“It looks like you’re about ready for another glass of wine.” He motioned to me.
“I think I should probably slow down.” I shook my head and smiled. “It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Alcott. I’m going to say hello to a few more people before this party starts winding down.”
“Please, call me Jon.” He took a sip of his whiskey. “It was nice to meet you as well, Melanie. I hope you have a good evening.”
Jon—I never thought the CEO of Alcott Inc. would tell me to call him by his first name.
I really didn’t know anyone else at the party, so my exit was based on a lie. I just didn’t want to hang around the bar and let him see the disappointment on my face—or seem desperate. I needed a job, but if I had blown my chance, then I had to move on. It wouldn’t be the first time—I liked Carson Cove, but if I didn’t find a job, then I would have to leave it in the past like the life I had before I moved there, to begin with. There were reasons for that—going to college was just one of them. A part of me wondered if it was for the better. The universe seemed to be sending me signs I didn’t want to see. If I couldn’t find a job, then maybe Carson Cove wasn’t the right place to call home. It was more expensive to live in the city, but there were more jobs available. The trade-off might be worth it.
“So, how did it go?” Taylor walked up beside me. “Did he see how amazing you are and hire you on the spot?”
“Uh, no…” I shook my head back and forth. “They’ve already moved past the application stage of the hiring process. He said I could apply in a few months…”
“I’m sorry,” she sighed. “Let’s see… Hey, the CEO of Bryce Marketing is here. I don’t know her as well as I know Jon, but her company handles advertising for a lot of the companies in Carson Cove. That could be fun.”
“I appreciate it, but I think I’m just going to wander around for a bit.” I shrugged. “It’s not often that I get to mingle with so many—privileged people.”
“You’re adopting the lingo.” Taylor nudged me and grinned. “You’re a seasoned Carsonian now.”
“Yeah.” I forced a smile.
Look at me—fitting in—and lying to two people in one night about mingling.
Taylor walked over to Bryant, and I pretended to be interested in conversations. Most people just ignored me as I drifted around the room. My eyes kept cutting back to the bar—and every time they did, it seemed like I caught Jon looking away. I thought I was seeing things, but once I noticed, I realized that it wasn’t my imagination. He was watching me and trying not to be conspicuous about it. I wasn’t sure why—he had already told me that he wouldn’t be able to hire me for a few months. If he was interested in asking me a question that didn’t involve a future employment opportunity, he didn’t let on when I was at the bar.
Taylor mentioned that Jon got divorced around the time she started dating Bryant—but I’m sure a guy like him isn’t interested in someone like me.
I did my best to mingle for another hour, but that was about all I could handle. I took a quick peek at the bar and didn’t see Jon sitting there anymore—he must have taken off when I wasn’t paying attention. I had to wait until Taylor wasn’t talking to one of her other guests to let her know that I was leaving. She urged me to stay a little longer, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I needed to get home anyway. My mother usually waited up—even when I told her that I might be late—and I had definitely stayed out later than normal.
Alright, now to collect my Hyundai from the valet…
I walked to the door, look at the Picasso in the foyer, and shook my head in disbelief as I stepped outside. It was breezy, even though it was spring, and that was one thing I loved about Carson Cove. The breeze coming off the ocean felt amazing when the sun went down. I looked towards the valet area, but instead of the guy that parked my car—I saw Jon. It appeared that he was waiting for the valet to bring his car back to the house. I thought about going back inside, but he noticed me before I had a chance.
“Calling it a night?” He turned towards me.
“Yea
h.” I nodded. “I normally don’t stay out this late.”
“Me either…” He turned back towards the driveway.
What followed our brief conversation was awkward silence. I tried to think of something interesting to say, but I didn’t want to bring up the job again—and I had no idea what else I could talk about. Normally, in a situation like that, I would have just mumbled about the weather or something I saw on the news, but I didn’t feel comfortable enough to do that. He glanced my way a couple of times, and those piercing eyes were enough to make my knees get weak all over again. He was so damn attractive that I couldn’t help glancing at him when he looked away. I normally wasn’t the type of girl that got smitten at first sight, but it sure felt like I was.
Maybe it’s better if I never work for him—I don’t know if I would get much work done if I had to stare at him all day.
“Ah, there’s my car.” He motioned to a set of headlights turning in the driveway.
“I hope you have a good night.” I gave him a polite nod.
“Hey…” He turned toward me as if an idea had struck him out of the blue. “Why don’t you give me your number? If something happens to open up before we post the job again, I could give you a call.”
“Um—okay.” I nodded and reached into my purse. “Sorry, I just got a new phone. I haven’t memorized it yet.”
The joys of being poor and having to switch companies when there’s a better deal somewhere else—this one didn’t even let me bring my number with me.
“Here.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. “Just text me, and then I’ll have your number—mine is on the card.”
“I can do that.” I smiled and took the card.