.
“Just be careful,” he said, his expression turning serious.“You don’t want to get too involved before you know what you’re dealing with.”
“Yeah, I know,” I replied, waving him off.“I’m just looking for a new assistant.That’s it.”
Logan smirked.“Sure, buddy.Just remember—if she’s as hot as her social media pictures, your bear might have other plans.”Besides, Valentine’s Day is coming up.You might just find yourself a sweetheart.”
“Bro, fuck off.”I rolled my eyes, but he had a point.I couldn’t shake the feeling that something in the universe was shifting, and I was eager to see where it would lead.
I hopped on the first morning flight that I could get.The bullshit with Lisa had been tamped down by the excitement I felt about this prospect with Audrey.When I arrived at the diner she had mentioned in her email, I felt a sense of uneasy energy coursing through me.I entered the diner, and the scent of coffee and bacon made my stomach growl.It was a modest place, with worn booths and checkered floors, but it had a homey charm that made me feel at ease.I took a seat at a booth in the back, my gaze flickering toward the entrance.
Moments later, the door swung open, and in walked Audrey.Time seemed to slow as my breath caught in my throat.She was stunning, and that was an understatement.Her social media pictures did her no justice.None at all.
Her long blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, and those bright blue eyes shimmered with a life all their own.
