Page 53 of All the Ugly Things
She tapped her pen repeatedly and looked my way before sliding her gaze toward the windows. “I had an uncle who was a general contractor. My mom’s brother. He kept stacks of books of floor plans lying around. They didn’t have any kids, so when we went to his house, which wasn’t often, I flipped through them.”
She shrugged and went back to the stack.
I abandoned my statue-like hold and made my way to my dad.
We had the perfect place for her.
Taking my dad’s folder, I started at the back, worked my way to the front.
“Here.” I flicked it like a Frisbee in her direction.
Her hand slapped down on the paper before it slid into her lap. Brows dug in close to each other, doe eyes narrowed with intensity.
“This is too much. I’m not qualified.”
“Something to work up to. We can put a paid intern anywhere.”
My dad reached for the paper. “May I?”
She handed it back to him and dug through the papers in front of her to find her own copy.
I already knew what he’d see, so I wasn’t surprised when he twisted his neck and faced me.
I shrugged. “It’s an assistant job. Entry level. Don’t know how much schooling you have left, but if you’re close, you can always pick up some of the courses so that when you graduate, you have more knowledge. Plus, everything you’d learn here.”
“In the design and building department.” Her voice lightened, almost hopeful.
“If you enjoyed floor plans, if your mind ever wandered to what that home would look like when it’s completed. If you ever imagined the cabinets and woodwork and what kind of home it would be after construction was complete, then yes, I’d say you’d do great here.”
It was just an administrative assistant position. She’d spend more time answering phones but she’d report to our VP of Design. Miles Pratt was a fair man and father to five. Hell, if he got to know Lilly, he’d probably fight Dad for the status of her new father-like figure.
“It seems too much.”
“Because you can’t handle it or because you don’t think you deserve it?”
That hit a mark I probably shouldn’t have aimed for and all kindness was replaced with hard lines and venom. I was getting used to it. She shut down when I pushed buttons. Too bad I couldn’t stop. Flames from her eyes only drew me to her more.
“Has Dad mentioned our benefits?”
“No. Why?”
“Because we also reimburse education, if you’d choose to turn a two-year degree into four, we reimburse up to seventy-five percent depending on your GPA.”
Her eyes widened in surprise before she remembered I’d pissed her off.
She turned to my dad and went back to ignoring me, acting like I hadn’t spoken at all.
“I need some time to fully consider. I can call you?”
“That’s fine, Lilly. No hurry.”
She gave him her thanks, stood, and left without a word or glance at me.
Fine by me. I grinned, watching her hasty retreat, knowing she kept the job I suggested on top of her stack.
* * *
I wasn’t expectinga ticker-tape parade and for Lilly to welcome me with excitement and an enormous smile when I strolled into Judith’s later that night. If I were a betting man, it was more likely I’d have knives thrown at me, possibly dinner plates flung at my head. The most likely chance was Lilly would see me and sic Chaz on me. All risks I was willing to take. After the way she looked earlier and what I witnessed the last time I was here, there was no way in hell, tonight of all nights, I was leaving her alone to fight it for herself.
