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All words escaped my mouth, and I could only gape at them.
“We’ll fully take care of you during that time, too, if you accept that offer. You’ll have your own floor in our penthouse, your own expense account, credit card, driver—”
“Are you serious?!” I choked, my voice finally coming back. “Is this a joke?”
Lincoln smiled. “No, Mylee. It’s not.”
My head swam in disbelief. “But… but why me?” I whispered. “I mean… you could have anyone. Anyone at all.”
“I told you, Mylee. You really impressed us, the way you handled yourself with Richard yesterday,” Lincoln answered softly. “I watched the way you held yourself together, and you didn’t lose your cool, not for a second.”
I shook my head. “I mean…” I bit on my lower lip. “I mean…”
I exhaled and gestured at my shoddy, second-hand clothes. “You could have your pick of models or actresses. You could literally have anyone.”
He appeared surprised by the question. “Have you looked in a mirror lately?” he laughed. “I can’t wait to see the faces of some of our competitors when we bring you out.”
I flushed crimson and looked around the room at their hopeful faces. They were waiting for me to say yes.
What the hell was I waiting for? This would solve all of my problems in three months. I wouldn’t even need to go back to Teatotler’s if I didn’t want to. Screw my landlord and her outrageous rent increase.
“When do I start?” I breathed.
“We’ll have someone take you to the condo right now,” Lincoln sighed happily.
“I’ll do it,” Paxton volunteered. “I’m free for the couple of hours.”
“Good,” Lincoln said. “Then I’ll have all the other arrangements made. Welcome to the Silverpiece team, Mylee. We’re glad to have you onboard.”
CHAPTER4
Paxton
At first, I thought Lincoln had been out of his mind to suggest it.
“You want to bring this barista into our inner circle and make her our, what, girlfriend?” I laughed, thinking he was joking.
“Don’t be an asshole,” Kai interjected before Lincoln could argue. “He’s actually making a lot of sense. Did you see the way the guys from B&W Oil looked at us when we showed up without dates again at the Met? And it’s not the first time, either. I’m sure we got locked out of that deal in Brisbane for the same reason. We’ve been given so much shit for not having women on our executive team.”
I had noticed, and Kai was right.
But now, as I led Mylee through the second floor of the penthouse, I found myself studying her with far more interest than I had before. Lincoln had a good eye. She was beautiful, undoubtedly. Her curves were distinctive in the slightly ill-fitting skirt and too-tight red blouse, the swell of her cleavage teasing against the open top button.
I’d noticed the clearness of her umber complexion in the coffeeshop, the way it made her doe-like, innocent eyes pop under thick, black lashes. She had tried to twist her hair into a complicated chignon at the base of her neck but failed, the dark strands sliding silkily around her shoulders when she turned to look at me in shock, rose-pink lips parted.
“This whole place is mine?” she gasped.
I laughed and shook my head. “No,” I corrected her. “Just the upstairs. We’re staying downstairs for now.”
Taken aback, she cocked her head, more tendrils of hair falling over her high cheekbones. “You all live here?”
I set my phone down on the coffee table of the upper living room and sat, gesturing for her to join me. She perched nervously on the edge of a tufted barrel chair.
“We’re constantly moving around,” I explained. “It’s just easier for us to take on one of the penthouses when we’re working on a project and use it as our home base. There’s lots of room.”
I paused, unsure if I should offer it, but I wanted to give her the option. “If this arrangement makes you uncomfortable, we can get your own apartment, but it will take a bit of time.”
She stared at me, unblinking, and I rushed on to explain. “There aren’t any more units available in this building, and we will need you close. The schedule demands it, and it just makes it easier from a public perspective. If we set you up in another building, it will bring a lot of unwanted scrutiny. Do you think you can manage like this?”
