Kane winced, his expression almost one of pain at Stefan’s choice of words, but I let his little lecture slide for the moment. Just because I was part owner of Club X didn’t mean I had to be like him.
“If there’s no objection to Olivia, I’m going to offer her the job,” I said definitively. I didn’t think there’d be any opposition to her, but as equals in the business, I had to legally give my partners a chance to express their disapproval, if they had any.
Silently, Kane shook his head, and when I looked to his left at Stefan, he pretended to think of a reason to argue against my hiring of her but just shrugged his shoulders. “You know what I think. I think you shouldn’t waste time getting her to join you upstairs. You’re not seeing anyone seriously now, so there’s never been a better time.”
Turning to walk back into my office, I leaned in toward Stefan and whispered, “I’ve told you before what I think of you getting involved in my personal life. You made that mistake once and I forgave you. Don’t make it again. I can’t promise I’ll be as forgiving the second time.”
Before he had the chance to give me some bullshit answer that would likely irritate me, I left him standing with Kane and rejoined Olivia as she finished reading her contract. Taking my seat behind my desk, I adjusted my suit coat sleeves and waited for her to ask whatever questions she had about her new job.
I studied her, remembering how the background investigation on her had said she was twenty-seven. Something in her face showed an edge that gave her a more mature look than one I’d expect in someone her age. I liked that. I didn’t need some doe-eyed girl who needed direction at every turn. I needed an assistant like Kate had been for me—competent, intelligent, and supportive. Watching Olivia, I hoped I’d found that in her.
She seemed uncomfortable as she hesitated for a moment before looking up from the papers in front of her. “I’m sorry. Do you have a pen?”
Sliding one toward her, I touched her finger with mine, noticing instantly how soft her skin felt as she slid the pen from my grasp. She smiled her appreciation and with no more hesitation, signed on the bottom line to become my new executive assistant.
A little surprised by her lack of questions about the position, I guessed she likely was in as much debt as the investigator had reported. Still, I felt uncomfortable beginning our working arrangement without some discussion of her possible concerns.
“Olivia, you have no questions?”
Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly. “I have a lot of questions. Like can you give me some history on the club? I tried to find out about it, but you’ve been very successful in keeping this place under the radar.”
“No problem. Originally, my brothers and I bought into Club X with two other investors, one of whom was a silent partner. The other wasn’t as silent, but when the first one decided to offer his part in the business, I believe because he was getting married, the other man chose likewise to give us a chance to buy him out and we did. That was just a few months ago, but in truth, we’ve been running the club by ourselves for a little over five years.”
She smiled politely, and I prepared to tell my usual lie so she didn’t bolt out the door before she even got to give the place a chance. “I suspect you’re concerned about the legality of all this, despite my explanation before. I can assure you that the police know about this place, and in fact, some even are members.”
Olivia nodded her understanding and smiled. “Thank you. It makes me feel much better knowing that.”
When she smiled, she looked more like a twenty year old. Her brown eyes lit up her entire face, and the apples of her cheeks got a pinkish color to them that gave her a sweet look. As long as she could handle the job responsibilities, she could look any age she wanted to. “Please feel free to ask me anything that’s on your mind. It’s important that you feel comfortable here, Olivia.”
“Okay, then here goes. On page four there’s a paragraph after the non-disclosure section about my responsibilities concerning the press. Is this something that I should be prepared for?”
“Yes and no. Because the club has been around for a while, the press usually approaches one of us if there are any questions. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t happen with one of the club’s employees. We tell all our people that the standard answer of ‘No statement’ usually suffices. Just let me know if you’re asked any questions, and I’ll take care of it.”
Nodding, she smiled as she attempted to hide her uneasiness. “Okay. On page seven the section about becoming a member…” She knitted her brows and looked away as she lowered her voice. “I don’t have that kind of money. I mean, you don’t have to worry about me being a gambler or drug addict or anything like that. That’s not why I’m a little shy on cash now. It’s just that I’ve been out of work for a few months, so thousands of dollars right now isn’t something I can do.”
Her cheeks blushed a deep red now, and I saw in her eyes her pride made her hate the words she had to say, so I quickly worked to belay her awkwardness. “It’s fine, Olivia. Upper level employees are given memberships free of charge. It’s entirely up to them if they choose to take advantage of them or not.”
Why I said that I had no idea. I’d never cared one way or the other what employees did concerning membership to the club before. And why I’d said it that way, almost implying that she shouldn’t take advantage of everything the club offered, made it seem like I didn’t want her to.
“Oh, okay. Thank you.”
Quickly, I moved to change the subject. “Were there any other questions?”
She thought for a moment and then smiled warmly. “Just one. Nowhere in the contract was any mention of what hours I’d be working. I know you’re obviously here in the daytime, but it seems like your business is primarily a nighttime one.”
Amused by her observation and the lack of attention to that point in the contract, I chuckled. “I’m here every day from eleven am to midnight. You may choose any eight hours within that time that you like. If I need you for something at a particular time, I’ll let you know.”
“Every day?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“I’m here every day. I guess you can call me a workaholic. You won’t have to be. Monday through Friday will work fine, unless there’s an event I need you for.”