Chapter Four
Harry
The interview process is excruciating and not the way I’d planned on spending Friday. Alice doesn’t mess around when she decides to get something done, and yesterday afternoon she informed us she’d set up interviews already.
I glance at Caleb, who’s slouched in a chair the other side of Alice, with an expression of trapped horror on his face. We’ve been at this all afternoon, and have only seen three applicants. And according to Alice, she has ten on her short list she wants us to vet before the end of next week.
I shift restlessly and then freeze when the current interviewee pins me to the spot with her icy-blue eyes. She smiles, showing acres of gleaming white teeth and flutters her lashes at me. “Is there anything you want to ask me, Harry?”
There’s a weird, breathless note in her voice that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. “No. Alice has it covered.”
“I just wondered, since, if I land the position, we’d be thrown together an awful lot, according to Alice.” She crosses her legs, and her stiletto heels look deadly.
Alice clears her throat and lines up three pens on her desk. “Well, thanks so much for coming in, Georgina. I think we have everything we need. We’ll be in touch soon.”
Georgina treats us all to another blinding smile before rising from her chair and strolling toward the door like she’s on a catwalk. For a couple of seconds, none of us move a muscle, before Alice leaps to her feet and hurries after her. “I’ll, uh, escort you out…”
Caleb lets out a tortured moan. “Do you think Alice would stay if we doubled her salary?”
“I’d fucking triple it.” I’m not joking, but it’s never going to happen. “Who doesn’t like coffee?”
Asking Georgina if she wanted a coffee was my entire contribution to the interview, only to be shot down in flames when she told us, in all seriousness, that she only drank green tea. Fair enough, except she then gave us a lecture on how bad caffeine was for a healthy lifestyle.
I can’t even function without caffeine flooding my veins. I sure as hell don’t want someone in the next office giving me grief every time I take a hit.
Alice returns to the office and lets out a long breath.
“Honestly, you two could at least make an effort. I’m not qualified to do interviews on my own.”
“You’re doing great.” Caleb checks his phone. “Is that the last one for today?”
“Yes.” Alice glares at him before turning to me. “Well? What’s the verdict on Georgina?”
“She’s well qualified.” But no more qualified than Alice, despite having a degree.
“Hmm.” Alice doesn’t look convinced by my reply. “All the applicants I short-listed are well qualified. Can you please stop saying that every time I ask you what you think about them? You’re supposed to be helping me out here.”
“All right.” She asked for it. “I read the ad you put out, and it’s comprehensive. But you missed out a lot, didn’t you?”
“What? No I didn’t.”
“What about all the times you help the guys with their customer skills? I didn’t see you telling any of the applicants you’re our unofficial HR manager.” Shit, until right now it hadn’t even occurred to me that’s what she does, but it’s true. Everyone goes to her when they have a problem, whether it’s work or social related. “Can you honestly tell me they’d be happy to take their problems to Georgina?”
“So, you’re saying she wouldn’t fit in here, because she wears short skirts and has French tips?”
“I don’t care what she wears. She doesn’t fucking like coffee.”
There’s an electric silence for a second before Alice gives a smothered snort of laughter. “Wow, you’re such a snob.”
“Fucking green tea.” Not that I’ve anything against it, since my sister’s into all kinds of herbal infusions, but whatever. “Blitz would grind to a halt if she banned caffeine.”
“I really don’t think she’d try to do that.” For some reason, Alice appears to think it’s hilarious. “Anyway, okay. At least you’ve said something constructive that I can work with.”
“What the fuck.” Caleb leans forward in his chair, his gaze fixed on his phone. “You won’t believe this.” And then he laughs.
“Won’t believe what?” Alice hooks her arm over the back of his chair and peers over his shoulder. “Oh my God.”
She looks up and stares at me in shock. “You’d better check your email, Harry.”
Irritated and not sure why—it definitely has nothing to do with the fact Alice never drapes herself over me the way she does with Caleb—I check the Blitz email account.
“It’s the one from that journalist who did the Steele article,” Caleb says. “You’ll piss yourself.” He laughs again, and this time Alice joins him, which doesn’t help improve my mood at all.
The subject heading screams at me: Congratulations Harry! You’re a Finalist!!!!!
A finalist? What the fuck are they on about?
I open the email and skim the contents.
“I’ve been nominated in their poll as Sexiest Geek of the Year?” I look at the other two as horror crawls along my spine. “Fucking spam.”
“No, it’s totally legit.” Caleb appears to be enjoying this. “I just Googled, and this is the third year they’ve run the contest.”
“I didn’t enter any contest.”
Now Alice is on her laptop, checking out sources. “Apparently, it’s a big thing with their readers. They vote for their favorite interview guest. Wow.” She looks up at me. “No wonder that article was so skewed toward your, um, physical attributes.”
“Should I be outraged here? I was in that interview as well.” Caleb doesn’t sound outraged. He sounds like he’s trying not to bust a gut laughing.
I risk another quick skim, in case I missed something the first time. “They’ve invited me to an awards ceremony next weekend.” I drop my phone on Alice’s desk. No way in hell am I going to anything like that. “Tell them to sod off, Alice.”
“It is short notice,” she concedes. “I’ll tell them you’re otherwise engaged that night.”
“And miss out on all the fun of hordes of girl gamers wanting selfies with you?” My so-called best friend leers at me, and I give him the finger.
“Why don’t you go as my proxy?” I shove my glasses back onto my head.
“No fucking way.” Caleb sprawls back in his chair and contemplates the ceiling. “The thing is…” His voice trails off, but the amusement in his voice has vanished.
“Hmm. Yes,” Alice says, as though she knows exactly what Caleb’s talking about. “I mean I know the piece they did on you was fluffy, but the byline was solid. It was still good publicity.”
“You can’t seriously think this is a good idea.” It’s a disaster waiting to happen.
“Well.” She chews her lip before meeting my gaze. “Steele has this two-pronged approach, which is why it has such broad appeal. I admit I didn’t really research it as well as I should’ve, because the interview was a bit of a shocker, but…” She pauses for dramatic effect. “It certainly didn’t do any harm when it came to Oscar Jarrod’s interest, did it?”
“That’s low.” I sit on the edge of her desk and offer her a mock scowl. The problem is, she’s right. For all we know, that bloody article was the tipping point for him. Oscar Jarrod, besides being a genius, is also a media whore of the highest order.
“This is the kind of publicity Jarrod loves,” Caleb says. “It won’t look good if you don’t turn up.”
Although I doubt my absence at Steele’s annual awards ceremony would sway Oscar Jarrod’s mind about Blitz one way or another, Caleb plants a seed of uncertainty in my mind. “Shit.”
“Looks like you’ll have to drag your tux out of storage.” He grins at me.
“You have a tux?” Alice sounds amazed, not that I blame her. The last time I wore it was five years ago in Paris, when Mum was named European Laureate for her contribution to medical research.
A familiar, dull ache grips my chest. Not going there.
“Doubt it. It probably got thrown out years ago.”
She folds her arms and leans back in her chair as she sweeps her gaze over me. “I can’t even imagine you in a tux.”
“Not much call for it here.” I’ve never been that interested in fashion. Lucas is the one who pays attention to labels and thinks that spending eight hundred quid on a pair of jeans is okay. Not that he needs to buy anything these days with all the sponsorship deals he’s been signing.
“You could always hire one for the night,” Caleb suggests. Helpfully. I give him a black glare, which he ignores. “Does this mean you’re going to accept?”
I’d rather have a root canal. Sans anesthetic. “Do I have a choice?”
“Nah. You’d better write a speech.”
“I’m not giving a bloody speech.”
Alice clicks her mouse a few times before looking up from her laptop. “You will if you win.”
I give a mocking laugh as relief at that reprieve floods through me. “Yeah, and how likely is that?”
“It’s possible. So, if you’re planning to go, Caleb’s right. You should sort out a speech.”
Caleb leans across the desk and eyes whatever’s on Alice’s screen. “And a partner.”
“A what?”
“Unless you want to be mobbed all night by all the girls that voted for you.” Caleb flings Alice a grin, but she doesn’t return it. “Distinct possibility, according to what happened a couple of years ago to the unattached winner.”
He’s jerking my chain, but I still can’t stop myself from stamping around Alice’s desk so I can see what they’re both reading. It’s a gossip piece from the awards night two years ago, and yep. Girls who don’t even look old enough to drink are draped over the winner in every photo, and he looks like he’s in cyber heaven.
“Fuck that.” This is Lucas’s idea of a great night, not mine.
“You should take Mackenzie,” Caleb says. “She’d scare anyone away who got too close to you.”
I don’t think he’s joking, but seriously? “Don’t be an arsehole. I’m not taking my sister.”
“Okay.” Alice leans back. “If you’re going, and you don’t want every girl there trying to dry hump you, you need to think about taking someone with you.”
“Dry hump me?” I have the urge to laugh, which is kind of strange given that the visual she’s flung at me is the stuff of nightmares. “Have you seen who else has been nominated? The chances of me winning are, like, one in six.”
“Your odds are a lot better than that. And in any case, you’ll be mobbed whether you win or not.”
Was that a compliment? I’m not sure, but I like that she thinks it, even if I don’t like the reason why she said it.
“So, I need to find a girl willing to date me for the night.” How the hell am I going to do that?
“I’m sure it won’t be that hard.” She gives me a tight smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “You must know plenty of girls.”
I grunt as the truth of the situation filters through me. Sure, I know loads of women, and most of them work here. It’s possible one of them might agree to accompany me. Another possibility is one of the chicks I met the last time Lucas dragged me to one of his brain-splitting parties. No idea why any of them added their number on my phone, since they were only hanging around me because of my brother’s celebrity status, but they might be interested in a red-carpet event.
Except I don’t want to spend a whole evening with any of them.
“If you don’t want to take Mackenzie,” Caleb says, “see if one of her mates’ll go with you.”
“I’m not that desperate.” There’s nothing wrong with Mackenzie’s friends, but none of them would ever let me forget it if I had to ask for this kind of favor.
There’s only one girl I want to ask.
Well, fuck. I shoot Alice a glance, but she’s focused on her screen as though the article is the most fascinating thing she’s ever seen.
Just fucking ask her.
This is a bad idea. If she says no, I’m going to feel like a right dick. Unless I convince her it’s just a business only thing.
It is just a business only thing, you wanker.
Yeah. Not so much.
“How about it then, Alice?” Jesus, I’m sweating. “You’ll be my partner for the night, won’t you?”
Say yes.
“I—what?” She grips her hands together on her lap as a myriad of emotions—and none of them good—flit across her face. Where’s the fucking reset button when you need it?
“That’s a good idea.” Caleb nudges Alice, who doesn’t respond. “You can make sure he doesn’t piss anyone off with his shitty social skills.”
Although I have the mad urge to tell Caleb to fuck off, I can work with his comment.
“You’d be a lifesaver.” I force a grin, so she doesn’t guess how badly I wish I’d kept my mouth shut. “Don’t want to risk Jarrod Holdings pulling out just because I can’t speak in sound bites.”
“I’m hardly an expert in PR.” She avoids looking at me as a blush spreads over her cheeks. Shit, just how pissed off with me is she?
“You won’t have to do anything,” Caleb says. “Just be there so he doesn’t look like a sad, old fuck.”
I ignore his remark. “It’s a business event, so it obviously counts as overtime.”
Am I really offering to pay her to date me?
It’s not a fucking date.
Jesus, I need coffee.
Alice rounds on me. “That’s got nothing to do with it.” She sounds like I just insulted her, although I’ve no idea what she’s talking about. “I’m just not sure…I mean, I’ve never been to anything like that before.”
Relieved that’s the reason for her reluctance, I gently nudge her arm, and she stiffens as though I crossed an invisible line. I shove my hand in the back pocket of my jeans before I do any other stupid thing and she changes her mind.
“That makes two of us.” Although I’ve been to several award ceremonies in the past, none of them were about me. “We can be clueless together.”
Her smile looks as though she’s in pain, and I watch in silence as she gathers up her things.
“Well, I’m off. See you on Monday.”
After she leaves the office, Caleb and I look at each other.
“Is she okay?” He sounds mystified by her abrupt departure. At least I’m not the only one.
And then something occurs to me. “Did she agree to go with me or not?”