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“Uh, yeah,” I say, placing the documents on the table so she can go through them. “Are you sure you don’t want to have a lawyer here or anything?”
“No, it’s fine. I can read.”
I smile before leaning back and we both sit in silence for a couple of minutes while I let her go through the three-page document. She finishes pretty fast but I can tell she took in every single word.
“So? What do you think?” I ask once she sets it back down on the table.
“It’s good. I don’t have a problem with anything in there,” she replies easily.
Thank fuck.“So, are you ready to sign?”
She crosses her legs, her blue eyes roaming over my face in a way that makes me feel exposed.
“Maybe,” she drawls.
My eyebrow rises. “What more could you possibly want, Emilia?” I made sure her contract was iron clad and that she receives appropriate compensation as well.
She shrugs but doesn’t reply. I shake my head, a little impressed.
“You know, you’ve got good instincts and are a masterful negotiator. We could use someone like you working at our company.”
“Okay, I’m in,” she says with a smile, surprising the hell out of me.
“What?”
Emilia leans back, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Without my café, I’ll be effectively jobless with nothing to do. Let me work with you here at Harrington Holdings.”
My brows furrow. “That was a joke, not an invitation.”
“I’m adding another card to the table,” she announces. “We haven’t signed the contract yet so take it as another one of my conditions. A temporary position at Harrington Holdings.”
I stare at her for a moment before realizing that she’s absolutely serious.
“Where is this even coming from?”
She smiles before shrugging. “Honestly, I just came up with it and I’m rolling with it.”
“Life is that easy for you, isn’t it? Just deciding to jump into a career you know nothing about out of, what? Boredom?” I say, my tone a little harsh.
“Calm down, Tin Man. I’m not coming for your position or anything like that. This is just me being spontaneous, free. I haven’t had the chance to live like that so far. Might as well start now.”
“How wonderful,” I bite out. Then I’m sighing, rubbing the middle of my forehead. “Do you even have any qualifications that merit you a job at Harrington Holdings?”
“No, I do not,” she replies, and it’s a little amusing how flippant she’s being about this.
“I feel like I’m being blackmailed right now,” I mutter.
“We’re simply conducting a business deal,” she says innocently.
“I’d have to think about it,” I state.
“Sure. You do you, Tin Man. But I’m not agreeing to the sale until you give me a job. Remember, it’s only temporarily until I find out what next to do with my life.”
She gets to her feet, pulling her dress down. Then she smiles at me and I feel my heart do a little backflip.
“Choose wisely, Sterling. I’ll see you later.”
She walks out, leaving behind the floral scent of her perfume and a blossoming headache as I consider how best to deal with this new situation.