While her nerves had never settled after months of interviews, at least the questions came naturally.Why are you a good fit? Why this job? Tell me about a time when a client used up every last ounce of patience you possessed in your body, and how did you avoid murdering them?
But despite the voices whispering in her head that this would be another disappointment, deep down, Lily knew she was the perfect fit. This job was meant for her.
In seeking to stay relevant with the times as well as advertise upcoming events, the gym needed a social media manager. Lily’s degree was in business and marketing.
They wanted someone who knew their way around a gym. She’d played softball for all four years of undergrad on her university’s team. She knew all about conditioning and weight training.
They wanted someone relatable, someone who knew the trends and could command attention. With dark hair, pouty lips and blue eyes, she’d been given attention her whole life—sometimes too much. And with over fifty thousand followers on her personal account, it was safe to say she knew her way around social media.
When the required questions were finished, Neal reclined in his seat and set her résumé atop his pile of papers. “I won’t lie, Miss Parker. You look great on paper. But I do wonder how you’ll fit in here. We’re like family. I’ve got kids on the MMA team now whose parents I coached when they wereteens. Everyone who lives here, their parents and grandparents and so on lived here. Most folks wanna be in the suburbs or up past the river.” He shrugged and folded his hands over his abdomen. “It costs a small business a lot in hiring and training. I have to wonder if you’re planning to stick around.”
Now, wasn’t that the question of the hour? “I have six months left on my apartment lease, if that makes you feel any better.”
When Neal didn’t crack a smile, Lily swallowed and dug her heels against the floor—halting the jitter in her knees. Wetting her lips, she tried again. “I’ve been looking for community ever since I graduated and lost that connection I had with my team. I’ve enjoyed my time in Chicago so far, and I don’t have any intentions of leaving. I mean to make a home here.”
More home than she’d ever had in Joliet or Custer Park.
“As for the gym, I’ve always seen myself ending up in fitness. When I was a kid playing sports, even up through college, it felt right. The thing that draws kids into team sports, that makes their teammates and coaches like family, is the encouragement and community. That’s what I would put at the heart of promoting your gym. We need to show them South Side MMA is a place where they can find inspiration and camaraderie. This isn’t just another cold, posh gym rooted in silence and rugged individualism. If they’re looking to train, or learn MMA, or take self-defense, they won’t be alone.”
Neal leaned forward in his office chair and crossed his arms on the desk with an easy smile. “Well, when you put it like that, when can you start?”
With waves and promises to return with everything she needed for I-9 paperwork, Lily slipped from the office and into the hall. She gripped the doorknob, only letting the handle silently click into place once the door was firmly shut.
Some habits were harder to break than others.
With one hand covering her erratic heart and the other clutching the strap of her purse, Lily strode down the hall. As soon as she got to the L, she’d call Natalia and tell her the good news. A full-time job! A full-time jobwithbenefits. This called for drinks. No, better than drinks—this called for a bed frame. No more mattress on the floor.
Maybe Nat or Alex will be free for some shopping tomorrow.
She walked in a daze, her mind a million miles ahead of her feet. Nothing broke through her reverie, until something very real, and very small, crashed into her knees. Lily stumbled back a step and caught herself against the wall before she and the tiny human wrapping itself around her legs could stumble to the floor. Her hearing tuned back in with the toddler’s giggles still echoing along the hallway. And behind it—
“I’m gonna catch you, Saoirse!” Sullivan skidded around the corner, mischief in his eyes and a wild smile on his face.
Was this the same man who’d given Lily the cold shoulder in Neal’s office?
The little girl shrieked with joy and hid behind Lily’s legs, as if her giggles wouldn’t give her away.
Sullivan straightened and slowed, his half jog turning to half steps when his gaze landed on Lily. His attention flicked down toward the child, and he winced. “Shit.”
What? Lily frowned. She didn’t mind kids, and it wasn’t like she had any germs to pass on. Her gaze followed his and—
Oh, no.Peanut butter. There was peanut butter everywhere. Smeared from Saoirse’s hands and face right onto Lily’s dark skirt. Heronlyskirt.
“Shoot.” Lily forced a smile on her lips for the little girl’s sake. “Excuse me, sweetie.” She extricated herself from the toddler’s grasp and twisted, searching for a finish line to the destruction. There was no end in sight. It circled all around her skirt, just as the child had.
“It’s ruined.” Dismay colored her voice. At least she’d already secured the job, but dammit, it was a nice skirt.
“Here.” Sullivan swooped in and grabbed the little girl by one wrist, guiding her away from Lily. “I have wet wipes.”
“How is that supposed to help?” Embarrassment flamed her cheeks, but she snatched the package of wipes, anyway. Taking a handful, she scrubbed at the largest of the smears. “Why do you have your kid with you at work, anyway?”
The man shot her a glare and wiped the little girl’s sticky fingers clear of the tan goo. “She’s my niece, and we have a day care on-site for employees and members. If you’re gonna work here, forget the stupid suit and get used to kids.”
What the hell was his problem? “Lots of jobs occasionally require business attire. I’m sure this is no different.”
“This is an MMA gym. You could have shown up in a tank top and bike shorts—the job was yours either way.”
Lily’s brows furrowed, and she balled the soiled wipes into her fist. “Excuse me?”
