“I haven’t,” I argued. “I’ve been out with a few girls.” I didn’t bother telling Harry that the only reason I’d gone on the occasional date was when I needed someone to come out for a company dinner. “I’m just not interested.” I shrugged. “The girls here aren’t really interested in casual dating, and it’s not like I have time to be a boyfriend.”
“You’re boring,” Harry said. He rolled his eyes.
“I’m an adult,” I said drily. “I care about work, and my company. I’m not exactly in the market for a relationship right now. And besides, women here are no different than American women. When they meet me and find out who I am, all I can see is dollar signs in their eyes.”
“So? You have all that money, you might as well put it to good use,” Harry said snidely.
I sighed.
“Seriously, James, I thought this would be good for you. New city, new girls – nothing like back home in Boston.”
I hesitated. For a second, I was tempted to tell Harry the truth. That there was, in fact, someone I was interested in.
Beth.
Ever since I’d met her the previous Christmas at a bachelor party in Jamaica, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. We’d shared a night of unbridled passion – and in the twelve months that had since passed, she’d never left my mind. Even during nights where I worked myself to the bone on a project or dealing with a new client, Beth had always been right there. Her sexy freckles, that long brown hair, and her sparkling green eyes. Not to mention her killer, petite body – she’d looked like a girl next door turned supermodel. I could still remember the feel of her soft skin under my rough hands.
I’d tried to find her. When she’d left without a note or a phone number – or even a last name – I’d gone crazy. I’d hired a private investigator and spent thousands of dollars trying to locate her. All I knew was that she was gorgeous, in Boston, and that her name was Beth.
The odds of finding her seemed fucking impossible, but I wasn’t going to give up. And now that I was heading back home, I wanted to double down on my search.
“Hello? Earth to James,” Harry said. “What do you want?”
A bartender was standing next to Harry, looking vaguely annoyed.
“Just a bourbon,” I said. “On the rocks.”
The bartender nodded. A few seconds later, he returned with two glasses brimming to the top with bourbon. Harry and I each took a glass and clinked.
“What were you saying?” I took a long swallow of my drink. The bourbon burned all the way down, in a delicious, familiar way.
Harry looked at me in disgust. “You’re hopeless,” he said. “Look, James, I don’t know what happened, but you’ve been different ever since we went to Jamaica last year – did something happen?”
“No,” I lied. “Nothing happened.”
I knew that I was thinking like a crazy person. There was no way a rational person would keep pursuing a one-night-stand from almost a year ago…especially considering I didn’t even know her last name! But Beth had sparked something in me, something real, something that I’d never felt before.
And I knew I had to find her, no matter what.
Chapter Three
Hanna
I climbed out of bed and yawned, rubbing my fists against my eyes. The sun was shining outside – it looked like it was already late afternoon – but I knew it was freezing cold. It had snowed, again, the night before, and I’d stayed in bed all day, reading and snacking on the cookies Danielle had brought home from her job.
It had been exactly one week since I’d quit working for Jim. The first few days had been hard. I felt useless and lazy, and it was hard to motivate myself to do anything other than shower during the long days at home. Danielle had been more than supportive – she’d done nothing but give me encouraging words. She’d even asked her friend who worked in a staffing agency if there were any leads that looked like they’d be a good fit for me. But nothing had worked out. Yesterday, I’d spent the whole day sending my resume to what felt like every company in the city. I knew that as soon as I started getting interviews again, I’d start to feel better.
Just as I was about to head into the kitchen and grab the ice cream from the freezer, my phone buzzed in the pocket of my pajama pants. Excitedly, I pulled it out and swiped the call open.
“Hello, this is Hanna Parker,” I said in my most professional voice.
“Hello, Hanna! This is Laura, over at Magnate Group. We received your resume yesterday for an administrative position, and I was hoping you’d be able to come in for an interview tomorrow morning.”
My heart leapt into my throat and I had to steady myself. Magnate Group was the firm to work for in Boston! It was always on the Fortune 500 list, and I knew the owner was a young, mysterious billionaire. It was impossible to go anywhere in the city without seeing sleek Magnate Group advertisements.
“Hanna? Are you there?”
“Oh my gosh, yes, I’m so sorry,” I said. “And yes, I’d love to come in and speak with you tomorrow morning!”
“Perfect,” Laura said. “Please come at ten-thirty.”
I scribbled down the address that Laura gave me on the back of my hand and fought the urge to squeal and jump for joy when I hung up. I couldn’t believe it – if I started working at Magnate Group, my money problems would be over. I’d be able to save, and more importantly, start to pay Danielle back for all of her kindness.
I was still jumping for joy when Danielle got home. She smiled when she saw me.
“I got an interview!” I said excitedly. “At Magnate Group!”
“Holy shit, no way!” Danielle squealed and hugged me tightly. “Hanna, that’s incredible!”
“I know,” I said, closing my eyes and taking a huge breath. “I can’t believe they called me. Me, of all people!”
“I can believe it,” Danielle replied. “You’re smart and capable. They’ll be lucky to have you.”
“Don’t talk like I already have the job,” I said cautiously. “It’s bad luck.”
Danielle scoffed. “It’s not bad luck,” she said. “Hanna, I know you’re going to crush this! I’m so happy for you.”
I bit my lip. “I just don’t want to get too optimistic when nothing has happened yet,” I said. “You understand, right?”
Danielle nodded. “But I’m confident in you,” she said. “And tomorrow, I know you’re going to wow them.”
I flushed. “I hope so,” I said. “Because I really need this.”
That night, I barely slept. I tossed and turned in my bed, wondering what would happen. Would the interview go well? Or go poorly? I even got up early in the morning to brush up on typical interview questions and a brief history of the Magnate Group. It was incredibly impressive that in less than twenty-five years, Magnate had become one of the largest domestic consulting firms.
I wondered if I’d be good enough to work there.