“Good,” I answer and smile, hoping to leave it just at that.
“She just earned her associate’s,” my mom chimes in for me.
“Oh?” Avery asks, perking up with interest as I cringe inside. “What program did you take?”
I pick up my glass of water and say quickly, “Liberal Arts,” before taking a deep drink.
Undeterred, or perhaps truly interested, Avery starts to ask, “Are you planning on—”
Only to be cut off by the sound of a baby crying.
“Oh, Lane must be up from his nap,” Avery says as she picks up a baby monitor I didn’t even notice until now off the table and switches it off.
She shoots me an apologetic smile as she stands from her chair. “Sorry, excuse me. He’s usually cranky when he wakes up from his naps and wants his mommy.”
“No problem,” I smile back at her, relieved I’ve escaped her questioning.
Once Avery leaves the room, I lean back
in my chair and start to relax. I’m so full of lasagna, I’m beginning to feel sleepy.
Chase suddenly says, the deep, commanding tone of his voice jerking me awake, “Do you have any plans this summer, Bree?”
I blink at him in surprise, my heart stuttering. “No… not really.”
The full, penetrating force of his gaze hits me and I almost squirm in my seat. Damn, just his eyes alone are intimidating as hell. No wonder he was undefeated in the cage. Between that look and his sheer size, I have no doubt with one look he could make grown men cry.
“Really?” he questions as if he doesn’t quite believe me while arching his brow. “You don’t have anything planned?”
Fuck. Does he know something?
“Well…” I stammer, actually squirming this time, “I thought I’d tan by the pool…”
Chase continues to just stare at me, and I’m about to start apologizing for everything I’ve ever done in my life when he asks, “How would you like a job?”
“A job?” I repeat dumbly.
What the hell is going on here? Is he messing with me? Or testing me?
“Yeah, a job,” he drawls out and then his lips quirk up with a smirk. “You know, those things you do for money.”
Fuck. I bet he is testing me. Testing to find out if I’m a spoiled brat who won’t earn her keep.
“Oh, one of those,” I smirk back at him and roll my eyes. If he thinks I’ll balk at the thought of a job, he’s got another thing coming. “Sure, I could use a job. Do you have something in mind?”
I must have passed his little test because Chase’s smirk softens into something that’s close to a smile. “I could use some help around the gym now that Avery is busy with the kids.”
“What kind of help?” I ask, curious but also a little apprehensive.
I’m not in the best of shape. Working out has never been my thing. I’ve tried some yoga and Pilates, but never stuck with it. If he needs someone who’s into fitness, I’m going to have a hard time.
Perhaps sensing my apprehension, Chase reassures me, “Just some help around the office with the administrative stuff. Dealing with memberships and such. It would only be a couple of days a week.”
“Oh, okay… I could do that,” I smile, relieved. “No problem.”
Anything for family, right?
“Great,” Chase says, his smile stretching into a full grin. “Can you come in tomorrow? We’ve got a big event going on.”