Chapter
Seven
“You’re here to fire her?” Molly screeched.
“Inside voice, Molly,” Vice clipped.
“If I had known that was why you wanted to come here, I wouldn’t have told you where we were. This isn’t fair, Vice. You can’t fire her because she saw your tiny, wittle peeny and you’re ashamed.”
Turning my head, I saw Molly standing over me with her hands on her hips scowling down at her brother.
“Jesus.” Vice—who would be forever Vice in my head since he didn’t deserve my respect of Mr. Salvatore because he was firing me—cursed again, then ran a hand over his face. His eyes met mine as I managed to place my elbows on the table and my hands up to hold my head since I was suddenly drained. Mentally.
He cleared his throat and stared at me. Was he waiting for me to defend his manhood because I’d seen it wasn’t tiny? Well, he’d be waiting forever.
“Nothing to say?” he asked.
“Nope,” I replied, making the p pop. “Well, not about that department anyway. What I would like to know is why you’ve come here, on a Sunday, God’s day, to fire me.”
“I’d like to know also,” Molly huffed.
“It’s not a place for a mother to work.”
My eyes bulged. I glanced at Molly and asked, “Did you hear that?”
“I sure did,” she replied and shook her head.
“First, it’s a job to help bring in money. I know it’s not a forever job, but it’s one for now, and it’s also a job I don’t tell my son about. One I hope he never finds out about. Still, if that happened, I would deal with it. You can’t fire me over the fact I’m a mother.” I wasn’t sure what I said was understandable. I had so many things rushing through my mind. Like how I wanted to kick Vice once again.
“I can, and I am. Besides, I’ve another job for you.”
“I don’t want it. I like where I’m at, and like I said, it won’t be my forever job. I have my own business. Once that’s 100 percent profitable, I’ll be working on that as my forever job.” It also wouldn’t lead me to jerkwads like yourself.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” I snapped.
“Just tell me,” he ordered.
I growled under my breath, and his lips twitched. “Fine. I make jewelry and sell it online.”
“Right then, until you reach where you need to, you’ll have another job in my company.”
I coughed, and then blurted, “I’m not getting into porn. That’s worse than selling sex toys.”
Molly choked as the arcade attendant, a guy in his twenties who looked like he still lived in his mother’s basement, arrived at the table with another Dr. Pepper just in time to hear what I said.
My cheeks heated. I lifted my gaze and stumbled through, “Oh, um, I, you didn’t hear that, and…” I pointed to the drink. “I didn’t order another one.”
He winked. “I know. It’s on the house.”
“Leave now,” Vice barked.
The guy gulped, nodded, and quickly disappeared. All of which Molly thought was hilarious. Vice then shifted the drink from in front of me to his sister.
“I’m not talking about the adult industry. I do have other businesses. However, the job I’m offering is the assistant position while mine is on maternity leave.”
“Do you want to live?”
His head jerked back at my sudden question. “Yes.”
“Having us in the same building all day long will not work out. One of us would end up dead.” Clearly, he hadn’t really thought it through.
“I’m sure we could handle it for the short amount of time.”
“Thank you, but no thanks. I’ll stay where I am.”
“No.”
Through clenched teeth, I asked, “What do you mean no?”
“You’re no longer employed for that store. I’ve already informed them.”
He’d already… he… I couldn’t believe my ears.
“Molly?”
“His mom always told me he was dropped on the head a few times.”
She was as surprised and confused as I was about the whole situation.
“She did not.” He glared.
“She must have if you’re pulling this shit with my friend.”
“Even if she wasn’t your friend, I’d still be pulling this shit. She’s a mother. Doesn’t matter how long she works in that place, someone in the school could find out and then there’d be trouble for her son and her.”
Oh.
Oh, wow.
Okay, that had penetrated.
And it did, hard.
Vice Salvatore was taking care of me.
Why in God’s name would he want to do that?
He was confusing.
My heart went wild in my chest. His words warmed me, yet terrified me. Why was the stunning man doing this to me, causing me to… God, like him, actually like him, when he’d been nothing but a tool around me.
Sugarplum on toast.
I was going gushy. I needed to get away from him. “Yes!” I shouted, their eyes coming to me. It was then I knew I should have kept my mouth shut and slunk off while they argued because as soon as I had his eyes, I was back in fantasyland seeing him naked.
Look away, Adalyn, before it’s too late and you start drooling. Shifting my gaze to the drink in front of me, I noticed my hands shook, but I managed to grab it and twist it between my two hands without an accident.
“Adalyn?” Molly asked.
“I, uh, I mean. I’ll find another job,” I got out, eyes to my drink still. I heard Molly’s laughter behind me. Never should have opened my mouth. She knew from the muttering and gaze, I was, once again, a goner. And I shouldn’t be for goodness’ sake. He was still a douche, in some ways at least. Definitely domineering by ordering me around so much.
“You don’t need another job. I already have one for you,” Vice bit out, his voice gruff and low, as if he was annoyed with me. Which he probably was. At least he didn’t know I was attracted to him. I had to admit to myself his pull never left. I just hid it behind my crazy when he peeved me off. So, if I took up the job he was offering, it wouldn’t work. I would become more infatuated with him, and since he already had a girlfriend, that would be awkward. He wasn’t interested, and it seemed he could be just looking out for me because I was his sister’s friend and a mother.
Internally groaning, I realized I was rambling to myself and honestly had no clue if I was making any sense.
Clearing my throat, I said, “Thank you, but no.”
“Yes,” he demanded.
“I can’t. The hours I work already are perfect for me.” There, that was a good enough excuse. I was sure his usual assistant would do nine to five, or later even. He seemed like he’d be a busy man.
“Nine thirty to three, those were your hours, right?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
“Adalyn?”
“Yes?”
“Look at me when I speak to you,” he clipped.
Stupid man.
I could do it. I could look at him without swooning over his full lips, his tanned skin, his charcoal hair, buff body, and how he acted like I was important enough to take care of, and that Drew’s welfare, by giving me a job my son wouldn’t be ashamed of, was just as important.
There it was. A lightbulb moment.
He wasn’t doing it for me, but for Drew.
Rolling my eyes at my stupidity, I looked up and glared. “What?” You stunning man, you. Darn you for letting me see you naked and for having a body of a Greek god.
“You can do those hours as my assistant. Maggie will be back in a year. I’m sure we could keep it civil until then.”
Why couldn’t he just give up?
Even though I fought with my own body, my cheeks heated, and I wanted to glance away, but I couldn’t. His good looks weren’t going to win over me.
Bloody heck, I sounded like one mixed-up woman, and it was all because of the man in front of me. Honestly, why was I fighting so hard? Because I was attracted to him? I had to think of Drew. And Vice was right about one thing: if any parent or teacher saw me working in the adult store, things could get out, and boys were little monsters when they wanted to be. Then again, if they knew I was working for a man who made porn, it would still be a problem. God, I was so flipping confused.
“Wouldn’t working for you be just as bad as working in an adult store?”
“No.” He shook his head.
Was he going to elaborate? When he sat back and just stared me down, I knew he wouldn’t continue.
Thankfully, Molly did. “What my brother is saying without words, is that he doesn’t run his productions company. His minions do that. His other business of buying and selling companies is the one Vice mans.”
“Oh” was all I said. So the job would be as a legit assistant for an aboveboard business. “Fine,” I stated, and my tone sounded like I wasn’t fine with it at all because I wasn’t since I knew working so close to Vice would drive me crazier.
“Good,” he barked, as if now I’d said yes, he wasn’t sure about the whole deal himself. “You start tomorrow. Molly will give you the address.” He stood.
“Mom, can I have more money for the machines?” Drew asked, stopping beside Vice. He then looked up, and up, until he met Vice’s gaze. “Hey, I’m Drew.”
“Hi, Drew, I’m Vice. Your Mom’s—”
“Boyfriend?” Drew blurted.
“No!” I cried, then laughed awkwardly.
Both Vice and Drew were looking at me. Drew with a smile and Vice with his brows raised. Molly was still behind me, and once again laughing. Yes, I was a real clown. Ha de har ha.
“Drew, honey. Mr. Salvatore is my boss.”
“Oh, cool.” He glanced back to Vice, and when he saw he didn’t have his attention because Vice was still looking down at me glaring, he tugged at his sleeve. “You play basketball? You’re really tall. I like basketball. I had my first game yesterday. We lost, but Mom said I still did a good job. Hey, you should come to my next game. That’s if you like basketball.”
Where was a gag when I needed one?
My son, my sweet boy, who didn’t know I had a crush and also disliked my boss—well, except for his penis—had just invited him along to watch basketball. I wanted to cry in frustration.
When Vice smiled down at Drew, I clenched my legs together. His smile was amazing.
“I used to play ball in college. Haven’t for a while. I like to box.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. Still, I’d enjoy coming to watch you sometime, just not sure when.”
Say what now?
Did Vice understand when saying something to a child they take it for truth? He couldn’t tell Drew he’d be there and then not show.
“Cool.” Drew’s grin grew wider. “Mom, hear that? Mr. Vice said he’d come watch me.”
My expression warmed at his excitement. “I did, honey. And I think you should call him Mr. Salvatore.”
“Vice won’t mind Drew calling him Vice,” Molly put in, not helping me at all.
“Fine with me,” the man himself added.
Great.
“Hey,” I called, Drew’s stare came from Vice to me. “How about another half hour and then we go get some lunch?” I grabbed some money out of my purse and handed it to him.
“Okay. Hey, Mr. Vice, do you want to come have lunch with us?” Mr. Vice. I wanted to laugh at how cute my boy was adding in the Mr. Though, I was too busy praying to Satan to come up and take his minion back to hell. Meaning Vice, not my son. Though, there were days I did wonder about Drew.
“Drew,” I started with an urgent tone. I calmed it, smiled, then added, “I’m sure Mr. Salvatore is busy.”
“Actually, I am. So I’ll take a raincheck on basketball and lunch.”
“Cool,” Drew cheered, which caused Vice to chuckle. My body shuddered.
Vice looked to me, and said, “Tomorrow.”
Nodding, I offered up a lame wave. He said a quick goodbye to Drew and Molly, then left. Once Drew took off on a run to play all the games he could in half an hour, Molly took Vice’s vacant seat, and asked, “You all right?”
“What just happened?”
“My brother happened. Just some advice, my brother always gets his way.”
“Why would he want the likes of me working for him?”
She shrugged; however, I saw the glint of something in her eyes. She had an idea, but she wasn’t going to share it, and I wasn’t sure I would like what she thought anyway.
“What do I wear?”
“Dresses, skirts, slacks, blouses.”
“Darn, no jeans?”
“No jeans.”
“My life couldn’t get any worse.”
“Chin up, honey. I’m sure it’ll get better.”
“When murder comes into it.”
“Pfft, please. And all those flushed faces, mutterings and not meeting his gaze meant nothing. You like my brother.”
Scoffing, I slumped in the seat and shook my head. “No. I don’t.”
She made a rude gesture with her hand, like she was jerking off. I grabbed her hand and slammed it on the table. “Kids are around.”
She pulled her hand free and patted the top of mine. “I wish you luck for tomorrow. Man, I can’t wait to tell Clint about this.”
Why would she wish me luck?
Actually, she was right. I would need all the luck in the world to get through my first day of being around Vice Salvatore for five and a half hours.
I may also need to take a change of panties, some earmuffs, and boxing gloves, or just a sharp knife. Then a body bag for when he peeves me off and I kill him.
God, what was he thinking?
And what was I thinking by agreeing?