I look at him with rainwater dripping from my hair down on my face and somehow, some-freaking-how manage to say with a straight face
„Yes, thank you. I'll consider that next time I'm waiting in the rain for someone to open the door. In the meantime, do you think that I could maybe come in so that I can avoid getting even wetter?”
He has the nerve to look at me like he`s considering if he should let me in or not. Finally, he moves out of the way and gestured for me to come in.
„Thank you.” I manage to say with only a bit of sarcasm in my voice.
The interior of the house is lovely and looks surprisingly homey. It`s an open space concept, and it `s a lot smaller than I expected.
„I`m dripping water on your floor, could you maybe bring me a towel so I can dry off.”
Again he looks at me with that put-out expression, like it`s my fault he decided to be petty and leave me out in the rain so he could express his displeasure.
„Wait here. I`ll be right back.”
He does come right back carrying a big white towel, which he hands me, the fierce frown never leaving his face.
„Where`s Hoggins? He was supposed to come with you .”
„He got held up in traffic, and he told me to go ahead and come. He said he called you, but you didn`t answer your phone.”
Incredibly enough, he manages to frown even harder, and I want to tell him to be careful because he`s going to get wrinkles, but I don`t think we `re at the point in our relationship where he would welcome advice like that.
I finish drying up as best I can and offer my hand to him.
„My name is Sophie Grant, and I`m your new assistant.”
I smile as cheerfully as I can, considering the fact that I resemble a wet rat. He doesn't return my smile, but he does take my offered hand.
„ Max Kingston.”
I knew the guy was big, I`d seen pictures, but sitting next to him makes me realize just how huge he is. I`m 5ft6, so I`m not short, but next to this guy, I feel like a regular Tinkerbell, which isn`t a good thing because, for some fucked-up reason, it`s a total turn-on.
„It`s very nice to meet you. I`m sure we`ll get along great.”
He doesn't look like he agrees with that statement.
„I`m going to be honest with you. I don`t want you here. I don`t need an assistant, and I sure as hell don`t need a babysitter. I value my privacy above all else, and I don`t appreciate being forced to let someone live in my house and follow me around like I`m some misbehaving kid. I did nothing wrong.”
He sounds pissed, and I get where he`s coming from, but neither he nor I have any choice.
„I agree, you did nothing wrong, and for the record, I told mister Hoggins I didn`t think you needed someone to watch you, but he told me it was non-negotiable. Listen, I don`t want to be a pest, so I`ll do my best to be as unintrusive as possible .”
He snorts at that.
„I don`t see how you could do that. You`ll have to follow me everywhere and live in my house for six months. Six fucking months! It`s the most fucked-up thing that`s ever happened to me, so you`ll excuse me if I`m not reassured .”
„I understand, I do, but this is going to happen, so how about we make the best of it. We can be friends. I`m not so bad, and I`m told I can be pretty funny, so let`s make a truce, and I`m sure we`ll be just fine. Just think of me as a roommate, like when you were in college.”
He looks at me like I`m crazy, but at least he`s not frowning anymore, so that`s a plus.
„You want me to pretend like we`re in college and you`re my roommate?”
That`s not exactly what I said, but ok, I`ll go with it.
„Um, sure. Something like that.”
„Jesus, they hired a nutcase.”
„Well, that`s not very nice.”
„Yeah, spoiler alert, I`m not a very nice guy. You might as well know that from the get-go.”
„You could at least try. What do you have to gain by being so negative? Try to think positive. Positive thoughts attract positive things .”
„Are you a hippie or something? I should have known it, with the pink hair and the hobo dress.”
Oh no, he didn`t!
„Excuse me?! What are you, a fashion critic? For your information, this is a boho dress, not a hobo dress. I`m not a hobo type of girl. And pastel-colored hair is in. And no, I am not a hippie. Not that there`s anything wrong with being a hippie.”
He rolls his eyes at me, and I`m tempted to tell him the same thing I said to that woman in the elevator yesterday, but I still have hope of winning him over. A tiny, fragile hope, but still.
„Fashion preferences aside, I think we could at least try to get along. Wouldn`t you rather have a nice friendly relationship with the person you`ll be spending the next six months with? I would.”
He doesn't seem very convinced, but then again, he doesn't seem to be as combatative eighter, so maybe there`s a chance he would at least consider it.
„If I agree to this, I want you to promise that you won`t get in my space more than strictly necessary. I understand you have to follow me around, but I don`t want you all up in my face all the damn time.”
„Of course. I like to have my privacy as well, so that won`t be a problem.”
I`m just about to ask him to show me where my room is when the front door bursts open and in comes to a fairy.
Ok, so it isn`t an actual fairy, but she sure does look like one. To be more
