Page 92 of Tech Bros

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I’m one person, but you’d get a whole team here.”

“You don’t think you could lead a team? I think you could.”

“Do you always try to poach employees from other companies?”

“Only the ones I think are severely underemployed,” he says.

I give him a look of reproach, and he holds up both hands like he didn’t mean that as shitty as it came out. “Seriously, though. I wouldn’t need to be out here recruiting if I had someone like you.”

“I don’t know what you think is so special about me.”

“I just thinkwe’dmake a good team. You and me. With what you know about workforce management and my…” He pauses, like he’s searching for the words. “Well, I don’t really have any skills, but I do have a workforce. We could give FedEx a run for their money.”

“Sounds like you want me to beyourassistant.”

“I want you to be my COO.”

“Oh.” That’s quite the promotion. “How much does that pay?”

“I’ll have to see what I pay Glenda, and I’ll let you know.”

Poor Glenda. Not that I particularly like the way she seems to run roughshod over Hunter like he’s incapable of speaking for himself, but I assume he’s allowed it.

“I’ve got some things going on here, and I’d kind of like to see how all those pan out before I uproot my life and try starting over in a new city.”

“Your hometown,” he reminds me.

“LA doesn’t feel like home.” San Francisco does, though. My loyalty currently rests with Polytech. Isaac gave me the chance I needed, and I do feel like I owe it to him to at least hear him out on whatever he might have to offer me, job wise. But I don’t want to shut the door on Hunter’s offer either. Would it be weird to work with my ex?

Either way, it looks like that’s what I’ll end up doing, here or in LA.

Whatever. Lesson learned. I’m just glad Hunter and I are on speaking terms.

We don’t talk about much more than his company at lunch. I’ve got lots of questions, and he’s short on answers, which gives me sort of an idea about what I’d be doing on the off chance I decide to uproot my life and go work with him. It’s not until he’s walking me back to the office that he asks me out.

It’s nothing serious or overwhelming. Just a simple, “Do you want to grab dinner and drinks tonight? Or tomorrow? Before I head back to LA?”

It’s an invitation that rips me up a little. “I’m not really in a place right now that I can… I mean, I don’t really know what you’re asking, but I probably shouldn’t.”

“Any particular reason?” he asks, a guarded look on his handsome face.

Two particular reasons…

“It’s not you. I know that sounds weak as hell, but I’m in sort of a confusing situation, and I don’t wanna do anything to make it any more complicated.”

He nods. “I get it. I would say call me if you change your mind, but I know you never do.”

I press my lips together and surge forward, hugging him.

He laughs, surprised.

“I’ll probably regret it.” Saying no to a perfectly good single man with a good job and pure intentions.

“Don’t do that,” he says. “Don’t do regrets. They suck.”

“I’ll stay in touch, okay?”

“Good.” He presses a light kiss to my neck before we let go.