3. Stone
STONE
For the record, I don’t dabble with employees, or potential employees.
So, yeah, Jackson Pearce is in contention for an award along the lines of, oh, say, hottest guy ever .
But I’m not interested in hiring him just because he’s the spitting image of Thor.
I mean, come on.
If I wanted to hang out with the spitting image of Thor, I’d call up Chris and we’d hang out. The dude likes my music. And you know what? I like his films, so it works out really well that we’re buds who see each other from time to time when he’s in the US.
So the fact that Jackson Pearce is meme-worthy, that he could inspire a thousand new fainting, swooning, and fanning-myself GIFs, is irrelevant to the job opening.
After intros with Candi and Veronica, I sit down on the couch across from him in a chair and toss out the first question. “Where would you most want to go on a vacation?”
Dude doesn’t even blink. “Tokyo seems pretty cool. I’ve always been enamored with the temples and the teahouses. Would love to check that out.”
“That’s a great place. You definitely need to go there. Wait, what am I saying? We’re actually going to be there in a few months because I have a tour stop there.”
“Excellent.” He raises a brow playfully. “I’m already looking forward to it.”
I give him an appreciative nod. “Confidence. I like that in a bodyguard. In anyone,” I add.
Veronica clears her throat, peering over her electric-blue glasses. “Yes, we like confidence too, but again, maybe we should actually interview Jackson before we offer him the job.”
I roll my eyes like that’s a ridiculous thought, though of course she’s right. “Fine, if you insist.”
“I do,” she says.
I dig into my roster of getting-to-know-you questions and fire off another one at the job candidate. “If you could live anyplace for a year, where would it be?”
Candi busts out laughing, clasping her stomach. “Stone, you are such a character.”
I snap my gaze to my publicist. “And why is that?”
Candi gestures at Jackson. “You do realize we’re interviewing Jackson for the open position of your evening bodyguard? Not for The Newlywed Game ?”
“Yes, I am well aware,” I say, straightening my spine, acting all faux haughty. “And that’s exactly why my questions are important.”
“You need to know where your potential bodyguard wants to vacation?” Candi retorts.
“No,” I say, rolling my eyes at her in an over-the-top manner.
“I’m asking these questions because the evening bodyguard is literally the most important one on the rotation.
He’ll be my regular companion. We’ll be hanging out together.
He’ll be walking with me when I have shows, walking with me after shows, heading to press appearances.
He’s not interviewing for the job of the overnight guard when I am sound asleep. ”
Candi laughs, then looks at Jackson. “Stone loves his sleep.”
“Sleep is a very good thing,” he says to Candi, intensely serious. “They say you should get eight hours.”
He turns his hazel eyes in my direction, and I get a nice, long look at them—they are the definition of soulful.
Mmm, I could get lost in them. I could write a song about those eyes.
His gaze holds mine, that look of intensity in them as he adds, “I hope you’re getting your eight hours a night, Stone. ”
It comes out deadpan, and I love it. Just like I loved his door banter in the hallway. I love that he’s already unafraid to just talk to me like this. That he’s not being all deferential and shit.
That he’s giving me a hard time in his own way.
That’s what I want from someone I have to spend so much time with. I want someone I can shoot the breeze with, someone I like chatting with.
Because I like to talk.
But I also need to know he can do the job.
Fortunately, that’s Veronica’s role—to figure that out.
For now, I want to laser in on whether I can handle being around him for so damn long every day.
“I am definitely getting my eight hours a night, Jackson,” I say, answering him. “Often more.”
“Lucky you,” he says.
“Lucky me indeed.” Then I turn to Candi. “And the reasons I’m asking him these questions is we might just have to shoot the shit for a long period of time together. I know you’ll get to all the hard questions.”
Jackson shoots a bring it on grin to all of us. “I don’t mind the questions. Any questions at all. Hard or easy.”
Hard.
“Fine,” Candi says, laughing. “Proceed with the Would You Rather game.”
“Please,” I say with a scoff. “Would You Rather is what we’ll be playing when he’s been on my detail for a few weeks.”
“Good to know. I like all sorts of board and parlor games,” he adds.
I gesture to the big man, then to Candi and Veronica. “See? He even uses the term ‘parlor games.’ This is going to be epic,” I say, then I narrow my eyes. “But I have a very important question, Jackson.”
“Hit me up.”
“If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?”
His answer is instant and earnest. “Learning a new language. I want to speak more languages. I know basic Japanese, and I’m learning Spanish. I use it in Los Angeles occasionally, but I’d like to try using it on a regular basis.”
“Excellent answer.”
“How would you spend an extra hour each day?” Jackson tosses back at me, and I like that. I like that he has no problem turning the questions in my direction.
“I’d read,” I answer. “Or read more. I love old mysteries—Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler and Elmore Leonard.”
“I bet you like them because they’re a total escape from your world.”
Dude, it’s like he can see inside my soul. “Yes, exactly. What do you read?”
“Nonfiction. Magazines. News articles.”
“You like to learn,” I say.
“I do.”
I rub my palms together. “All right. Now for the hard ones.” I draw a deep breath, like I’m prepping for the final Jeopardy! round. “Pizza or Chinese food?”
“Both,” he answers.
“Library or museum?”
“Absolutely both,” he says, his hazel eyes glinting with playfulness at his own answers.
“And finally,” I say, making the sound of a drumroll, “music or sports?”
“Not fair. You can never pick between two of the greatest things ever.”
I hold my hands out wide, pleased as hell with how he handles me. I turn the reins over to Candi and Veronica, relaxing into the couch as I let them interview the guy.
“Tell us what you think you would bring to the job,” Veronica says.
He clears his throat and begins. “I have some definite ideas, especially since I went to Stone’s concert earlier this week. I checked things out. I went to the VIP room,” he says. And holy shit, my skin sizzles.
That’s him.
I sit up straight, my bones sparking.
I’d sworn he looked familiar. I’d sworn I’d seen him before. He is the stone-cold fox who showed up in the green room the other night. For, like, thirty seconds.
Thirty seconds when I’d sworn I had seen the sexiest man ever.
When I’d looked him over, hoping he was there to pick me up, to come on to me, to ask me out for a drink.
That guy.
That’s who he is.
But who cares?
I roll out my shoulders, shaking off the thoughts.
I mean, he’s probably straight. I’m sure he’s straight. Of course he’s straight.
Besides, why do I care? I’m not going to ask a potential employee out on a date.
His orientation is no business of mine, now or ever.
But he is so damn sexy.
I wag a finger. “That was you.”
He dips his face then raises his gaze again so fast I can’t even see if he blushed. “Yes. I was there. I wanted to do some assessment.”
“Color me impressed,” I say, leaning forward on the couch, my hands on my knees. “Tell me. Tell me everything. What did you think?”
“Yes, we’d love to hear,” Veronica chimes in.
“I’ve identified some holes in your security.
Some areas where I think things could be improved.
I think you need more coverage immediately after your concerts end.
There are some moments of vulnerability,” he says, and the hair on the back of my neck stands on end.
Holy shit. This guy did his research. He did all of his research.
Jackson goes on, listing areas where we could improve, and displays how he could bring something special to the job.
He has plans, an agenda, ideas to implement, showing us he’s eagle-eyed, quick-witted, and smart as a whip.
Doesn’t hurt that he has a fantastic deadpan sense of humor, and I dig talking to him.
We chat for a little longer, and when the interview ends, he says goodbye to Candi and Veronica and I walk him to the elevator. “One more question.”
“Go for it.”
I lift a brow. “Stairs or elevators?”
He flashes me a grin. “Depends on the circumstances.”
“Sometimes an elevator is where you want to be,” I say.
He takes a moment, like he’s swallowing roughly, then his voice dips a little lower. “And other times it’s the stairs.” He reaches out a hand to shake mine, and I take it. “It was great meeting you, Stone.”
“You too,” I reply. His grip is firm. His clasp is strong. As he shakes my hand, he scans the hallway, and I get a sense that he’s the kind of guy who misses nothing.
The kind of guy I want to have my back.
When I let go, I say, “One more question for you. Love or money?”
His answer is instantaneous. “Love. Always love.”
And my heart, it kind of beats a little bit harder.
As he heads for the stairs, I know two things.
I am going to hire him.
Out of all the candidates we’ve interviewed, he’s the best suited for the job.
And I like hanging out with him. He’s going to make my life easier, and I won’t ever feel like I’m walking on eggshells, or like he’s the security.
And, wait, there’s a third thing.
I am not going to let myself develop a crush on him.
No way at all.