The Boy Who Has No Redemption (Soulless 8)

But Derek joined me.

He didn’t bring up our relationship again. He barely looked at me. His mood was deep and somber, the emptiness in his eyes like he was permanently miserable. A part of me felt bad for him, even though I shouldn’t.

He asked all the technical questions to make sure they were as good as their grades indicated. He wasn’t warm or inviting, instead very cold and right to the point. Even if he wasn’t sad, that was how he was anyway, so I guess it was a good introduction.

He sat beside me in an armchair and looked at Alessandra, a young engineer who had just finished her graduate degree at MIT. She was still and stiff, her eyes on Derek the entire time, a bit star struck. “What is your philosophy about being an engineer?”

It was an open-ended question, and every time he asked it, the applicants didn’t know how to answer it. It was just strange, which seemed to be the point.

She was quiet for a long time as she considered the question.

Derek never said it, but that seemed to be something he was looking for, people who took the time to process problems and think them through before blurting out an answer filled with buzzwords.

She spoke. “It’s not just about finding the most efficient way to create something, but the safest way, the most durable way. And in order to do that, you can’t build off someone else’s work, because if you use something else as a foundation, you’ll never see the situation through a unique lens.”

Derek had no reaction, but that was the answer he wanted. “Thank you, Alessandra. I think you’ll be a good fit here. We’ll see you in a couple weeks.” He rose to his feet and extended his hand.

She slowly got to her feet and looked at his extended hand, like she couldn’t believe she got the position and Derek Hamilton was the one to give it to her. She hesitated before she shook his hand.

Derek treated the male and female applicants exactly the same, which was nice. I’d been on a lot of interviews lately, and whenever the boss called me honey or sweetheart, I wanted to scream. Derek wasn’t a misogynistic tool, which was refreshing.

She inhaled a deep breath when he withdrew his hand. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to stay professional, but I’m such a fan, Dr. Hamilton. You’re so brilliant, and it’s such an honor to be an intern here. I was about to move to California to work in the lab at Stanford, but when I heard about this opportunity, I didn’t hesitate to drop that offer. I believe in your philosophy and the commitment you have to your work.”

He was still for a while, processing the compliment with a stoic expression. But then he finally found a response. “Thank you, Alessandra.”

“You can call me Alice, just easier that way.”

“Then you can call me Derek.”

Her eyes widened at the offer. “Okay…” She excused herself and left the room.

Derek sat back down with his knees apart, staring across the room at the wall.

I didn’t rise to grab the next intern. I let Derek have a moment to digest what had just happened.

My mind drifted to my situation with Paul. He was supposed to come to my apartment a few nights ago and demand his money, but he never showed. I just assumed he got caught up in something else and he would come calling, but he never did. After all that work hunting me down, abandoning his tirade didn’t make sense, but maybe he came to his senses. I had no idea.

But it seemed like that problem was over.

It was humiliating for it to happen in front of my daughter. It was painful to be treated that way by a guy I’d slept with, and it was a hard lesson learned. I was officially done with dating, and even after Lizzie moved out, I wouldn’t get back on those dating apps. Maybe I would meet somebody at my new job, a guy who had his kids from his previous marriage or something.

At this point, I just wanted a nice guy.

My thoughts traveled so far away that I didn’t realize Derek was staring at me.

It seemed to have been going on for a while.

I blinked a couple times before I cleared my throat. “You want me to grab the next intern?”

He shook his head.

I held his gaze with the papers in my hand, unsure what the intention was behind his stare. “What is it?”

“I just…don’t feel like I deserve that praise.”

“You do, Derek.” Despite my personal feelings toward him, he was a good man. His difficult background made him damaged goods, but he was still a good person. He cared about people. He cared about doing the right thing. The money on the table was the least of his concerns. The company he founded was about more than profit.