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“I know it’s probably weird to get a job at a company whose product you’ve never tried, but what can I say? I needed a job and—”
“You work here?”
“I started last week.” Her gaze traveled up to his still damp hair then moved down to take in his T-shirted chest and workout pants, before she glanced around, surveying the shop. “So, you work here then?” She glanced at his casual attire once more.
He laughed a little that she would think he worked in the gift shop, especially dressed as he was. “Yeah, but not here in the—”
“You’re not going to tell anyone what I said about the cherry truffles, are you?”
He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
Her lips turned up in an adorable smile, causing his heart to stutter in his chest.
“Can I ask you a question about the company?” She picked up a package again and turned it over, angling closer to him and pointing at the picture of Granny Schultz in the upper left corner.
The scent of her enveloped him, and he slowly breathed in hints of vanilla and coconut.
“Is Granny a real person?” she asked.
His brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”
“There are lots of companies out there that have fictionalized stories of how their company was founded and created fake people to establish a certain feeling for their brand, and I wondered if that was the case with Schultz Chocolate. I just want to know what kind of company I’m going to work for.”
He was surprised and intrigued by this woman. “Schultz Chocolate is an honest and ethical company, and I can assure you Granny Schultz was as real as you and me.”
“Oh, she passed away?” she asked.
“Last year, at the age of one-hundred-and-one.” He missed his great grandmother more than words could express. “If you ask around the office, people will tell you what a wonderful, vibrant woman she was. Even in her final days. And she loved dark chocolate cherry truffles.”
The woman let out a little laugh at that. “She sounds very sweet.” Her eyes returned to the package in her hands.
“So, you don’t know the history of Schultz Chocolate then?” he asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Why would I?”
“Because Schultz is a household name. I guess I figured most people would know. Especially someone who works here.”
“Do you know?” she asked.
“Of course.” He didn’t mention that it was his grandfather who had founded the company, or his father who had taken it from its meager beginnings and built it into an empire, or the fact that he and his siblings ran the business now. He wanted to see how long it took her to figure out who he was.
“So, what department will you be working in?” he asked.
“I’m the new event coordinator for the Schultz Foundation,” she announced proudly.
Sebastian sucked air in between his teeth, which made a whistle. “That’s a big undertaking. Think you’re up to the task?”
She straightened her back, all confidence and resolve, as her eyes narrowed. “I know it’s a big job, but I’ve got plenty of experience, and I’m darn good at what I do.”
Sebastian was distracted by the light brown shade of her eyes with a deeper brown bursting outward from the center, reminding him of melted chocolate.
Dark lashes fluttered as she stared back at him, arms crossed over her chest, and he realized she must have said something while he was getting lost in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Why would you think I wasn’t up to the task? You don’t even know me.”
I’d like to change that. He ignored that sudden thought and replied, “I didn’t mean anything by it. That job is one with a great deal of responsibilities. I don’t think I could handle it. But I have no doubt you’re qualified, otherwise you wouldn’t have been hired.”