“Hey Nick- Hannah Martins is here for your 1 o’clock.” Without glancing at the door I waved Thomas off, choosing instead to frown as I scrolled through my e-mails. Two of my transplants were late, still gathering up their families and belongings. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t mind the delay; they were just assistants, after all. They’d also been recent deciders, and I knew it’d take a bit more effort than usual.

Everyone else was already here, and the offices were finally ready to be used.

A soft knock pulled my attention, forcing me from my computer screen to find Hannah standing in the doorway. Her hair was pulled back into a cradle net, freeing her face to show off that smile that never seemed to leave her. Crisp, starched clothes hugged her frame, and I contemplated how such a professional looking woman and a stripper could be the same.

“Come in.” Glancing over her, I couldn’t help but frown at the slight awkwardness that radiated from her. Hannah’s round features were slightly pink, and she adjusted her portfolio under her arm in what I recognized as a nervous gesture. “Have a seat.”

“I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Dunn. I know I didn’t make the best impression initially, so…” Trailing off as she sat herself opposite me, Hannah blushed bright red, and my eyes narrowed. “If you don’t mind my saying, I was surprised you called me for an interview.”

“You shouldn’t be. You were glowingly recommended even more than the others in your program. Coupled with James’ character reference, it would be a stupid idea not to at least talk to you, Hannah.” I could still hear my brother’s uncharacteristically colorful voice as he spoke about Hannah, and if possible, she turned even brighter. Cocking my head, I watched her purse her lips together as a crease appeared between her brows. “Before we begin, I’m going to give you a piece of advice I hope you’ll take to heart. Don’t get more involved with James. It won’t end well, whether your job opportunities suffer because of your connection to him, or because this infatuation you two seem to have fades. I won’t let it interfere with business, understand?”

The shock that rippled across Hannah’s face was all the confirmation I needed, and she nodded dumbly before I held out my hand. Her mind might’ve been a bit lashed, but hours of prep came through for her as she passed me for portfolio. Slowly the color drained from her cheeks, and I opened the hardcover folder to glanced down as she cleared her throat.

“I’ll take it to heart, Mr. Dunn… Erh- so-… Is it a problem…?” Hannah spoke slowly, confusion lacing her voice, and I shook my head as I flipped past her cover letter.

“Not at the moment, but the minute it does become a problem- if I hire you- I’ll fire you.” Even as the threat passed my lips it left a sour taste on my tongue, and I skimmed through Hannah’s business assessments in the growing silence. By all accounts she was a logical, rational thinker without much experience otherwise; it was why she always smiled. She didn’t know how to act otherwise.

James’ little tirade about her father and his discharge from the Marines had given me more than what I needed to know to craft that theory. It gave me hope that she could properly separate work and pleasure, and if not, she’d end up like Nash. Not that that’s a bad thing. Hell, she could give him a run for his money, no doubt.

“I promise it won’t become a problem. And I also quit being a burlesque dancer-“ My eyebrows shot up at that, and I tore my gaze off the page to watch Hannah smile brightly. “I paid off my loans last weekend. I know you have a very high standard for your company, so I made sure to finish up as soon as possible after meeting you.”

“Was this before or after you two started having sex?” Posing my question, I waited patiently for an answer I already knew. Hannah’s expression flattened out, her smile dimming to a slight curve, and I set her portfolio down to rub my palms together. “Don’t give credit where it isn’t due, Hannah. You said you had 8 grand left- there’s no way you made that in a weekend. Maybe if you went to New York on the right night.”

“I didn’t-“ Raising my hand to cut Hannah off, I pushed myself from my office chair to round my desk. The glass was smooth, thick, and I leaned on it lightly to cross my arms over my chest.

“Don’t give credit where it isn’t due. It’ll drag you down, just like it is right now. Whatever James does with his money is his decision, and you shouldn’t feel guilty for a little help. You need to accept that gifts are given freely. In this business, it’s not uncommon to receive bonuses for good work. Are you going to tell someone ‘no’ because you don’t agree with their decisions?” Hannah didn’t have a response for that, and I sighed heavily as she fixed a discouraged smile between her cheeks. “Listen- I’m not going to rag on you about it, but you tell someone you don’t want a bonus or a gift, and they’ll drop you. They’ll go to someone else that’s more open, even if he or she isn’t as good. When someone gives you something, you accept it without hesitation, understand? Whether it’s money, a car, a bonus, or a trip- the people we deal with know exactly what they’re giving away and why. Declining is insulting, and for people with such big egos, insulting is worse than murder.”

And this is why I was hesitant to work with college kids. Hannah was a perfect example of inexperience. She had the technical aspect down to a T, but everything else was rough. Watching her wrestle with what I had said, I reached to rub my cheek in thought. If she was a stripper, why is she so bad at being personable?

“Okay… do you have any other advice for me?” Cocking my head, I pondered the question for a moment before shaking my head. Information dumps were dangerous, and I didn’t want to push Hannah more than I already had. In a single minute I’d told her I knew she was screwing my brother, I thought she was terrible with people, and there was a lot more than numbers to this game.

The rest could wait.

“You’ll get it, eventually. Have you had lunch yet?” My stomach twisted in denial, and I didn’t wait for Hannah to reply before straightening from my desk. “Come on, I’ll treat you.”

“Oh, no! That’s okay. I-“ Slowly furrowing my brows at her protest, I pursed my lips together at her deer in the headlights look before she shook her head. “I mean- sure. Thank you.”

Grabbing my phone, I made my way to William’s contact information to call him as I left my office. Hannah lagged behind, and when she caught up, her portfolio was safely under her arm again. Listening to the line ring a few times, I almost hung up before being answered.

“Hello?” Blinking at the feminine voice, I cleared the surprise from my throat before opening my mouth. William had been single for so many years it was hard to remember that he wasn’t anymore.

“Hey, is William around? Do you two want to come to lunch?” Despite the fact that I knew William and I had some business to talk about, my main reason for asking was far off the mark. I didn’t want Hannah to get uncomfortable about going to lunch with the brother of the man she was involved with. Across the line, I heard shuffling and indistinct words, and I glanced at the woman following me out of the corner of my eye.

“Sure. Where do you want to meet?”

Rattling off a place William liked to go, I hung up to jab my thumb against the elevator button. I liked Risha- she was smart, sassy, and she had a kink streak nearly as wide as William’s. The whole situation surrounding them was hilarious, too- that helped quite a bit.

When I pulled onto the curb of the restaurant William’s car was already parked a few slots in front of me, and I pulled my keys from the ignition to turn to Hannah. She looked uncomfortable, noticeably so, and a frown tugged at the edges of my mouth. My guess was that she didn’t date much, and if she did she didn’t interact with the family.

Yet another red check.

“You can relax, you know.” I couldn’t figure Hannah out, and that was disturbing. Nothing irritated me as much as hidden agendas, no matter how meek. Across the center console Hannah smiled some more, but there were strain lines around her mouth even before she spoke up.

“I’m fine.” Bullshit. Hannah was a terrible liar, but I kept my mouth shut as I popped open the driver’s side door. Locking my car, I slipped my keys into my pocket on the way to the sidewalk as she waited patiently. Her pants suit didn’t look like it did anything to keep out the nipping cold, but I shrugged it off to head for the restaurant.

Easily spotting William and Risha, I made my way over to their booth with steady strides, and my chest warmed at seeing a familiar face. His beard had been trimmed since we last saw each other a week ago, and I grinned as he pushed himself up to shake my hand.

“There he is. Congratulations on launching your firm, Nick. This is Risha.” As my eyes went to Risha, William’s trailed off to stare at Hannah. His expression gave nothing away despite its pleasantness, and I only managed to shake Risha’s hand before he spoke up again. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Hannah. I didn’t properly introduce myself at your school, but I’m William Holden. This is my girlfriend, Risha.”

“We know each other…” Hannah’s response drew my gaze, and I arched a brow as her smile widened. “We were burlesque dancers at the same clubs for a few years. I haven’t seen you since you started working at that lawyer’s office, though.”

“It’s nice to see you haven’t changed, Hannah.” Sharing a surprised look with William, I pursed my lips together as he nodded firmly. Our wordless conversation took a single second, and he broke the ensuing silence with a rough clearing of his throat.

“Hannah, let’s go to the bar and order drinks. I’ll give you a rundown of the menu here.”

Sliding into the booth as William and Hannah walked off, I rubbed my cheek as I wondered the best way to start this conversation. Risha simply watched me, her eyes sparkling with a sharp intelligence that told me she knew why they’d left.

“I need to know if hiring her is a good idea.” There was no delicate way to ease into this topic, and Risha arched an eyebrow at my declaration. Clasping my hands together, I let out a breath through my nose before opening my mouth. “I can’t get a good read on her, and no one seems to be able to give me a solid view.”

“Hannah is the kind of person you can’t dislike. It’s no wonder you’re unsure, Nick. She’s a good girl, but she doesn’t have any friends, and her family shunned her for being a stripper. Basically, she has no social skills. I think she’d be a great employee, but anything beyond that- I’m not so sure… I heard she was dating your brother, so maybe he can help get her a bit more aware. He’s a combat vet, right? Maybe it’ll be the smack in the face she needs.” Groaning lowly, I leaned back in the booth to glance around. William and Hannah stood at the bar, talking about something I couldn’t hear across the room, and I mulled over what Risha had revealed.

Hannah made a little more sense now, at least. She was superficial.