Charisma #2
“See what I mean? You should be trying to negotiate not sounding excited that I’m offering you that. Especially when you haven’t heard all the terms and conditions.”
He had a point and now I had to wonder what all the responsibilities were. His giving me that warning seemed like a warning I needed to get more information before getting my hopes up.
“And what are they?”
His smile was smaller but not the charming one. This one felt more like…pride? “I have land that my team works on. Sometimes you’ll be left to run things all by yourself because I’m traveling to rodeos. You’ll be like the office manager and it’ll be a solo thing for a minute.”
“I don’t know the first thing about running a ranch or cattle or whatever you’re talking about.”
“You don’t need to. I have a manager who handles all that but he can’t tend the land and handle all the calls.”
“What else comes with this?”
I knew the money he was offering was negotiable now but I needed to see about the other job responsibilities before I aimed too low.
“Since you don’t have a steady place to live I can provide you housing—”
“I’m not living with you.” I hated how shrill my voice sounded. Flights of fancy were my norm but they were usually the creative kind. This man was going to think I was a harpy the way I was constantly shrieking at him and thinking the worst of him.
It was crazy that he wasn’t offended at how I was carrying him.
“Nothing like that I promise. My family has a larger acreage than I do. We’ve expanded our holdings throughout the years and built small homes on the property as guest houses and for our workers.
Since their place is only on the other side of Black Gold Valley, your commute to work would be less than what you have now. ”
“And your family would be okay with me living on their land and working for you? Some stranger they don’t even know?”
“They trust my judgment.” His word seemed final. Like he was giving me assurances and his word was everything to him. Having a man who didn’t shy away from his family and knew without a doubt that they supported him and his decisions was refreshing.
“I find that very hard to believe since you’re basically inviting someone you don’t know to live among your people. You don’t have any little houses on your land available?”
“I’m renovating my place and I doubt you want to share with me, anyway. The previous owners left the place in a bit of a rush so I’ve been slowly going through all their shit too. Matter of fact, that’s something else that you could help me out with.”
“Did you buy a hoarder house or something like that? Because I have to be honest, I’m not going to suit up in a hazmat suit and move bottles of piss.”
He was assessing me again, like he worried I’d grown up in squalor. “That was oddly graphic.”
I cringed realizing this was not a good impression to secure a job. “I watched too much TV as a kid and I have a vivid imagination.”
He nodded but I could see he cataloged that information away for later. As though he were going to look for other signs that I was some neglectful child who was on the run from a terrible life.
“It’s nothing like that. Frankly, they were some rich sons of bitches and the house is filled with so much shit I don’t know what’s junk and what’s a collectible. There’s the stuff I can tell immediately, like jewelry and bags but the art—”
“There’s art?” I couldn’t help but perk up at the sound of there being a house filled with art.
“Yeah. A bunch. Lots of different sculptures and paintings and shit. I’m surprised the place wasn’t looted once they abandoned it.” He spoke of the previous owners with irritation and not with the joy he should’ve at basically being handed a house filled with treasures.
“What happened to them? Were they caught up in the raids and things?” I knew there were a lot of people who were from across the border, this was Texas after all, so I assumed they might’ve been swept up in immigration raids. He didn’t talk about them like they were dead.
“Oh no. Their asses went to jail.” His face had lit up with joy. The demise of the former owners apparently something that he’d been plotting for years.
“Did you buy the house of like a drug lord or something?”
“Nah, former horseman and his spoiled daughter. I hope she’s somewhere getting beat up as we speak.” His normally easy going face was scrunched up in annoyance and now I was getting more nosy about his relationship with these people.
“That sounds out of your character. Can’t imagine the gentleman I met last night would be wishing ill on a lady today.”
“I’m not speaking of a lady, I’m talking about a bitch that lied, schemed and defrauded my brother out of money. She’s lucky jail is all she got.” I didn’t think it was possible but his face got even harder than it had been before.
“That sounds ominous.”
His face cleared, the storm cloud of his anger making way for his usual smile. “This is Texas, after all.”
“I don’t want to know what that means.”
“Probably shouldn’t have spoken so candidly since I’m trying to get you to work for me, huh?” He scratched at the back of his neck with his free hand looking sheepish.
“Probably not. But your honesty doesn’t bother me. More people should be that way.”
“You don’t have to flatter me, you’ve already gotten the job.
” He glanced around again like he was itching to go before he got too comfortable.
“So, Miss Charisma, you want to come tour the place with me and see if it’s something that you can handle?
I’ve cleared the day for you to come on out and even meet my brother so that you’re comfortable. ”
“How did you have time to do all of this?” He’d only left the motel from seeing me there safely a few hours ago. He seemed to have a bunch of shit already lined up. Like it had been on his mind all night and he hadn’t rested until he had solutions to present to me.
“I’ve been putting it off long enough. No need to keep it going. The sooner I get you working the sooner I can concentrate on winning.”
“I won’t do it for any less than sixty thousand a year.” I thought I was pushing it but he’d encouraged me to negotiate and I wasn’t a fool. I had goals I wanted to hit and that amount of money could definitely help me get my supplies.
“Make it seventy and you’ve got yourself a job.”
I opened my mouth to argue back until I realized he’d upped the price that I’d originally thrown out. “Wait, that’s not how a negotiation works.”
“It is if I think you’re selling yourself short.
The way your eyes lit up when I spoke of art lets me know you know a thing or two about it.
Which means I need to pay for that expertise.
Besides, whatever you find could net me a mint.
You don’t want to negotiate a commission for each piece you sell? ”
I hadn’t even thought of that; my mind was only on cataloguing what he had and examining it. But since he was offering, “Thirty percent.”
He nodded before sticking his hand out for me to shake. “Deal.”
I couldn’t help but squeal as I shook his hand. To his credit Nathaniel only smiled at me with those pretty teeth of his. I slapped my hand over my mouth embarrassed, which only had him smiling harder.
“I like that.”
I dropped my hand and couldn’t help but be suspicious because I didn’t want him to ruin my good opinion of him by his teasing me. “What?”
“That you’re not trying to be coy about being happy. That pleasure isn’t something you’re trying to cover up to appear unaffected.”
I felt the nerves along my spine awaken but not in a way that promised danger. Something laced his words and felt…purposeful. Seductive. Like he wanted to convey something that he himself wasn’t quite sure of but the subconscious intent was there.
“Um, I went from almost being attacked to having a job that seems like something I would absolutely love. I’m not going to fake like you haven’t made my day and potentially changed the trajectory of my life.”
His smile dimmed at my words, and I wondered what I’d said that was wrong. “Damn.”
“What?”
“I’m feeling pressure now that’s all. You’re thanking me about changing the trajectory of your life and now I gotta make sure I make that shit good.” His fist rubbed at his chest like it was suddenly tight.