“Right! Because we had a huge graduating class, they decided to only say our names.”
Natalie nodded as she twirled her pen between her fingers. “Well, won’t your parents notice you aren’t at Green Tech when they do a pop-up?”
I shook my head. “They saw me ‘working’ today and won’t be back to check on my progress. Plus, the manager of the department is doing me a solid by covering for me. Besides, they travel a lot and won’t be around the office as much. With that said, I still don’t want to be sitting in their house.”
Natalie nodded her head as she set my resume down on the table and leaned back in her chair. She twirled her thumbs around one another as she sat deep in thought.
“Here’s the thing,” Natalie began, sitting up in her seat. “I want to help you, Dexter. I mean, I could use the extra hands around here. However, given our recent…interaction, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Panic swirled in the pit of my stomach. I needed to think of something. Sitting up in my seat too, I stared at her. “What happened between us was a one-time thing, right?”
Natalie hesitated before she nodded her head.
“We’re both adults and can move on from that night. We can keep everything professional and pretend that night didn’t happen. We were both intoxicated and took things a bit too far, but we can move past it.”
A concerned look flashed across Natalie’s eyes, which had me pausing. What was that? Did I say the wrong thing?
“Okay.”
I rapidly blinked before slightly shaking my head to make sure I had heard her correctly. “Okay? Like, I got the job?”
Natalie smiled and nodded her head. “Yes, I am offering you the job on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“As you said, what happened in the past stays in the past, and nothing will ever occur between us again. Agreed?”
Natalie reached out her hand. Wait, what did I do? I really put my whole foot in my mouth. A part of me wanted to say damn what I just said and damn the agreement. I wanted to pull her to me so that I could feel her lips again. There was no denying my attraction to her, and I wanted nothing more than to finish what we started the other night. Natalie was breathtaking and not like any woman I’ve been with before, but I think I blew my chances.
Was I really allowing the chance to work for her to stand in the way of pursuing her? I guess it was for the best. Not because I didn’t want her, but because there was a chance that it was wrong. Natalie was my best friend’s older sister. She was forbidden.
Besides, with Natalie offering me this job, my plans would be in motion. I wouldn’t have to work at my parents’ job, and at the same time, I’d be gone enough not to raise suspicion. I’d be able to get my prototype complete and begin finding an investor. Once everything was complete, I’d be out of Natalie’s hair, and she’d be a memory.
Grabbing her hand, I shook it. “Agreed.”
Natalie
It’s barely beentwo weeks, but the way my new hires have been working makes it seem like they’ve been working here for years. Amber, Monica, Adam, and Dexter all absorbed the daily tasks for my store as if they were sponges.
Adam, a twenty-year-old with mahogany skin and a high-top afro, usually kept the shelves stocked. He had a slim build and was about five feet nine inches tall. I loved his outgoing energy, and I ultimately gave him the job of content creation. Admittedly, I didn’t want to offer him the task, but the man was brilliant. He was able to double Body Butter & Books’ socialmedia following with all of his funny and interactive posts within the first week.
Monica, another twenty-year-old with a glowing chocolate complexion, often helped Adam with the social media content. She was petite and no taller than five feet, but her big personality made it easy for her to grab a room's attention. When she wasn’t helping Adam, she was in the shop conducting book clubs. Recently, she began working on setting up a project I haven’t had time to conduct, of having book signings with local authors. To say they were a success was an understatement.
Amber mostly worked the cash register and helped with online orders. She was still her feisty self whenever a rude customer popped their ugly heads into my shop. Dexter helped with the backroom tasks. Granted, he advised he didn’t mind working up front with everyone else interacting with the customers, but I could tell he’d rather be in the warehouse taking inventory.
Since the agreement, Dexter kept up our deal and hadn’t tried anything with me. Our interactions were nothing but professional. A part of me was happy about it and glad that he was a man of his word. I thought he was only saying what he needed to say to try to be close to me, but that hadn’t been the case. However, if I were being honest, there was still a small part of me that wanted to know what if. Of course, I wouldn’t pursue the need to find out those answers, but the questions were still there, lingering in the back of my mind.
While I sat at my desk to go over my accounts, I couldn’t help but smile. The spring festival was a week away, but I was no longer afraid of it. I had a wonderful team that would not only bring in new customers but also ensured that the three-day event ran as smoothly as possible. I quietly chuckled to myself as Ricky’s taunts about me delegating echoed in my mind. I guess he was right because with all the help around my shop, it felt asif one of the burdens I carried around was lifted. Granted, I only hired everyone on a temporary basis, but there was a possibility that I’d keep them on permanently. It felt good not carrying so much stress and allowing others to help.
A knock came at my door, causing me to look up from my computer. Amber stood in the doorway with her usual contagious smile.
“Hey, boss lady! Your one o’clock delivery is here.”
“Great! Dexter is in the warehouse and can meet the driver at the bay door.”
“Yes, ma’am, Dexter is there, but the driver won’t release the inventory to him because he’s not on the list to sign.”
I slapped my hand on my forehead. “Shoot, I forgot to add you guys to the authorized user list. I’ll head there now.”
