Three
Jerry
"T his is not going well," I said as I threw the file onto the conference table and leaned back into my chair with a sigh.
Carol tsked as she adjusted her glasses, then picked up the résumé. We had five minutes between interviews because Carol did not believe in wasting time, and I was so tired I wanted to take a power nap. I wanted to just tell her to pick someone like she'd picked a good doggy daycare for Tom—they even did pick-ups and drop-offs!—but I had a feeling she wouldn't let me get away with it.
All the interviews we'd done so far—I'd lost count after the third one—had been a total bust. People were either not experienced enough, had the personality of a sloth, or had no professionalism to speak of. Seriously, who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to hit on your prospective boss at a job interview? Did he think he'd get a job by charming me?
"Patience, Jerry. We'll find someone. You found me once, remember?" she teased, and I smiled, then leaned over to kiss her cheek.
There was nothing romantic between Carol and me, but I did love her. When Kat, Archer, and I started this company in our mid-twenties, she'd been exactly what we'd needed. She had a decade on us in age and experience, and I honestly believed we would have crashed and burned without her support. It was why I hated seeing her go.
"You're one of a kind, Carol. We'll never find someone like you again."
Carol smiled at me, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, luckily for you, you don't need someone like me now. You, Archer, and Kat have done an amazing job building up this company."
"Couldn't have done it without you," I interjected, and she smiled.
"Be that as it may, you don't need that kind of support now. Instead, you need someone who will keep track of your appointments, make sure you eat on time, and stop you from overworking."
"I take days off," I protested, and all she did was raise a brow at me. God, I was going to miss her so much.
Clearing my throat, I picked up the file and flicked to the next applicant, scanning the résumé. Good experience, despite his young age, great qualifications and references—Carol had already called and checked references of all applicants, which had gotten a few thrown off the list for fake references—and there was Carol's 'star of potential' on the corner of the page.
"You like this one?" I asked, and she smiled.
"He's in my top three, yes. I talked to him on the phone a bit, and I liked his...energy. There he is now," she said before I could comment on the fact that Ms. Practical liked someone because of their 'energy.'
I glanced up as the applicant—Eshim Smith—walked in, and...wow. I didn't know about his energy, but he was definitely a looker. He was tall, maybe an inch or two taller than me, and muscular. His résumé hadn't mentioned it, but he must've played sports in school. He had that build. He also had big, soulful blue eyes that latched onto me the moment he stepped into the room, his blond hair styled back perfectly. He wore navy blue dress pants, a white button-down shirt, and a navy vest. He looked...delectable. Fuck.
"Hello, Mr. Smith. Please take a seat," Carol said, and he nodded, quickly sliding into a chair that suddenly looked too small.
"Eshim, please," he said in a warm, deep voice, and nope, I was not going to react. This guy could potentially be my employee, my assistant , and I did not need to be eyeing him up.
Carol did the interview like she had with all the others, and Eshim answered all her questions just the way she wanted him to. With all the previous interviewees, I'd found something I didn't like within minutes, but Eshim? He was good.
I'd tuned out at some point as I firmly lectured myself on not lusting after this young man, but I tuned back into the conversation when Eshim said, "I take to new things like a fish to air, I promise."
I couldn't help it. I snorted.
Eshim blinked at me with his big blue eyes, his head tilted in confusion, and that just made me crack up. I covered my mouth with a fist as I laughed, bending forward as I desperately tried to get back under control. It hadn't even been that funny, but his confused puppy look? Adorable.
When I'd finally gotten myself under control, I glanced up to find Eshim and Carol both watching me with small smiles on their faces.
"Sorry about that," I said between gasps, and he grinned.
"No problem! You have a nice laugh."
Well, that was a compliment I'd never received before.
Before I could respond, Carol straightened in her chair. "Eshim," she said with a smile, "I think you'd be a great fit for this company. Do you have any questions?"
Eshim shook his head, and Carol smiled. "Then the job is yours. Welcome to the team."
Wait, what? I eyed Carol, surprised she'd made a decision without interviewing the remaining candidates, especially since we hadn't yet met the other two in her 'top three' list. That wasn't like her. But I had given her full control over the hiring process—she knew better than me what kind of assistance I needed—so I respected her decision.
I turned to Eshim, and held my hand out. "Welcome aboard, Eshim."
Eshim grinned widely, giving his face a boyish look as he took my hand in his. Ignoring the spark that raced up my arm, I shook his hand.
Once he'd left, Carol went out to tell the other candidates that they could leave, and also apologized for keeping them waiting because she was a nice woman. When she returned, I asked the question burning on my tongue. "Why him?"
Carol smiled, and then, as if it explained everything—it most certainly didn't—said, "Because he made you laugh."
Eshim
I was damn near skipping as I left the building, and my phone was pressed to my ear the next minute as I started walking down the street.
"I got the job!" I shouted as soon as Lux picked up, and since we were both demons...
"Eshim! How many times do I have to tell you not to shout into the phone? Seriously," Lux grumbled, then brightened. "Did you say you got the job?"
"I did. I also made Jerry laugh, though I'm not quite sure how."
Lux snorted, then hummed teasingly. "It was probably one of your wild idioms."
I squinted, trying to remember what I'd said. "I did use the fish one."
"Repeat it for me?"
"Well, I told them I take to things like a fish to ai—oh," I mumbled as I remembered fish swam. Fish didn't fly. Those were birds. "Oh fuck, how did I get the job?"
Lux cracked up laughing, and while Jerry's laughter had made me happy, Lux's mildly annoyed me.
"Focus, Lux!"
"Okay, okay. So Jerry hired you?"
"No, it was his current assistant, Carol."
"Ah, she's a wise woman. She must've thought you'll be good for Jerry."
"Oh, I plan to be," I said, determined, and I could almost hear Lux's smile in his voice.
"I bet you do. When do you start?" Lux asked, and I grinned, even though he couldn't see me.
I dodged around a few humans, and mourned the fact that there were no dark alleys around to teleport from.
"Monday. Carol will be there the first three days to walk me through everything, and then it's all me."
"Are you ready for the job? I know you applied for it to get closer to Jerry—though I'm still not sure why you couldn't have just come over when he was around—but he does still need an assistant."
That was exactly why I'd done it. Sure, it would've been easy to 'meet' Jerry at Lux's place, but Jerry didn't need a romantic partner at the moment. Or rather, he needed an assistant more. I wanted to be there for him in any way he needed, so I'd decided to go this route. It would also help us get to know each other better.
"I know. I'm not going to make his life harder. I want to make it easier."
Lux hummed. "He won't date you while you're his employee, you know."
"What?" I might've shouted that part. I was also frozen solid in the middle of the sidewalk, much to the annoyance of the humans walking around me.
"What?"
"What do you mean he won't date me? Why not?"
"Esh, are you serious?"
"Does it sound like I'm joking?" I growled, and a woman walking around me almost jumped into the street. Shooting her an apologetic smile, I tried to keep my demon side in check.
"Eshim, there are rules about fraternizing with your employees. It's also ethically wrong since Jerry will sign your paychecks. It's a power imbalance thing."
"It's not like I need the paychecks. And out of the two of us, I'm the stronger one."
"But Jerry doesn't know that. His morals won't allow him to ignore that."
"Well, fuck. Why didn't you say this when I told you my plan?"
"I thought you knew!"
I mulled over it as I walked. I hadn't started the job yet. I could quit, then see Jerry again at Lux's place like he'd suggested.
But Jerry did need an assistant, and I wanted to help him.
"Okay, it doesn't matter. I'm gonna be his assistant, and I'll get him to like me. When he falls for me, I'll quit and ask him out."
"That...sounds like a plan," Lux said with an amused note in his voice, and I narrowed my eyes.
"What?"
"Nothing! I just like your confidence."
I huffed. Sometimes, it was hard to figure out if my friends were teasing me or not, but Lux was my closest friend, so I could generally count on him to be good.
"Well, I'm not confident in my own...skills. But Fate paired us up, and I have faith in them. If they believe Jerry and I belong together, I know things will work out."
Lux was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke, his voice was warm and sweet. "I adore you, Eshim. I'm gonna help you any way I can, so just let me know, okay?"
I nodded, then remembered we were on the phone, and said, "Yeah, okay. Maybe if Jerry mentions me, let me know?"
"Of course."
We chatted until I reached my—Lux's old—place, and I climbed up the stairs, grinning when the door beside mine opened.
Matilda, a human woman in her fifties whom Lux had introduced me to, smiled up at me, her eyes lighting up at my apparent joy.
"You got the job?"
I nodded, and she grinned, clapping softly. "I baked some special chocolate chip cookies to celebrate."
"You did?" I asked excitedly, then tilted my head. "Wait. How did you know I would get the job?"
"I didn't. If you hadn't, I would've said the cookies were to cheer you up," she said with a wink, and I smiled.
"That is genius," I told her as I followed her into the house after removing my shoes.
The inside of Matilda's apartment was a mirror of mine at a structural level, but while mine was all soft brown furniture and stainless steel appliances, Matilda's house looked like a rainbow ate rainbow candies and then exploded. It was colorful, almost achingly so, and I loved it.
"Sit, sit. I'll bring some cookies and tea, and you can tell me how the interview went."
Matilda was what I imagined a mom would be like. All demons had once been human, but it was so long ago that I had no memory of my life. I didn't know if I'd ever had a mom, or what she was like, but I imagined she'd have been something like Matilda. Warm, sweet, cheerful, and always ready to feed you cookies.
As I heard her puttering around the kitchen, my thoughts returned to my mate, and my soon-to-be boss. Jerry, aka Jeremiah Cohen.
Today was the first time I saw him face to face—Lux had sent me a picture, but it didn't do him justice—and he was stunning. He had long, golden-brown hair he kept tied up in a ponytail, bright, twinkling green eyes, and a sharp, chiseled jaw covered in stubble. And his laugh? Damn. If I had it my way, I'd spend the rest of my life making him laugh just to hear that beautiful sound.
I wondered what other sounds he could make, then realized I was thinking so-very-dirty things in Matilda's house and shook my head to clear it just as she returned with a tray full of goodies.
Cookies now, thoughts of my sexy mate later.