Page 12 of On The Edge

“We’ve already taken care of that for you.”

I think both Cruz’s and my head whip up simultaneously.

Genesee does that? What the hell? How did I not know that? Since when have we become an escort agency?

Cruz snorts. “That’s funny.”

Kevin’s hands clasp in front of him as he meets the eyes of everyone else around the table before landing back on Cruz. “No one seems to be laughing.”

Cruz gives a desperate look toward Lennox who simply meets his gaze and nods in approval.

“I don’t—”

“Here are the three candidates we’ve selected for you,” Kevin says and pushes the three red folders he was holding earlier across the table.

Cruz skeptically eyes the solid red covers with the small Polaroids paper-clipped to the top of each before pressing his broad hands across the three of them and pushing them back toward the center of the table.

There’s no way he could have looked closely enough at all of the images to make a decision that quickly.

“Her,” he says, pointing to me and meeting my eyes.

What the what?

I open my mouth and then close it. This is a joke, right? I glance around the room to see if there are smiles cracking on everyone’s lips and fingers pointing my way, but I’m met with nothing but uncomfortable stoicism.

No one knew I’d be sitting in on this meeting. Not even me. But now Cruz is motioning my way like he actually means me.

That’s funny. I might even snort but the way heads slowly swivel my way, I can’t.

“What?” Kevin looks over his shoulder at me, confusion etched in the lines of his face much like mine has to be.

“Her. The wallflower. That’s who I want to be my girlfriend.”

The wallflower? I look over my shoulder, forgetting that there is an actual wall there so he has to be talking about me.

“You mean . . . Maddix?” Kevin asks, completely dumbfounded.

“Maddix. Yes,” Cruz says, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. “Her.”

“But I don’t—” Kevin holds up his hand to stop my comment, but I keep going. “This is absurd.”

Kevin looks me up and down as the entire room weighs heavily with the moment. Chairs creak as people shift to look my way, but there are no papers shuffling or nails clicking on keyboards. It’s silent but for the anticipation of his response.

My cheeks heat and I swear a bead of sweat trickles down the line of my spine despite the air conditioner blasting in the room.

There’s no way they can be serious. Cruz for saying it. Kevin for remotely considering it.

I draw in a slow, even breath under the room’s scrutiny.

“I’m flattered, but I’m not—”

“Fine,” Kevin says with a resolute nod. He barely meets my eyes before turning back toward Cruz. “That’ll work perfectly.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Maddix

“This turned out even better than I anticipated,” Kevin rambles as I practically jog a few steps to catch up with him, my mind swirling and disbelief mounting.