Chapter Four
Hailey
“I was applying for a job because I need the money. I’m not making enough at the diner, and I thought I could work a day job and keep my dinner shifts at the restaurant.”
Hailey was more relaxed than she had in forever since before her father passed. Her stomach was full of the best burger and fries she’d eaten in years, prompting her to wonder why a man like Hal ate at her diner when he could eat at a five-star for lunch.
Now they were back at the desk, but the interview was not typical.
She almost giggled at that thought. Way not typical!
He’d spanked and taken her in the best, most delicious experience of her life by a man she found crazy sexy, and now he was keeping his word.
When was the last time such a dreamy man had been around? That answer was simple.
Never!
“Earth to Hailey.”
She focused on Hal. “Sorry, Sir. Could you repeat the question?”
Hal offered her a real smile. Not the smirks from earlier, before they had the most amazing sex of her life. Hailey was gone again, thinking of how perfect their time together had been and trying not to go down the rabbit hole of wondering. Would it happen again?
“My question was you had the lunch shifts. When did you get switched to nights?”
Hailey squirmed on the leather padded chair. His question reminded her that despite all of today’s wonderfulness, she had issues and they got her into trouble. What would Hal think about that?
“I was told on Friday. I only work from 4 to 9 pm three nights per week now. Like I said, not even close to enough to live off, never mind my step monster.”
Hal looked like he wanted to laugh, but he cleared his throat instead. “Hailey, why were your hours changed? And…before you give me a song and dance, let me remind you I have a slew of rulers in my desk that I’m more than happy to introduce you to.”
Hailey gulped. It was entirely her fault why her hours had been changed and reduced but she didn’t want to tell him.
“Hailey,” Hal growled with meaning.
“I left early on Friday to pay my bill as you said. If I’d paid online, it would have taken until Monday for them to process the transaction, so I left early to uh pay it.”
Hal eyed her speculatively.
“And did you?”
Hailey squirmed in her chair, wishing the chair would swallow her up.
“You have three seconds to give me a yes or no, Hailey. Hal looked sternly at her as if daring her to not answer in the allotted time.
“No,” she whispered and dropped her eyes to the floor, following the lines in the hardwood. Lines, numbers, and graphs all made her focus.
“Look at me, sweet girl.”
The demand in his voice brooked no denial. She didn’t want to see the disappointment on his face that she’d not done as he’d instructed. Raising her gaze toward his felt like tearing off a bandage, and she flinched, expecting the expression she hoped to avoid.
Hal smiled at her encouragingly. “I’m a safe place, Hailey. I won’t judge you. I may make suggestions and put rules in place to help you, but I will never judge you.”
Hailey’s spirits rose. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Whew,” she blew out a breath, and relaxed her grip on her seat a little. “No. I did not pay the bill. But I have a good reason.”
Hal nodded his head for her to continued.
“Outside of the bank was a veteran, who was old and had no legs and he needed help.”
Hal didn’t look surprised at her confession.
“I didn’t give him the money, well, not all of it anyway. There was a restaurant across the street, so I took him to get takeout. And well I couldn’t just let him get one meal, so I got him muffins and bottles of water and fruit from the store around the corner. He was so happy and appreciative.”
Hailey beamed. Sure, she’d disrespected her tip from Hal, but she stood by her decision. Helping Sam had made her day and kept the light on in her heart, even if not in her apartment.
“I’m proud of you Hailey, that was very kind of you.”
Hailey beamed at the praise.
“But your life seems to be blurred lines, and I’m betting you have no money in the bank, a stack of bills you can’t pay down and you give everything you can to everyone but yourself. That is a very admirable quality when the giver has control, which you don’t.”
She wanted to argue, but it was true, all of it.
“Do you not find it odd that you are applying for work in an accounting firm whose first priority is to balance the budgets for its clients?”
Hailey had thought about it but had an answer at the ready.
“No, Sir, I don’t, and I’ll tell you why.
As you can see by my resume, numbers are my jam.
I am trained to do this job and I love numbers like other women love shoes.
So, I know I can balance anything for anyone, just not myself.
” But she held up her hand. “I do better too. When I have numbers to focus on, it helps to ground me.”
Hal nodded. “Fair enough. I am prepared to offer you a job here, but not the one you were applying for. I have something else in mind.”
What on earth could he want to offer her other than an entry-level position?
“You will work as my junior assistant under my supervision and guidance. But it won’t be just in the job that I will guide you but also aspects of your personal life.
You need help. You need a daddy whether you know it now.
We will get your life in order and your bills under control.
We will work on self-regulation so you arrive to work on time, and, when you fall short, I will remind you with a trip over my knee.
This will be a three-month trial and you will only work for me, not the diner, or any other night job.
After three months, if it doesn’t work out, I will help you find another job with equal pay. Those are my conditions.”
He was offering her the world. If he could accomplish all that, then she would be stupid not to accept, but there was something missing in the offer that she desperately wanted from him… a chance at a relationship.
“If I agreed, then when would it begin?”
Hal smirked. “Immediately.”
“I need to think about it. Can I have until tomorrow?”
Her answer must not have been the one he was expecting, because his face went through a series of transitions before becoming blank.
“Of course,” He finally answered, but the tone of his voice said something completely different. Hailey wasn’t going to worry about that, though. She stood to take her to leave.
“Thank you, Sir, for your generous offer. I know you’re a little surprised and so am I.”
Hal held his business card in his hand. When she went to take it, he kept a firm grip.
“Hailey, are you okay? This has been a strange day, to say the least, and I don’t think I should let you go. At least let me drive you home.”
She wanted to run; she wanted to stay, but mostly she wanted Halstrom Lewis.
Would accepting a ride from him be so bad?
It would save her an hour’s walk, that’s what.
Her bank account was in the negative, and so were her pockets.
Hailey didn’t have enough money for the bus fare across town.
At least she got paid tomorrow and worked the night shift.
She could get her lights on and eat at least, and…
get to work at her new day job, if she accepted his offer.
“Um.” Hailey licked her lips. “I’m on the other side of town, and it’s rush hour so it would, uh.” Her mind was racing, and no coherent thoughts were coming to her as to why he should or shouldn’t drive her.
“Okay, young lady. I’ve seen enough. I’m driving you home. On the way, we will stop and get your electricity on.”
“But I don’t have the money,” Hailey whined and attempted to pull away from Hal, who now had a firm grip on her.
“Unless you want that ruler, not another word about money, Hailey. Let’s go.”
As they passed reception, a few people raised eyebrows at the pair, but no one said anything. Still, Hailey felt the blush creeping up her cheeks and had never been so thankful for an elevator door to shut.
If she took the job, she would have to face all those looks again and suddenly, working for Hal seemed even less appealing than before. She was sure she wouldn’t take him up on his offer now.
“Oh no, you don’t.”
Hal pressed her against the elevator, dipping his head, capturing her lips in a possessive kiss. When he pulled away, he eyed her with concern.
“Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”
“Um. Uh. Did you know we could reduce carbon emissions by half if no one drove their vehicles on weekends?”
Hal pulled back when the elevator dinged, the door slid open to reveal the carpark. Only steps away sat a sleek black Mercedes from the 500 series and she wasn’t surprised when Hal showed the vehicle was his when it beeped as the doors unlocked.
“2022. Nice. Isn’t this the first car in the 500 series to not have a V8 but a 3.0 inline six?”
Hal looked surprised. “You know cars too?”
Hailey knew this car; her father had owned one before he died.
He unlocked and helped her in, crossing the seat belt and clicking it into place, before closing the door.
She had to admit that being taken care of was really nice.
She wondered if this was an example of what she could expect from Hal during her probation period.
Where was the line between work and this personal treatment?
Would he address the elephant in the room?
Did he even know that not knowing was killing her inside?
Worse, she felt stupid for wanting what she wanted.
Hal had to be eight years older than her, perhaps more, and if he’d been looking for a steady woman to spank and screw, she was sure he would have met her by now. So that meant he wasn’t looking, right?
“Only this brand of Mercedes. My father owned a 2019 model when he died.”