Chapter 18
Adalyn
Falling down on my back, flushed and out of breath, I couldn’t quit giggling. This was the most fun I’d had in ages. We’d been playing video games, jumping on trampolines, climbing rock walls and even played a full game of mini golf.
“I want to live here. Can I live here?” I asked, turning to smile at Ian who was laying next to me, not nearly as winded as I was.
“Ugh, why are you not as sweaty as me? You’re barely winded,” I teased, lightly punching his arm as I propped myself up on my elbow.
“I work out five days a week, plus I play in here a lot. You’d be surprised how in shape playing with toys all the time will make you.” I hadn’t laughed this much in my life. I really never wanted to leave. It had been the most amazing day.
I propped my head up in my hand, and really, truly looked at Ian for the first time. No assumptions or pre-judgments blocking my vision. Not looking for the worst, trying to find everything wrong with him that I could. Just looking at him, taking in what was before me. He really was beautiful.
Nodding at his shirt, I asked, “So what’s the deal with the t-shirt? Do you always wear your nerd clothes under your suit?”
He laughed and looked down at it. “When I was changing so much of myself, I was worried I would lose myself entirely and never be able to get it back. So yes, I always wear my ‘nerd shirts’ under my dress clothes. Even though no one can see it, I know they’re there. It keeps me grounded, in a way.”
“That’s a shame, Kent.”
“What is?” He looked at me questioningly.
“That you have to keep the best part of you hidden.”
“My t-shirts?” He asked, laughing. “Most women think the best part of me is my handsome face and muscular body.” His teasing wink made me grin.
“I’m not saying your good looks aren’t a good quality to have, but they aren’t your best feature. And sure, you have other things going for you too. You are smart, successful, charming. With everything I’ve found out about you today, it wouldn’t surprise me to find you have superpowers, too. Can you fly, Kent? What else don’t I know?”
“Why do you keep calling me Kent?”
“Seriously? You literally removed a suit to reveal a Superman shirt.”
“Oh. So, like Clark Kent?”
“You know, for such a smart guy you’re kind of dense,” I laughed teasingly.
Suddenly he was on his feet and running out the door. I sat up, debating if I was supposed to follow him. Why had he ran out? Before I could decide what to do, he ran back in the room, wearing black, thick rimmed glasses. He came to a halt in front of me and puffed out his chest, putting his fists on his sides.
I was laughing hysterically. “Oh my gosh,” I said trying to catch my breath between laughs. “You seriously are Clark Kent!”
He scooped me up in his arms and carried me towards the door. “Come on, Miss Lane. We have a job proposal to discuss.”
And for the first time in five years, it didn’t terrify me being held this way. It felt…perfect.
Ian sat me down in a chair in front of his desk. His office was a lot more formal in comparison to the rest of what I’d seen, but it was still in keeping with the theme of the place.
“I don’t really do a lot of the business side of things in here. The next level down is where the formal business is conducted. If a client wants a meeting, if proposals need to be made, that all happens down there. I don’t like to mix the business side of things with what we actually do,” he said as he sat down behind his desk.
His desk was littered with trinkets. Bobble heads and figurines, rubix cubes, and a few pictures of him with celebrities.
“Is this Leonard Nemoy?”
His cheeks flushed and the most adorable smile appeared. “Yeah, I met him last year at a comic book convention. We all go as a team to a lot of those types of events. Some of the most creative minds work in the entertainment industry. There is a lot to be learned from them. I guess you’ll find out soon enough that we’re all just a bunch of nerds, but we have a good time.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. I’m no trekkie, but I’m a huge Big Bang Theory fan. I kind of have a thing for nerds,” I said with a shrug, placing the frame back on his desk. When I looked up at him he had one eyebrow raised in question. “What? Smart guys are hot, and I appreciate passion. ‘Nerds’ get a bad rap because a lot of what they are passionate about isn’t considered trendy, but I think it’s cool. You know, the definition of a ‘nerd’ is ‘a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious.’ I don’t think that definition holds true any more, they really should change it. Being a nerd shouldn’t be an insult. I think loving something that doesn’t make you ‘popular’ is brave. I wish I had something I was that passionate about, even if it was just a TV series or something. I guess I admire that in people. The devotion aspect of it all. People are just intimidated by those who are smarter and more confident in themselves. I mean, yeah, it seems like ‘nerds’ don’t have social skills, but it’s only because they know people are assholes so they avoid them. But they really don’t care. If they did, they would stop liking all the things they do and start trying to fit in like the rest of the superficial, shallow idiots in the world. So I don’t know…’nerds’ are kinda awesome.”
It was my turn to blush when I saw the look he was giving me when I finally stopped ranting. I looked away immediately, trying to convince myself that he wasn’t looking at me like he wanted to leap across his desk and devour me.
He cleared his throat and sat up straighter, folding his hands together on top of his desk. “We can work out the exact details of your position on Monday. I’ll need to give my lawyers a few days to draw up the contracts. As I told you before, normally we have all of that taken care of before we ever offer someone the position, so we are working a little out of order here. I just need to know what you are looking for in terms of compensation.”
“Oh, well, I don’t know. I mean, I’m just grateful to have a job. Especially somewhere as amazing as this. I don’t need much to get by and I’m not really in a place to be making demands. If I can manage to get enough money in my bank account to replace my phone and buy some groceries then that’s about all I’ll need. So, really, just whatever you think I’m qualified to earn here I guess. I still don’t even know what I’ll be doing here, or what I even have to offer. Unless you really want me to scrub the toilets. Which, honestly, at this point I would do,” I shrugged, and fidgeted with my hands. I’d been rambling nervously and revealing way too much information.
“Oh, well, easy enough then. Starting pay is sixty thousand a year, our employees get paid salary. Also, you won’t need to worry about replacing your phone. The company provides a phone to each of its employees and it can be used for personal use. The account will be paid for but will be in your name. It’s part of your sign-on bonus. When we finalize things on Monday, once the contracts are signed, you’ll get your sign-on bonus of five thousand. So assuming those amounts are adequate, then we can work out the rest of the details on Monday.”
I about fell out of my chair. Holy snacks! That was more money that I’d ever made at any job. Then with the phone and sign-on bonus, I literally didn’t know what to say. I was stunned into silence. Immediately I felt uncomfortable. There was no way I had anything to offer this company that would be worth what he was offering me.
“Wow, Ian, that’s very generous of you but there is no way I can accept all of that. I still don’t know what you have me doing here, but regardless, I can guarantee I’m not qualified for anything that would justify my being paid that much. I…I can’t accept all of that. You should start me off lower. Let me prove myself first.. That way it’s fair.”
“Nonsense, Adalyn. If you are to be an employee here then you will receive the same benefits as everyone else. I’m afraid that’s a deal breaker. I have to say though,” he said with a smirk on his face, “you are the first employee who’s ever asked for a pay decrease. Normally I’d have people trying to negotiate for more, yet before you even start you’re trying to take less. You never cease to amaze me.”
“I do have one stipulation in regards to the job, and it’s non-negotiable.”
“Name it.”
“I can’t work Friday afternoons. Every Friday from noon to four I need off. And I can’t tell you why, you just have to trust it’s important.”
“Done.” I sighed a breath of relief at Ian agreeing to giving me Friday afternoons off.
I still didn’t feel comfortable making that much money, but maybe once I found out more details about what I would be doing it would help. No sense in arguing over it now. If I needed to put my foot down and demand less pay, I could do that on Monday. Only my dumb ass self would be asking for less money. I couldn’t help it though. If I didn’t deserve it, I didn’t want it.