Page 6 of Love Unspoken

I shook my head. "I don't have any openings at his level." And no fucking way was I hiring a friend who'd directly work under me. That was asking for all kinds of trouble. Hayes was a different story. He sat on the board and was more or less equal.

Nolan and Kara came out to the balcony, and we did the hello, how are you, how is the family chit-chat. They ordered drinks when the server came by, and Kara looked around with what I knew was envy. Nolan had a well-paying job, but he didn't win the successful start-up jackpot like I had.

"I love your place, Amias, so, so amazing." She put a hand on my arm as she spoke. She was a bit of a flirt. Like Ann, she was blonde with a toned body. Unlike her, she was petite and dumb as a doorknob.

"Thanks, Kara. How's Magnus?" They had a cute one-year-old and since the baby, Kara had not returned to work, which I knew was making Nolan nervous. They'd bought a new house in Beacon Hill that required two incomes, he'd told me.

"Wonderful. Naya is babysitting," Kara beamed and thanked the server who brought her a cosmopolitan and Nolan a scotch on the rocks.

We all toasted.

Naya had worked until late on a Friday night, and tonight she was babysitting? That poor woman must be lonely as fuck. She was twenty-six years old, and from what I could see, she didn't seem to have a social life at all. Even when colleagues went for drinks, she was holed up in her cubicle. As her employer, I appreciated her dedication—as her brother's friend, I felt sorry for her.

"Speaking of Naya, Amais, did you tell her that I asked you to hire her?" Nolan asked casually.

I cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

He shrugged. "She called yesterday and said that she overheard something about you hiring her because I asked you to."

"Oh, tell me you didn't, Nolan," Kara immediately admonished him. "If she screws up, Amias is going to blame you."

I tried to compute what Nolan was saying, but before I could, I needed to shut Kara the hell up. "She's not screwing up, Kara. In fact, according to her boss, she's one of his star employees."

Kara sighed. "Well, she has no life, so it's a good thing she has her career, right? She doesn't date, doesn't go out…it's so sad."

"Come on, Kara," Nolan said wearily. "You know why that is."

Why was it? I wanted to ask, but I didn't want to seem overtly interested when I, in fact, was not interested. I was not!

However, reflecting on Nolan's mention of her overhearing a conversation, I wondered, my mind racing as I considered was she might be referring to.

I stilled. She'd come into my office right when Ann was leaving. My jaw tightened as I remembered we'd been talking about Naya. I couldn't recall exactly what Ann or I had said, but none of it had been flattering.

Fuck! Had she heard us? Damn it. I remembered saying something about how awful she looked and how she had no fashion sense.

"You okay?" Hayes asked.

I nodded.

"You have to come see this, Kara." Ann dragged Kara away.

"Hey, Amias, I'm looking for my next opportunity," Nolan began, "if you see something, let me know, yeah?"

"Yeah, of course, man."

"Ah…you got anything in finance at Midas?" he asked uncomfortably.

Nolan had gotten an MBA and was a senior director of finance at a tech company. Midas would be a great next stepping stone for him. But I knew from the tech grapevine that he wasn't the highest-rated employee. He was average, and I wasn't about to hire average at Midas, especially in a senior role.

"Not right now, Nolan, but if anything changes, I'll reach out. But let me look around. I'm sure we can find something for you."

He held out his hand, and I shook it. "Thanks, man. I knew I could count on you."

Nolan left Hayes and me on the patio.

"I never liked him much in MIT, but since he married that woman, he's become even less likable," Hayes mused, lighting a new cigar. "Why is he so desperate for a new gig?"

"He bought a house he can't afford, and Kara quit her job," I murmured.