Page 27 of One Bad Idea

"I'm just saying, he's waiting for younow."

"Who?"

"Jax, the guy who needs a personal assistant."

"Who's Jax?"

"He's the tall, dark-haired guy you met earlier. And just so you know, I mean the nice one." She made a face. "Not the other one.Hisname is Jaden, by the way."

So the Shirtless Wonder had a name. Go figure.

Cassidy said, "But forget him. I told Jax you'd be right down. He's waiting in his office, meaning hishomeoffice. It's right downstairs."

More confused than ever, I reached up to rub my temples. "Wait, why would he be waiting forme?"

"Weren't you listening?" she said with a happy laugh. "You'rethe one with the interview."

Chapter 10

Turns out, Cassidy wasn't exaggerating. The job was seriously incredible – so incredible, in fact, that I was getting excited in spite of myself.

Fifteen minutes earlier, while practically dragging me down the stairs, Cassidy had told me something that had shocked me to the core. Turns out, the guys who owned the house –thishouse – were the Bishop Brothers.

This wasn't just a reference to their last name. It was the name of their international brewing company, one that I was surprisingly familiar with, thanks to my love of their main product.

Yes, I liked beer – theirs in particular.

The guys were a total legend, and with good reason.

A few years earlier, they'd picked up a local brewery that was on the verge of going under. After some serious rebranding and fine-tuning, they'd taken the market by storm.

They hadn't stopped with beer either. Today, they had so many brands and products, they could probably stock a full bar with just their own stuff – rum, vodka, you name it. Plus, their daiquiri mixer was seriously to die for.

On the other side of the desk, my interviewer – a guy Inowknew as Jax Bishop – was looking a little surprised, "So you're familiar with our business?"

"Oh yeah." I leaned forward in the chair. "I love your stuff."

His eyebrows lifted. "Is that so?"

"Well, yeah. I especially love your beer." I felt color rise to my cheeks. "But it's not like I drink it all the time or anything. Weekends mostly. And, uh, at ballgames, too."

Damn it. I was oversharing, wasn't I?

I didn't normally do this, but my excitement was getting the best of me. Oh sure, the whole truck thing was still hanging over my head, which meant that regardless, I'd need to return it as quickly as possible – hopefullywithouta jail-related detour.

But now, rather than looking at my future with dread, I saw a tiny sliver of hope.

Who knows? Maybe this little adventure would turn out to be the best thing that had ever happened to me – and Cassidy, too.

She and Jax seemed to have a genuine spark. If we stayed in the area, she'd have the chance to get to know him better. Plus, she and I could be roommates again. She liked warm weather, and I'd always dreamt of living near the beach. With a job like this, I could actually afford it.

And besides, I was long overdue for a change.

As Jax listened, I went on to tell him how much I admired their company and products. To drive the point home, I even mentioned that their daiquiri mix was so good, it made other brands taste like swill in comparison.

I finished by announcing, "And I'm not just saying that, either. I really mean it."

Now, he looked dangerously close to smiling. "Good to know."