My Dad's Rival

I sigh. “Alright, this is the compromise. If I interview and don’t get the position, then you drop it, okay? There’s no guarantee that he’ll hire me, after all. And secondly…you owe me big time. I haven’t decided what I want from you yet, but I’ll let you know when I do.”

He grins at me. “There she is, my little businesswoman, always cutting deals.”

“Yeah, well, I learned from the best.”

He stands up and rounds the table to kiss the top of my head. “Oh, I should mention as well…your interview is in two hours.”

I blink in shock, turning to face him. “What did you just say?”

“I already arranged for you to go in for an interview. I knew you’d say yes. And I wanted to get the ball rolling,”

“Dad, I can’t believe you!”

He smiles fondly at me.

“First rule of business, always be one step ahead of the rest. You’ve still got a lot to learn from me, darling. Go on, go and get ready. I’ll drive you to the interview.”

I spring to my feet and hurry up the stairs, feeling flustered. I can barely believe what he’s done this, but at the same time, this is exactly the sort of stunt he’s always pulling. I shower as quickly as possible and then pull out my best pantsuit for the interview. I pull it on, glancing at myself in the mirror. The shirt I’m wearing strains against my breasts, making me sigh in annoyance. Having curves that never seem to end is both a blessing and a curse. I’ve always been a confident woman in many ways, but sometimes, looking in the mirror has me second-guessing myself.

The one thing I’ve always wanted more than a successful career is love. A strong, handsome man capable of sweeping me off my feet and protecting me from anything. Maybe that’s old fashioned in a world where women are able to do whatever they want, but since I was a kid, my heart’s desire has always been to find love, to get married, and have a bunch of kids.

My career is important to me too, but it’s a secondary concern.

But being a curvy girl makes finding love so much harder. I’ve never found a guy I’m interested in in any way, but I know that most guys reject me just because of the way I look. They think I take up too much space, that I’m less worthy of love because I’m a bigger girl. It’s hard, knowing that people are still so closed-minded, but that’s just the way things go sometimes.

But that doesn’t matter today. Even though my search for love is constant, I’m definitely not going to find it at this interview. My dad has always referred to Wyatt Callaghan as a ‘handsome bastard,’ but even if I do meet him, I could never fall for my dad’s rival…for one thing, he’s my dad’s age. Second of all, I’ve been taught to hate him for years on end. No matter how charming he may seem, I should know better than to trust a snake in the grass. I’ve got my head screwed on right. There’s no way that’s going to happen.

I smooth my blonde hair down over my shoulders and glance one more time in the mirror. My eyes look brilliant and bright. I look ready for a challenge. And I’ve got to complete this one, for my dad’s sake.

Normally, I’d be angry with him for pulling a stunt like this. He’s given me no time at all to prepare for this interview. Fortunately, though, I know Callaghan Industries inside out. It’s like my dad has been prepping me for this moment my entire life.

As I head out to the car, I don’t feel nervous. Not even knowing that I’m going to come face to face with my dad’s biggest rival of all time. I’m a strong and confident woman. I don’t need to be afraid of anything.

The drive to the Callaghan Industries office building in the city is a quiet one. I spend the time preparing what I’m going to say, how I’m going to keep my identity a secret. Fortunately, my last name is common. Callaghan is unlikely to make the connection between my dad and me, so long as I’m careful. Hopefully, he’ll be so impressed by my interview that he’ll overlook the family name.

As we pull up in front of the building, my dad grips my arm, excitement overflowing from him. I haven't seen him this excited in a long time and it makes me all the more determined to do a good job for him.

“Good luck, pumpkin. I know you’re going to ace the interview,” he says. I lean in and kiss his cheek.

“Thanks, Dad. It’s so nice that you have faith in me,” I say dryly.

“I owe you. Big time. Anything you want, it’s yours.”