Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
WE HEAR CHANGE IS IN THE AIR FOR THE NEPO BABY…
GREER
What am I even doing?
When I’d texted Maddie that morning to see if Tripp Carter had changed his mind—or even remembered his job offer to me—she’d assured me that the interview was still on.
If I had any sanity left, I would’ve been the one to cancel. I had zero interest in being a personal assistant to anyone, much less a celebrity. I’d worked far too hard—and was nearly done—with my Business Administration degree to waste it getting coffees and picking up dry cleaning.
I definitely didn’t want to squander it by catering to the spoiled whims of an entitled ass.
Maddie had insisted that Tripp was very sweet, but the night before had shown otherwise—and added another tally in the con category.
Just the idea of being the target of a very public firing made me feel like I was breaking out in hives. My secondhand embarrassment on behalf of his previous employee still hadn’t recovered.
I honestly wasn’t even sure why I was there.
I didn’t need the job.
Not really.
I was fortunate that my big bills were prepaid for the year.
Even if they weren’t, my mom had made it clear that I had nothing to worry about.
Unlike when Wren’s dad left when we were kids, my father wasn’t trying to weasel out of financial responsibilities.
When shit hit the fan, Maddie’s dad decided it was time to retire.
What money wasn’t tied up in the liquidation of the plastic surgery practice and legal fiascos was made readily available to Mom and me.
I just didn’t want to use it. That money was hers.
She deserved it and so much more for what he was putting her through.
The pressure to get a job was entirely my own doing.
I was nearly done with the fall semester of my final year of college, and I had zero clue what I wanted to do after that.
I could extend my schooling and get my master’s.
It would be a good idea. But it might also be a waste of money if I didn’t narrow down my career scope at least a little.
I needed some real-life experience that wasn’t volunteering for charity drives or busywork. I’d filled out countless applications, but I’d only heard back from the investment firm I’d interviewed at.
And that’d been a massive waste of time.
The position was advertised as part-time, yet they expected me to be available at all hours—including the expectation that I would leave class at their beck and call. There would also be tasks I would need to do from home.
A lot of tasks.
I wasn’t afraid of long hours or hard work. I wasn’t even opposed to working for a moderate wage until I showed my worth.
They weren’t offering moderate.
They wanted free labor with the promise of maybe, potentially, possibly, there being some benefits in the future.
Like rounds of golf with the finance bros.
And based on the whispers and snickers, a hefty dose of sexual harassment.
The lack of viable options was why I was trying to hype myself up for an interview I shouldn’t bother with. One I had no interest in. One I wasn’t even sure was for a real job.
Yet there I was.
Pacing outside of Wells Law.
If anyone is looking out a window or watching the security cameras, I probably look unhinged.
Oh, what the hell.
With nothing left to lose, I rounded the building and went inside to check in with the beefy guard at the entrance.
I’d only visited Maddie at her boyfriend’s firm a couple of times, but they must’ve given security a heads-up that I would be there. The man was already tapping a screen when I stopped in front of him.
“Greer?” he confirmed without me needing to dig through my bag for my ID.
“Last I checked.”
“You’re a little young for dad jokes, but since me and my wifey just had a baby, I’m not. I’ll be using that one.” He was intimidating as hell, but his amused smile softened the fierceness. A bit.
A tiny bit.
Like half a percent.
The lock disengaging echoed in the small space, and he opened the door for me. “Have a good day.”
“You, too,” I muttered as I forced myself to walk.
I expected Maddie to be waiting anxiously in the lobby for me, but she wasn’t there. Neither was Tripp—though that part was less surprising. No one was in the expansive waiting area.
Well, no one but the brightly colored fish in the impressive water feature built into the brick wall.
Not for the first time, I was struck by the insanity that Maddie was dating a man who owned such a successful firm.
Not that she didn’t deserve the world. If anything, the hotshot lawyer should thank his lucky stars he had her.
But of the three of us, Maddie had dated the least. She’d never been in a rush to settle into something serious.
She always said she would know when she found the right guy, and I guessed she was right.
I waited for a few moments before it became clear that Maddie wasn’t going to appear. Assuming she was in Easton’s office, I walked down the long hall and turned before pausing outside his closed door.
It wasn't latched, though, because when I knocked, it swung open in time for me to see Maddie climbing to her feet.
Either she just fell or…
I didn’t actually think it was anything obscene. It wasn’t like she was under his desk or even close enough for that to work.
Easton had BDE, but it stood for Big Dick Energy not big dick extendo.
The way her cheeks flushed said I’d definitely interrupted something, though.
“Hey, you’re here!” she said, a touch too chipper.
“I told you I was on my way.”
She lifted a shoulder. “I thought you would talk yourself out of it.”
I thought so, too.
“There’s still time,” I said.
“There really isn’t.”
Before I could ask what that meant, Easton stood and came around his desk. “I’m going to check that Tripp is set.” He dropped a kiss to Maddie’s mouth and disappeared.
“Wait, Tripp is here already?” Even with all my stalling outside, I was still fifteen minutes early. I’d assumed Tripp would stroll in at our arranged time.
Or late.
Or not at all.
“He’s been here for over an hour,” Maddie shared.
“Why?”
I just got another half-assed shrug.
I eyed the doorway. “This is going to be a waste of time, isn’t it? And then it’ll be awkward for you. And Easton. And it—”
“I’m supposed to be the dramatic one,” she cut in with a laugh. “It’s just a job interview. One that’ll go smoothly. Honestly, this arrangement is so perfect, I’m shocked I didn’t think of it.”
Her enthusiasm was enough to twist my apprehension into suspicion. “If this is all a matchmaking ploy…”
Her blue eyes widened in genuine surprise. “What? No.” She shook her head with each denial for added emphasis. “No, no, no, definitely not. I like Tripp, but he is not what you need. You and your organizational gift, however, are exactly what he needs. Professionally. That’s it.”
That didn’t make me feel much better. “Then please tell me that his assistant yesterday deserved to be fired, and then reassure me that he’s not going to do the same to me on a whim.”
“Oh my God, Alex was the worst. Literally. He was more focused on using Tripp’s name to get laid than doing any work.
When he did do something, it was sloppy at best and flat-out wrong at worst. Trust me, his firing was long overdue.
” She grimaced. “And Easton said Alex was the best of his recent assistants.”
Yikes.
I wanted to ask more, but it was a moot point if I wasn’t going to take the job. And I wouldn’t know that until I went to the interview.
Maddie reached the same conclusion. “We’ll talk more later. I’m thinking dinner to celebrate. Or commiserate, depending on how this goes. Wren already agreed.”
I arched a brow. “Actually agreed or a tentative maybe that she’ll back out of because she’s too busy seeing the teacher after class?”
Like Maddie, the third in our triangle of friendship was also happily committed.
She’d fallen quickly for a first-grade teacher she’d met while student-teaching in his classroom.
Chris was great, and more importantly, he clearly adored our Wren.
We couldn’t fault him—she was amazing—but it would be nice if he shared her with us sometimes.
“Actually agreed. She feels bad about skipping the party last night, but she was wiped out after a long week.”
I couldn’t imagine. My class schedule left me ready for bed by nine, and she had classes plus dealing daily with fifteen little kids.
I also had no room to talk about how often she ditched us. I’d thrown myself into school and applying for jobs—which was basically its own full-time position—to avoid thinking about my family drama.
My mood lifted for the first time all day at the idea of spending a Saturday night with my friends. “Deal. I just need to get this over with first.”
Maddie led me down the hall like she worked in the upscale building. With as much as she visited Easton there, it probably wasn’t far off.
As happy as I was for my coupled-up besties, I didn’t understand that level of quality time.
Sure, I wanted more time and effort than I’d gotten from Josh, but I still needed my own space and solitude.
Especially after seeing the aftermath of my parents’ marriage imploding.
I never wanted to be so wrapped up and dependent on someone else that losing them was that messy.
Not that it mattered. I had no intention of getting involved with anyone for a long time.
A really, really long time.
“Good luck,” Maddie whispered before stepping aside in front of an open doorway.
Tripp sat on one side of a long table, leaning back in his plush leather chair.
His thin sweater and dark slacks made me feel more confident in my decision to remain in my interview outfit from earlier—a green top and gray wide-legged trousers.
A smirk curved his mouth as he listened to whatever Easton said.
He lifted his hand to rub across his stubbled jaw before running his fingers through his overgrown brown hair.
He really is hot.
And he knows it, too.
Like he could read my thoughts, he looked over to lock eyes with me. His small smile grew into a grin as he stood. “Siren.”
Easton hid a rumbled warning behind a cleared throat.
“Greer,” Tripp corrected, offering me his hand.
I closed the distance from the door to the table and took it. His handshake was firm and professional, and he didn’t keep hold for too long. Once he released me, he gestured to an empty chair. “Sit. Can my unpaid intern get you a glass of water?”
Easton snorted at the inaccurate job description since he was likely paid well to handle whatever legal matters for Tripp, but he still silently waited for my answer.
“I’m good, thank you,” I said.
“I’ll be down the hall then,” Easton said before striding from the room.
“Go ahead and start that new hire paperwork,” Tripp called after.
I arched a brow. “Presumptuous.”
“Confident.”
“Cocky.”
He grinned, and it was so devastatingly handsome, it left little doubt of why his star was on the rise. “Smart.”
I wasn’t sure if he was talking about himself or me. Before I could respond, I caught the unmistakable sound of Maddie’s hushed protests as Easton undoubtedly dragged her along with him, preventing her from indulging her nosiness by eavesdropping.
I used the disruption to refocus as I sat and pulled my portfolio from my bag. My fingers grazed along where my name was embossed in the lower corner as I opened it, and I choked on a surge of emotion.
I wondered when my father’s betrayal to our family would stop sneaking up to stab me in the heart. I got the feeling it wouldn’t be anytime soon if using the gift he’d given me for my birthday a couple years prior was enough to eviscerate my mood.
Not the time.
I shoved the emotion down and gathered my composure while I pulled out my meager resume. By the time I tore my intense focus away from the task that didn’t require it, there was a plate sitting in front of me.
One with a slice of decadent cake.
My experience with interviews may be woefully limited, but I’ve definitely never heard of them including snacks.
They should, though.