Page 24 of Death is My BFF

“I said you would know when I’m joking. I’m not joking.” David jotted down more remarks on the paper. “Doesn’t take me seriously.

Negative. Damn it, hold on, I’m writing in the wrong column.” He slipped on a pair of glasses, which made him look even more handsome, if that was even possible—not that it mattered—and resumed writing on the paper again. After, he smirked up at me. “Wow. Eleven negatives in the first ten minutes? A record. You’re going to have to seriously impress me at this point.”

“Eleven negatives?” I leaned forward in my chair. “You didn’t even write that many times!”

“You’ve struck me as competitive,” David said, pointing the pen at me. “I like it.”

“Let me see the paper!” I sprang out of my seat to see what he’d written, but he tugged the paper out of my line of vision.

“Uh, uh, uh, Miss Williams.” He shook a finger at me. I imagined chopping that finger into little pieces and throwing it back at him like confetti. “Let’s keep this professional.”

“Please. As if any of this has been professional or mature!” I lurched out of my chair, a ballistic explosion in the midst. “How dare you talk to me like I’m—I’m—”

“Beautiful?”

My eyes clashed with his, expecting mockery within them, but instead, I found honesty, and that left me a little breathless despite my better judgment. “I want an update on my car,” I said. “And I want it in my driveway by tomorrow at twelve p.m. Or else I’ll leak to the press how your father tried to shut me up last night.”

David slowly rose to his full height and strode around the cluttered desk. Intimidating good looks hovered over mine like a challenge that could end in condemnation, his body language self-assured and dominant with the anticipation of a victory that he never received. I stood my ground. David leaned away to sit on the edge of his desk, the gravity in the room shifting back to normal as our height evened out.

“If you leave, you don’t get the job,” he said, at last.

“I don’twantthe job—”

“And youlose.” He reached back on his desk and held up the list of positives and negatives. My focus shifted to the positive listed on the paper.

Doesn’t like to lose.

“You’ll have to admit defeat and walk out of this building knowing you gave up.” David pushed off his desk and walked around it again.

You’ll see my name everywhere and remember the smug look I had on my face when I defeated you.” He poured himself another “whiskey” and snatched it off the desk. Then he stood in front of the windows overlooking the city and sipped his drink with a theatrical “Ah.”

I headed toward the door. “Try your reverse psychology on yourself.”

“Stop,”he commanded, and I turned back. David burrowed through me with his steely brown eyes, and through a dreamlike haze, I obeyed.

“Don’t you at least want to know if you’re qualified?” he asked.

“Metaphorically, of course.”

This man had been playing a game with me from the moment we met. And he was right. I didn’t like to lose. It was a curse. Or maybe I was entranced by him. Either way, I felt like a madwoman for even considering staying. This wasn’t me.

“Come on, Faith,” he said around a broad grin. “Humor me.”

This was sick. Stinging, I made my way back to my seat with the intention of putting this jerk in his place.

David strode to his desk without breaking eye contact and sat down. “Let’s get serious. Tell me about your previous jobs.”

“I’ve worked as a waitress for half a year. They weren’t giving me enough hours and favoring other employees, so I quit. I also babysit, tutor, and volunteer in my spare time.”

“Bor-ring,” he sang under his breath.

“Serious doesn’t last with you, does it? I would pay to seeyoutry to wait tables.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “As one of our counselors, you would have to commute here a few times a week after school. Would that be overwhelming?”

“Metaphorically, no. Like you said, working at the D&S Tower is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and art is my passion. When I’m passionate about something, I’m dedicated to my responsibilities and willing to learn. No matter what obstacles are thrown in my way, I don’t give up. Ever.”

“Ever?”