Chapter 8

• “I’m not…sounds kinda—”
• “Kinda strange, right? Really, what it means is that I’m Jason’s personal assistant about more things than only office-related stuff. Kind of a ‘Jane of all trades.’ I help him manage his schedule, take care of the house, and essentially make sure everything in his life runs as smoothly as possible.”
• “So, you’re with him all the time?”
• “Within reason. I stay at the house every now and then, and I’m on-call all day.”
• “That’s not too demanding?”
• She smiled. “Well, Jason’s a very demanding man.”
• The expression on her face…I couldn’t really make out. It was almost dreamy, like she thought about him in more than a professional sense. Did Shauna and him have a thing?
• Was I really thinking about Jason in that way? I mean, sure he was totally hot. But a tinge of jealousy ran through me at the idea of Shauna being with Jason like that. I made a quick, silent vow to push that sort of nonsense out of my head. After all, I had two jobs to worry about.
• “How’s the coffee?”
• I took a sip, my eyes going wide at how good it was. “It’s amazing.”
• “Only the best for Jason. I handle groceries and all that here too, so nothing goes into his body without my say-so.”
• Strange way to phrase it, but OK.
• Shauna folded her hands on the counter and regarded me with an expression that was friendly and intense at the same time.
• “So,” she said. “You’re probably wondering what it’s like to work for him, right?”
• “I am. I mean, I’ve worked for some rich people here in the city, but…”
• “None like him. And you’re right to think working for Jason is unlike any job you’ve had before.”
• “Is that right?”
• “It is. But…I can’t really go into it. Just remember that a man like him is used to getting what he wants. That means the whole thing with him saying ‘jump’ and you asking ‘how high.’”
• “Believe me, I’m used to rich clients demanding that sort of thing.”
• “Good. Then you’ll go far here.” She smiled, this time in a way that was almost… fangirlish. Like the kind of smile you’d expect on a teenage girl talking about her favorite Jonas Brother. “And, of course, you’ve noticed how hot he is.”
• My face went a deep shade of red. “Um, what?”
• She cocked her head to the side. “April, you had to notice the second you saw him that he’s probably the hottest billionaire on the planet.”
• “I mean, he’s pretty good-looking, I guess.”
• “‘I guess.’ Those blue eyes, that blond hair…come on, you have to admit he’s a stud.”
• This, I hadn’t been expecting. I found myself wondering if it was some kind of trick, like she might’ve been trying to get me to admit something unprofessional.
• Don’t be so paranoid. She’s being nice, trying to act friendly. Lord knows you could use a few friends in this town.
• “OK, he’s really hot,” I said. “But I try not to think about that. I mean, he’s my boss.”
• “Sure, and he’s mine too. Doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to notice things though, right?”
• I glanced around, almost worried that Jason might be hiding behind the corner listening in.
• “He probably goes on tons of dates, I bet,” I said. “Rich, good-looking guy like him—he can probably have whatever woman he wants.”
• She shook her head. “Nope. He’ll go out every now and then with some babe on his arm, but you never see them after that. You’re right that he could have whoever he wants, but he’s not about dating around. His life’s his work and Willa, and that’s it. Sometimes…”
• Now I was curious. I’d only just met Shauna, sure, but she seemed to know the ins and outs of Jason. If I could get some clue as to what he was like, it might give me a leg up.
• “Sometimes what?”
• “I don’t want to speak out of turn here, but sometimes I wonder if after what happened to his wife, he just decided to give up dating.”
• “What happened?”
• “Such a sad story. I don’t want to get into it—that’s Jason’s business—but he was married. Lost his wife in…a tragedy. It wasn’t long after Willa was born. This was before I knew him, but I can’t imagine being the same person after something like that.”
• A tragedy. What kind of tragedy? I was curious as hell, of course, but I wasn’t about to pry more than I already had. But my curiosity was piqued.
• “Anyway,” she said. “Spilled too much already.” Before she could go on any further, her eyes went wide as her phone buzzed in her pocket. Shauna took it out and checked the screen. “OK, he’s ready for you now.”
• She took one more sip of her coffee before rising from her seat.
• “Come on—he’s in his office.”
• We left the kitchen and went back into the entry hall, Shauna leading me up the spiral stairs to the third floor.
• “I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”
• “You’re right about that.”
• “I’ll be around if you do. Jason can be…a hard man to know. He’s serious-minded, totally focused on Willa and his work—in that order. You have anything you want to know about how this place works, just shoot me a text.”
• I took out my phone, and she gave me her number.
• “Or if you just want to get some happy hour drinks on a night when you’re off the clock, I’m always down for that too.” Another flash of a smile.
• “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
• “My pleasure.”