The meeting door opened again and in walked Joshua Lowell. Allison had never met him in person, but she’d seen his pictures all over the papers and in business magazines, especially the last few years. “Mr. Lowell, I’m Allison Randall.” She offered her hand.
“Please. Call me Joshua. It won’t be long before I’m not the boss around here anymore.”
“That’s why I’m here, right?” Allison wondered if that aspect of her job might help her smooth things over with Zane whenever he discovered she was working for Black Crescent. So much of his hatred seemed aimed at Joshua, and she was in charge of finding his replacement. She tucked the idea away in her head. The idea of needing to explain herself to Zane, all in the name of making a case for them as a couple, was a stretch. She was sure he didn’t see her as anything more than a fling.
“Absolutely,” Joshua answered. “So, please, let’s bring in these candidates.”
Allison asked Haley to go ahead and bring Chase in for his interview. The instant he walked through the door, the energy in the room changed dramatically. Tall, handsome and completely self-assured, Chase was a formidable presence. With Joshua also in the room, it was no easy task to take center stage, but Chase seemed to do it at will. Was this the reason for Haley’s hesitancy when it came to Chase? Was he simply too much to deal with?
Chase sat opposite the three of them at the conference table and Allison wasted no time conducting the interview. This was not about putting the candidate on the spot—she’d already gone over these exact questions with them over the phone. They’d also already been fully vetted by Allison and Kianna. This process was all for the client. This was Chase’s chance to put his well-honed answers on full display for Joshua.
When Allison was finished, she was fairly certain Chase could not only land the job, but could perform the duties with aplomb. But she wasn’t done with showing off the product of her hard work—Ryan Hathaway and Matteo Velez were up next.
“Thank you so much, Chase, for coming in today. We’ll be in touch,” Allison said.
All four of them stood and Chase began to round the table.
“I’ll fetch Mr. Hathaway,” Haley blurted, darting out the door before Chase had a chance to shake her hand and say goodbye.
Chase took notice, watching as she disappeared. “Ms. Shaw sure is on the case, isn’t she?”
Joshua extended his hand to Chase. “She’s the best. No matter who comes in as CEO, Haley needs to stay. She makes this office run.”
“Believe me, if I get this job, Ms. Shaw is the last person I’d dream of replacing,” Chase said. Allison couldn’t ignore the glimmer in his eyes.
Just then, Haley walked in with Ryan Hathaway, who Allison recognized from his headshot. Typically, Allison did not want the candidates for a position to encounter each other in the interview room, but what was done was done. She made the introductions, and Ryan seemed immediately suspicious of Chase.
“I suppose this is my cue to make way for your interview,” Chase said to Ryan before turning to Haley. “And, Ms. Shaw, I hope to see you again very soon.”
Haley’s face flushed with a brilliant shade of pink. She was noticeably conflicted as they shook hands. “I wish you the best of luck.”
Ryan seemed to take notice of the sparks between Haley and Chase, arching both eyebrows and pressing his lips together firmly as he witnessed their goodbye. He pulled Allison aside as Haley and Joshua talked privately.
“Is there something I need to know about that guy? Did he already get the job? I don’t want to interview for a taken position,” he said.
Allison shook her head, but she could tell that Ryan was seriously concerned. Given their earlier conversations, she was eager to put him at ease. “Everything’s fine. I think he’s just a little heavy-handed with the charm. If I had to place a bet on it, I’d say he has a bit of a crush on Ms. Shaw.”
Ryan glanced over his shoulder. Joshua and Haley were still conferring. “Okay. Good.”
Allison gently placed her hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “You sure you’re okay?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Definitely. I’m just used to guys like that being rewarded for their bad behavior. You know what they say. Nice guys finish last.”
Allison took a moment to consider Ryan’s words. Had he been burned? Was that where that was coming from? If so, she felt his pain. She’d gone for what she wanted, and it had been a miserable fail. “Nice guys finish first with me. As long as they’re qualified and nail the interview, of course.”
Ryan grinned. “I’m glad you recruited me. I really enjoyed our conversation while you were on your trip. I’m so relieved you weren’t hurt in the storm. Everything I saw on the news looked terrifying.”
“It wasn’t fun, that’s for sure.” Except that it had been. It had been amazing. She’d never felt more alive when the sea seemed determined to carry them away, but Zane was resolute about keeping her safe. She’d let herself be vulnerable with him, something she rarely ever did, and in the moment, it had been so richly rewarding. Even with Zane behaving like an ass since then, and trying to discount everything that had happened between them, she knew in her heart that it had all been worth it. Kissing him, touching him, having his hands all over her body. She’d wanted him for so long. How could she have ever said no? Even if she’d known all along what would happen? She couldn’t have.
Allison shook her head and brought herself back to the present. She couldn’t daydream about Zane right now. Not with work on the line. “I have to ask if you’re looking at other positions right now,” she said to Ryan.
“I have a few more
