“She’ll figure it out.” I say with a shrug. “And if it happens to her, well… whatever.”
Beck grins, throws one ankle over his knee. “Wow, sometimes I forget how fucking brutal you are. It’s amazing how high your expectations are.”
“If they can’t handle pressure, they don’t belong here.”
He snorts. “You sound like my high school football coach. Except you’re scarier, twice as big, and you don’t give a shit about teamwork.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I care aboutresults. That’s all that matters.”
He cocks his head and studies me, his green eyes lingering on mine. “You sure this isn’t about finding someone who reminds you of yourself? Because I think you see an executive assistant as a mini-me or something.”
“That’s fucking ridiculous.” I tap Maddy’s resume. “But sheisinteresting.”
He leans over and looks at the paper again. “Bet you five grand Maddy Williams doesn’t make it to her first performance review,” Beck says, eyes gleaming.
I narrow my gaze at him. “You seem extra confident.”
He sobers for a second and gives me a funny look. “Shit, I’m always confident.”
I shake my head, amused. “Fair enough.”
“Just…” Beck glances back at the paper for the third time. “Maybe just try not ruin her self-esteem entirely?”
I frown. “I don’t ruin self-esteems.” He gives me a look, and I sigh. “Okay, yeah. Fine. I’ll try not to traumatize her.”
“Good, but…” He leans forward, hands laced. “Seriously, what’s your read on her?”
I pause before I speak because I want to answer with words that won’t sound like a fucking HR violation. “She seems smart and she’s not afraid to push back. She wants something. I haven’t figured out what yet, but I like it—even if it’s just a paycheck.”
Beck nods, then smirks. “Huh, seems different than the last one.”
“The last one was a pathological liar,” I remind him.
“That’s a honed skill in our line of work.” He winks.
I grab the resume and tuck it back into the folder.
He stands, stretches, and heads for the door. “Let me know if you want to get drinks later.”
The door swings closed behind him, and I lean back in my chair, my eyes drifting to the window. Somewhere out there, Maddy Williams is probably freaking out right now about getting this job.
Which is fucking perfect. That’s exactly where I want her.
Chapter 6
Maddy
“Hi, I’m Maddy,” I mutter under my breath. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Yes, I’msoexcited to join the team.” I cringe inwardly at my own rehearsal, my nerves frayed before I even step through the door.
I came on strong with Adrian Frank, my stupidly hot boss.
And now, I have toactuallylive up to those standards.
I have no freaking clue what came over me when I acted the way I did in his office. He gave off this vibe that made me feel like I had to put on a show.
Now I’mcompletelyout of my element. I don’t know how I’m going to do this every single day.
I stop outside the front of Modern Edge Development, just to the left of the main doors. I run my hands over the navy-colored pantsuit I borrowed from Riley. It’s not something I would usually wear, but it’s made by some Italian designer, and I want to make a good first impression.
