Page 88 of Damaged Protector
My jaw almost hit the floor. “Shark and Blaire are related to Auburn Bouvier?” The man owned one of the largest and most well-respected fashion companies in the world.
“Yep, we went up to New York for a visit, and he and his wife, Gianna, loaded the private plane we flew on with clothes as a thank you for coming to see them. How classy is that?”
“Pretty damn classy,” I murmured, still a little stunned that my boss was related to one of the richest men in America. Shark was definitely more blue-collar than the enigmatic billionaire, but they were both very intense men, so I guessed it wasn’t all that unbelievable.
“Put on these shoes, and let’s go show Hawk.”
“I’m so lucky we wear the same sizes in shoes and clothes,” I said, stepping into the elegant navy heels.
“And what is the interview for again? Some kind of grant?”
“Yes, a wealthy benefactor left behind a lot of money when he died as an endowment for doctorate-level students. They only give away three of them each year.”
“That’s so awesome. Grad programs are expensive as hell.”
I nodded and twisted the skirt a little to center the seams. “My dad said he has the money, but… I don’t know, Char. I don’t want to take his money. I want to handle this on my own. Take charge of my own life. This grant would really help so I won’t have to take out huge student loans.”
She squeezed my hand. “You’ve got this, babe. You’re gonna knock their damn drawers off.”
That made me smile. “Thanks, Charli.”
“Okay, Hawky!” she yelled from the hallway. “Here comes the final selection in the Mallori fashion extravaganza.”
I rolled my eyes at her silliness and walked into the living room. My roommate lifted his head, and his lips parted as he took me in. His voice was gravelly and low when he said, “That’s the one.”
“You think? Better than the green one?” I turned in a circle, and he shook his head.
“That one.”
“Told ya,” Charli said smugly as Hawk’s eyes lifted to mine and held there. My feet seemed to be glued to the floor by the force of his stare until Char tugged on my elbow, breaking the spell. “Let’s go hang this one up, and then I want to play with that adorable kitten of yours.”
I was rocking this interview. The Bouvier suit I was wearing was tasteful and classic, and I felt my confidence soar simply from wearing it.
And I hadn’t busted my ass in these high heels when I entered, so that was also a plus.
There were three interviewers on one side of a conference table, and I sat alone on the other side. All of them were middle-aged, two women and one man. The woman in the center with wavy red hair streaked with a healthy dose of gray did most of the talking. The man had only asked one question so far.
I answered each question with a clear voice, making sure to hold eye contact with each of them as I was speaking. The lady with the short brunette bob smiled a lot at me, while the other two were more stoic.
The gentleman nodded approvingly when I told them how inspired I was after accompanying Taz to her prosthetic adjustment at the veterans’ hospital this past weekend. I’d met with the prosthetist, physical and occupational therapists, and some folks from the orthopedics department. Everyone was so kind and encouraging, and that visit had lit a fire in me that I hadn’t known existed. I spoke passionately about my desire to work with injured service men and women, and the male interviewer actually cracked a smile at my enthusiasm.
Then he dropped the bomb on me.
“I see here that you started the fall semester of your senior year and then dropped out suddenly.”
Shit.
“Yes, sir.”
He tapped the end of his pen against the desk and raised one brown eyebrow. “Why?”
“There was… an unavoidable situation that required me to complete my senior year online.”
He leaned forward with his forearms on the smooth wooden table, his eyes serious behind wire-rimmed glasses. “Ms. Fitz, this endowment is for a lot of money, and we don’t grant it lightly. We have to know that the recipient will follow through and complete their entire course of study. We’d like to know why you dropped out of school.”
Dammit, I didn’t want them to think I was some flighty person who would quit school at the drop of a hat. Sucking in a deep breath, I lifted my chin and spoke.
“I got kicked out.” The man’s pen clattered to the table as his face registered shock. The brunette woman’s hand lifted and literally clutched the pearls at her neck.