Page 8 of Undeniably His

“I work long hours and can be demanding of your time. Are you prepared for that, Ms. Smith?”

She nodded. “Yes, absolutely.”

“You’ll also be expected to do some personal errands for me. Will that be an issue?”

“No.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. I’m ready to do whatever it is you need.” She shifted in her chair, and another flash of pain flared in her eyes. “My time is flexible.”

She cast her eyes to the left as she spoke, and he sighed irritably. The woman was lying to him. Why, he didn’t know, but did it matter? She was not suited for the job. She was a scared little rabbit, and he needed an assistant who wouldn’t cower in fear when he spoke to them. It wasn’t in his nature to be nurturing or patient. He’d spend his valuable time handing the little bunny rabbit in front of him tissues for her inevitable bouts of sobbing instead of getting his work done. It was better to leave her in Mark’s department. He had an easy-going nature and all the patience in the world. He glanced at his watch and decided to end the torture for both of them.

“Well, thank you for meeting with me, Ms. Smith. It was a pleasure.”

Her lower lip began to tremble again, and he watched with mute horror as tears welled up in her eyes. “I – the interview is finished?”

“Yes,” he said briskly as he inwardly prayed she wouldn’t burst into tears. “Thank you for your time. Maria will be speaking with you in a few days.”

He stood, but she continued to sit, clutching at the arms of the chair as she stared up at him with a look of desperation that made his stomach clench oddly.

“Mr. Dawson,” she said anxiously, “I know I – I don’t have much experience but - ”

“You have no experience.”

“Yes, right, but I promise you that I’m a quick learner and a hard worker. If you hire me, I won’t let you down. I’ll do whatever you ask of me, and I – I won’t complain about the long hours or hard work. Please, Mr. Dawson, I’m asking you to give me a chance. I’ll make a great assistant. I really will.”

Her begging made him increasingly uncomfortable, and he cleared his throat loudly. “Ms. Smith, I have a hectic day, so…”

She slumped in her chair and then stood, wincing a little. She blinked rapidly, holding back the tears with apparent effort.

“Of course,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. It was a pleasure to meet you today, Mr. Dawson.”

She held out her hand and kept her gaze on his chest as he shook her hand.

“You as well, Ms. Smith.”

She nodded, and he watched as, limping slightly, she left his office.

* * *

With her ass cheek on fire, her stomach rolling with nausea, and hot tears sliding down her cheeks, Jane hurried down the hallway. She had pooched the interview in the worst way, and she desperately wanted to get to the washroom, pull the pin out of her ass and sob for the next twenty minutes. Kyla wasn’t expecting her back from the interview until nine, so she had plenty of time to fall apart before returning to work. She had no idea how she would pay for the increase in Mama J’s care, and she tried to ignore the panic fluttering in her chest. She would think of something. She’d get a third job if she had to.

How, Janie? You barely get four hours of sleep a night as it is. How are you going to work a third job? Face it, girl, this job was your only chance, and you fucking blew it. Mama J is going to end up in some horrible nursing home, and it’s all your fault. After everything she did for you, you’re going to let her die in some place where they won’t even care about her, where they won’t -

“Hey, how did it go?”

She stumbled to a stop, squinting through the tears at the woman from the bathroom. The woman’s eyes widened, and she touched Jane’s shoulder.

“Oh, honey. What happened?”

“I – I didn’t do very well.” Jane wiped at the tears on her face. “He ended the interview after less than five minutes. When I sat down, one of the pins poked me in the butt, and it hurt like hell and was distracting, and I - I…”

She covered her face with her hands. She wouldn’t cry in front of this woman, no matter how kind she was.

“I’m sorry, honey,” the woman said.

“Me too,” Jane sniffed. “I should go. I need to pull a pin out of my butt, find a Band-aid, and get back downstairs. Thanks again for your help.”

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