CHAPTER THREE | London #2
“It’s funny that you should ask. She’s actually been dating one of the Kade brothers for the past few months.”
My stomach hollows.
“As a matter of fact, I think you actually dated him in high school. Penn Kade.”
Mother trucker...
“Oh yeah. That was a long time ago.” I can feel my facade slip, but I’m quick to secure it back into place. I know what she’s doing, and I won’t give her the satisfaction of a reaction.
“He’s done really well for himself too. You probably should have held onto that one. Though your loss is my daughter’s gain, I suppose.”
It takes everything in me not to reach across the desk and slap the smug smile off this woman’s face.
“Everything happens for a reason.” I widen my smile for good measure.
“I suppose it does. And now here you are, back in Wren Cove.”
“Here I am.”
A few more clacks of her keyboard and finally she returns the conversation to the whole reason I’m here.
“Speaking of the Kades, they are actually looking for a temporary bookkeeper.”
“Pass,” I say too quickly.
“Do you have something against bookkeeping?” She gives me a smile that says she knows exactly what she’s doing. You’d think she’d want me as far away from Penn as possible, but no, she can’t waste an opportunity to rub his and Cat’s relationship in my face further.
I still can’t wrap my head around the two of them together. Penn always hated Cat. Her favorite pastime is talking bad about people and creating drama, and that’s the exact opposite of something Penn would find attractive. At least, my Penn wouldn’t.
My Penn... I shake off the thought. There is nothing about Penn Kade that is mine, nor will there ever be again. That ship sailed seven years ago and sank at sea.
“Not at all. But I have zero experience and I’m not very good with numbers. Surely, there’s something more suited to my skillset.”
“I’m afraid not. I had a couple other jobs available that I thought you might be suited for, but those filled up pretty quickly.
Wren Cove is a small town. Opportunities don’t come around that often.
That is, unless you want to work on an actual fishing boat or on the docks, and somehow, I doubt you’d be cut out for that.
Other than that, there’s little else available. ”
I try not to be offended by the way she insinuates that I couldn’t hack it, because in truth, I probably couldn’t.
“You’re sure?” I lift a challenging eyebrow, having a hard time believing that there’s literally nothing else.
“I’m sure. Honestly, you’re lucky even this is available. Their bookkeeper gave birth to her baby early before they were able to find a temporary replacement, so they’re pretty desperate to get someone in there until she returns from maternity leave.”
“How long until she comes back?”
“I believe she’s taking twelve weeks, so the job would only last about ten weeks.”
“And what does the position entail?”
I can’t believe I’m even considering this, but given that I am in no way equipped to work on an actual fishing boat or at the docks, for that matter, I don’t really have much of a choice. That is, unless I want to be homeless, which isn’t looking like a bad alternative at the moment.
After giving me a basic rundown of the position, keeping tally of the catches, the sales, payroll, ship maintenance cost, and so on, she informs me it’s only a part-time position and I would be expected to work 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday and some weekends when needed.
The pay isn’t horrible either, given it’s a part-time temp position and I have zero experience.
It’s honestly not a bad gig, with one blaring flaw—the company is owned by Penn freaking Kade, and I think I’d rather stick needles into my eyeballs than be forced to face that man in the throes of my failure.
Then again, it’s been seven years. He’s clearly moved on. We’re both adults. And it’s only ten weeks. How hard could it be?
Something tells me I’m probably going to regret this, but knowing that doesn’t stop me from uttering the following words...
“I’ll take it.”
“Penn will be so thrilled. I know they really need someone immediately. Can you start tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” I practically choke on the word.
“Is that a problem?”
Yes, I want to scream.
“Not at all,” I say instead.
“Perfect. I’ll need you to stay a little longer to do paperwork.”
“No problem.” Another forced smile.
Forty-five minutes later, I exit the temp agency, somehow feeling like even more of a loser walking out of there than I did walking in. And what’s even worse, it’s only a matter of time before the whole town knows it too.
But people learning I’m a pathetic failure who’s returned to town with my tail between my legs is not even close to the biggest of my worries right now.
Oh no, as it just so happens, I have a much larger obstacle standing in front of me right now.
And it comes in the form of a man I had no intention of ever seeing again when I walked away from him seven years ago.
I guess it’s true what they say—when it rains, it pours, and right now I’m standing in the middle of a category five hurricane with no shelter in sight.
Lucky me...