“Yes,” she said sulkily.
“Why?” His eyes narrowed on her face. Lily knew she looked tired. She had put a faint pink lip gloss on and a brush of blush to give herself some color. She was sure both were long gone by now, though.
“I was tired,” Lily admitted.
“So you’re angry at Georgia because you were late and she made a face at you when some bosses would have at least said something to you about being late.”
Lily thought about it for a minute. “I may have been wrong,” she admitted, already not liking the direction the conversation was taking.
“Now that’s settled, let’s move on to Jewell. What did she do?”
“Nothing.”
“Then how is she bugging you?”
Lily didn’t know how to get out of the sticky situation other than telling the truth. “You have her IOUs.” She stopped talking, narrowing her eyes on his expression. “Or do you?”
“I do, and that bothers you?”
“Yes.”
“All right.” Shade opened the desk drawer before reaching in and pulling out the slips of paper. Opening them, he counted out several before putting the remaining ones back in his drawer. “Here, you can have them.” He handed the slips of paper over. Lily stepped out of the corner, taking the papers before hastily returning to her safe space.
“Next up, what’s bothering you at the church?”
Lily looked down at her hands. “Pastor Dean can’t find anyone to run the church store. No one outside the church wants the position because it doesn’t pay. No one in the church that would do okay at it wants it because it doesn’t pay, and the few people who did volunteer did terrible. Jordan Douglas told everyone in her bible study class how much money someone made who came in the store. Marie Newman told Lark Jackson he didn’t need a new coat, that the one he had was just fine. He had on a thin jacket! Laverne Thomas told Willa to keep the clothes she was donating because the way her weight fluctuates, she would probably need them again in a couple of months.” Lily blew out an angry breath.
“So the job needs someone that is qualified to judge based on financial need if the people coming in require help, be sensitive to their privacy, and work five days a week all for free?”
“Yes! Oh, and they need to be nice.”
“I know the perfect person,” Shade said with a rueful expression.
“You do?” Lily asked hopefully.
“Yes: you. I can’t think of anyone more qualified.”
“Me? I can’t take the job,” Lily protested.
“I don’t see why not. It will give you the opportunity to use your degree in a way that will really benefit those in need, especially children, which is what you wanted to accomplish. You’ll have a better sense of what’s going on in their homes than a social worker with limited time. Anyone who arouses your suspicions, you can tell Knox. You would be sensitive to their privacy and you never gossip. But most of all, you have the most important qualification—you’re extremely nice.”
Lily smiled at his compliment.
“But what about the pay?”
“I have enough money for the both of us.” He held up his hand before she could interrupt. “But since I know you want your own money, I’ll ask the brothers to each donate enough money to pay your salary for the year.”
“I couldn’t ask them to do that.”
“You won’t, I will. Anyway, I already have a couple of their IOUs.”
Lily thought hard for a second before stepping back out of the corner, giving him Jewel’s IOUs back. “Don’t forget to ask the women members,” she reminded him.
“I won’t. Feel better?”
Lily nodded then bit her lip.
“What?”
“There is a family who comes into the store. They have two kids. Could the father have my job? I know there is a wait list, but since you said my job is extra, could you?”
Shade groaned. “Give them my number.”
“Okay.” Lily happily went toward the door.
“Lily, we aren’t finished. Come here.”
She let out a sigh. Yeah, now she remembered. There had been one issue he had saved for last. She started to go back to her corner but didn’t want to appear churlish. Instead, she walked back around the desk, coming to stand next to Shade.
He stood up, causing her to lean backward until her hands went behind her back to press against the desk. “I think I’ve also figured out what it is about me that’s setting your nerves off.”
“You have?”
“Yes, I have. You see, sometimes when a woman wants a man, her body lets her know by becoming… how shall I put it delicately? Horny. Yes, that’s the word I’m looking for. You’re horny.
“I’m not horny!”
“I can prove that’s what’s bothering you,” Shade said smugly, leaning over her, pressing her back against his desk. His hand went to her thigh, bringing it up around his hip. “And, I can fix that problem for you, too.”
“How can you fix the fact that you’re an arrogant ass?”