Four

LILAH

I’m on my second cup of ice chips in an hour.

Andrew Knight left after slipping me his card and instructing me to give him a call if I ever felt the urge.

For any reason. At any time. Night or day.

I can’t believe those were his exact words!

Then he just got up and left, leaving me to stare at him openmouthed as he retraced his steps back to the front of the building.

Holy moly, that man is trouble.

A rush of heat warms my face when I think about how sex-starved and unprofessional I must have appeared. Tilting the cup at my lips, I replenish the ice that’s melted on my tongue.

The real kicker is that I suspect he’s related to my new boss, Edward Knight. I’m just not sure how yet. There’s no way that two men in this small ass town can have the same last name with matching astronomical wealth and not be related.

I’m still crunching away at the ice when there’s a light tap on my office door.

My eyes dart to the door and there stands the boss I was just thinking about. It’s like my thoughts conjured him up.

“Hi Mr. Knight, come in,” I smile politely, shoving the cup away from me as he waltzes in.

He doesn’t return my smile or warm greeting as he takes a seat in the chair that was vacated by the other Mr. Knight only an hour ago.

Automatically, I start searching for similarities between him and Andrew. But I come up short. They couldn’t be more different. Both in demeanor and physical appearance.

This Mr. Knight is most definitely not hot in any way. He and Andrew seem like polar opposites.

Edward’s wearing a slate-gray tailored suit with shiny shoes and dazzling cufflinks. The ensemble alone probably costs more than I earn in a year.

“I heard you had a walk-in client today,” he says, not beating around the bush.

“Yes, I was just going to email you about that,” I tell him. “I think the meeting went well. I provided him a breakdown of our services and he told me that he’d be in touch.”

“You mean he didn’t sign with you today?”

His tone is cold and a wave of dissatisfaction covers his face.

Shit.

“No, but I—” I start only for my words to be cut off.

“Ms. Tucker, because you’re here temporarily, your client base will be very small and it is your job to build it while you’re here. Since I am sending you the leads, it’s absolutely imperative that you land the people who show up. Do you understand?”

I don’t appreciate the condescending tinge to his words, but keep my displeasure concealed.

With a simple nod, I convey that I understand and he starts talking again.

“Good. Knight is a lucrative catch. Review the training materials I provided and rethink your strategy for landing him.”

“Yes, sir,” I answer dutifully, even though all I want to do is roll my eyes and fire off a litany of dirty insults.

“Do whatever it takes,” he says sternly. He rises from the chair and buttons his suit jacket. “Call me when it’s done.”

He leaves and I’m left alone in my office. I snatch up the cup of ice chips again but for a different reason this time. I no longer need to ease my sexual frustration because that’s the last thing I feel after that short exchange.

I hate being scolded but I have to remember the reason I agreed to this summer “apprenticeship” in the first place.

Simply put, the money will help make my dreams come true.

Nine months out of the year, I teach at a private elementary school not too far from this very office.

The salary is good, all things considered. However, I’m on the verge of bankruptcy because most of my cash is tied up in a project I’ve been trying to get off the ground for months now.

In the last four years, I’ve built an educational resource from scratch to help teachers provide special-needs students with the tools they need to succeed in the classroom.

I’ve poured my heart and soul into this project for years, determined to share my passion with the world. But it just hasn’t happened the way I planned.

Even with my extensive professional network and the small business loan from the bank, I still hit a break wall when it came to distribution.

The capital needed upfront is just something I haven’t been able to accumulate on my own.

So, I set my pride aside as school was winding down and began contacting some of the wealthiest people in my network. Asking for donations from wealthy people was humbling enough but the amount of no’s I received was soul crushing.

It was naïve of me to assume that everyone would jump on board once they heard it would benefit kids. Their faces showed no emotion when they rejected me and wished me the best of luck.

That is until I came across Edward Knight. Feeling dejected, I emailed him on a whim after receiving his contact information from a friend of a friend.

He’d been the only one willing to help me. But of course that help came with conditions.

Edward made it clear that he wanted me to “work for it,” essentially. If I could get through a three-month apprenticeship at Castle, he would fork up a quarter-million dollars for my project, Thriving Together, at the end of the summer.

And I can see right now that every penny will be hard-fought.

Cooling down from our brief meeting, I reach for my phone and view the picture serving as my lock screen.

It’s a classroom full of grinning kindergarteners. They’re beaming brighter than the paint splattered across some of their cheeks and clothes.

A smile touches my lips as I remember the day vividly. Each student had covered their hands with different colored paint before leaving their handprints on a huge puzzle piece. The project was to show our solidarity with students from all walks of life and all ability levels. While the artwork dried, the kids made a video stating why they believed all their friends deserved equal respect and treatment in the classroom.

It is a day I will remember forever. Such pure souls united for a cause near and dear to my heart.

The principal even displayed the artwork at the front of the school during Autism Awareness month. Nothing had been able to wipe away the proud smiles on my students’ faces when they passed it every morning.

My heart swells as the memory blankets me in the same warm fuzzies I felt at the time.

This is why I’m here.

The reminder is necessary and I’ll chant it like a mantra if it gets me through this summer with Edward Knight as my boss.

Still, I think a drink and some girl chat will do wonders to help me recover from the crazy whirlwind that today has been.

Swiping upward, I unlock my phone and text my best friend, Charli.

Crazy day. Up for happy hour and snacks at Banana Boat?

I know the mere mention of food will sway her in the right direction.

A few minutes later, I’m clicking through emails when my phone buzzes.

You know I’m in! What time? NOW?! Can’t wait to see your gorgeous face xo

Smiling, I send a reply and get back to work. Charli’s company will lift my spirits in a heartbeat and I can’t wait to get her take on my current dilemma.

With something to look forward to, the rest of my day passes quickly. When five o’clock rolls around, I can’t get out of there fast enough.

Time to unwind.