‘Why? Are you worried I’m going to be crying into my tissues instead of concentrating on you?’
‘I’m just curious.’ Lazzaro shrugged. ‘Given that we’re going to be working so closely together, we’re going to get to know these things about each other.’
Hardly! Caitlyn choked back the word—she couldn’t imagine asking Lazzaro to pass the tissues as she cracked a bar of chocolate and told him that the reason she and Dominic had broken up was because—because…She closed her eyes and cringed. Because of the things she didn’t do. Because, at the ripe old age of twenty-two, she was still a virgin!
‘Purple!’ Caitlyn said instead, giving a tight smile at Lazzaro’s bemused frown. ‘I’m wearing purple knickers, before you ask, and we were together six months. He ended it, but I was actually about to. Is that enough information for you?’
‘For now…’ He gave her a very lazy smile, and stared at her for the longest time without even attempting to speak. For Caitlyn it was excruciating as she awaited what she knew was about to be a summing up. ‘You’re very…’ he paused before he delivered his verdict ‘…different.’
‘I am.’
‘Very interesting…’ Lazzaro mused.
‘I’m hard bloody work, actually!’
‘I like hard work.’ Lazzaro grinned, and she nearly shot out of her chair at the look he was giving her. ‘Well, I look forward to working with you. That will be all.’
‘Not quite.’ Caitlyn saw his frown of surprise and she took a deep breath before speaking. ‘Generally at the end of an interview the interviewee is asked if she has any questions or anything she’d like to add.’
‘Do you?’
‘Actually, yes…’ Caitlyn hesitated for a second—could absolutely hear the horrified shriek of the little devil that sat on her shoulder as she decided to be up-front. But there was no point in taking this job, no point at all, if one thing wasn’t made perfectly clear from the start. She’d heard Lazzaro was a tough and demanding boss, that he had no qualms at all about speaking his mind—loudly on occasion. That she could accept, so long as Lazzaro could accept her. ‘I admire the fact that you speak your mind. However…’ her blue eyes locked with his ‘…so do I.’
‘I’d already worked that one out,’ Lazzaro countered. ‘Though stand-up rows with my personal assistant I can do without.’
‘Oh, there’ll be no stand-up rows.’ Caitlyn smiled. ‘I’m more professional than that. But, before you formally offer me the position, you should know that I do have a tongue, and one that I’ll use if I think I’m being spoken to inappropriately—no matter how good the salary, manners cost nothing.’
Lazzaro, though his face never moved a muscle, was actually smothering a smile; listening to Caitlyn was as unique as it was refreshing—almost as if he were the one being interviewed for the job.
‘So I am to watch what I say?’
‘No,’ Caitlyn corrected. ‘Just don’t expect me to hide behind a pot plant till your mood passes.’
‘I don’t have any pot plants.’
He stared at her thoughtfully for a moment, and for Caitlyn it lasted for ever. She was wondering if she’d blown it, if she was about to kiss her dream job goodbye, but suddenly he smiled—not a wide, generous smile, more a brief upturn of his lips, but for Caitlyn it was wonderful.
‘I will see you on Monday at seven-thirty. You will need a suitable wardrobe, of course. I will arrange an account for you—’
‘I have a suitable wardrobe,’ Caitlyn interrupted. ‘I don’t generally walk around dressed like this.’
‘As you wish.’ Lazzaro shrugged. ‘But I expect smart.’
‘You’ll get it.’
‘I mean really smart,’ Lazzaro countered—and winced as the phone rang.
‘Allow me.’ Caitlyn grinned, rolling her eyes as an expensive voice purred out her new nearly boss’s name.
‘Bonita,’ Caitlyn mouthed, expecting him to shake his head, and more than a little miffed when he didn’t.