Kelly flinched and I was glad she was able to see the inappropriateness of Hunter's remark. She looked down at her wine for a minute and then up at me. "Is that when you kissed him?"
How did she know about that?
"You were seen on security surveillance. Andi was down checking in with one of the guards as Hunter was walking you out."
It was my turn to roll my eyes. "He wasn't walking me out. He was following me and harassing me. Didn't your cameras catch the audio? That kiss was just to mess with his head because he was being such an arrogant misogynistic jerk."
Kellie set her wine glass down. "Look, I know Hunter can sometimes come off as a beast or a little bit strong —"
"A little?"
She gave me a hard look. "I also know that you're not one to mince words or hold back what you're really thinking. It takes two to tango, as they say. What's most important to consider here is that this job could be helpful in your career. It could look good on your resume. It could open more doors for you."
“And you and Ryan can stop supporting me, because that's what all this is about, isn't it?" I stood up and carried my glass into the kitchen dumping my wine into the sink.
"That's not it at all," Kellie said.
I turned around, leaning back against the corner counter as I crossed my arms. "If you don't want to keep helping me, then just stop. I’ll figure something out. I'm not totally inept. I'm not a child."
Kelly stood. "Then maybe you should stop acting like one. Sometimes in life you have to do things that you don't want to do to create the opportunities that you do want to do."
"So, I have to sell my soul to the devil in order to do my art? Is that what you're saying? I have to put up with Hunter making lewd comments about my mouth?"
Kelly shook her head no. "No. Not at all. And of Hunter's doing that, I'll make sure Ryan puts a stop to it. The truth of the matter is that you would be working in a different area with a different team. You probably won't even see Hunter very often."
I didn't believe that for a minute. If Hunter hired me, he’d probably watch me like a hawk to make sure I was doing the ad his way.
Kelly looked at her watch. "I have to go. Think about what I said about the job and how this could be a good opportunity for you."
I nodded in response, not able to bring myself to answer out loud.
When Kellie left, I focused on cleaning my brushes and then opening my laptop to check the job want ads, thinking there surely had to be a better option for me than going to work for Strong Incorporated. But then it occurred to me that Hunter wasn't likely to offer me the job anyway. So, I didn't have to turn him down.
Still, I looked through the job listings trying to find something that would allow me to live self-sufficiently in the apartment and take care of all my basic needs.
Later, I ate dinner in front of the TV hoping that watching some dumb reality show would get the image of Hunter out of my head. Or more accurately the taste and feel of his lips during that kiss out of my head.
Later that night as I lay in bed, I realized that somehow Hunter had gotten under my skin. I couldn't fully rid him from my mind. It was infuriating how somebody who was so obnoxious and a jerk could at the same time be so appealing and erotic.
5
Hunter
It was bad enough that I woke up the next morning with a raging hard on thanks to Natalie and that searing kiss she'd given me yesterday. Reluctantly and with anger, I jerked off in the shower that morning to images of her smart mouth wrapped around my dick. I was still pissed after I came over the shower tiles because it was so irritating that she could simultaneously piss me off, make me hard, and give me a jerk-off orgasm that was so good.
But now in my office, Ryan was at my desk telling me that I should hire Natalie. It was like I couldn’t escape her.
"Even if I did offer her the job, she wouldn't take it. The interview didn't go well and clearly she doesn't want to work here."
Ryan stared at me for a moment and then he took a seat in my chair like he planned to stay for a while. "I'm sure you didn't do anything to dissuade her from wanting the job."
"She won't fit in here, Ryan. She'd be the first to tell you that." It was still early in the morning, but I was feeling like I could use a drink.
"She's artistic and creative, which is exactly what we need on this campaign."
"There's no doubt that she's artistic, but her art is a different sort of art. This is marketing Ryan. Her boho, free sprite-type isn't going to work in Europe."
His brows knitted together. "Boho is her type?"