Saved by Her Boss

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Arabella

The interview was going great until he asked what should have been a simple question.

The hard part was that I couldn’t let anyone know where I came from, so I changed the subject. “Um, I just thought I should mention that I don’t currently have my driver’s license. Like, my physical license.” He c****d his head at me as if I were speaking another language.

Shit. I can’t have him thinking I’m an i***t.

“I mean, I lost my wallet at some point while traveling here. I traveled by bus, so there were a lot of transfers, and somewhere along the way, my purse and I got separated. The bus company said they’ll contact me if anyone turns it in, but they told me not to hold my breath.”

“So, you have no identification?” he asked me with a frown.

“Yes, I have none of that.” I fiddled with my hands in my lap, nervous. “Will that be a problem?”

Tapping his long fingers on his desk, he made a humming sound before shoving his hand through his sandy blonde curls. His sea-green eyes looked upward as he contemplated his answer. He looked the part of a guy who loved living on the beach, with his short-sleeved tropical printed shirt, khaki shorts, and Top-Sider shoes.

Finally, he moved his eyes back to me. “Do you recall your social security number or your driver’s license number?”

“No.” I had been to interviews every day since I’d arrived in Brownsville. So far, no one would hire me without my identification.

“You do have a driver’s license, though?” he asked. “I mean, I know you said you don’t have one with you. But did you ever get a license to drive?”

“Yes, I did. I got it when I was eighteen.” I had to change up my tactics. Obviously, my approach to all the other interviews had gotten me nowhere. So, I made something up. “I can try to get a copy of it sent to me, I think. If I can go to the Department of Motor Vehicles, I think I can get them to give me a replacement.”

“It might not be that easy since you’re not from Texas. and each state has its own DMV. But if you’ll at least try, I might be able to overlook that — for now. You will have to get one eventually. And if you’re going to stay in Texas, which I hope you are since you’re trying to get a job here, then you’ll need to get a Texas driver’s license anyway.”

Yes! He’s willing to overlook it!

That was more than anyone else had said. “Yes, I’ll definitely try to get something done about that.”

“The job comes with a car. I’ve got a Range Rover to haul my dogs around in. Whoever gets this job will have access to that car. I suppose if you get pulled over for some reason, you can tell them your name and what state your license is from, and they’ll be able to look it up.”

“I won’t get pulled over,” I assured him. “I’m a cautious driver. But I think you’re right about that. So, I don’t think it will be a big deal. As long as you’re okay with that.” I was so excited that a car would come with the job. I’d been going everyone on foot ever since I’d gotten into town.

“There is the issue of not having your social security number, though. How am I going to pay you?”

That had been the other big problem everyone had with hiring me. But I’d done my research this time. “You could just pay me as a contract employee. At the end of the year, I’ll just have to pay taxes on the money I made.”

Smiling, he nodded. “I could do that. But once you get a replacement for your social security card, or even just know the number, then I’ll get you payroll.”

He was far more accommodating than anyone else I’d had an interview with. “Thank you so much.”

“You don’t have the job yet, Arabella.” He chewed on his lower lip, and his actions made me notice the firmness of his jaw. He was a very nice-looking man. I loved his perfectly tanned skin, and since the top two buttons of his shirt had been left unfastened, I could see the firmness of his pecs too. He was what we called a triple threat back home — hot, muscular, and wealthy.

“Yes, I know that.” I ducked my head, not wanting to act like I had the job already. “I’m just thankful that you’re still considering me even after I told you about my lack of identification. Every other interview I’ve had ended abruptly as soon as I told them about my lost purse.”

“And how many interviews have you had?”

“I’ve had one or two each day for the last fourteen days.” I knew that sounded bad.

“Where are you staying, Arabella?” he asked with concern.

“In a motel.” I couldn’t look right at him as the expression of pity he wore on his handsome face made me cringe. “It’s fine. I’ve got enough cash to pay for another week or so. And the manager said I might be able to do work around there if I run out of money, just to pay for board.”

Chase fell quiet for a moment as he looked up at the ceiling again. “Living in a motel seems unsafe to me.”

I had heard some scary things since I’d arrived there. But I wasn’t going to complain. “It’s okay. I lock my doors and don’t go out after dark.” I tried to smile reassuringly.

His green eyes landed on mine. “The job comes with a house. It’s a small cottage behind the main house. Just one bedroom and one bath. But it has a full kitchen and living room. Cable’s hooked up in both the living room and the bedroom, and Wi-Fi is available all throughout my entire property.”

That sounded like a dream come true to me, and I knew I had to be glowing as I thought about being able to live in an actual house again. “It would be nice to have a home.”

He leaned forward. “Arabella, why did you come to Brownsville in the first place?”

Because it was as far away as I could get.

That was a much trickier question to avoid. “I mean no disrespect, but I would rather not talk about something so personal that doesn’t seem to pertain to the job.” I prayed I hadn’t just ruined my chance of getting the job that I so desperately needed. Not only would it allow me to start making money, but it would give me a home and transportation.

This job would essentially solve all my problems, and I wanted it badly.

With a sigh, he sat back in his chair. “I suppose you’re right. So, let’s talk about the responsibilities the job entails. My dogs get fed twice a day, at the same time each day. If you can’t keep track of something as important as your purse — the thing that carries your entire identity inside of it — then how can I expect you to remember to feed my dogs on time?”

I knew losing my purse seemed like the most irresponsible thing a person could do. But the thing was, I hadn’t really lost it. Not that I could tell him that, though. “Have you ever ridden on a bus?”

“No.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Would you like to tell me how that went?”

I could tell him about my journey. “I changed buses four times. When you travel by bus, it takes twice as long to get anywhere. There are lots of stops to let people off and on, and that means there’s a lot of shuffling around. And then there were the transfers, where I had to get off one bus and wait for another to show up. It took three whole days to get here. I get motion sickness sometimes on long trips, so I couldn’t sleep. The entire trip was tiring, and my head got fuzzy from the whole ordeal.”

I took a deep breath shuddered, trying to forget the experience. I told myself that if I was playing up my discomfort a bit in the attempt to garner a little extra sympathy, it was only because I needed this job so badly. “So, I must’ve gotten off one bus to get onto another and left my purse behind,” I continued. “Either on the seat or maybe in the bathroom on the bus. It’s not like I had time to go back and check once I noticed it missing either, as that bus had already taken off by the time I noticed that I no longer had it with me.”

“They might find it. You never know,” he said with optimism.

Optimism that I had to squash. “It’s been fourteen days since I reported it missing. What do you think are the odds that I’ll get it back?”

“Okay, slim to none,” he agreed. “I understand a bit better how you were able to lose the most important thing to you. But you’ve yet to convince me that you can be responsible for living creatures. My dogs are my babies. I’m not married and have no kids, so they’re my family. I treat them that way too. Whoever I hire will be expected to treat them as nicely as I do. And making sure to feed them on time and to always make sure they have access to clean, fresh water is a must.”

He’s single? With no kids?

“Didn’t you say that you’re thirty-five?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“Oh, so you think I should’ve gotten married and settled down by now?” A smirk formed on his lips. “By now, you think I should have a couple of kids, is that right?”

“I’m sorry. That’s none of my business.” I clamped my mouth shut, but then something made them open back up. “But yes, most people your age are married with children. Were you ever married? Did it end badly? Did she die?”

His laughter peeled through the air, deep, honest, and sexy as hell. “Arabella, you certainly know how to give a good interview,” he said sarcastically.

My heart sank. I knew I’d said too much. He would be a fool to hire someone like me. Someone who had no idea when to shut up. Someone who had no experience in anything. Someone who wouldn’t even be truthful about where they were from or why they had traveled so far away from home in the first place. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said as his laughter died down. “You’re not the first person to ask me why I’m still single. And I sincerely doubt you’ll be the last. If you want to know the honest to God truth, I just haven’t met the right woman for me yet. I’m sure she’s out there, though. Until then, I have my dogs to keep me company. And I do date, now and then. Just nothing serious at the moment. I like to keep my options open.”

Holding my hands up, I tried to show him that we could stop talking about his private life. “None of my business. I’m sorry I went there. Here I am telling you that I don’t want to talk about my personal life, and I’m all up in yours. That was rude of me, and I am sorry.”

“I accept your apology. Can you tell me if you’ve ever paid any bills before?”

“Um, I’m paying the motel bill. And I paid for my bus ticket.” I knew that sounded lame as hell.

“I mean, like monthly bills. You know, bills that come around each month? Like the electric bill?” he asked. “Bills like that.”

“No.” Yet another thing I had never done. There were so many things I had never done.

“It’s simple stuff. If I taught you how, I’m sure you could handle stuff like that, right? Most of my bills are paid automatically anyways, but I have a few for which I get notifications through my personal email account. Do you think you could monitor my personal email and pay the bills when they come in?”

“I’m sure I could.” Even though I’d never done it before, I didn’t think it sounded too hard. Most people — people who had normal lives — did it all the time. “I could get a notebook and write down everything you want me to do and by when or what time you want them done. I did well in school. I always turned in my assignments on time.”

“So, it sounds like you can manage your time well. That’s a great skill to have. I like that you’re already thinking of ways to get the job done.”

He smiled at me, and it made my heart thump hard in my chest.

I could only hope it meant he was going to give me a chance.