Page 67 of Lucky Mother Pucker

“That’s okay. I’m not afraid of grunt work. I’ve done plenty of that.”

“Tell us about your work experience,” Evan says.

I tell them about my background working in food service.

“I’ve always had an interest in massage therapy and treating the body,” I say. “I’ve researched a lot about anatomy and physical therapy. And hockey.”

“You’re not a hockey fan?” Evan says in a teasing tone.

“I’m a new fan. Ever since I became friends with Leo, I’ve learned a lot about the game and how it can affect a player’s body.”

They ask me about challenging work experiences I’ve had. I give examples of how I dealt with rude customers and how I balanced overwhelming workloads.

They ask me about my knowledge of exercise and physical therapy. I go over the research I studied from both Anna and Poppy.

“I have to say, Lucy, I’m very impressed with your work ethic and your understanding of the kind of work we do. Especially since you haven’t studied this in school.”

I smile. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

“I will say that the one thing Evan and I are a bit hesitant about is that you don’t have a college degree.”

Disappointment flashes through me, but I nod and try to keep smiling.

“Of course, I completely understand that.” I go quiet, wanting to be professional.

But part of me doesn’t want to leave it at just that.

If I’m going to lose out on this opportunity, I want to make sure they know what they’re missing out on.

“I know that in a perfect world, I’d have a degree.” I look at them both. “This isn’t a perfect world though. I had plans to go to college, but life got in the way. And because of that, I’ve been on my own for the past couple of years, so I’ve had to work full-time. College just wasn’t an option for me. But I don’t want to let that deter me. I’m sure that you could hire someone with a degree, and they’d do a great job. But I promise you, no one works as hard as me. I don’t have an ego. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it. I don’t come from money or an important family. It’s just me. So if we have a hard day at work, I’m not going to slack or quit like someone else would. I’ll stick it out. Because I actually want to be here.”

Evan and Paula exchange a look I can’t quite decipher. Regret shoots through me. Maybe that was too bold for me to say all that.

But then they both break into a smile.

“Lucy, I like your tenacity,” Evan says.

“Really?”

He nods.

“I like it too,” Paula says. “You’re hired. When can you start?”

Chapter 26

Lucy

Irun into the training room and spot Leo on one of the exercise bikes. I make a beeline straight for him.

When he sees me, he pulls out his earbuds.

Before he can say anything, I blurt, “I got it! I got the job!”

His handsome face breaks into a gorgeous smile. He hops off the bike and pumps his fist. “Fuck, yeah!” he yells.

A couple of his teammates, who are working out in the training room, jolt at the noise, but Leo doesn’t even notice. Or care.

He high-fives me, then pulls me into a hug. I’m smiling so hard, my cheeks hurt. I breathe and get a whiff of his scent. He smells like rain, wood, spice, and sweat. I almost groan. He smells so manly.