The next interview went the same as the first—Gina flirted, Theo laughed, and I fumed.
I ended it before he could even ask the second question.
After two more interviews, Theo shifted in his seat and faced me.
“Can you please like one of these girls, please?” he asked with a light in his eyes I desperately wanted to explore and find out where it originated from.
“What? I just think no one is the right fit.” I glanced at his clipboard as he turned it away from me. “What are you writing on there?” I asked.
“None of your business,” he shot back.
“It kind of is. I manage Lopa, and if it’s about this company then I need to know.” Why did he always piss me off? I didn’t want to interview anyone anymore. I wanted to go home. He acted ridiculous. Why wouldn’t he let me see what he wrote?
The next applicant was male, thank god, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Brandon Masters. Tall, tanned, and tattooed. Killer smile. He sat, and I didn’t know how he fit in his small chair with all the lean muscles bulging from every spot. He definitely would attract customers. If you were into disheveled just on the side of sexy. Ok, I’ll admit it, he was gorgeous.
Theo stood, jutting out his hand to shake Brandon’s. “Thank you for stopping by, but I’m sorry the position has already been filled.”
Brandon, dumbfounded and confused, said his goodbyes, shook Theo’s hand, and left.
I turned in my chair to face Theo. “Why? He would have been a good fit here. Why didn’t we even ask him a question?”
“I didn’t like him,” he said in his serious tone.
“But, maybe he’s the one,” I pressed.
Theo leaned closer to my ear, brushing stray strands of hair from my face with his nose. His low, raspy voice spoke softly in my ear, “He isn’t the one. You’re engaged, remember? Calm yourself.”
I pushed away from him. “I didn’t mean like that. God, what is wrong with you?”
“Wrong with me? What’s wrong with you?”
I needed some air. Space from him and his desire to get away from the Lopa. And me. I rose from the table and headed to the back deck. My emotions were overwhelming me: angry, confused, upset, and heartbroken. A tear escaped, and I swiped it away when I heard steps behind me.
“Hire whoever the fuck you want.” He stood right behind me, and I could almost hear his heart beating in sync with mine. “I’m going home.”
“Ok,” I whispered.
“I’m serious, Penny.” I turned to face him. “Make sure you hire someone. I don’t want to be here anymore it’s just too hard.”
“I thought things haven’t been hard in a long time.”
“I wasn’t talking about my dick.”
My heart saddened when I saw the hurt in his eyes. I nodded my head as he abruptly turned and left.
I walked back over to the stack of resumes, collected them, and tossed them in the trash. Wrong, yes, but I wanted Theo here everyday with me. If I was forced to marry Dex, then I wanted to at least be close to Theo. My selfish mind didn’t care any longer. With a new bartender, Theo would have no reason to be around anymore. I couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing him again. I glanced down to his clipboard. The precious fucking clipboard. He never left it behind. Grabbing it, I noticed the scribbling and sank down in the chair to read it.
What we want in a bartender
Great personality
Good liquor knowledge
Why is this girl Tracey trying to get me to stare at her tits
Penny’s are better
Stop thinking about Penny’s tits