“You’d also get your pick of any room in the house. Or, you could set up in the guesthouse and have your own little housing space. I’ll make a space for you in the garage to put your car, you’d have free rein of the house, whether or not we’re here, and I wouldn’t charge you rent.”
I gawked. “No rent? Why not?”
He took a long pull from his wine. “Because the favor you’d be doing me far surpasses a monetary value like rent. Plus, it’s not like the bills are going to skyrocket with you here.”
My mind swirled with so many things. “What about health insurance? I’ve got a very basic plan through the spa, but it’s almost worthless.”
And he had a quick answer to my question. “Since you’d be living here and I’d be paying for your housing and utilities, I could technically put you on an added plan to mine and Asia’s health insurance policy. That isn’t an issue at all.”
“Would it have coverage for yearly check-ups and stuff like that?”
He nodded. “Dental, vision, ER. It’d be comprehensive medical insurance, and it would be one of the best private plans out there.”
“How much would that be a month? And don’t tell me ‘nothing’ if you’re already not charging me for rent or food or utilities. There has to be something I contribute to.”
He chuckled. “If you insist, your ‘employee’ side would probably be around nine hundred or so a month.”
I tried not to choke on my own tongue. “Fair enough.”
“But, I really don’t mind pay—”
I held up my hand, silencing his words. I had so many things rushing through my head that I wasn’t sure where to begin. For starters, could I really abandon Guadalupe and Yuslan at the spa? I mean, they had given me my start. I owed a lot of my life to the paycheck they afforded me. It almost felt like betraying them, in a way, if I quit and jumped ship. But, on the other hand, my student loans would already be crushing enough. And if I could find a way to make enough money to double-up on those payments and get out of my rundown apartment in the process, they’d be happy for me, right?”
Just throw out a number. What do you have to lose?
So, I went with the first figure that popped into my mind. A figure he probably wouldn’t be able to fulfill.
“If I’m going to be living here—which means I’ll always be on-call—and if my responsibilities don’t stop after a certain time—you know, if Asia has an attack in the middle of the night or something—I’d say eight grand is a fair place to—”
“Done.”
I felt my face pale. “What?”
He held out his hand. “Eight grand a month, paid in halves on the first and the fifteenth, and I’ll foot the bill on whatever has to happen to cut your lease at your place. Deal?”
My eyes fell to his outstretched hand. “I mean, I still have to notify my bosses.”
He wiggled his fingers. “They can’t deny a two-week notice if you really want to put it in.”
I swallowed hard. “And everything we talked about stands?”
He nodded. “You have my word, Eva.”
I knew this was a bad idea. I didn’t need to shake his hand. The spa was safe. The spa was my home. The spa didn’t have beautiful Hollywood men with chiseled abs and tailored pecs walking around with deadly smiles while they slung dick around that made me salivate.
But I watched as my hand gravitated to his before I shook it. “Then, it’s a deal,” I said.
The look of relief that washed over Gavin’s face reinforced the fact that I had made a good decision. I just didn’t know if it was a wise one. And now, I had to go to work tomorrow morning with the intent of speaking with Guadalupe about resigning—a conversation I never thought I’d have after they had embraced me like one of their own.
I dropped his hand. “Actually, can this be a hesitant ‘yes?’”
He grabbed his coffee mug. “Don’t worry; I’m not under the impression that you’re quitting tomorrow.”
“I just—Guadalupe and Yuslan, the owners, are like family to me. I don’t just want to spring this on them. I want to make sure they’re going to be okay with me gone first.”
“Trust me, when it comes to family, I completely understand. I’ll need a solid confirmation by Friday so I can make other arrangements if you don’t want the job. But, take your time up until that point.”
“Thank you, Gavin. For your offer, for even considering such a salary, and for your generosity in general. I feel like just the words aren’t nearly enough.”
