Page 5 of Gluttony (Seven Deadly Sins #4)
Chapter Four
Hayes
“The role of executive assistant motivates me. I thrive in an environment where each day is different and poses a new challenge. I’m also detail oriented…”
Miss Jones continues her spiel in response to my interview question, and it’s boring the fuck out of me.
She sounds like every cookie-cutter version of every executive assistant candidate we’ve paraded through here in the last few hours.
Pretty, though. Her résumé looks good too.
She’s saying all the right things, sitting with her back straight, and her eye contact is solid… confident.
“Thank you, Miss Jones. Do you have any questions for me?” She’s the last candidate of the day and I don’t really have time for this shit, but needs must when the devil drives.
“Yes, Sir.” I like the way she says that, the slight roll of her tongue. She has my full attention now. “How could I impress you in the first three months?”
“By doing exactly what we ask of you, exactly when we ask it. We won’t accept excuses or sob-stories as to why a task hasn’t been carried out.
Being the executive assistant to three CEOs is going to require a lot of your time.
Are you truly prepared to give it your all?
Because this isn’t the job that’s going to get you a record contract if that’s what you’re after.
” So many people who want a job in our offices have alternative agendas to get into the music business, but a high turnover in staff isn’t productive so we have to weed out the ones with stars in their eyes.
“Even if I could hold a tune, being in the public eye is not for me. So you don’t have to worry about me trying to become the next Taylor Swift, Sir.
” Her body language shows me she’s telling the truth.
No fidgeting, excellent posture while remaining relaxed, and her eye contact is still on point.
Dark green, like the leaves on a rose bush.
“I am, however, fully prepared to do everything in my power to be the best executive assistant you’ve ever had.
” She grins, her perfectly made-up lips stretching upward in what is clearly a well-rehearsed smile.
“The position is only for three months, but if you do happen to impress us then we may be able to find another position within the company for you. Is that something you’re looking for?
” I want to see where her loyalties are going to lie, because if she’s happy to just skip off somewhere else then we can’t trust her with anything substantial.
“Absolutely. The inner workings of a record company like this have always interested me. Seeing how the music gets made, the behind the scenes work that has to be done, all the forgotten people that have a hand in one song…” She sighs, as though she’s in a happy memory.
“It all seems pretty magical to me, Sir.”
Does she know what that word is doing to my cock? Because she keeps saying it, and there’s something darker behind her light smile that makes me think she is fully aware.
Her answers to my questions are too over the top, though. Too rehearsed. I know people like to prepare before an interview so they make a good impression, but everything about Bella Jones feels fake to me.
Behind my large oak desk, I sit forward in my leather chair and narrow my eyes. Assessing.
She doesn’t move, doesn’t flinch, doesn’t squirm…suspicious.
The candidate before her is more qualified anyway.
I bring my elbows up to the desk and clasp my hands together.
“Thank you for your time today, Miss Jones. We—”
“S’up, fuckface! That ba—Oh…” Hadley slams my office door open and saunters in without a care in the fucking world. Standard. “Hello, Little Rabbit.”
“We’re just finishing up her interview, Mr. Beckett. If you wait outside for a few minutes, Crosby will get you a coffee.” On the surface, I’m the picture of calm and polite. On the inside, I’m imagining all the ways I can torture my twin brother for being an unprofessional nutsack.
“How about our new executive assistant gets me a coffee? Black like my soul and no sugar…because I’m sweet enough.” He wags his brows at Miss Jones, crunching on what are unmistakably his trademark Tic Tacs, and if I’m not mistaken, she likes it.
Definitely not H2O material. We need an executive assistant for three months, not a distraction.
“Miss Jones. Thank you for coming in. We’ll be in touch.” Trying to control the situation, I stand and gesture for the door that Hadley is still straddling.
She nods politely. “I look forward to it.” Standing, she steps forward, holding out her hand. Her shake is firm, as well rehearsed as everything else about her.
As she slowly walks toward the door, Hadley’s eyes roam all over her with a hunger she’d never be able to handle and I sigh because I know my brother…
Three…two…
“You’ve got the job. You can start Monday morning. Don’t forget my coffee.” Then he slams the door behind her and dramatically throws himself against it. “I’m in love. We never shoulda thrown her out of the limo after that KC Duke show.”
“Holy fuck, that’s her?” To be fair, I didn’t really see her face, but her arse…? Yeah. That, I’d recognize. Knowing this makes hiring her an even worse idea.
“In the fuckin’ flesh, bro. I wonder if she was wearing underwear today? I hope not.”
I move around to the front of my desk and perch, resting my hands on the edge and crossing my ankles.
“She can’t work for us. We have a strict no-fucking-the-employees rule, and I can see it in your eyes…you wanna fuck her.”
“Nah, I wanna fuckin’ ruin her.” His grin is full of menace and he wags his brows again, but a lot less playfully than before.
“It’s only three months, yeah? We know she’s down to get dirty.
Make her sign a waiver, and she’ll be out of my system by the time Abby comes back.
Sorted.” He holds his hands out to the sides as if he’s just solved world peace.
Trouble is, there’s no point in arguing with him. He’d find a way to make it happen, no matter what I say. Once he sets his mind—dick—on something, he’s incorrigible.
There’s something about her that sets my teeth on edge and I can’t put my finger on it, but I guess I’m gonna have the time to figure it out now.
“Is there something you actually wanted, Hads? Was Crosby not at his desk before you came barging in?” Hadley, Orion, and I all like to share an executive assistant, but we have our own individual secretaries.
Crosby is mine, and while he’s amazing at his job, his crush on my brother means he seems unable to control him at any time. Hence the intrusion.
“He’s there, said you’d be pissed if I came in while you were interviewing.
I said I didn’t care and came in anyway.
” He shrugs. “I’m glad I did.” He cups his crotch and lifts it with a growl before dropping his hand away.
“I actually came in to let you know that bastard who produced the new Rayne Over Knights song needs his insides rearranged—not in the fun way, more like in the so they’re hanging out of him kinda way—and I plan on being the one to do it.
Haven’t decided if it’ll be before or after I reproduce the track. ”
Once upon a time, Hadley’s need to pulverize and pummel was something he’d keep to himself, meaning Orion and I had a lot of messes to clean up.
Now, though, we have an open and honest policy between the three of us.
It doesn’t stop anything from happening, but knowing about it in advance makes the clean up easier with more time to plan.
“Okay…why?” It’s not May yet, so at least he won’t kill the guy.
Hadley lounges in the chair Miss Jones just vacated, his head lolling backward.
“Why the fuck not?” He sits forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “A. The track sucks. B. He was rude to my secretary. C. The mixing engineer overheard him bad mouthing Orion’s marketing strategy. D. He’s got stupid hair.”
The reasons are lacking, but they often are.
“And you’re sure he needs his insides rearranged to his outside rather than just a warning?”
“That is a warning, bro.” He grins, slapping his palms onto the arms of the chair as he stands. “Come on, you’re done for the day. Let’s go find something to fuck or fight.”
“Actually, I have another meeting before I’m finished.”
“Nope. Crosby rescheduled it and Orion’s waiting in the parking garage…We can research the girl tomorrow, if that makes you feel any better.” Opening the door, he waits for me to start moving.
I roll my eyes and push off from the desk with a sigh. I won’t be fucking or fighting tonight, but I’ll accommodate my twin and our best friend. Always. And we will definitely be doing a background check on our new employee, seeing as she already has a start date.
“You’re a wanker. You know that, right?” I stop beside him and raise a brow.
“Yeah, but I’m a sexy wanker and you love me.”